It was freezing and we wanted to get away. But we had committed to our regular summer weeks in the cabin and didn’t want to sell off the kids’ college funds to hit a beach. The solution: a tagalong trip.

Charles Tilton had cash. Lots of it. His Gold Rush fortune paid for bridges, a new Town Hall, and public statuary throughout the hamlet named in his family’s honor. So when the wealthy benefactor wanted a memento of his trip to Rome in 1881, a mere postcard or souvenir ashtray wasn’t going to cut it. Instead, Tilton built a colossal memorial arch atop a 150-foot-high peak in close eyeshot of his grand mansion. Inspired by the Arch of Titus, the Concord granite monument overlooking downtown Tilton soars more than five stories high. Tilton dedicated the structure to his ancestors and hoped that, in contrast to its Roman counterpart, his arch would commemorate peace, not war.

People come to Orlando’s theme parks looking for a range of experiences from space travel to safaris to superheroic adventures. The one thing they probably don’t come for, especially during school vacation week, is sustained peace and quiet. But that’s a key part of what Discovery Cove delivers with its SeaVenture experience.

Discovery Cove is a SeaWorld sister resort (another sibling is Aquatica) where the illusion they’re selling is natural tropical paradise and marine wildlife sanctuary meets back-to-basics water park. The grounds are lush and manicured to rival the grand hotels of Hawaii. There’s a lazy river that winds around a good portion of the park’s 30 acres, including through an aviary where birds will eat out of your hand if you like.

Beautifully written and directed, HBO’s “Behind the Candelabra” doesn’t quite fit into the biopic genre — simply because it is so good.

A man seen with bloody hands after the killing of a British soldier in London allegedly took part in demonstrations with a banned radical group.

In a landmark step its CEO called ‘‘compassionate, caring, and kind,’’ the Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its ban against openly gay youths.

Chris Kreider, formerly of Boston College, scored the sudden-death winner to force a Game 5 Saturday. Boston leads the series, 3-1.

Think of the vast majority of professional boxers as essentially unpaid interns, taking their lumps to build their resumes in the hope of cashing in and joining the 1 percent who live large.

The firm’s iconic chairman launched limousine service BostonCoach in 1985 after waiting too long for a taxi at the airport.

Beneath the outlandish costumes, showy personality, and high-watt smile, Liberace was a real person.

Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged the doubts about chances of attaining Middle East peace.

The Bruins were on their way to a Game 4 clinching win against the Rangers. And then Tuukka Rask fell. Butt over tea kettle.

Edward J. Markey has not cast a vote in Congress since May 9, missing the last 40 votes before the chamber.

President Obama on Thursday said it was time to narrow the scope of the battle against terrorists, and vowed to restrict drone use.

Take heart, rapscallions, rakes, and other denizens of the political netherworld, and look at New York’s Anthony Weiner and South Carolina’s Mark Sanford to see hope never truly dies.