World Footprints
World Footprints

6 Weird Things I Always Travel With

I’m a frequent traveler—it’s unusual if a month goes by without an overnight trip. Trial and error have taught me what things are essential and what overpacking looks like: I’m thinking of you, that Caribbean cruise I took for my tenth wedding anniversary. FYI, you do NOT need two large suitcases for a 7-day cruise. Next time, I’ll pack a carry-on, wash some things in the sink, hang them to dry on the convenient line in my cabin, and wear them again, content in knowing I won’t be dragging too much luggage through the airport and cruise terminal. Over the years, I’ve tried every travel hack in the book. I’ve gone ultralight with nothing but a backpack, used packing cubes and vacuum-packed bags, and swapped this-for-that in search of the perfect packing formula. But trip after trip, the following items make my list of travel essentials—even though they’re unusual enough to raise some eyebrows even among seasoned travelers. Each one comes with a story of how it became indispensable. Really, isn’t that why we travel in the first place—to gain new insights to better ourselves and share with others? Travel Packing Tip 1: Duct Tape Holds the Universe (and Your Travel Plans) Together Some people say that duct tape fixes everything. As a frequent traveler, I’d have to agree with them. Ripped a hole in your pants? Duct tape. Broken suitcase handle? Duct tape. Slippery-soled dress shoes? A little duct tape on the bottom will provide grip on even slick flooring. Perhaps the most useful it’s ever been was when I brought exactly one pair of fancy shoes for the dress-up dinners on the above-mentioned Caribbean cruise. The stitching that held the strap on the back of the sandal came loose as I graced the stairs to the dining room on the first night, but I was able to fix it with duct tape and use the shoes all week long. In fact, sandal straps detaching from the soles have long been the bane of my existence, but a good, strong tape will make them last until a replacement is possible. Visible repairs are why I always select “decorative” patterned rolls of tape. The blue star pattern was hardly noticeable on my shoes when I placed a matching piece on the unbroken sandal. Travel Packing Tip 2: All Sorts of Grocery Bags I always keep at least two types of bags—zip-lock sandwich bags and plastic grocery bags—in my travel case. The larger bags are perfect for storing dirty clothes, especially wet ones, preventing odors and moisture from reaching everything else in the suitcase. You can also use them to wrangle all those souvenirs that won’t fit in the suitcase for the trip home. The smaller bags are helpful for leftovers, taking lunch and snacks for the day, organizing small toiletry items (essential for carry-on liquids if you’re flying), or even collecting small souvenirs like seashells. I’ve also taken to carrying expandable woven bilum-style market bags because they take up almost [...]

By |2025-10-24T13:31:19-04:00October 24, 2025|Travel By Design, Travel Tips|Comments Off on 6 Weird Things I Always Travel With

A look through the lens of a humanitarian photographer

From long, uncomfortable trips to challenging accommodations, humanitarian travel isn’t typically glamorous. Massachusetts-based social documentary photographer and Capture Humanity founder Matilde Simas recently traveled to Imvepi Refugee Settlement in Uganda to explore the ways that children are exploited due to war.

By |2025-10-22T07:07:37-04:00October 22, 2025|Africa, Social Responsibility, The Arts|Comments Off on A look through the lens of a humanitarian photographer

Westarctica: A Self Proclaimed Micronation on a Real Mission

Spanning 3.5 billion acres across the southern hemisphere, buffeted by the deadly Southern Ocean and raked by sub-zero polar winds all year long, Antarctica remains an unclaimable landmass under the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. In 2001, while serving in the US Navy, Travis McHenry came across an article about how Antarctica remained unclaimable by any nation. What seemed like trivia to many served as a fascinating discovery to him.

By |2025-10-21T09:20:39-04:00October 21, 2025|Climate, Global Citizenship, Profiles|Comments Off on Westarctica: A Self Proclaimed Micronation on a Real Mission

An Unhappy Hour with Edgar Allan Poe

Wondering who is the Godfather of horror stories? Edgar Allan Poe leads the pack. Poe revolutionized the genre in the 1840s with his first-person narrative stories like “The Black Cat,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and “The Tell Tale Heart." He was one of the first to use psychological horror. Visiting the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia provides a good understanding of who Poe was and how he wrote such masterpieces.

By |2025-10-18T21:22:32-04:00October 18, 2025|Literature & Music, North America, United States|Comments Off on An Unhappy Hour with Edgar Allan Poe

Chilean Tourism and the Indigenous Mapuche

The regions of Biobío and Araucanía, which lie somewhere in the middle of the 2,653 miles that stretch from Chile’s top to bottom, are nevertheless known as “the south.”

By |2025-10-17T05:36:29-04:00October 17, 2025|Central and South America, Indigenous, Social Responsibility|Comments Off on Chilean Tourism and the Indigenous Mapuche

Explore Canada’s 1000 Islands

Don’t be afraid to roam out of bounds–especially when a peak international experience awaits nearby, without hassles. Canada, the world’s second-largest country, boasts an endless array of geographic personalities and numerous undiscovered cultural gems.

By |2025-10-22T06:52:31-04:00October 15, 2025|Canada, North America, Travel By Design|Comments Off on Explore Canada’s 1000 Islands

What I Learned from Traveling With a Personal Chef

Have you ever dreamed of bringing a personal chef on vacation with you? Someone who could prepare elegant, flavorful meals for you to enjoy without ever leaving your beach house? I had that experience while vacationing with a family friend who is a retired personal chef. Not only did I enjoy an array of delicacies and pick up a lot of cooking tips. I also learned a great deal about slow travel and the importance of being willing to try new things.

By |2025-10-22T06:53:33-04:00October 12, 2025|Cultural Heritage, Experiences, Food & Drink|Comments Off on What I Learned from Traveling With a Personal Chef

Montana Journey – Havre, Malta and Glasgow

We’re not crossing the Atlantic—this time “Glasgow” sits on Montana’s sweeping Hi-Line, a ribbon of highway and rail towns running just south of the Canadian border. In this episode, World Footprints journeys along U.S. Highway 2 from Havre to Malta and Glasgow, tracing the stories carved into Montana’s vast prairie. This is Big Sky country at its most authentic: where dinosaur bones emerge from badlands, ancient buffalo jumps overlook the Milk River, and locals still wave at passing Amtrak trains. Along the way, we venture south to Fort Peck—home to one of the most ambitious New Deal engineering feats in America—and Fort Benton, a steamboat-era trading post often called the “Birthplace of Montana.” These stops reveal how geology, Indigenous heritage, railroads, and Roosevelt-era infrastructure together shaped a frontier that’s still evolving. Through conversations, on-the-ground exploration, and a few surprises in between, this episode peels back the layers of Montana’s cultural and ecological tapestry. You’ll meet communities that have protected their natural treasures while keeping a deep sense of place—proof that stewardship and adventure can thrive side by side under Montana’s endless sky. What you’ll hear Why the Hi-Line is a masterclass in slow travel—and how Amtrak’s Empire Builder stitched these prairie towns together. A walk through time at Havre’s buffalo jump and beneath-the-streets history. How Malta became “dino country,” with field programs that let travelers get hands-on with real fossils. Fort Peck’s New Deal engineering feat and a lake shoreline longer than California’s coast (yes, really). Fort Benton’s fur-trade past and why historians call it the “Birthplace of Montana.” Featured stops & field notes Havre: Wahkpa Chu’gn Buffalo Jump & Milk River Overlook On the bluffs behind the old Holiday Village, Wahkpa Chu’gn reveals a bison kill site and campsite used for roughly two millennia. The site interprets communal buffalo hunts and exposes archaeological layers in situ—rare public access to this kind of Plains history. Good to know: The site is also referenced as the “Too Close for Comfort Site,” with artifacts from multiple Native nations documented in the archaeological record. Malta: Great Plains Dinosaur Museum & the Montana Dinosaur Trail Malta sits atop fossil-rich badlands. At the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum, you’ll meet hadrosaurs, horned dinosaurs (including Maltaceratops), and a rotating roster of field discoveries. Summer dig programs put tools in your hands under Big Sky. Pro tip: Pair it with the Phillips County Museum next door to see regional collections that connect paleontology to ranching and rail history. Glasgow: Rail town with lake access Tucked along the Empire Builder line and less than 20 miles north of Fort Peck Lake, Glasgow is a practical base for anglers, theater-goers (Fort Peck Theatre in season), and brewery hopping along the Hi-Line. Fort Peck: New Deal megaproject & wild shoreline Fort Peck Dam is the largest hydraulically filled dam in the U.S. (21,026 feet long; ~250 feet high). It impounds Fort Peck Lake, a serpentine reservoir with a shoreline that outstretches California’s—opening up fishing, paddling, and back-of-beyond coves inside the Charles [...]

By |2025-10-11T10:49:56-04:00October 11, 2025|Experiences, History, Indigenous, Montana, North America, Podcast, United States|Comments Off on Montana Journey – Havre, Malta and Glasgow

Six Adventurous Cruises for Intrepid Travelers

Expedition cruises extend to some of Earth’s most fragile and captivating lands with itineraries that focus on nature and culture. Traditional cruises may offer a robust choice of onboard activities and a seemingly endless number of food options, but expedition cruises provide a very different motivation: Scientists, marine biologists, historians, and other experts lead expeditions. And no two cruises are ever the same.

By |2025-10-10T07:48:16-04:00October 9, 2025|Cruising, Travel By Design|Comments Off on Six Adventurous Cruises for Intrepid Travelers

Beyond the Beach and Buffet: Bahia’s Eco-Initiatives Transform Intention into Action

Hydro-therapy circuits, infinity pools, Mayan-inspired culinary delights, a kids club, and even a PGA-sanctioned golf course all await travelers anxious to unwind at The Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal, along Mexico’s pristine gulf coast. An all-inclusive villa-style retreat located directly between Tulum and Cancún, Akumal features exceptional amenities for families of all ages. The property also includes an attentive staff that values the importance of genuine hospitality

By |2025-10-10T07:43:55-04:00October 6, 2025|Caribbean and Atlantic, Eco-tourism, Sustainable Travel|Comments Off on Beyond the Beach and Buffet: Bahia’s Eco-Initiatives Transform Intention into Action
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