Category: Destinations

Pensacola: Centuries of History and Plenty of Family Fun

The westernmost city in Florida’s Panhandle, Pensacola is barely located within the Sunshine State—it’s hours from hotspots such as Disney World, South Beach, or the Florida Keys—but it’s a perfectly Floridian destination nonetheless. In fact, part of Pensacola’s appeal is the fact that it straddles the border of Alabama, part of Florida on paper, and…


RV Travel During COVID-19

I married a man whose middle name is “go.” He loves to drive and has built-in mental radar, which usually outthinks our GPS. He is fearless, and the more unfamiliar the territory, the more alluring it is to him. One afternoon he came home with a surprise. “Come see what I got!” he said. He…


Nature’s Brightest Show: The Northern Lights in Finland

Unpredictable and incomparable, like magic curtains fluttering in the solar wind, the Northern Lights are a popular bucket-list experience that people often anticipate and dream about for years. While you don’t need to go all the way north to see the brilliant cosmic display of the Aurora Borealis—I’ve seen them as far south as Milwaukee—it…


Planet Word: Where Words Rule the World

I’m a travel writer. Words are what I do. My stories may not always sing, but I usually can put one word in front of another succinctly enough to craft a well-written article. But when I heard about the newly opened Planet Word in Washington, D.C., I was so excited, I had no words. But…


Beware of Travel Ads That Seem Too Good to Be True

The advertisement for a Caribbean hotel touts “ocean view,” and there is—for guests who climb to a rooftop terrace and peer far into the distance. A restaurant website is replete with rave reviews that give no hint they were written by people who were paid for their positive ratings. The photograph shows people enjoying a…


Carlisle, ‘Gateway to the West’

The heart of downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania, marked with stately architecture, hidden alleys, and old homes, is akin to that of an elderly great lady: mature and put together at first glance, but, upon closer inspection, privately bursting with stories of her vibrant past. The streets, lined with austere brick townhomes, arched doorways that lead to…


Small Towns With Big Attractions

Big cities have a lot going for them. New York’s theater district, the monuments and museums in Washington, and major attractions of other urban centers draw visitors from throughout the country and around the world. But don’t overlook what other towns, no matter how small, have to offer. Many boast of enough to hold one’s…


On the Road Again: American RV Travels in the Time of COVID-19

RVing is one of the most intriguing lifestyle choices you can consider. It appeals to travel buffs because it is the equivalent of a home on wheels that can take them to any destination they want to explore. It has financial advantages, too: When done right, living in an RV is often cheaper than renting…


Exploring Florida’s Natural Beauty in Clearwater

The small city of Clearwater (and its Gulf-front extension of screensaver-worthy shorefront known as Clearwater Beach) flies under the radar of the average Florida tourist’s itinerary, yet it’s packed with sunshine-fueled activities in nature, as well as beaches galore. Such activities are inherently socially distant and are available all year long in the warm tropical…


5 Best Places to Visit in Croatia

The crowds are thick around the Rector’s Palace, the magnificence of that 15th century baroque and renaissance structure seemingly under siege from the crowds. In the harbor, several ships sit at anchor, their orange tenders rolling through the blue waters toward shore, bringing more and more tourists. They fill the shops, and the courtyards, the…