Let’s get a few things straight. First off, Oxford University is not in London. Oxford is in Oxford, approximately 60 miles northwest of the United Kingdom’s capital city. Secondly, there is no “campus”; the University is comprised of over three dozen colleges and private halls which are spread across the aptly named “city of dreaming spires.” Finally, the University was conceived as an institution of higher learning—one of the world’s most prestigious, in fact—and …
Upon arriving in Lyon, France’s third-largest city and textile capital, it took me all of twenty minutes to figure out how French women maintain their slim figures.
They walk everywhere. And in a city like Lyon, where the topography rivals that of San Francisco, there’s nothing even remotely simple about a “simple stroll” through the boutiques of the Côte de Grande.
Fortunately, the city boasts a surprising number of alternatives—nine to be exact—thus proving that …
Whether you’re heading to the Caribbean for your honeymoon, planning a European tour to celebrate your 25th anniversary, or simply pitching a tent for the weekend with your new partner, you need to remember that travel can bring out the best—and the worst— in people. In addition to the usual hazards (flight delays, unexpected thunderstorms, lost luggage, and so on), there’s the added pressure of simply being together.
This is, of course, the …
From Bizet’s Carmen to Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra, the lure of Spain’s Andalucía region has captivated travelers from around the world for centuries. There is something captivating about the dry, arid region, where grandiose centuries-old cathedrals in Seville are surpassed in beauty only by the even older Islamic palaces. Southern Spain, despite the seemingly relentless heat, has a romance to it, a mysterious exoticism that is difficult to experience anywhere else in …
The dual-nation Dutch/French island of St. Martin (Sint Maarten on the Dutch side) is known for a lot of things: crystal clear aquamarine waters, expansive beaches, great seafood and plenty of sun. Its sandy shores aren’t the only things that sparkle, however; the jewelry district of Philipsburg boasts brilliant jewelry at great prices. Here are a few tips for making the most of your shopping experience.
Start Early: It’s never too early to start shopping, …
I arrived in Brussels with a half empty suitcase, a few dozen Euros and a mission: to scour the Belgian capital for the best chocolate money could buy and to fill my suitcase with the rich, creamy fruits of my labor.
With dozens of shops, workshops, tastings and an even an entire museum devoted to chocolate, however, Brussels can be a bit overwhelming— even for serious chocoholics. As it does with most things, the city …
Hamilton tickets have become one of the most coveted cultural commodities of our day, but a timed pass to the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) comes in a close second. This is in part because the museum, which opened on September 24, 2016, has fallen victim to its own success.
The average “dwell time” for most museums, which describes the length of an average visit, ranges from 75 minutes …
To most, the name “Philadelphia” is synonymous with Rocky Balboa, the Liberty Bell, and soft pretzels. But the cradle of American democracy boasts more than its well-known slew of historic landmarks and pop culture references – it is also home to a large number of world class art museums, complete with its very own Avenue des Champs-Élysées leading from City Hall to what is, arguably, the crown jewel in the city’s collection: The Philadelphia Museum …
The best way to see the National Parks during the busy summer tourist season is simply not to do it. Stay home. Come back in the fall, when there are fewer visitors and lower temperatures. But if summer travel is your only option, as it was for my husband and me, follow these tips to beat the crowds— and the heat.
Start Early: Many National Parks actually close their parking lots during the day, either …
A shaded forest with dappled sunlight dancing between the trees; a clear stream that cascades over a severe, silver rock face; a certain hush, save the occasional bird and the crunching of leaves underfoot, and there, in the middle of it, a house like a no other, rising from a waterfall.
There’s a reason why Frank Lloyd Wright remains one of America’s most beloved architects. Falling Water, the stunning summer home that Wright designed for …
If you know better, you avoid London’s Victoria and Albert Museum like the plague when it rains, especially if that rain happens to be falling on a Sunday afternoon when most of the world finds itself at the start of Spring Break. You especially avoid the V&A if a new exhibit has just opened up, all the more so if it’s an exhibit that’s going to be popular with artist-types and design students who are …
New Mexico can’t claim the invention of tequila. That distinction belongs to old Mexico, where Spanish conquistadors and their enterprising priests learned to double distill fermented agave juice into something more palatable than the pulque they received from Mexico’s indigenous population. But New Mexico, and Santa Fe in particular, have perfected the art of the margarita, and the aptly-named Santa Fe Margarita Trail gives visitors the chance to sample the best of the best.
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My plan, upon finding myself in London with a day off, was to indulge my inner Downton Abbey fan with a trip to Highclere Castle. The Jacobethan “country home” that housed the fictitious Grantham clan was, however, closed until spring so I decided to trudge from my friend’s flat in Barnes along the Thames footpath to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew instead.
As a devoted anglophile, I hoped to find the quintessential Englishness that …
I was lucky enough to take my first trip to Venice at 14 but that early exposure to world travel came with an early exposure to budget travel accommodations as well. We stayed on a campground on the mainland and had to leave the lagoon before sunset to make sure we didn’t miss the last transfer of the night.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, forced to tour the romantic northern Italian city …
If you don’t know any better, Iceland may seem like little more than a layover on the way the mainland Europe. But the rewards are great for those who dare to venture beyond Reykjavik’s Keflavik airport, even if only for a few hours. The small island nation’s tourism industry is in high gear—ready for the onslaught of eco-tourists and adrenaline junkies who have already made landfall— but the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa just a …
The Northern Lights are one of Iceland’s top tourist attractions, and for good reason. They’ve fascinated peoples from around the world for thousands of years, from the Inuit of Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea to the Laplanders of northern Scandinavia. In Iceland, Viking lore maintained that the dancing Aurora Borealis were the souls of the dead and even though more scientific explanations have since come to light, the Northern Lights are no less fascinating.…
The Grand Canyon and Zion National Park dominate most itineraries for the Southwestern United States, just as most visitors flock to southeastern Utah to snap a photo at the iconic Arches National Park. These park giants are popular for a reason, inspiring artists and statesmen alike, but their prestige often serves to eclipse some of the nearby, lesser-known parks that many travelers don’t bother to visit.
By all means, do go to the Grand Canyon, …
