Editor's note: it is always a brave thing for a travel writer to use the word "favorite." So it really means something when Sam does so here. Make sure you check out all of his articles for more incredibly destinations! The most annoying question you can ask me: “So, what’s, like, your favorite country you…
If you've missed it, my Facebook group, Travelers Tell All (yes, please join), has been running tournaments to keep ourselves amused while we can't travel. We first decided what the best city in the world was, then the best US national park, the best man-made wonder, and the best museum in the world. Now it's…
There's a calming feeling for me, being out in the desert. The sky stretches from horizon to horizon, blue broken up by sparse clouds beckoning the mind and spirit upward. Few other people have crossed my path since exiting Interstate 15 in Baker, California, and the cares of the world seem far beyond my sight.…
Editor's note: it is my absolute pleasure to introduce you all to Sam Spector, our newest writer here at The Royal Tour. His travels read as a highlight reel of some of the most amazing places in the world, both on and off the beaten path. You can read more about Sam, and see all…
It's amazing how different the world can be after only a short train ride. A cool ocean breeze lifts my spirits (and messes my hair) as I sit in the sun along one of Cascais's many beaches. Sunglasses on, I alternate my gaze between the blue waters and the volleyballers - though they play with…
A few articles ago, we spoke at length about the world-changing Panama Canal. However, a mere three million years earlier, Panama played host to an event that changed the world even more: it was born. From volcanos beneath the seas, land rose up, first as islands, and then as an isthmus, joining what would come…
Few tourist attractions can be said to be things that have truly, objectively, changed the world. This is one of them. From the moment the Panama Canal opened on August 15, 1914, the world was forever changed. It was made smaller, more accessible, easier to traverse. Goods could reach new markets, or the same markets…
The rain feels cool on my face, a refreshing break from the December heat even while upping the relative humidity. It trickles down my neck, mixing with the spray from the waterfall cascading in front of me. The rains here are intense but short, and once this one passes I will return to the beach,…
Sitting just across the Santa Barbara Channel (for which they get their name) from the coast of Southern California, the Channel Islands are tantalizingly close - and yet a world away from Los Angeles life. Eight in total, only one seems to be a target for visitors. Catalina (made famous by the song, "Twenty-six miles…
What if I told you there was a place where green met blue, with forests extending all the way to beautiful shores? What if I told you that this place of immense natural beauty also had a fascinating history? Finally, what if I told you that this place was right here in the United States,…