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Travel quotes from women

To celebrate Women’s History Month, here are 40 powerful and inspirational travel quotes from some of the world’s most famous and inspirational women. They remind us that not only is the future female, but the past was too.

Do any of these travel quotes resonate with you?

1. “As a woman I have no country. As a woman my country is the whole world.”

Virginia Woolf, novelist.

2. “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

Maya Angelou, poet.

3. “Just watch, all of you men. I’ll show you what a woman can do… I’ll go across the country, I’ll race to the Moon… I’ll never look back.”

Edna Gardner Whyte, pioneer aviatrix.

4. “Anybody can be an explorer if they want to be. You can be an astronaut if you want. Figure out what you want to do, and then go do it.”

Helen Thayer, the first woman to travel solo to the magnetic North Pole.

5. “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

Helen Keller, educator and author.

6. “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”

Susan Sontag, writer, filmmaker, teacher, and political activist.

7. “The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.”

Shirley MacLaine, actress.

8. “It is confidence in our bodies, minds and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures, new directions to grow in, and new lessons to learn — which is what life is all about.”

Oprah Winfrey, TV personality.

9. “Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it.”

Eudora Welty, novelist.

10. “I think you travel to search and you come back home to find yourself there.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, novelist.

11. “Where you come from does matter — but not nearly as much as where you are headed.”

Jodi Picoult, novelist.

12. “The urge to travel feels magnetic. Two of my favorite words are linked: departure time. And travel whets the emotions, turns upside down the memory bank, and the golden coins scatter.”

Frances Mayes, professor, poet, memoirist, essayist, and novelist.

13. “I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”

Mary Anne Radmacher, author.

14. “You will never be completely at home again because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”

Miriam Adeney, anthropologist.

15. “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”

Eleanor Roosevelt, politician, diplomat and activist.

16. “Traveling carries with it the curse of being at home everywhere and yet nowhere, for wherever one is, some part of oneself remains on another continent.”

Margot Fonteyn, ballerina.

17. “I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.”

Lillian Smith, social critic.

18. “I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.”

Rosalia de Castro, writer and poet.

19. “As the traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so a knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own.”

Margaret Mead, anthropologist.

20. “The impulse to travel is one of the hopeful symptoms of life.”

Agnes Repplier, essayist.

21. “Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.”

Freya Stark, explorer and travel writer.

22. “Travel is the frivolous part of serious lives, and the serious part of frivolous ones.”

Anne Sophie Swetchine, mystic and salon owner.

23. “An adventure may be worn as a muddy spot or it may be worn as a proud insignia. It is the woman wearing it who makes it the one thing or the other.”

Norma Shearer, actress.

24. “To shut your eyes is to travel.”

Emily Dickinson, writer.

25. “I wondered why it was that places are so much lovelier when one is alone.”

Daphne Du Maurier, writer.

26. “The impulse to travel is one of the hopeful symptoms of life.”

Agnes Repplier, essayist.

27. “Adventure can be an end in itself. Self-discovery is the secret ingredient.”

Grace Lichtenstein, journalist.

28. “An adventure may be worn as a muddy spot or it may be worn as a proud insignia. It is the woman wearing it who makes it the one thing or the other.”

Norma Shearer, actress

29. “Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

Mary Ritter Beard, historian.

30. “I can’t understand why men make all this fuss about Everest.”

Junko Tabei, the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

31. “If you don’t get out of the box you’ve been raised in, you won’t understand how much bigger the world is.”

Angelina Jolie, actress.

32. “To travel is worth any cost or sacrifice.”

Elizabeth Gilbert, writer.

33. “Traveling is like flirting with life. It’s like saying, ‘I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.’”

Lisa St. Aubin de Teran, novelist.

34. “Travel opens your mind as few other things do. It is its own form of hypnotism, and I am forever under its spell.”

Libba Bray, writer

35. “Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.”

Mae Jemison, first African-American female woman to travel in space.

36. “Travel is as much a passion as ambition or love.”

Letitia Elizabeth Landon, writer and poet.

37. “Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

Mary Ritter Beard, historian.

38. “The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.”

Amelia E. Barr, writer.

39. “We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.”

Anais Nin, writer.

40. “I travel light. I think the most important thing is to be in a good mood and enjoy life, wherever you are”.

Diane von Furstenberg, fashion designer.


More like this: 18 travel quotes that remind us to live our lives to the fullest

Funniest Icelandic expressions

1. Icelanders don’t tell you to “just get on with it” … they say “on with the butter!” (Áfram með smjörið)

2. Icelanders don’t say “I have no idea what you’re talking about”… they say “I come completely from the mountains” (Ég kem alveg af fjöllum)

3. Icelanders don’t say “that was a surprise”… they say “that’s a raisin at the end of the hot dog!” (Það er rúsínan í pylsuendanum)

4. Icelanders don’t say “things will fall into place”… they say “it all comes with the cold water!” (Kemur Allt Með Kalda Vatninu)

5. Icelanders don’t say “you better do the job right”… they say “no mitten-grabbing.” (Nú duga engin vettlingatök)

6. Icelanders don’t say “I will f*** you up”… they say “I will find you on a beach.” (Ég mun finna þig í fjöru)

7. Icelanders don’t say “toughen up”… they say “bite the molar!” (Bíta á jaxlinn)

8. Icelanders don’t say “the weather looks nice from inside but it’s actually kind of gross and rainy and cold”… they say “we’ve got some fine window weather today!” (Gluggaveður)

9/ Icelanders don’t say “you’re totally flirting!”… they say “you’re totally giving under the foot!” (Gefa undir fótinn)

10. Icelanders don’t say “you’re cute af”… they say “you’re an absolute butt!” (Algjört rassgat)

11. Icelanders don’t say “you’re on the wrong track”… they say “you’re on the wrong shelf in life.” (Hann er á rangri hillu í lífinu)

12. Icelanders don’t say “he’s sick”… they say “he doesn’t walk whole to the forest.” (Hann gengur ekki heill til skógar)

13. Icelanders don’t say “I can’t believe that just happened!”… they say “there are many wonders in a cow’s head.” (Það eru margar undur í höfuðkúpu)

14. Icelanders don’t say “you’ve got anger issues”… they say “you’re jumping onto your own nose!” (Að stökkva upp á nef sér)

15. Icelanders don’t say “you’re a bore”… they say “you are such a latte-drinking wool scarf.” (Þú ert nú meiri lattelepjandi lopatrefillinn)


More like this: A guide to the 10 funniest Icelandic idioms

words the english language borrowed

While cultural appropriation has become a faux pas these days, any linguist can deliver a lengthy spiel on the countless words and phrases English has borrowed from other languages. From Greek to Chinese to Yiddish, English has been a bit of a kleptomaniac over the centuries. And while Shakespeare is famous for spawning hundreds of new words, countless other English writers secured their celebrity by becoming word-borrowing aficionados. So before making a schmuck out of yourself by getting gung-ho on how amazing English is, check out Sky Park Secure’s list of famous words that English borrowed from someone else.

Photo: Sky Park Secure

More like this: Do you know the meaning of these 21 forgotten English words?

10 surprising facts about Rapid City

Sure, Rapid City is the gateway to Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, and the Badlands, but go on. Lift the tourist veil. Get off I-90 and live a little. It’s only then that you’ll find a Midwestern city ready to defy your expectations, with music festivals, some serious elevation, and even a few European touches.

The city, it turns out, is the heartbeat of these hills. Here are 10 facts that will definitely surprise you — even if you’ve already pinched Washington’s face between your fingers.

1. You can touch a piece of the Berlin Wall.

Photo: Visit Rapid City

No, you haven’t been redirected to a different article — there’s a Berlin Wall exhibit in the center of Rapid City. In fact, it’s one of the biggest Berlin Wall exhibits in the nation. Located in Memorial Park, this isn’t some cheap knockoff — it includes actual sections from the Berlin Wall (that are free and open to the public to check out).

While at Memorial Park, take your time. Reflect. Walk and observe the displays, the WWII tank traps, the Veterans Memorial, Flood Memorial Fountain, and Memorial Lake. All of these elements are connected by picnic areas and pathways, and all have their own story.

2. Downtown is the top.

Photo: Visit Rapid City

While plenty of South Dakota is forever flat, Downtown Rapid City is anything but. It actually rests on a peak — you’re standing at 3,202 feet, just in the shade of Black Elk Peak (to the southwest) with a summit of 7,242 feet. Now you know why you’re having that slight difficulty catching your breath walking around downtown.

And looking over it all is Dinosaur Park. The unmissable highlights here are the seven 80-some-year-old concrete dinos, and if you’ve got kids in tow, they’re welcome to climb all over them. But what you’ll probably appreciate from this spot are the views of the Badlands in the distance, the city below you, and the reminder that dinosaurs once reigned supreme right here — actual dino footprints have been found not too far away.

If you’ve never been to South Dakota, prepare to be blown away by what you see from the vantage point of Dinosaur Park. This region will forever undo any images you have of the prairie — think fields of sunflowers, granite spires, some of the world’s longest cave passages, and Martian-esque badlands (all within driving distance of the city locals refer to simply as “Rapid”).

3. Between the art galleries lies…just about everything.

Art Alley. Photo: Sam Dean / Visit Rapid City

There are several cool art galleries in Downtown Rapid. Don’t miss the Suzie Cappa Art Center, where the Black Hills Works project provides a place for artists of all abilities to express themselves. Shaviq Studio & Gallery is a good stop for just about anything local — art, sure, but handmade goods, too. For a one-of-a-kind souvenir, head here.

And hiding among all this class? Art Alley. Walking through it, you’d have no idea where you are. It sits between 6th and 7th Streets and is one giant public art project that takes the form of constantly changing colors and amazing graffiti. Established in 2005, it’s getting grander all the time.

4. You can go on a scavenger hunt for all the Presidents.

Photo: Visit Rapid City

You know the four granite faces carved in nearby Mount Rushmore, but Rapid City doesn’t overlook the 40-some other famous guys. As you stroll along the sidewalks of downtown, look out for 43 (and counting) bronze statues. These life-sized replicas range from John Adams and Thomas Jefferson to Richard Nixon and Millard Fillmore — and, yes, that last guy was a U.S. President.

Bonus points if you can spot the seven presidents with hats.

5. In spring, we go back to the wilderness…

Bison in Custer State Park. Photo: Thomas

After spending the winter ice skating at Main Street Square and getting our snowshoe on in Custer State Park, things get a little more…wild. For starters, there are the baby bear cubs at Bear Country USA and the baby buffalo, bighorn sheep, antelope, deer, elk, coyote, prairie dogs, and burros at Custer State Park. Take a drive down Wildlife Loop Road and you’ll see for yourself. With all the animals awakening — and the hills popping into kaleidoscopic color — it’s probably the hardest season to stay indoors.

But that’s just as well, because on April 21, most of the “national everythings” are free (which is great, since Rapid City is super close to four of the state’s most important and beautiful national parks, monuments, and memorials). And come May 18-20, South Dakota’s state parks have their Open House Weekend. Get that sunscreen ready!

6. …and summer and fall are just as wild.

Spearfish Canyon. Photo: Justin Meissen

Both seasons are prime for getting outdoors — start off easy with a cruise down Needles Highway, Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, or through Skyline Wilderness Area. All these routes will make you feel like you’ve stumbled on a secret national park, with granite sprinkling the landscape everywhere you look.

Then it’s time to get out of the are. Go rock climbing in the Needles-Sylvan Lake District. Hike just about everywhere. Take on the Crazy Horse Volksmarch. Float a canoe on Canyon Lake. Bonus: Everything we just mentioned is super near Downtown Rapid City.

7. The city hosts a huge powwow.

Photo: Black Hills Powwow

Celebrating its 32nd year in 2018, the annual Black Hills PowWow — or, rather, the He Sapa Wacipi Na Oskate — is one of the premier American Indian events in the U.S. Hosted at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center every October, the gathering sees hundreds of dancers and singers from around North America, along with thousands of onlookers and other participants. Over the course of three days, the city lights up with American Indian tradition — and modern events, too. There’s the He Sapa Win pageant, a parade, fine arts shows, dances, archery, hand-game tournaments, and the chance to win $33,000 in prizes in a singing contest. (Hey, can’t win if you don’t play.)

But celebrating the area’s history requires more than just a three-day event. Make sure to check out Prairie Edge Trading Co & Galleries for American Indian wares and The Journey Museum & Learning Center for both traditional and contemporary looks into South Dakota’s indigenous cultures. Both are good to go all year round.

8. There’s a true British pub in South Dakota.

Photo: Visit Rapid City

Get your bad British accent ready. At the Wobbly Bobby (say that three times fast) in Downtown Rapid, you can cozy up to a traditional bar offering more varieties of English ale than you can handle. Bet you weren’t expecting that one.

There are plenty of local craft beer options, too — try the Firehouse Red from Firehouse Brewing Co., based right here in Rapid, or the Canyon Cream Ale from Crow Peak Brewing, out of Spearfish.

9. The local summer music festival is free.

Photo: Hills Alive

The words “free” and “music festival” will get most people’s attention, and here in Downtown Rapid, that’s been the case for decades. For more than 30 years, the Hills Alive Summer Music Festival has been held in Memorial Park each July. Bring sunscreen, bring your friends, bring a blanket, and bring your appetite — there are tons of vendors, too.

As a family-friendly festival, there’s plenty to do for the little ones, including a bouncy-house village and a children’s tent. Lots of people come out for the three-day event, with around 20,000 showing up each day in previous years.

10. Downtown Rapid is your portal to everything good in South Dakota.

Badlands National Park. Photo: lawepw

Blocks of art. Dinosaurs. European and Native American history. Beer, beer, beer. Live music. Rooftop bars. And that’s just what’s inside Downtown Rapid.

Then there’s Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument…when it comes to awesome day trips out of Rapid City, there’s almost too many options. Which will you choose?

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Trusting strangers border crossing

When you’re traveling alone in a foreign country, there are certain inalienable safety rules that appear so rudimentary that they almost go without saying: Don’t get into cars with unknown men. Don’t give anyone your passport. Don’t put your blind trust in strangers. Well, one clammy night in Peru, I violated all three of those rules in just a few short hours. Welcome to the strange world of Latin American border crossing, where it’s advisable to leave your gut instinct back in the big cities and stifle all the advice your mother has ever given you.

I arrived in Tacna (Southern Peru) after catching a bus from Arequipa, where I’d then cross the border into Arica, which is the first town in the north of Chile, via another bus. It was the first time since landing in Lima five weeks prior that I was alone — I had left my friend in Arequipa, six hours away.

Tacna International Bus Station assaulted and screamed at all my senses on arrival: it was a cauldron of frantic noise, heat, and chaos interspersed with wearied travelers slumping on bits of pavement as they waited to leave this strange abyss. I wandered into the terminal building, in the hope of finding a ticket machine (oh, so naïve), or perhaps a friendly and conveniently placed helper who would advise me on my next move. Instead, as I moved through the building, I was barraged by a stream of insistent taxi drivers all offering me a ride over the border. I had been in South America long enough to know that this is standard, but it always unnerved me. I ambled back outside and joined a queue after the people in line in front of me confirmed that they were all waiting to go to Arica.

And I waited.

One hour. Two hours.

The queue was moving, but not particularly in any order. Taxis would inexplicably pick up people behind me, and I’d watch them zoom off in a trail of smugness and dust. All the while, the sun edged toward the horizon as nightfall creeped closer.

I had visions of being stuck in this dreary pit-stop town, of sleeping outside in a place I didn’t know, all the while thinking, Nobody knows me here, and nobody knows I’m here. Under different circumstances, I could see how that might feel liberating.

Eventually, a taxi driver scoured the crowd calling out, “solo uno, solo uno!” and I just about tripped over my limbs and baggage trying to run to him. If I could personify the image of “frantic,” it would be embodied by this guy. He never quite slowed his pace to a walk, and his movements were scrambled and jerking as he zipped around his taxi, taking my bag, and tossing it in the back. “Passport!” He demanded from me, impatiently beckoning with his hand. I looked inside the car from where eight expectant eyes blinked at me. “Hurry up, you big blonde moron,” they seemed to say. I obliged, because there was no other option, handing over my passport to this total stranger.

We trundled off into the darkness. I assessed my surroundings. Four Peruvian men, five including the driver, were in the car with me. Nobody spoke. We sped along dark country roads, the last miles of my time in Peru passing me by in a blur. I gazed out the window, wondering vaguely if someone was going to sell my kidneys on the black market. I had decided that there was a good chance I could outrun these guys — the one next to me was, promisingly, on the larger side. I would just run to Chile until I’d hit civilization, and hopefully avoid any rabid desert dogs on the way. Just as I was getting my escape plan together, the driver gave me my passport back.

When we arrived to the vicinity of the official border crossing, two of our party inexplicably jumped out the car and started walking. Twenty minutes later, the rest of us — including the driver — got out. For reasons completely unbeknownst to me, our little group had somehow skipped the queue. I was following them blindly through each checkpoint as we weaved amongst the crowds, all of a sudden bound to these strangers amongst the sea of people. At one awful moment, as I passed my backpack through security, I lost sight of them all. Then I heard one of my stranger-friends call out to the other in Spanish, “We’ve lost our gringo! Where is she?”

On being referred to as “their” gringo, my heart nearly burst open with relief and I waved and yelled, “Estoy aqui!” Somewhere between leaving Tacna and crossing into Chile, these guys had grown some taken responsibility to look out for me — they carried my bag back to the taxi, they opened the taxi door for me, one even gave me a high five after I got my stamp.

We continued on until we reached Arica, and I said goodbye and thank you as we went our separate ways into the night. I never really thanked them enough.

In hindsight, your fears can seem almost fantastical. But at the time, they are very real: you feel them in your quickened heartbeat and the blood pulsing in your brain. Standing by myself in that Tacna bus station, I felt completely alone, vulnerable, and scared for myself.

In traveling, there exists that strange tension between always being more conscious of your surroundings and more guarded than normal, juxtaposed with often having to trust something without having all the facts. Throw in language barriers and schedules that don’t run on time, and you often resort to a more intrinsic mode of survival: trusting other people.

Sometimes, there’s really no other option but to put all your blind faith in the kindness of strangers and embrace the unknown.


More like this: From trauma to trust: Leaving fear behind in East Africa

the sleep you lose while traveling

Healthy doses of sleep are critical to getting the most out of a trip. There is nothing worse than experiencing some of the world’s great wonders with your eyes crusted over as you drift through the haze of exhaustion. Yet, far too often, there is no way out of it — the jet lag is too fierce and the hotel bed too flimsy. But just how much is our sleep affected when we travel?

A new study from Mattress Advisor surveyed 1,000 Americans about how much sleep they lose while traveling, be it by plane, boat, or automobile. The study also looked into our strategies for getting the appropriate amount of shut-eye on the road, from sex to booze, to books, and probably back to sex again. (As it turns out, the most ancient solutions for fighting fatigue are still quite popular).

Photo: Mattress Advisor

Photo: Mattress Advisor

Photo: Mattress Advisor

Photo: Mattress Advisor

More like this: How to get some decent sleep while on an airplane

Best museums in Chicago

Chicago is home to more than 60 museums, a veritable playland for the culturally inclined. Many visitors head straight to the Museum Campus, where three great options are set on a super convenient loop on the lakefront. The Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, and Shedd Aquarium are within walking distance, but I don’t recommend fitting them all in one day. Unless you’re on a mission — armed with a pass to skip the lines, a checklist of exhibits, and timetable of show times — it’s just too much ground to cover. Instead, take a couple days and slow it down.

Topping my list is The Art Institute of Chicago. It is located right downtown, next to Millennium Park. It’s also part of a whole collection known as Museums in the Park, which are spread throughout the city from the Loop to the neighborhoods. Between all these many options, here are the seven best museums in Chicago.

1. Museum of Science and Industry

Photo: Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

It’s the largest science museum in the western hemisphere; more than 14 acres of exhibit space. There’s so much at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (simply “MSI” to locals) it’s best to get straight to the point. Here’s a mix of things to see, learn, and experience:

Board an actual U-505 German submarine from World War II — all 252 feet of the hulking metal vessel is dramatically housed in an underground wing of its own.
Step inside a 40-foot indoor tornado as gusts of air and vapor swirl around you — Science Storms shows you all the forces of nature with lightning, fire, and tsunamis in action.
Maneuver through a geometric mirror maze in Numbers in Nature. Snap some trippy photos — just don’t walk into a wall.
Sync your pulse with the Giant Heart and take the human-sized hamster wheel for a spin in YOU! The Experience.

There’s more. A fairy castle. Baby chicks. A working coal mine. Airplanes. Trains. And that’s not even including whichever blockbuster temporary exhibits are touring here.

Eat like a local: Skip the museum cafeteria. Once you’re done geeking out, head into the Hyde Park neighborhood for lunch or dinner.

Address: 5700 Street Lake Shore Drive

Hours of operation: Daily 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Cost: $21.95 at door, $19.95 if bought online.

2. Shedd Aquarium

Photo: Shedd Aquarium

The cuteness factor is on overload! Belugas and dolphins, plus penguins and playful sea otters. Some 32,000 animals make their home at the Shedd Aquarium. Catch a show and head into the underwater viewing areas for more close-ups. This place is popular. Every day. At almost every time. But the focus on education, conservation, and sustainability underlies it all, making the lines and crowds well worth the hassle.

Water taxi: If it’s nice out, the best way to get to the Shedd — and all of Museum Campus — from downtown is a ride on the Shoreline Water Taxi. Hop a ride on the Lake Route for a fun ride and great views May through September.

Address: 1200 Street Lake Shore Drive

Hours of operation: Weekdays 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (6 PM in the summer); Weekends 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Cost: $39.95 adults / $29.95 children. 50% discount for Chicago residents.

3. The Field Museum

Photo: Fritz Geller-Grimm

This is a big one. Over 480,000 square feet of exhibition space dedicated to all things natural history. Also big at The Field Museum is the newest addition to step into the building; welcome the largest dinosaur ever discovered when the 122-foot-long tyrannosaur makes its way here in summer 2018. The museum’s most famous resident, Sue the “largest and most complete specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex,” has been a fixture in the grand central hall but you’ll find Sue in a new suite upstairs starting in 2019.

Make like a curious scientist and explore the themed galleries. In the crowd favorites, you can descend into an ancient Egyptian tomb or meet an Ice Age mammoth. There are gems, too — literally a whole collection of rare jewels — and other lesser-known exhibits like the Hall of Birds where you can study species up close in one of the most outstanding display collections in the world.

Drink up: The Bistro Bar, tucked away in a corner of the museum, is a great way to impress a date with a quick stop for a craft beer. The signature brew is Tooth & Claw, a collaboration with Off Color Brewing that’s named after Sue the T. Rex.

Address: 1400 Street Lake Shore Drive

Hours of operation: Daily 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Closed Christmas

Cost: $38 adults / $33 students for general admission

4. Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Photo: Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

This is where the cool kids hang out. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago — better known as the MCA — is a triple threat. There’s a constant rotation of thought-provoking works and artist retrospectives in the galleries; a cutting-edge mix of dance, music, and theater on the stage; and a menu of seasonal cuisine from a top Chicago chef in the kitchen. If you can visit in the warm-weather months, alfresco concerts and outdoor installations add to the mix.

Merch: The MCA Store has a great selection of unique finds and limited-edition prints. Gifts and gadgets, books and cards, jewelry and toys… all items are focused on design and contemporary art, often with an equal dose of quirkiness and good humor.

Address: 220 E. Chicago Avenue

Hours of operation: Daily 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Cost: Suggested donation of $15 adults / $8 students, teachers, and seniors. Free for kids under 18 years of age.

7 things you need to know about the woman who travels solo

Solo female travel is an ever-increasing segment of the travel industry and it seems that now, more than ever, women are branching out to chase their travel dreams, even when that means traveling alone. Though they are on the rise, solo female travelers can still be a little misunderstood. To share some insight, here are 7 things you need to know about the woman who travels solo.

1. Yes, she does have friends.

But when all your friends are settling down with a house and 2.5 children, they can’t necessarily travel with you all the time. Perhaps this woman likes to book spontaneous trips or her travel style isn’t compatible with her friends. Perhaps she has flakey mates who are all talk but no commitment, or perhaps she has just had some bad experiences traveling with friends that ends up more like babysitting. Either way, it’s very likely that yes, she does have friends but no, she can’t always wait for them to be ready or able to travel together.

2. No, she doesn’t want your attention.

Fellas, just because there is a woman eating/walking/sitting on a train/doing anything alone, it doesn’t necessarily mean that she wants your attention. Not all solo female travelers are single women looking for exotic flings. Some of us are happily married, or even happily single, and just want to see the world. I’m not here to say that men shouldn’t try to talk to women if they catch your attention and spark your interest — it can be flattering and hey, that’s how relationships start. But let’s not assume that just because someone is alone that they’re easy pickings and please stop with the tactics like jumping in front of the camera while she is taking a photo or following her while she walks or yelling things like “hey girl you thick.”

Photo by the author

3. Yes, she is taking selfies.

Get over it. Travel by yourself and whip out a selfie stick in public and people will look at you like you’re a fish smoking a cigarette? How?! Why?! What am I seeing?! Yes, she is taking selfies because she is traveling alone remember. It’s not that unusual. And, given that when you ask a nice stranger to take a photo of you it turns out shitty 9 times out of 10, it’s really just easier to become your own paparazzi to get the job done. We all want a photo memory of our holidays after all.

4. No, she isn’t lonely.

Some of us are actually great company — even to ourselves. Personally, my inner voice tells some pretty hilarious jokes! There is a misconception though that traveling alone is lonely, and to some, it may be. To others, especially those of us who are on the introverted side, it is anything but lonely. Being comfortable with your own self, without the endless noise of others, is very powerful. When you quiet the world down and listen to yourself, it brings self-awareness and great insight to your own thoughts, needs, wants, observations, and beliefs. Plus, you can always meet people on the road and some of my favorite memories have been with strangers I’ve met along the way — however fleeting these moments were.

Photo by the author

5. Yes, it would be cool to travel with people.

Sure, she probably thinks it would be cool to travel with other people. It’d be nice to have a friend to sit across from over dinner and talk about the day’s sightseeing events instead of getting constantly stared at for dining alone. It would be nice to share experiences with others or have someone to watch your backpack while you go to the toilet at the airport instead of having to squeeze into the tiny cubicle and not rip off the toilet roll holder with it as you turn around to close the door. It’s not that she is anti-social and doesn’t want to share these times, she just can’t spend all her time waiting for friends to be ready to travel.

6. No, it’s not as scary as you think.

It’s really not. And if you paid attention to the “metoo” hashtag that shared stories of sexual harassment you should be aware that danger is everywhere — even in your very own hometown. Traveling alone just seems scary because you’re away from what is known to you and your comfort zone but there’s every chance that is not actually any scarier than walking around alone where you live. It’s actually quite addictive. Once you experience the freedom of traveling solo, it hooks you.

Photo by the author.

7. Yes, she is a badass.

Go ahead, pour a glass of wine and air toast yourself because yes, you are a badass. Any woman who branches out to chase her own goals and dreams without having someone to hold their hand, puts up with endless questions and judgment about when they should settle down and defies the social norm to live a life on their terms is a badass in my book. *virtual cheers to you!*

This article originally appeared on Huffington Post and is republished here with permission. You can read Katie’s blog or follow her on Instagram.

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Drive San Francisco locals crazy

It should come as no surprise that the San Francisco Bay Area is a big draw for tourists from around the world. With sights like the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and year-round temperate weather, it’s not surprising that the city is always filled with international and domestic travelers. Unfortunately, the clash between locals and tourists gets particularly bad when these things happen.

1. Call it “San Fran” or “Frisco.”

It’s San Francisco. Or “the City,” if you’re feeling ambitious.

2. Don’t step down.

Riding the buses in the city is fairly easy to understand, but the number of times I’ve seen a first-timer successfully call for a stop, only to stand bewildered in front of the back door when it doesn’t open… Unless manually opened by the driver, exit doors on MUNI are activated when a passenger moves to the lowest step.

3. Ruin Fisherman’s Wharf.

Yes, tourism brings a large amount to the San Francisco economy, with out-of-towners paying absurd amounts of money for cable car rides, hotel rooms, and soup in a bread bowl (it’s not like we’re blameless, we’re paying $1600 a month for a tiny room). Still, part of me wishes I could actually enjoy the views of the Bay at Fisherman’s Wharf without dodging vendors selling sunglasses and tourists asking me to take their picture.

4. Make that Mark Twain quip.

“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

Despite what you’ve heard, there is no evidence Mark Twain actually said this, and using it to justify complaining about the low temperatures in June isn’t helping your cause. Pack a change of clothes like the rest of us.

5. Standing in the street.

To an extent, I suppose this is common behavior to tourists everywhere (e.g. Shibuya Crossing and Abbey Road), but this happens in very residential areas of San Francisco. Lombard Road, the most crooked street in the world, isn’t in Fisherman’s Wharf or Union Square, but rather just the location of homes and apartments. Yet tourists still clog the top and bottom taking selfies on an almost daily basis year round, and stand on the cable car lines as it approaches just to get the perfect shot.

6. Complain about the homeless.

San Francisco has one of the most visible homeless populations due to the lack of low-income housing and steep income inequality. Should it really be that much of a surprise when those new to the city see so many hanging out in Union Square, hoping for a bit of spare change from a tourist staying in a $200/night hotel? Pointing them out or gawking at them isn’t helping their situation. Save that for the guys on Haight Street.

7. Make ridiculous dietary demands.

San Francisco is probably one of the best places in the world to eat out if you’re concerned about food allergies or have any kind of dietary restriction. Nevertheless, sometimes the demands are just too much for chefs to take. A particularly famous story had a Chinese restaurant owner shut down with no reopening date in sight while telling customers off with this sign:

“We are Closed because of YOU (Customers)…

SO… Yes we use MSG!

SO… We don’t believe in organic food

And… Don’t give a shit about gluten free.”


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Women's libraries around the world

There are many libraries around the world which people make a point of visiting: those that are particularly grand, with exceptionally vast collections, or that have become landmarks within their cities.

However, some libraries stand out not because of their size or prestige, but because of the cultural significance of their collections. All around the world, groups of women have come together to create women’s libraries: spaces completely dedicated to women, their literature, and their history.

It is no secret that our understanding of history and literature is, for the most part, dominated by men. By celebrating the literary and cultural influence of women throughout the ages, these fascinating projects are doing the crucial work of highlighting how women have shaped their communities and changed the world.

1. Glasgow Women’s Library (Glasgow, Scotland)

Photo: Glasgow Women’s Library

Glasgow is a city with a fascinating history of social justice and radical movements, and the Glasgow Women’s Library focuses on the feminist history of the city and country at large. By recognizing the achievements of women in the past, it hopes to empower Scotland’s women now and in the future.

In addition to a lending library, which specializes in hard-to-find feminist tomes, and archives including one of the UK’s most significant LGBT historical collections, the Glasgow Women’s Library is also the UK’s only accredited museum dedicated entirely to women’s history. Other projects include a monthly feminist book club, a female literary festival, a women’s history club, and multiple classes, workshops, and networking events.

The library and museum are open all week for visitors, but you should contact them in advance if you want to view the archive collections or visit out-of-hours.

2. Biblioteca Francesca Bonnemaison (Barcelona, Spain)

Photo: Biblioteca Francesca Bonnemaison

This library in Barcelona holds the distinction of being the first ever women’s library in Europe. It was founded as early as 1909 as the Instituto de Cultura y Biblioteca Popular para la Mujer (Cultural Institute and Popular Library for Women) by Francesca Bonnemaison.

Francesca was a wealthy socialite, well-respected within the cultural and intellectual elite of early 20th century Barcelona. It was through her influence in these circles that she was able to fund her project.

In its early days, the institute offered women the opportunity to learn scientific, manual, and artistic skills that would support their career development. Nowadays, the institute is home to a reference library of feminist literature, as well as collections dedicated to food, fashion, and the Ciutat Vella area of Barcelona in which the library is located.

Biblioteca Francesca Bonnemaison is close to many landmarks, including Barcelona Cathedral and the Picasso Museum. It is open to the public all week (evenings only on Mondays and Thursdays).

3. The Women’s Library LSE (London, England)

The Women’s Library in London was founded in 1926 as a project by the London Society for Women’s Suffrage. Its aim was to document the history and legacy of the women’s movement and to provide a place for liberated women to gather and discuss feminist issues. Several key feminist figures, including Virginia Woolf, were members.

It has since undergone multiple name and location changes and now belongs to the London School of Economics. It is one of the most extensive collections of women’s literature in the world, with over 60,000 titles and 3,500 periodicals. Its focus is on feminist movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, and on the women’s suffrage movement.

The collection is mainly available to students of LSE, however, people from outside the university can request to access the library in advance. It is open 24/7 for LSE students, and from 8 AM to midnight for everyone else.

4. Bibliothèque Marguerite Durand (Paris, France)

Photo: Bibliothèque Marguerite Durand

This library in Paris, the only public library in France dedicated entirely to women, was created from one woman’s substantial personal collection. Marguerite Durand, an activist best known for founding feminist newspaper La Fronde, started collecting feminist texts in 1897 and donated them all to the City of Paris in 1931.

The collection includes over 40,000 books and pamphlets covering feminist topics, women’s history, and books written by women across all genres. There are also over 1,100 periodicals, 4,000 signed letters by prominent French women, 300 manuscripts, and an extensive image library made up of postcards and photographs.

Bibliothèque Marguerite Durand is located in the university area of the 13eme arrondissement. Opening hours are 2 PM – 6 PM Tuesday to Saturday, and access requires a free registration at the entrance: you will need a piece of ID and passport photo.

5. Biblioteca delle Donne (Bologna, Italy)

Photo: Biblioteca delle Donne

Biblioteca delle Donne is Italy’s main collection of texts dedicated to women, feminism, and gender studies. It was founded in the late 1970s as part of an initiative by an independent feminist organization, Associazone Orlando, and is co-run with the City of Bologna.

The library houses over 40,000 books, which include Sofia’s Library, a dedicated collection of literature for young girls. There is also an excellent collection of periodicals, magazines, and monographs, many of unique historical and cultural value.

The library is based in a 15th-century convent, Convento di Santa Cristina, which is worth a detour in itself. It is accessible to the general public, but you should request to view specific rare items in advance. Opening hours are 9 AM – 6 PM Monday to Thursday, and 9 AM – 2 PM on Fridays.

6. Jessie Street National Women’s Library (Sydney, Australia)

Australia’s National Women’s Library is named after activist Jessie Street, who campaigned throughout her life for equal rights for women as well Aboriginal people. Her legacy is maintained in the library, which aims to promote and preserve the history of Australian women and of Aboriginal and Strait Islander peoples.

There is both a book and an archives collection, as well as serials, posters, and audiovisual materials. Two small special collections, dedicated to Virginia Woolf and Jesse Street, are of particular interest. The library also hosts regular talks and special events about women’s literature.

Jessie Street National Women’s Library is located in Ultimo, a suburb of Sydney, and is easily accessible by public transport. It is open to the public 10 AM – 3 PM, Monday to Friday.


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