Have you ever been offered to buy a carbon offset when you booked a flight? If so, did you buy it? We all know that flying is bad for the environment. According to Our World in Data, aviation produces about 2.5% of all CO2 emissions, a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming. Making it…
A weekend in Atlanta: Beyond “Gone with the Wind”
If you mention Atlanta to me, I picture Gone with the Wind: stately rows of homes in the city, antebellum mansions in the countryside. Fragile, pale white women wear corsets and bell-shaped skirts. They fan themselves in the sticky heat while they gossip and complain. In the background, enslaved blacks work ungodly hours to help…
Things to do on Marco Island, Florida
Work is exhausting, you need a break, and you have some vacation time coming to you. You decide you want a nice, relaxing beach vacation: nothing to do but lie on a beach lounger with a drink in your hand. After some googling, you hit on a place you’ve never heard of before: Marco Island,…
Free or cheap things to do in Santa Cruz, California
The best part about visiting a beach town is that it is incredibly easy to stay on a budget! For Santa Cruz, California, the only required expenses are your accommodation, a rental car, food, and parking. Note: The following is a guest post by Dayna Brockbank. There are plenty of free things to do in…
Heeswijk Castle near Den Bosch
I’ve written about two contrasting castles in the Netherlands before: Muiderslot and Castle de Haar. Muiderslot is the archetypal medieval castle: square with towers in each corner and crenellated walls between them. Castle de Haar, on the other hand, is far more ornate. Meant to look medieval, only more so, it was actually built in…
Falun Copper Mine UNESCO site in Sweden
“It’s a big hole in the ground.” I think “underwhelmed” is a good word for my first impression of the Falun Copper Mine in eastern Sweden. We were on our way south on a road trip from the northernmost part of Norway back home to the Netherlands after our Hurtigruten cruise up the Norwegian coast….
11+ Best things to do in Martinique
Martinique has it all – pristine beaches, secluded bays, scenic hikes, and panoramic views. Note: This is a guest post by Christine Rogador. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. These links can earn me (Rachel) a small commission, but this will not affect your price. If you’re looking for a unique holiday destination in the…
The Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland, Sweden
Some UNESCO sites aren’t famous works of architecture like Himeji Castle in Japan or the 16th century canal ring of Amsterdam, for example, or ancient historical monuments like Petra in Jordan or Baalbek in Lebanon. Some are more modest, less showy, and exemplify local culture and crafts. The Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland, Sweden, are a…
7 Things to do in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
I’ve already written quite a bit about our 3-week road trip around Iceland last summer, but I only briefly mentioned Thingvellir (more properly spelled as Þingvellir) in my itinerary article. While it wasn’t a place I particularly prioritized in our planning, it turned out that there are plenty of things to do in Thingvellir National…