While one can find Portlanders coming together regardless of the weather, the city bursts to life once the gray clouds subside. The city’s summer season represents an overabundance of activities celebrating the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.
Cheers to Beer Festivals
According to Travelocity’s first Beer Tourism Index, Portland is the #1 large metro area for beer. Every year, over 80,000 pilgrims converge at the Thom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland for the …
It’s Saturday night in Montreal, and I’m determined not to slink back home until at least 10pm; I don’t want my two young Airbnb hosts to think I’m such a social failure I can’t find anything to do in Canada’s self-proclaimed party city.
Montreal prides itself on being the fun and festive heart of Canada, a country that’s generally seen as rather dull. This city-on-an-island is having none of that, and celebrates about 110 festivals …
Whales are one of the Earth’s largest mammals, the beauty of which is best seen in the open waters of the ocean. There are numerous destinations around the world where you can observe these gentle creatures swim, thrash, and play in the water. All that is needed is a quiet boat or even a motor-less sailboat to venture out to sea to experience whale watching at its best. And, with a little patience and understanding, …
On most tiny tropical islands the activities for the day are pleasingly predictable: snorkeling, diving, a spot of swimming and cocktails served in coconut shells.
If that’s all you require, the non-stop action at Club Med Kani in the Maldives can feel rather disconcerting.
I was dubious about the enforced jollity of zumba classes, aqua-aerobics, sunset yoga, cookery lessons, a stage show every evening, and even a disco until the early morning hours. But on …
If you come away from Venice thinking, “It’s too crowded and it smells,” you’re doing it wrong. Sure, the labyrinthine city’s glory days are long gone, and many of the palazzos along the Grand Canal have been converted to restaurants or left to rot, their first floors already reclaimed by the sea, but the city is more than just a shadow of its former self. There’s a reason, after all, that the tourists still flock …
Visitors in the Seattle area looking for a quick getaway might want to check out Whidbey Island, one of the most scenic and accessible destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Within an hour of leaving North Seattle, travelers can arrive on this island via a 20-minute ride from the Mukilteo ferry landing.
Upon debarking in Clinton, visitors should start their travels at the town of Langley. Pick up a cup of coffee at Useless Bay Coffee; …
Dozens of dabbawallas congregate under a tall Banyan tree; more arrive every minute. I watched these tiffin carrying deliverymen sort out the lunch boxes at a frantic pace, then load the steel tiffins onto their bicycles and push carts. Soon groups of three or four dabbawalas push carts laden with hundreds of tiffins along the middle of the road. They’re all clad in long cotton loincloths called dhoti’s, loose cotton shirts and white wide-band Gandhi …
It’s about 2am when I scare myself by remembering that hippos are the most dangerous animals in Africa.
I’ve been taking photos all day of at least 30 hippos in the river right in front of my lodge, especially when they lumbered their enormous frames out of the water and onto an island in the middle. They’re huge, solid things with massive mouths and a lot of attitude. Now these nocturnal feeders are hungry for …
The Northern Lights are one of Iceland’s top tourist attractions, and for good reason. They’ve fascinated peoples from around the world for thousands of years, from the Inuit of Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea to the Laplanders of northern Scandinavia. In Iceland, Viking lore maintained that the dancing Aurora Borealis were the souls of the dead and even though more scientific explanations have since come to light, the Northern Lights are no less fascinating.…
Can you imagine heading to the mall and having your family begging to come along? The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, is more of a city than a shopping mall. It has a selection of attractions which include an indoor amusement park and an aquarium. It also has its own hotels, tax free shopping, and restaurants to please every palate. Consider it more of a vacation than a shopping experience.
A Full-Size Amusement Park…
The San Juan Islands affords visitors to the greater Seattle area the opportunity for a quick overnight or weekend connection with the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. On these islands, which are located about three and half hours from Seattle, nature lovers can unwind sans the kitsch that characterizes those seaside island communities marketing themselves to the tourist trade.
The first part of this journey is getting to the islands. While 172 named islands …
Northern France is a bit of a secret place for foodies. Its gourmet reputation is well known, but only amongst those who live there. Saint Omer for instance, just 30 minutes inland from the French port of Calais, has a great little bistro in the old town – Chez Tante Fauvette, just a few steps from the Notre Dame.
I heard about it through a local friend who slipped me the name and address on …
The Caribbean is one of the most popular regions to host jazz festivals with almost thirty to date happening in and around the island chain. The festivals have managed to attract international artists such as Earth, Wind and Fire, John Legend, Chakka Khan, Emel Sande, and even Sting! Unlike Jazz festivals in other parts of the world held in huge concrete venues, when it comes to the Caribbean you can count on jazz under the …
I seem to have lost Hong Kong.
It was there a moment ago, with 1,295 steel and glass skyscrapers glinting in a stunning display of wealth and style.
Now the spectacular skyline has disappeared inside moody storm clouds, with just a few neon lights flickering through the gloom like displaced lighthouses.
Hong Kong has more skyscrapers, billionaires and Rolls Royces than any other city. It’s an addictive, crowded scuffle of sights and sounds with lots …
