Rachel's Ruminations travel archive

Communist Prague: 4 places to learn about it

Here are four things to do and see to learn about life in Communist Prague – and Czechoslovakia as a whole – during the Cold War era.

In the foreground, a field with colorful wildflowers. Beyond that, a forest, and beyond that, a range of mountains with one taller than the other completely covered in snow.

15 great reasons to visit Alaska

Alaska is a vacation wonderland of beautiful, dramatic scenery and the best outdoor adventure. Here are 15 great reasons to visit Alaska!

The castle extends across the whole photo, with a large blockish building on the left and a round tower on the right.

Visiting Cesky Krumlov Castle and UNESCO site

On your trip to Czechia, besides Prague, I highly recommend visiting Cesky Krumlov and the imposing Czesky Krumlov Castle.

Looking down a gallerie: checkerboard floor, wood-framed shops on either side, a glass roof.

Off the beaten path in Paris

You’ve done the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and other typical sights. What now? Here are some unusual things to do off the beaten path in Paris!

Exterior view of Hluboká Castle, complete with crenellations along the roof and a tall tower.

Hluboká Castle, South Bohemia, Czechia: Wow!

Hluboká Castle is a 19th-century castle in Czechia crammed with a stunning collection of furnishings and exceedingly accomplished workmanship.

A view of Tugenhat Villa UNESCO site from the garden.

Villa Tugendhat UNESCO site in Brno, Czechia

Villa Tugendhat UNESCO site in Brno, Czechia, designed by Mies van der Rohe: a masterpiece of functionalist architecture & function over form.

View of the church with its gothic arches and the tall tower at one end, the city spreading out around it.

Groningen walking tour

A Groningen walking tour to introduce you to this young, dynamic and hip city with a world-class university and plenty of history to discover.

A multi-story building in downtown Portland, with a vertical sign that says "Portland"

A weekend in Portland, Oregon: A 3-day itinerary

A weekend in Portland, Oregon: here’s a 3-day itinerary that covers what to see, where to stay, where to eat, things to do … everything!

A house that looks like two stories, but the upper one has no windows: a false front. The ground floor has a door in the center and a window on either side, painted a faded yellow. A roof shades the sidewalk or porch in front.

Favorite ghost towns in California

There are lots of Gold Rush ghost towns, but some are more “real” than others. Read here about my four favorite ghost towns in California.

A stone wall snakes up a steep hill on the right. Some ruined stoned buildings up the hill ahead.

Tips for Hiking to San Giovanni Fortress in Kotor, Montenegro

The climb up to San Giovanni Fortress a.k.a. Kotor Fortress is hard, but definitely worth it for the magnificent views!

A herd of sheep crossing a paved road, and cars waiting for them to go by.

Albania travel tips: Things I wish I’d known before visiting Albania

Don’t go to Albania unprepared, like I did! Read these Albania travel tips, covering everything I wish I’d known before visiting Albania.

a careful arrangement of skulls inside the ossuary: Macabre sightseeing in Brno

What to see in Brno: 3 macabre sights

What to see in Brno? An ossuary, a crypt full of mummies, and a nuclear bomb shelter made my day of sightseeing in Brno distinctly macabre.

A section of Hadrian's wall, in neat rows of cut stone, climbs a gentle hill surrounded by grassy fields.

Best places to see Hadrian’s Wall

The Roman Empire’s northwest border fortification extends right across the top of England. Here are all the best places to see Hadrian’s Wall!

A statue of a child siting on the ground, looking up and crying as she reaches her hand out for help. Miami Holocaust Memorial.

Holocaust Memorial, Miami: Witness the horror through art

A memorial composed of a series of statues portraying the anguish of the Holocaust, becoming a sensory and emotional experience for visitors.

A view of the front of El Salvador Chapel in Ubeda, with detailed sculpture on the facade, and a tall tower.

Úbeda and Baeza: An overlooked UNESCO site in Andalucia, Spain

Úbeda and Baeza: two charming towns, one UNESCO site, highlighting some stellar Renaissance architecture mixed with other influences.

7 quirky and unique places in Chicago

A list of unique places in Chicago, all of them quirky: a speakeasy, an underground street, an oddball shop and more!

A view of the inside of St. Pancras station in London, with its huge arched glass ceiling over the train tracks.

Sustainable travel tips: Part 2 – Land or sea

Sustainable travel tips: reducing your carbon footprint when traveling. Part 1 was about air travel; this part covers travel by land or sea.

View of San Francisco's skyscraper-filled downtown, the best view in San Francisco.

Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill: Best view in San Francisco

In San Francisco, make sure to take this walk up and down Telegraph Hill to see Coit Tower, its Depression-era murals, and the best view in San Francisco!

The front of the church is right up against a cliff.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Lebanon

There are five UNESCO World Heritage sites in Lebanon, each illustrating one or more of many historical periods. What are they and which should you visit?

A stone church with rounded apses and a small open bell tower with a bell. Lebanon Travel Tips

Lebanon travel tips: What you need to know to avoid nasty surprises!

Lebanon is fascinating, but it’s not an easy place to travel. Read these Lebanon travel tips to be prepared and avoid nasty situations!

An image of a person painted on the side of a building above a storefront shop. The image is black and white and painted in curved stripes of black.

History of Little Havana: A Bay of Pigs connection

The history of Little Havana in Miami is closely connected to the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. Read here about that connection and about things to see and do in this colorful neighborhood.

Two kangaroos silhouetted against a sunrise over the ocean.

Brisbane to Cairns: A Queensland coast road trip

This Brisbane-Cairns itinerary includes all the most popular and beautiful sites along the coast of Queensland in Australia.

Me, smiling at the camera, wearing a black SCOTTeVEST jacket, open at the front.

SCOTTeVEST: a review (revised and updated)

An update of an old review of a SCOTTeVEST travel vest, this version adds reviews of a jacket and a hoodie, and gets much more positive in the process.

Large letters against a turquoise background read "Greetings from OVERTOWN." Inside the letters are images from Overtown's history.

Historic Overtown: Black history in Miami

What to see in Historic Overtown, the historically Black neighborhood in Miami, whose rich history gave it the nickname “Harlem of the South.”

Rhine Valley castles near Bacharach, Germany

Charming Bacharach Germany is the perfect home base to visit the Rhine Valley castles of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO site.

A small white 4x4 with a teardrop-shaped camping trailer hitched behind it.

Traveling Iceland by campervan

All sorts of great advice about traveling Iceland by campervan in a guest post written by Chrystalyn Rose.

A 3-storey building of stone that looks quite dirty with black soot. Two arches on the ground floor straight through the building. The 2nd and 3rd storeys are lined with arched windows with simple half-plllars between them. On the left side of the building there is an additional 4th storey, making that end a short square tower.

Trier Roman ruins: Germany’s Roman capital

The Trier Roman ruins in Germany make up a single UNESCO World Heritage site. Check out the Porta Nigra, which is remarkably well-preserved.

a market vendor in Hoi An, Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Anita Breland of Anita's Feast.

28 Practical Tips for Women Traveling Alone

Truly practical advice for women traveling alone. Tips for sleeping, eating, socializing and lots more travel advice for solo female travel!

In the foreground a rocky bit of shoreline and the blue water lapping at it. In the background, the island, rising straight out of the water, cliffs on the sides, flat on top with a scattering of trees.

Cameo Island, Zakynthos

Cameo Island, Zakynthos, Greece: a beautiful rocky island with crystal-clear water, perfect for snorkeling and seeing the native turtles.

A view from a hill looks across a valley. In the valley a lot of houses, quite close together, in bright colors. They extend up the valley and also down right to the sea on the right. The sea is deep blue. A forest-covered hill rises on the other side of the valley and, beyond that, two taller pointed hills, one partly behind the other: the Pitons in Pitons Management Area.

Pitons Management Area UNESCO site: So much to see!

Pitons Management Area UNESCO site in Saint Lucia contains the famous sulphur springs, a drive-in volcano, assorted waterfalls, the beautiful Pitons peaks and lots more things to see!

Two red backpacks, one smaller than the other.

Minimalist packing tips: How to travel light!

These minimalist packing tips give you a step-by-step guide: everything you need to know and do to travel with carry-on luggage only!

An orange glowing sun in a dark sky sits just above the horizon, sending a line of orange across the water toward the camera. To its left is the silhouette of two palm trees and some other shorter tree.

East Winds Resort St Lucia: A review

What’s special about East Winds Resort Saint Lucia is its size: it’s small and peaceful, perfect for a peaceful, laid-back Caribbean holiday.