Updated Travel Advisory Issued

(KMDL-FM) In the coming weeks, thousands of Louisiana students will be donning caps and gowns and walking with purpose to the strains of Pomp and Circumstance, that traditional march used at graduation exercises. And while those seniors from Lafayette, Monroe, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lake Charles, and countless other communities across the state receive their diplomas, the mindset across the state will change.

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Louisiana will go from a "school day" mentality to a "summertime" mentality as schools across the state shut their doors for summer break. In Lafayette, graduation is next week, and the dismissal of underclassmen for the school year will happen as we approach the Memorial Day Holiday.

State Department Issues Updated Travel Advisories for Popular Destinations

And when that happens, half the town will go on vacation. Then, when they get back the following week, the rest of us will go. Or it sure seems that way. For many of us, vacation is a trip to the beach or maybe camping in the mountains. Others will take a more adventurous journey. It's those travelers who might want to read up on current travel advisories for destinations outside the United States.

For those traveling to the Caribbean, you can't be cautious enough if you're heading for destinations in Mexico, the Bahamas, or Jamaica. There are a few other islands in the Caribbean that have travel advisories, too.

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However, those heading to Europe should know not everything is safe and sound across the pond either. In fact, the U.S. State Department updated the travel risk for a place that I have always felt very safe when traveling, London and the United Kingdom.

While the threats for U.S. travelers in the Caribbean are more for personal attack crimes such as armed robbery and sexual assault, the concern across the Atlantic in the U.K. appears to involve a more sinister plot to injure masses of people. State Department officials have raised the threat level in the UK to level 2 because of concerns over terrorism.

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Travel Advisories Updated for London and the United Kingdom

There is credible intelligence that suggests terror groups could target:

tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, concerts, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas

According to the updated advisory issued via the State Department Website.

These concerns are not new for European travelers, but they are a reminder that even when on vacation, Americans should be cognizant of the evil that can creep into our lives. Earlier this year, I spent several days in London, Newcastle, and Edinburgh in the UK and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. I did feel safe, but I always had my head on a swivel and was always vigilant for individuals and situations that "just didn't look right".

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That is the basic advice from the State Department in regard to U.S. visitors who might venture to London or other destinations in the U.K., but primarily London. Again, the State Department isn't saying "Don't Go", they are saying if you do go, be even more cautious of your surroundings and avoid situations that could put you in harm's way.