Depending on where you are in the world, the fall season conjures up a time for harvests, changing foliage or…in some places, the height of art and culture. Though autumn darkens the evening sky sooner in September and October, over 120 cities around the world light up “White Nights” to showcase galleries, museums and other Read More …
Ah, the joys of travel. Sometimes it’s the language (or the accent it’s spoken in) that tells you that you’re far away from home. Sometimes it’s the architecture enveloping you in history and culture. And other times, it just might be the trees. If you’re traveling during the autumn months in the U.S., parts of Read More …
What’s the difference between kids of today and those who lived over 1500 years ago? Not as much as you think, especially when it comes to Mayan youth. Kids of Mayan culture—an ancient tribe of people who lived where Mexico, Belize and Guatemala are today—chewed gum, learned the three Rs and even went to ball Read More …
What do Leonard Bernstein, Pink Floyd and David Hasselhoff have in common? They all rocked a common cause—having performed concerts celebrating the reunification of Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall over 20 years ago. With hundreds of thousands of attendees plus enraptured television audiences around the world, Berlin went from dismally divided to the official party Read More …
Sugar or the fake stuff? Cream or milk? There’s lots of personal preferences for a cup of coffee but spin the globe and the coffee culture nuances get nitty-grittier—and not just on the serving. The blending, roasting and grinding of the bean to the time of day coffee’s drunk or even the nibbles accompanying it Read More …
New Orleans is unlike any other city in the United States, in part because of its heavy Cajun and Creole influences. Both of these French-descended cultures show up in New Orleans architecture, food, and even the music. What exactly is the difference between the two cultures, though? Is it the Cajuns or the Creoles (or Read More …
When abroad, correctly greeting locals could be the difference between coming off as a clueless tourist and a well-traveled globetrotter. Don’t leave home before you know whether to shake, kiss, high five or bow upon meeting new friends on your tour. Do you know your French bise from your Kiwi nose-rubbing smooch?
You spend a lot of time mapping out the perfect itinerary, taking in all the sites you can cram into each day and sometimes even pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone to experience something new. All that and you’re thinking of bringing home a T-shirt to remember your trip? Before you go on the hunt Read More …
Roughly $191 million in fireworks were imported into the United States from China in 2010. We’re willing to bet a majority of those pyrotechnics explode the eve of July 4th, celebrating America’s Independence. But before the skies light up in red, white and blue—the day is packed with parades, barbecues and well, just kicking back Read More …
Heaven on Earth may sound trite until you actually glimpse Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, the stone spires and graceful arches of Bryce Canyon and tiers of uplifted cliffs in the Grand Canyon’s Kaibab Plateau. But glimpsing hardly does it justice. And the sweeping landscape of ever-changing reds, purples, oranges and ochers make visiting Read More …
