Sometimes my only plan for a day in a cool city is a nice walk in the sun. I might have a building or two in mind that I’d like to see and to photograph, a restaurant I want to try, or something else that draws me to a particular walk in a particular area,…
At the turn of the 20th century, Toronto was booming. Mining in northern Ontario, shipping on the Great Lakes, and a huge new financial sector led to rapid growth both in the city and in the money found there. With that came a new elite class, one that could make its money locally in addition…
The smell is unmistakable, although its source is a bit confusing. I approach the entrance of the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles’ Hancock Park neighborhood, and the scent of fresh asphalt wafts through the air. It smells of construction, something that could easily be coming from behind me, where Wilshire Boulevard has been…
“Carthago delenda est.” So bitter was the rivalry between Rome and Carthage that famed Roman orator Cato the Elder ended every speech to the Roman Senate with these words. Carthago delenda est. Carthage must be destroyed. And so it was. By the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BCE, the arguably most successful…
Yes, I know. If you visit Costa Rica - or are even considering making a trip there - it is not for the history. It is for nature, for animal spotting, for outdoor adventures, for pristine beaches, and for an incredible diversity of life and landscapes. But history? I’m sure not. And I don’t blame…
Editor’s note: While it holds a majority of the state’s population, it seems so many visitors to Hawaii view Oahu as a last choice for an island to stay on. That is truly a shame, and in this piece, Jackie Gish explains why Oahu deserves a visit. I happen to agree! For more of Jackie’s…
Modern-day Nassau, capital of the Bahamas, is a mecca of tourist shops, restaurants, and resorts. But between those, if one knows where to look, are remnants of a rather cool British colonial city. Old forts, stunning colonial architecture, and one of the coolest staircases I’ve ever seen… these are some of the glimpses into the…
It is not a great secret that the British Empire’s far-flung colonies were built on the backs of slaves. But here in the Bahamas, it is truly in the forefront. More than 90% of the country identifies as being of African descent, and let’s just say that not a lot of that is from modern…
The famous pirate Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, has been quoted as saying, “when a pirate slept he did not dream that he had died and gone to heaven, but instead that he had returned to New Providence”. Regardless of whether this is a factual statement or not, it definitely expressed what the dominant sentiment…
“Guatemala City can largely be ignored other than as a transit hub. Many areas are not safe, traffic is terrible, and unless you love urban jungles, your time is probably better spent elsewhere.” That is how my Ultimate Guide to Guatemala described the country’s capital following my first trip here. Now, a mere 24 hours…