Gangsters, Monkeys and Mines: Exploring the Diverse History of a Florida County
By Kathleen WallsWhat once was old is now new in Florida’s Marion County. One of the “newest” attractions in the city of Ocala, has roots going back nearly 100 years, commemorating an epic FBI shootout with a notorious gang that ended the era of gangsters in the United States. Other attractions in … Read more Read more
United States Adventure Off the Beaten Path History
Where to Celebrate National Pride Month This June
By Lola MéndezCities across the States get a little more colorful as groups of people come together to celebrate Pride each year in June, with rainbow flags and clothes to symbolize gay pride. The American LGBTQ+ community and their allies hold parties and parades in June to honor the Stonewall Riots, a … Read more Read more
United States LGBTQ Events & Festivals
Locals of Licin, East Java
By Ziba RedifThe sleepy village of Licin is situated in the Banyuwangi regency of East Java, Indonesia. It’s a 30-minute drive from the town of Banyuwangi – Java’s easternmost tip – and an hour from the slopes of Kawah Ijen, the legendary volcano famous for its electric blue flames. It’s often used … Read more Read more
Asia Agritourism Sustainability
Amazing UK World Heritage Sites
By Ali JenningsThe United Kingdom is a country with a long and varied history, so it’s no surprise that it has a significant number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Most travelers heading to the UK usually visit only a few token destinations outside of London, so they miss out on these wonderful … Read more Read more
United Kingdom History Preservation
The Bittersweet Experience of Repatriation
By Breana JohnsonI held on to the apple for a moment, enjoying its weight in my hand. Even more than the feel of the fruit, I enjoyed the fact that it was going to cost me less than two dollars per pound. After living on a Caribbean island for two years, where … Read more Read more
United States Insights
Rats and Astronauts: Street Art in Oaxaca
By Eliza AmonFamed for its artistic traditions in weaving, pottery and painted wooden animal carvings known as alebrijes, the Mexican city of Oaxaca is also brimming with contemporary art. Museums and galleries dot the central area, particularly north of the Zocalo, the central plaza, but Oaxaca also has a thriving street art … Read more Read more
Mexico Off the Beaten Path The Arts
East Coast History Road Trip
By Breana JohnsonBenjamin Franklin gestured dramatically toward the moldering gravestone of the Revolutionary War soldier. “And then,” he proclaimed, pausing for effect, “He killed ‘im dead!” Twelve adults and a handful of children stared at him wide-eyed as he finished the dramatic account of the Yankee soldier’s death. “Follow me, I will … Read more Read more
United States History
Mahabaleshwar: A Tranquil Getaway in the Western Ghats of India
By Tania BanerjeeSunlight streamed in as I parted the window curtains of the double-decker luxury bus my husband and I were taking from Mumbai to the popular summer destination of Mahabaleshwar, 264 kilometers East of India’s biggest city. Outside, low-hanging tufts of clouds touched the opulent carpet of green that rolled down … Read more Read more
India Agritourism Off the Beaten Path History
Climbing A Stairway to Heaven in The Philippines
By Len CristobalGrowing up in the Philippines, an intensely Catholic country, I have seen the extremes that people sometimes go to in the name of religion. “Stairway to Heaven,” a giant, outdoor stairway leading to a breathtaking replica of heaven, or how heaven looks according to traditional beliefs. Read more
Asia Experiences Religious Travel
Greenpoint, Brooklyn: A Polish Neighborhood
By Alexandra FletcherOne December night, I walked up the subway steps in Brooklyn after a rough commute and an exhausting restaurant shift. When I stepped onto Manhattan Avenue and looked up, all my gripes dissipated under a simple string of holiday lights that read, “Welcome To Greenpoint.” Over 100 years old, Greenpoint, … Read more Read more
United States Off the Beaten Path History
5 Ways to have a more cultural experience in Cambodia
By Derek CullenWhen you think of Cambodia, first impressions can come with some very negative connotations. After all, it was here that civil war and one of the most notorious genocides in the world took place in the late 1970’s. However, majestic temples and a fascinating culture have re-emerged in force throughout … Read more Read more
Asia Experiences
The Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond
By Kathleen WallsSome things should never be forgotten. The Holocaust is one of them. In the middle of the last century, Nazi Germany, along with its allies, systematically killed about six million Jews as well as many others, including the Romani people (known as gypsies) and gays, for the purpose of ethnic … Read more Read more
United States History
Visiting Panama’s Embera People
By Chez ChesakOur wooden longboat plied the Chagres River deeper and deeper into the Panamanian rain forest. Soon the boatmen, one wearing a loincloth and the other a beaded skirt, were poling us through channels so narrow that it looked like the river had disappeared. We pushed on through the jungle growth … Read more Read more
Central and South America History Indigenous
Perugia from the Outside In: Following the Locals to the Suburbs
By Anthony PaonitaPerugia’s lively historic center, filled with ancient stately buildings, can take your breath away. The Piazza IV Novembre is larger than most Italian hill towns’ main squares, with a large central fountain surrounded by Perugia’s foremost cathedral and medieval city hall. The city itself is a work of art, with … Read more Read more
Europe Experiences
Chilean Tourism and the Indigenous Mapuche
By Leijia HanrahanThe 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.” A tourism hot spot for culture, handicrafts, and its pastoral landscape, this area is also a center of conflict— the indigenous … Read more Read more
Central and South America Indigenous Social Responsibility