I was lucky enough to take my first trip to Venice at 14 but that early exposure to world travel came with an early exposure to budget travel accommodations as well. We stayed on a campground on the mainland and had to leave the lagoon before sunset to make sure we didn’t miss the last transfer of the night.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, forced to tour the romantic northern Italian city …
Quebec is one of the safest cities on the world, especially for women, my new friend tells me.
That’s lucky, I think, because I’ve just jumped into his car and we’re driving up into deserted forests. If I disappear, nobody will ever know why.
All such thoughts vanish as my impromptu tour guide Philippe Guerriere starts telling me about the battles that raged in Quebec between French and English soldiers, leaving a stunning legacy of …
What to Expect
The Port of Falmouth is one of the newer ones in the Caribbean. It was opened in 2011 to house the new mega ships and give another itinerary choice in Jamaica. Since it is between Montego Bay (18 miles away) and Ocho Rios (59 miles away), it was also created to bring attention to those on vacation in Jamaica to visit this historical town.
The port area of Falmouth is filled with …
How does it feel?
A little breezy, actually. Standing on a modest hilltop overlooking the Hull-Rust open pit iron mine, where Bob Dylan, then Bob Zimmerman, used to ride his bicycle with his friends, it is easy to see how his youth in Hibbing, Minnesota influenced Dylan’s work. This endless iron mine pit is the largest in the world. Locals refer to it as the man-made Grand Canyon.
When it was determined about a century …
A shaded forest with dappled sunlight dancing between the trees; a clear stream that cascades over a severe, silver rock face; a certain hush, save the occasional bird and the crunching of leaves underfoot, and there, in the middle of it, a house like a no other, rising from a waterfall.
There’s a reason why Frank Lloyd Wright remains one of America’s most beloved architects. Falling Water, the stunning summer home that Wright designed for …
A lot has happened since the pictures of devastation from the usually quiet municipality of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA made headlines 20 years ago. Heart-wrenching images of a bombed office building and broken bodies, the kind we are used to seeing from the Middle East and not the American Midwest, were on television screens and in newspapers in parts of the world that never knew Oklahoma City existed. The date was April 19, 1995. The …
“Liverpool is the place that changed the face of music forever”, said our Magical Mystery Tours guide, Jay, who promised to take us on a nostalgic journey to where The Beatles found fame.
I’m a little sniffy when it comes to cheesy guided tours, thus with some apprehension I boarded the tour bus at the Albert Dock. Immediately a drum beat signified the start of the 2-hour tour and the ‘Magical mystery tour’ boomed through …
A century ago, the world came to San Diego – an amazing feat, considering that much of the world did not know San Diego existed. The occasion was the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Its purpose was to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal.
In 1915, San Diego, today the eighth largest city in the United States, was Lilliputian with a population of roughly 32,000. Both San Francisco and Los Angeles had a few hundred thousand …
Budapest is one of the largest and most well-known cities on the Danube River in Hungary. It’s a town of many faces as it’s actually divided between “Buda” and “Pest.” You could easily fill a week in this city, but if you’re short on time, make sure you hit the highlights. You’ll quickly find out how this city played a big part in World War II and has come to be known as the “Jewel …
Thirteen minutes. That’s all it took from arriving in Barcelona to encounter one of its greatest claims to fame – the slickest pickpockets in Europe.
If you’re going to hit, best get hit by a professional, I always say. And they’re at their slickest and quickest on the underground trains at Barcelona Sants railway station. Barcelona treats its notoriety as a pickpocketer’s playground with a zesty inverted snobbery, with the landlord of the apartment I …
Located in the Caribbean, Barbados appeals to visitors who simply want to kick back and enjoy the sun, sea, and surf. With its aqua blue sea and powdery beaches, you are never too far away from a place to sit and relax. But when you feel like doing some exploring, Bridgetown (Barbados’ capital city) is the place to head to. It’s easy to get to from just about anywhere, no matter where you are in …
South Dakota often gets overlooked when it comes to planning a family vacation. This Midwest state is actually an ideal place to explore history and have fun, regardless of your age. Between Mount Rushmore, The Badlands, Rapid City, Crazy Horse, and Custer State Park, it will turn into the trip of a lifetime.
1. Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is perhaps one of the most amazing sites your family will see on vacation. Three million people …
El Salvador is a country of contrasts: towering volcanoes and flat, sandy beaches; modern cities and charming historic pueblos; rambling Mayan ruins and aging Spanish haciendas. Because this country of 6 million is the smallest in Central America, it’s the perfect place to experience the history of the region, and unfamiliar visitors can easily take in El Salvador’s historical highlights in just a few days.
A great place to start is the Joya …
Driving from Parma, navigating a winding mountain road to Tuscany, I came across Castello di Compiano, a medieval castle embraced by fortified walls and built atop a rocky outcrop of a mountain village. The castle’s jaw-dropping views across the Taro River and the Apennines mountains make it one of the most spectacular locations in northern Italy.
Its origins are uncertain but archaeologists claim its existence dates back to the first century. In its life Castello …
