Articles
Vintage cars fill the gymnasium. They straddle bleacher seats and occupy the showers. They fill room after room of the main building. There are cars in the woods, cars under tents, and cars in garages undergoing restoration. More cars pack a vast storage building literally to the rafters. If you think car museums are all alike, then you haven't seen the LeMay Collections at Marymount.
Having previously experienced Indonesia via a 1988 backpacking romp through Bali’s early-stage wildness and a 1998 trek across tribal Irian Jaya, I knew of Indonesia’s diversity with its incredible 17,000 islands. Sumatra, the world’s sixth-largest island, eluded me until I landed in West Sumatra, a region overlooked by most travelers, to experience its priority of preserving and celebrating nature. Although I surely hit plenty of hotspots, highlights included observing and partaking in the daily life of West Sumatrans on its tropical Indian Ocean coastline, remote islands, and up in its much cooler highlands.
A long table runs parallel to the exquisite dining hall, flanked by two rows of diners sitting across from each other. A scattered murmur of conversation halts the moment Nina Backman takes her seat. What looks like a regular banquet is a gathering where dining takes a backseat. This two-hour performative dining experience revolves around senses and silence.
Surviving the gray skies of winter is easier when you look ahead to the coming colors of spring—and all of those gorgeous tulips. While Keukenhof in the Netherlands remains the motherland of all tulips with its 25-mile flower-filled road trip, tulip bicycle tours, and tulip cruises, it’s not the only place to see these happy flowers. These five tulip festivals around the world also celebrate the multichromatic splendor of spring’s happiest flower.
I adore the prairies of America’s Great Plains and especially Nebraska’s version. I’ve crisscrossed this Wyoming-bordering state a few times and recently returned to focus on its two largest cities—Omaha and Lincoln—and a few traveler-worthy gems that lie between them. Omaha, Warren Buffet’s hometown, has been hosting the annual 10-day college baseball world series since the 1950s. The city, rich in research hospitals, is also a dining and merriment hotspot.
Famous globally, the Uffizi Gallery boasts a rich repository of Italian Renaissance art. The grandiose Florentine building was commissioned in 1560 by Cosimo I de’ Medici, known as Cosimo the Great and first Grand Duke of Tuscany. Perched regally on the banks of the River Arno in Florence, the 16th-century edifice houses a staggering collection of paintings, sculptures, and decorative art in its storied interiors. The curated collective embodies the high Renaissance artistic style, representing an impassioned period of cultural, artistic, political, and economic rebirth of classical philosophy and art following a rather stoic Gothic period.
The popularity of this valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also its greatest drawback. If you visit during a busy part of the day, it may take two to three hours to drive the single-lane loop—especially if cars are stopping to view American black bears or other wildlife that have wandered near the roadside. Instead of an awe-inspiring commune with nature, you might end up feeling like you’re stuck in traffic.
One of my all-time favorite quotes reads, “Well behaved women rarely make history!” The women in this article didn’t necessarily behave badly. But they certainly stepped out of their comfort zones. From a self-taught folk artist to a heroin of the Underground Railroad to a determined wife, each of these women brought something unique to the world.
Few events capture the vibrancy of Indigenous artistry and heritage, like the Annual Indian Market at S'edav Va'aki Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. As a professional photographer and seasoned travel writer, I'm always looking for authentic cultural experiences that tell a story—through people, places, and tradition.
The next time you watch the extravaganza that is the modern Olympic Games, consider this: It all started with a simple footrace. To history lovers like me, the Sanctuary of Olympia — the religious site used for the ancient competitions — is almost as legendary as the games. The archaeological site of ancient Olympia is rich with history and littered with intriguing ruins, making it an irresistible stop on my road trip around the Peloponnese Peninsula. To add to the fun, ancient Olympia's history reads like a Hollywood script — full of drama, parties, and even one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Even in its ruined state, the site inspires awe.
