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The above map is the result of a painstaking and admittedly quixotic effort to catalog the country as it has been described in the American road-tripping literature. It includes every place-name reference in 12 books about cross-country travel, from Mark Twain’s Roughing It (1872) to Cheryl Strayed’s Wild (2012), and maps the authors’ routes on top of one another. You can track an individual writer’s descriptions of the landscape as they traveled across it, or you can zoom in to see how different authors have written about the same place at different times. Most interestingly of all, for me at least, you can ruminate about what those differences say about American travel, American writing, American history.

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2,723 Likes, 23 Comments - Dive Easy

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This channel chronicles my life and was meant to be shared by family and friends just like a photo album.

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20 best day hikes in the world for your bucket list: Kjeragbolten, Trolltunga, Tongariro, Machu Picchu, Great Wall of China, Half Dome, the Narrows.

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Fewer crowds, comfortable temperatures, and blooming wildflowers make spring the best time to visit these national parks.

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Every July, Faial Island in the Azores is bursting with color.

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I found the old matchbook lying on a desk, writes Pablo Maurer. It was buried under some papers, beside a thick, water-logged book frozen solid in the January chill. I ran my fingers down its spine and read the title: “How to Run A Successful Golf Course.” The owner of the Penn Hills Resort in … Continue reading "Photographer Updates Postcards Of 1960s Resorts Into Their Abandoned Ruins"

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Cabin vacations: Even those who hate pitching a tent need to commune with nature. Book a cabin in the woods to unwind and unplug.

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In the 20th century, movement came to mean cars, especially as the end of the Second World War and the beginning of the 1950s came around, at which time President Eisenhower, "inspired by the awesome system of roads he saw in Germany," authorized the construction of a national highway system, the replacement for storied but non-comprehensive interstate roads like Route 66. From then on, the United States saw an enormous surge in both car ownership, auto-industry employment, "the middle class, suburbia, fast food," and a host of other phenomena still seen as characteristically American. "To say that modern America was built both by and for the car," as Rugnetta puts it, "would not be an insane overstatement." But he also notes that the idea of the road trip itself goes back to 1880s Germany, when Bertha Benz, wife of Benz Moterwagen founder Karl Benz, took her husband's then-experimental car on a then-illegal 66-mile drive through the countryside. The first American road trip was taken in 1903 by a doctor named Horatio Jackson and, as the Rough Guides video above tells it, involved a bet, a dog, and — the whole way from San Francisco to New York — no signage at all.

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When train doors close, these jingles warn riders to stand clear.

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This “seaside” was huge vacation spot back in the 1950s. Big celebrities like Sonny Bono and The Beach Boys and many others who lived in California used to gravitate the Salton Sea and dive into its waters. Around the sea, there were several beach resorts with beachfront homes and trailer parks. It was packed with fun activities such as swimming, water-skiing, and even bungee jumping. The Salton Sea is what is called a saline sea, meaning that its waters are far saltier than the average amount of salt in the seas around the world. The next thing that separates this sea from the others that it has no connection to the oceans. Its basin is below sea level and gravity makes it impossible for the waters of this sea–or, more correctly, saline lake–to drain into the ocean. Lacking water outflow causes the Salton Sea not to have a regular natural stabilization ecosystem. The water was originally fresh water, gathered mostly by rain and melted snow from the nearby mountains. The lake is slowly drying out, meaning that the water remaining is increasing drastically in salinity. Agricultural runoff from the surrounding area has polluted the water with effluent, fertilizer, and other agricultural chemicals. This harsh environment has made it difficult for life to survive. Most of the previous inhabitants of the Salton Sea died or went extinct over time. Local authorities decided to introduce the tilapia that to this day is living in there, as it can tolerate the high salinity levels as well as the pollution. In the late 1990s, when the situation with pollution had become disastrous, a local agency named the Salton Sea Authority, together with the United States Bureau of Reclamation, began an evaluation project and an effort to develop alternative projects in order to save the Salton Sea and its surrounding area. They released a draft of the project which specified how to repair the damage. The idea was to construct a dam that would trap the water and build a marine sea in both the northern and southern parts of the Salton Sea, as well as one more along the western shores. In popular culture, The Salton Sea has been the inspiration for many known and important works of art. The Salton Sea was the inspiration for Curtis Harrington’s short, dreamlike film On the Edge from 1949. In the years that the resort was growing in popularity, this short film helped in that process. Years later, during the science fiction boom in literature and film, the monster movie The Monster that Challenged the World (1957) was shot on location of the Salton Sea. Probably, the film with the most cultural and aesthetic influence is the surreal 2010 documentary by the Israeli-born director and filmmaker Alma Har’el. This film won first prize in the documentary section of the Tribeca Film Festival in 2011. Today, the Salton Sea area is still very much polluted. The last report from the US Geological Survey says that the smell of the Salton Sea is “objectionable”, “unique”, “noxious” and “pervasive.” The biggest fear regarding the Salton Sea is that it might dry out. This could cause an even greater disaster to the surrounding flora and fauna. If that kind of disaster happens, all of the small particles that are now dissolved into the water will drift into the air and spread.

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The first Mennonites came to Belize in 1957 as part of a diplomatic mission. These Mennonites, who emigrated from various Canadian locations, came to Belize (British Honduras) from Chihuahua, Mexico, where they had been living for many years. They met with then Premiere of the country and father of Belize, George C. Price, to discuss making this tiny country their new home. In return for allowing them to stay in Belize, the Mennonites brought with them large-scale agriculture which there was a great need for in the country at the time. George Price granted them the freedom to live and farm, freedom to practice their religion, and a promise that their children would not be required to serve in the armed forces. As such, in 1958, the first colony of Mennonites was established in Spanish Lookout, located approximately 34 kilometers from what is now the capital city of Belmopan. History of the Mennonites in Belize https://www.grandbaymen.com/blog/history-of-the-mennonites-in-belize Mennonites in Belize | Old Colony Mennonites https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFFS2jtv4pM Belize Is the Perfect Low-Key Caribbean Paradise for Your First Vacation back https://www.insidehook.com/article/travel/belize-ideal-caribbean-paradise

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In anticipation of Tomorrowland’s 15th anniversary, the Belgium-based festival commissioned Danish artist Thomas Dambo (previously) to build seven of his world-renowned trolls throughout the De Schoore area in Boom. Like his previous installations in Copenhagen, South Korea, and northern Illin

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Membership travel, with its emphasis on peace of mind, is surging during the pandemic. But is health and safety only a guarantee for those with an “in” and money to burn?

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The paranoid worldview of Enver Hoxha, the leader of Albania during the Cold War, led to a massive 'bunkerization' project that resulted in the building of nearly 175,000 concrete bunkers across the country.

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Large energy or infrastructure projects that are intended to benefit one region, country, or people usually go hand-in-hand with big sacrifices. Sometimes the sacrifice is the alteration of the configuration of huge swathes of terrain, like cutting down an ancient forest, destroying fertile land, or flooding old

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1,796 Likes, 4 Comments - Man of Many (@manofmanytastes) on Instagram: “The pyramids are out of bounds via @matiasderada”

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A tree-lined walkway in Barcelona and a bustling riverside thoroughfare in London all make media company Time Out's hot list, but which street is named the coolest?

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Luahoko Island, Tonga by Filip Kulisev

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The company was the brainchild of Mel Ziegler, a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, and his wife Patricia Gwilliam Ziegler who worked as a courtroom artist for the same paper. Inspired by a surplus Bush jacket Mel brought back from a work trip to Australia, the couple eventually left their jobs and began buying bulk surplus vintage clothing–often altering it with new buttons or elbow patches and the like–and selling them at the Marin County Flea Market. When a large purchase of Spanish military shirts turned out to have unnaturally short arms they turned disaster into fortune by concocting the fictitious story of Generalissimo Franco’s “Short Armed Paratrooper Shirts”. A catalogue soon followed with similarly creative copy written by Mel and illustrations of the clothing by Patricia. Opening in 1978, a shop in their hometown of Mill Valley, California prospered thanks to their hard work and creative energy; but there were limits to how far they could grow: In 1983 they sold BR to Donald Fisher of the Gap who wisely insisted they remain as the heads of the company with a “hands off” agreement that promised total creative freedom. The infusion of money and manufacturing power of the Gap led to explosive growth: Lavishly decorated safari stores opened across the country, a team of writers and artists were hired to produce full color illustrated catalogues, and a flood of original clothing was designed and produced in factories across the world.

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A new luxury railway carriage spotlights the storied beginnings – and visitor appeal – of train travel in Vietnam

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I am Karol Nienartowicz and I'm a 29-year old photographer from Poland. I was born in Jelenia Góra, a small town in the south-western part of the country, and now I live in Gdansk. I still recall one particular day in summer of 2003, when my mom took me on my first mountain trip. I saw that heart-breathing beauty of mountains and I quickly wanted to share this feeling with other people! Thus, I took my photo camera on my next trip. Since that moment, I've photographed mountains, combining photography with my great passion for traveling.

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Analies Gómez Coyula is deep into her third bowl of helado (ice cream). Her boyfriend, Daniel, is equally engrossed as he spoons up his 13th scoop of vanilla. Aunt Ana Lidia seems content, with two ensaladas – five scoops apiece – already devoured. She unfurls an abanico and fans herself against the heat of Havana in May, then ladles the contents of her third bowl into a plastic container to take away. I feel abstemious in comparison with my single ensalada mixta of five flavours, topped with caramel sauce and crushed cookies. We’re at Parque Coppelia, the world’s largest ice cream parlour and an iconic institution in Cuba. Taking up an entire block diagonally opposite the Hotel Habana Libre in the once-tony Vedado district, this state-run ‘people’s park’ offers a for-pennies indulgence for the masses and serves an average of 30,000 customers a day – and up to 600 at any one time. When Havana sizzles, the entire city seems to descend seeking relief. The helado – served with taciturn efficiency by waitresses in 1950s plaid miniskirts – wins no awards. But no other experience speaks so sweetly to Cuba’s revolutionary idealism.

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Why a tiny mushroom-shaped dome in the California redwoods outperforms millions of other Airbnb listings.

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Looking for the best tropical islands in Europe? Here's a list of the top 10 tropical islands, you should have on your bucket-list.

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Carl Evans shared a post on Instagram: "Down in Chapel Rock

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A tiny red pebble marks "One Square Inch of Silence" in the Washington woods.

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We're all for trips to quaint small towns, but there's only so much leaf-peeping and antiquing you can do. America's small cities offer t...

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From a private island to a tiny Vermont treehouse

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David Attenborough explores a cult devoted to John Frum, an American soldier, known globally as the 'Cargo Cult'. If you had never heard of an airplane or a ...

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