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You Can Drive in a Real-Life Mario Kart Race on a Swiss Mountain

As I sat helmet-clad and poised to race down a mountain track, I realized all the Nintendo 64 training from my formative childhood years was finally about to pay off. My hours spent trying to press the “A”button exactly when the race started and trying to use my single-mushroom power-up for a boost near the end of Rainbow Road were about to come in handy – in Switzerland, of all places.

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

The backdrop for this Mario Kart in real life was Grindelwald First, Switzerland’s peak in the Jungfrau Region dubbed the ‘Top of Adventure.’ Travelers and hikers come to stroll on the mountain past stunning peaks, valleys, and wildflowers (and Swiss cows, of course).

As a child of the ’80s, the thought of riding an off-road version of my beloved Big Wheels had me in a seriously amped-up mode. Add in the Swiss scenery and, well, I was about to burst with excitement.

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

Steering down the almost-two-mile track on a glorified tricycle doesn’t require banana peels or tortoise shells, but it does call for some savvy maneuvering, as I found when I plowed through a giant load of cow poop at top speed. That didn’t stop me, though: my inner Mario was having way too much fun.

Fortunately, driving your own Mario Kart in real life – called mountain karting – is easier to experience than you’d think, whether you’re a Yoshi, a Mario, or even a Donkey Kong at heart.

What is Mountain Carting?

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

The cart idea was born out of the Swiss passion for sledding, believe it or not. With a hybrid go-kart/sled design, this set of wheels brings a bit of the joy of downhill sledding to summer with a race down Grindelwald’s resident mountain, 7,112 feet above sea level. The alpine scenery is breathtaking as you move along the path between the Schreckfield and Bort cable car stations. This real-life Mario Kart is an alternative way to travel down the mountain as opposed to taking the cable car, which offers far fewer opportunities to yell “Let’s-a-go!” or “Mamma Mia!” at high speeds.

The rugged wheels can tackle pavement, grass, and gravel, which is good because the 1.8-mile track is a smorgasbord of that exact terrain. However, the hand brakes are easy to use and the vehicle’s low center of gravity feels solid and manageable on twists and turns.

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

The track is wide enough to pass slow carters (or avoid cow poop), and the winding switchbacks, cliffs, and 90-degree turns add a bit of spice to the ride. The seat is comfortable enough, and with no pedals, you just prop your feet up and let gravity and momentum do their thing, controlling your pace with the brakes. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure in a Swiss paradise.

Though it’s not actually meant to be Mario Kart in real life, and there are no winners, power-ups, giant lava balls, or green pipes you’ll need to fly through, it’s certainly reminiscent of the game. And in some ways, it’s better than the game – you can grab fondue at the bottom past the finish line as you watch the next round of carts come down.

Where is this real-life Mario Kart?

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

Grindelwald is in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland, roughly a three-hour train ride from the Zurich airport. Once in town, head to the Grindelwald First cable car station and purchase a ticket for your transport up (32 Swiss Francs). The ride itself is enjoyable, with approximately 25 minutes to drool over the mind-blowing scenery.

The mountain cart starting point is Shreckfield, the second gondola stop out of the three total stations. If you’d like to do some of the activities at the First summit or visit the restaurant, go to the top and work your way down to carting when you’re ready to leave.

Carting logistics

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

Mountain carting is open from mid-May to mid-October and is weather dependent. Wait times to get your hands on a cart vary, but an up-to-date sign keeps you in the loop. It costs 21 Swiss Francs to do it, not including the gondola ride up to the top. When you get in line, you’ll fill out a standard waiver before showing your ticket, which can be purchased online beforehand. Then, you’ll grab an appropriately sized helmet and cart and hear a quick introduction to the cart before rolling onto the track. Wearing a backpack is fine as long as your hands are free.

If you want to try more than just the carts, you may want to purchase the Adventure Package instead, which offers discounts based on how many activities you plan to try.

Other things to do

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

As the ‘Top ofAdventure’ name suggests, Grindelwald First is a base for adventuring – and adventure there is. Aside from living out your dream of playing Mario Kart in real life, you can embark on a variety of hikes, test your fear of heights on the First Cliffwalk, or dine at the mountain restaurant before taking the First Flyer down to the Schreckfield station, where mountain carting and the First Glider await.

Once you cross the finish line at the Bort cable car station with your mountain cart, you can trade it in for a Trottibike – another hybrid mash-up of a scooter and a bike. You can ride that through bucolic alpine meadows filled with cute little cheese houses on the way down to the village of Grindelwald. If you opt not to do the Trottbikes, you can take the gondola back down to the starting point, instead.

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

Where to stay in Grindelwald

Photo: Lauren Breedlove

The charming mountain village of Grindelwald is the perfect base for adventuring around the area. If waking up to gorgeous views is your thing, Bergwelt Grindelwald ticks that box and more, with an on-site restaurant, bar, and spa. You can also walk from the hotel to the Grindelwald First cable car station in just five minutes.

For a more budget-friendly offering, check out the nearby Jungfrau Lodge, with basic but comfortable rooms and an included breakfast buffet just a 10-minute walk to town.

More like thisTrip PlanningThe 7 Most Adorable Villages in Switzerland

6 Must-See Waterfalls Near Portland You Can Reach in Half an Hour

Portland is a captivating city, with all the scenes that make a place stand out as a must-see destination – unique art, sustainable and historic architecture, original food and restaurants, tasty craft beer, and quirk – lots of it.

So while it’s tempting to spend your entire PNW trip downtown, you’d be remiss if you didn’t make a quick trip to one of the nearby Portland waterfalls. One of the city’s best features is its proximity to some of the most stunning displays of natural beauty in America – like the Columbia River Gorge, which is home to the highest concentration of waterfalls in the country. But there are great falls just across the border in Washington, too.

You could easily spend a week exploring what’s known as the “Waterfall Corridor,” but if you’re limited on time and can only see the top-shelf collection, here are the best waterfalls near Portland to visit within about 30 minutes of downtown (pending traffic, of course).

Latourell Falls

Latourell Falls

Latourell Falls is within Guy W. Talbot State Park, off Exit 28 on the Columbia River Gorge Highway. It’s an easy one-mile round trip walk to the Lower Falls and historic 1914 Latourell Creek Bridge at the base of the falls. From there, you can look up at the dramatic 224-foot, single-plunge waterfall that drops straight down from a massive basalt rock blanketed by thick yellow lichen.

If you’re game, you can take a moderate two-mile roundtrip hike to Upper Latourell Falls. And if you have time beyond that, add in a visit to Shepperd’s Dell Falls. It’s about a mile down the road and has just a short stroll to reach the viewpoint. It’s a two-tiered waterfall that tumbles a combined 92 feet over steep cliffs into Young’s Creek on its way to the Columbia River.

Multnomah Falls

Photo: f11photo/Shutterstock

The most famous waterfall near Portland is Multnomah Falls on the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway. It’s the tall, iconic waterfall behind the Creek Bridge; you’ve probably seen it on a screensaver or default desktop background.

With a drop of 620 feet, it’s Oregon’s tallest waterfall and is visited by more than two million people yearly. It’s become so popular that timed use permits are required between late May and early September. Fortunately, the entry fee is only $2 per adult for a one-hour time slot, and you can buy the permits on Recreation.gov, usually for the same day, or one day in advance at the longest.

From the viewpoint, travelers intent on seeing the best Portland waterfalls on foot can take the Wahkeena Falls Loop trail. It’s a moderately challenging, five-mile loop past six waterfalls, including Fairy Falls – a particularly enchanting 20-foot waterfall fanning out over several rocky clusters. Fairy Falls is worth a visit even if you skip the others entirely.

Bridal Veil Falls

Photo: Gary Gilardi/Shutterstock

This two-tiered stunner is 120 feet tall and just a 15-minute walk from the Bridal Veil Falls parking lot, offering remarkable views of the Columbia River along the way. Though not the most original name, considering there are also waterfalls in Alaska, California, Colorado, New York, South Dakota, and Utah with the same moniker, it’s nonetheless spectacular and deserving of its local celebrity status among Portland waterfalls.

You’ll hear it before you reach the viewpoint, from where you’ll have views of a roaring double fall pouring over moss and ferns. Indeed, it does look like a bride’s wedding veil. For a thoughtful touch for friends back home, buy some postcards at the gift shop and mail them from the impossibly quaint Bridal Veil post office down the street from the parking lot.

Woodburn Falls

Photo: marcsanchez/Shutterstock

If you’d prefer to avoid dealing with reservations and crowds around the Columbia River Gorge area, head instead just across the Washington State border to Lacamas Regional Park, less than half an hour northeast of Portland. The park’s multiple falls aren’t as large as those farther east, but they’re beautiful, easy to access, and some of the best waterfalls near Portland to see while trail running or mountain biking (both of which are allowed in the park).

If you take the park’s Woodburn Falls and Round Lake via Lake to Lake Trail, you’ll pass two waterfalls over the course of about three miles: Woodburn Falls and Pothole Falls. The latter is a popular place to cool off mid-hike if you visit in the peak of summer. The trail can sometimes get muddy and slippery, so wear shoes with good grip and use your hands and feet if you decide to scramble up any rockfalls or steeper traverses.

Dry Creek Falls

Photo: Sveta Imnadze/Shutterstock

Surrounded by an arena of moss-covered basalt rock colonnades, Dry Creek Falls descends 74 feet into a rocky apron of boulders. Accessed via the Bridge of the Gods Trailhead or the Pacific Crest Trail Cascade Locks Trailhead, it takes most people about two hours to hike the easy 4.4-mile, out-and-back trail (which also offers a chance to hike along the world-famous Pacific Crest Trail).

This area was heavily damaged by the Eagle Creek Fire in 2017 and was finally reopened in July 2020, so you’ll notice blackened tree trunks and other devastation from the burn. There’s also an old water diversion structure from the 1930s at the base, which used to provide water for the nearby town of Cascade Locks.

Oneonta Falls

Photo: Ryan Kelehar/Shutterstock

There are three waterfalls in the Oneonta circuit: Upper, Middle, and Lower Oneonta Falls. There are a few choose-your-own-adventure options to see all three of the Oneonta Falls and trail offshoots to connect the loop to Triple Falls and Horsetail Falls. Triple Falls is one of the most photogenic waterfalls near Portland thanks to its three distinct channels, or fingers, which drop more than 60 feet down sheer walls into Oneonta Creek.

Many visitors tackle the steep ascent to Triple Falls early in the hike before descending to the Horsetail Falls junction to see Middle and Lower Oneonta Falls in a lush gorge near the mouth of Oneonta Creek. From there, hikers can either return to the Oneonta Trailhead or continue on the path behind Ponytail Falls, an 88-foot-tall fall flowing from a rocky outcrop.

The trail ends at Horsetail Falls and has unobstructed views of the 176-foot-tall falls flowing into an emerald plunge pool. The trails are moderately challenging and can get slippery, so shoes with good traction are key. Note that parts of Oneonta Gorge are still closed from a devastating 2017 fire, but you can use this site to check the status of everything in the area.

Waterfall Shuttles & E-Bike Tours

Photo: Bob Pool/Shutterstock

If you don’t have a car or don’t want to drive to see the best Portland waterfalls, book a spot on the hop-on, hop-off Sasquatch Shuttle for $15 or Waterfall Trolley for $21; the latter includes a reservation for Multnomah Falls.

Another great way to see these falls is to book an e-bike tour to five, seven, or nine waterfalls, depending on which tour you choose and how long you want to spend on a bike.

Where to Stay

Photo: Hotels Zags

Hotel Zags is a newly redesigned, chicly decorated hotel in downtown Portland. In addition to modern rooms, it has unique amenities like a game room and a gear shed with GoPro cameras, backpacks, bikes, and skateboards available for guest use.

For something closer to the falls but still within a quick drive of the city, consider one of the basic and reliable hotels in Troutland, considered an east suburb of Portland. The Best Western Plus Cascade Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express Portland East, and Hampton Inn Portland East are all easy places to spend the night if you’re keen on spending your budget on exploring Portland’s food and drink scene instead.

More like thisBudget Travel8 Ways To Keep Your Costs Down on a Trip To Portland

7 French Beaches Where the Locals Vacation

When it comes to where French people vacation, why would they feel the need to go anywhere else when there are more than 2,600 beautiful beaches and over 3,400 miles of coastlines just a car ride or train trip away? While the summer exodus of French people from cities to seaside towns means that Paris is empty for all the foreign tourists to enjoy in peace, visitors would be remiss not to leave the Louvre behind to test out the water and enjoy some sun tanning sessions on the most popular French beaches.

As well as being some of the most beloved destinations in France, the following French beaches have all been awarded the Pavillion Bleu (Bleu Flag) certification, guaranteeing a high level of cleanliness, accessibility, safety, and environmental protection. That does not mean, however, that these French beaches are tranquil — most are very busy in July and August. For a more peaceful beach session, visit in June and September.

The best French beaches in NormandyPlage de Fécamp, Seine-Maritime[image error]

Photo: Henryk Sadura/Shutterstock

The appeal of Fécamp Beach is the view of the dramatic white-chalk cliffs that you have from your towel. While not as iconic as the vista you’d get from Etretat Beach featuring the famous arch, Fécamp Beach was, unlike Etretat, awarded the Pavillon Bleu certification this year, making it a better place to enjoy the English Channel. And Etretat is only 25 minutes away by car, so you can easily go to see the famous arch when motivation strikes. Cape Fagnet, in the town of Fécamp, is one of the best viewpoints in the area to see the majestic cliff coast, so stop by after your day at the beach to see the area’s natural beauty from up high.

Note that Fécamp Beach is a pebble beach, so set your towel not too far from the water’s edge so your feet won’t suffer.

Plage de Colleville-Montgomery, Calvados[image error]

Photo: Mairie de Colleville-Montgomery /Facebook

Deauville and Trouville-sur-Mer are the Normandy beaches favored by chic Parisians on weekend getaways, but who wants ritz and glamor when they can have World War II history instead?

Colleville Beach is so peaceful and scenic that you’d never know it was one of the sites of the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944. Colleville Beach is located about 10 minutes by car from Sword Beach; about 20 minutes from Juno Beach and the Juno Beach Center; and less than one hour from Omaha Beach, the Overlord Museum, and the Normandy American Cemetery. While in the small town of Colleville-Montgomery, visit the Hillman Fortress, a complex of German bunkers built in 1942. If you want to visit the sites of the Normandy landings more extensively, check out Matador Network’s guide for a D-Day tour of the region.

Colleville Beach is 2,000 feet long, covered in fine sand, and flanked with a natural dune carpeted in vegetation. The beach has lifeguards throughout the summer months from 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM and is suitable for those who wish to sunbathe, swim, or indulge in some water sports. The lifeguard post also has all the equipment necessary for people with disabilities to be able to access the beach and swim. The beach has been awarded the Pavillon Bleu certification for 21 years in a row.

The best French beaches on the Atlantic coastLa Grande Plage de Carnac, Morbihan

Photo: fabien babonneau/Shutterstock

La Grande Plage de Carnac (Carnac’s Large Beach) is right in the heart of the town and is therefore the most easily accessible of the five beaches to be found in the area. With its 1.2 miles of fine sand and its clear waters, it’s a great place for everyone to swim safely. The beach has lifeguards throughout the summer and is accessible for those with reduced mobility.

Once you’ve spent the day at the beach, wander the lovely streets of Carnac and pop into the independent shops for trendy clothing, books, or souvenirs. The Diana Hotel that faces the beach is a great place for a gourmet ice cream or a refreshing cocktail. If you prefer to take a walk, follow the promenade along the coast and admire the beautiful historical properties that face the ocean.

Just make sure you don’t spend all your time at the beach. Carnac is most famous for being home to the largest gathering of enigmatic sanding stones dating back 7,000 years. The impressive megalithic alignments are a sight to see so grab a map at the tourist office and walk the trails around the 3,000 stones.

La Baie de La Baule, Loire Atlantique[image error]

Photo: Altitude Drone/Shutterstock

One of the longest beaches in Europe, the La Baule Bay is more than 5.5-mile long and encompasses three towns: Pornichet, La Baule, and Le Pouliguen. Many of the beaches along the bay have been awarded the Pavillion Bleu certification, but some are more attractive than others. For example, Benoît Beach, in front of La Baule’s famous luxury hotel L’Hermitage, has very fine white sand and shallow waters, especially at low tide, making it a safe place for families.

The area is great for shopping and trying out local treats. The Avenue de Gaulle, the coolest and fanciest street in La Baule, has a huge variety of clothing shops at a different price points, ice cream parlors (the homemade strawberry ice cream from La Fraiseraie is a must-try), and waffle and candy vendors (paying a regular visit to Manuel is a local tradition.)

La Baule Bay is extremely popular with tourists in the summer, but come the end of August and the start of September, the beaches are nearly empty and you can enjoy miles of sand with very few people around.

Plage des Deux Jumeaux, Hendaye, Pyrénées Atlantiques

Photo: Hans Geel/Shutterstock

The Deux Jumeaux Beach is a very scenic spot to swim, sunbathe, and learn how to surf. The beach has lifeguards throughout the summer so those who want to test out the warm waters (the temperature can reach 73 degrees) can do so safely. While the section of the beach nearest the cliffs was dedicated to those who enjoy the seaside in the nude, unfortunately the practice was banned in 2021. That said, note that anyone can go topless on most French beaches.

For great views of this beautiful stretch of the Atlantique coast, hike the path that links the town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Hendaye. It’s a moderate three-hour walk, and you’ll sure have deserved a swim and a rest in the sun on the Deux Jumeaux beach afterwards.

Located at the border between France and Spain, you can easily pop down from Hendaye to San Sebastian for the day and try out Basque country’s famous food and a glass of Kalimotxo, a Basque specialty that consists of mixing wine and Coca-Cola.

The best French beaches on the Mediterranean coastThe beaches and coves of Cassis, Bouche-du-Rhône

Photo: Daniel Pahmeier/Shutterstock

The French Mediterranean coast is packed with great beaches, including the ones on the famous French riviera in Nice, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez. But for one area that defines the beauty of the French Mediterranean coastline, it’d be the beaches and coves in and around Cassis. Two beaches in the small and pretty town of Cassis have received the Pavillon Bleu certification: Bestouan Beach and Grande Mer Beach and both are extremely scenic, although super busy in the summer. If you are able-bodied and have a car to move around, check out the coves of Cassis (known as “calanques” in this part of the world), namely Port-Pin and En-Vau. They are very popular during the summer months, but the water is so clear and the surrounding cliffs so exceptionally beautiful that it’s worth fighting for a spot on the sand. Bring your snorkel gear to the coves and look for the small marine creatures that inhabit this beautiful spot.

Plage Terre Sacrée, Ajaccio, Corsica

Photo: Sasha64f/Shutterstock

Mainland French vacationers love to fly or sail to Corsica in the summer, and for good reasons. The weather is seemingly always sunny and hot, the water is warm, and no matter where you go on the island, the scenery is stunning.

Two sandy beaches in the capital city of the region of Corsica, Ajaccio, have been awarded the Pavillon Bleu certification: ​​Trottel Beach and Terre Sacrée Beach. Trottel Beach is right in town, while Terre Sacrée Beach is a beautiful 15-minute drive to the west, but both are accessible for those with mobility issues.

A memorial on Terre Sacrée Beach, pays tribute to the French and allied soldiers who were hurt or died during World War I. It is one of six such memorial markers in the world, five of which are in France and one in the United States. Make sure to take the time to stop by.

For those who like to work hard to earn their relaxing time at the beach, the Chemin des Crêtes (the Ridge Path), a 6.2-mile hiking path with views of the city and coastline, is accessible to all who can handle a few steep inclines and some patches of rough terrain. It starts in town and ends at Terre Sacrée Beach.

More like thisTrip Planning10 Reasons Marseille Is the Most Underrated French City

A Michigan Travel Guide for the Digital Nomad

With an abundance of both urban action and pristine wilderness, Michigan is an ideal place for adventurous digital nomads. There’s so much to see and explore — from endless coastlines to massive sand dunes to dense forests — that going remote in the Great Lakes State truly puts the good life at your doorstep. All you need to do is add wifi.

And that’s where Michigan’s vibrant cities come in — many of them located right on the water — ready to meet all your on-the-clock needs. If you’re looking for that sweet spot, sandwiched between the best of both worlds, give these Michigan destinations a look.

Grand Rapids | Lake Michigan

Photo: Pure Michigan

The river-rich Grand Rapids is Michigan’s second-largest city, known for kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, and a long list of top-tier breweries to pair with all that outdoor action.

For work

As a city some 200,000 strong, Grand Rapids offers digital nomads an advantage when it comes to finding comfortable and stylish settings in which to carve through that inbox.

The collaborative co-working space The Factory sells single-day passes to varying levels of monthly memberships. Depending on your needs, you can hang out in the gathering area, kitchen, or conference room.With two locations in Grand Rapids, The Sparrows Coffee & Tea & Newsstand sells organic coffee and loose-leaf teas along with a myriad of magazines to flip through when it’s time to take a work break. Plus, it’s open until 7pm.Rowster Coffee has a spacious, industrial feel, making it easy to spend the day here. Sip on their nitro cold brew to really give your workday some momentum.If you want to post up somewhere that makes the transition from morning coffee to afternoon wine seamless, check out Squibb Coffee & Wine Bar.For play

Give your eyes a break from the screen and get outdoors at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, a sprawling botanical garden that doubles as an outdoor art gallery with over 200 towering sculptures. It’s open year-round, but a warm-season highlight is their summer concert series, with acts like Sheryl Crow and ZZ Top coming to call.

Just minutes from downtown, Blandford Nature Center is home to rehabilitated animals no longer able to survive in the wild. Spend an afternoon traversing their gentle loop trails (keeping an eye out for animal sightings!).

A 45-minute drive from Grand Rapids is Saugatuck Dunes State Park, where ancient coastal dunes rise up to 200 feet. Climb to the top of one for a rewarding trek, or stroll the 13 miles of trails and 2.5 miles of glittering Lake Michigan shoreline. Just 15 minutes south of the park you’ll find Oval Beach, a stunning beach on Lake Michigan with a picnic area.

Traverse City | Lake Michigan

Photo: Pure Michigan

Traverse City swells with Michiganders and Chicagoans heading “up north” for cooler temps and quintessential northern Michigan fun. But it’s so much more: The city is home to artists, chefs, winemakers, brewers, small-business owners, and outdoor enthusiasts all passionate about their little slice of heaven.

For work

Traverse City offers several different co-working spaces with reservable seats, along with plenty of coffee shops featuring delectable menus and stunning views.

Commonplace calls itself “a community innovation hub,” where you can drop in for daily co-working or even rent a dedicated desk, cubicle, or office on a monthly basis.20Fathoms is a tech startup incubator that has a wide range of options to choose from, like reserving a dedicated desk or purchasing a five-day starter pack.Morsels sits just outside the high-traffic tourist areas of downtown TC, right on the water. This independent bakery and espresso bar serves Intelligentsia coffee and Kilogram tea and has gorgeous views of West Grand Traverse Bay.Brew does a small menu of hot breakfast items, pastries, salads, and sandwiches, as well as coffee, espresso, and teas — and beer, wine, and cocktails perfect for quittin’ time.For play

You’re only ever steps away from stunning scenery in the Cherry Capital of the World. Rent a bike and hop on the TART Trails network to explore the city and surrounding countryside, or grab a kayak and get out on the water during your lunch break.

When you’ve got a little more time to explore, make for one of the two peninsulas that jut out from the base of Traverse City: Leelanau and Old Mission, each of which are their own designated American Viticultural Areas. Together, they comprise the Traverse Wine Coast.

The Leelanau Peninsula is more than 10 times the size of Old Mission, so seeing it all can take some serious time. Stay the night at the Inn at Black Star Farms, situated on a sprawling winery estate in Suttons Bay. At the very tip of the peninsula, check out Leelanau State Park to walk the trails along Cathead Bay. When the sun sets, get ready for some seriously vibrant stargazing.

The Old Mission Peninsula may be smaller, but its scenery is nothing short of spectacular. At certain points, the peninsula becomes so narrow you can see the sparkling blue waters of both the east and west arms of Grand Traverse Bay flanking you — easily one of the most beautiful drives in America (with plenty of Michigan Wine Trail stops along the way).

Once you’ve finished exploring the wine coast, about 40 minutes west of Traverse City lies Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which has been called “The Most Beautiful Place in America.” It’s worth making a stop at all 12 scenic viewpoints along the 7.4-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, and if you need to stretch your legs and get some cardio in, try the 2.7-mile Pyramid Point loop trail. Hike alongside high bluffs, meadows, and maple-beech forests.

Houghton and Hancock | Lake Superior

Photo: Pure Michigan

The Keweenaw Peninsula is the Upper Peninsula’s upper peninsula. Your homebases here are the cities of Houghton and Hancock, essentially sister cities split by the Portage Canal. Houghton is a college town, while Hancock acts as a gateway to stunning scenery and adventure.

For work

Keweenaw has all you need to knock out your workload, from spacious breweries to trendy co-working spaces (with free coffee!).

Get to work at the GrandBridge Business Centre in Houghton, which has open desks and private offices for affordable prices, as well as monthly memberships and conference room access.On the other side of the bridge, you’ll find all kinds of freelancers, remote workers, and startup teams at the stylish 101 Quincy in Hancock, where you can rent a workspace by the day, week, or month and get up to 24/7 access and free coffee.Houghton’s Camp Coffee makes a great latte, but come early — seating is limited in this cozy cafe.The massive Keweenaw Brewing Company in Houghton, on the other hand, has plenty of seating (grab a couch by the fireplace or sit on the deck outside), along with excellent beers and, of course, free wifi.For play

Some of the most rugged, jaw-dropping beauty in Michigan can be found right here. Drive north to Copper Harbor and rent a mountain bike from Keweenaw Adventure Company. Those with experience can hit the challenging Copper Harbor Mountain Bike Trails, recognized by the International Mountain Bicycling Association as being among the top 20 trail systems in the world. The Keweenaw Adventure Company also offers sea-kayak rentals and guided tours.

Off in the distance sits Isle Royale National Park, the largest island in the largest freshwater lake in the world (Lake Superior really earns its name). Only two ports in Michigan run passenger ferry service to the least-visited national park in the Lower 48, and Copper Harbor is one of them. A three-hour ferry ride gets you to the island, where you can access 150 miles of shoreline, barrier islands, and fjord-like bays to explore by kayak.

If you’d rather skip all that pedaling and paddling in favor of keeping two feet on the ground, hiking in the Keweenaw proves to be some of the best in the Midwest. Staying in Copper Harbor, you’ve got Brockway Mountain and Bare Bluff in the Russell, to name just a couple options.

During winter, Houghton and Hancock put you less than an hour from one of the Midwest’s top downhill ski resorts, Mt. Bohemia. We’re talking all natural snow over 585 acres, plus more vertical and more expert terrain than anywhere else in the region. If your remote work schedule includes mandatory time off for powder days, this is the spot for you.

Bay City | Lake Huron

Photo: Craig Sterken/Shutterstock

Bay City is located at the base of Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron, bisected by the Saginaw River, and connected by four bridges. Parks, trails, and natural areas await the curious digital nomad once it’s time to shut that laptop.

For work

Bay City is rich with coffeeshop “offices” and co-working spaces to set up your own shop for the day.

At City Office, you have the run of five unique workstations, conference rooms, a game room, and a “dream kitchen.” Drop in for a day, purchase a punch pass, or opt for one of their monthly memberships that can include a dedicated desk with a locking filing cabinet and 24/7 access.CoWork by CMURC has multiple locations and options for open seating, dedicated desks, and private offices with monthly memberships and day, office, and meeting-room flex passes available.Populace Coffee serves excellent house-roasted coffees as well as teas and baked goods in a beautiful old building right downtown.Harless & Hugh Coffee specializes in hand-poured coffees and lattes made with house syrups, as well as beer, wine, and cocktails for those who work into happy hour.For play

Just north of downtown, the 3rd Street Waterfall Park is tucked behind a parking lot along the Saginaw River and offers tranquil respite in the middle of the city. For a more extensive stretch of the legs during your workday, take a walk along the Riverwalk Railtrail, a paved path that travels through several greenspaces along the west bank of the river before jutting out as a boardwalk over the water itself.

Via the same Railtrail path, you can explore Middlegrounds Island — a long, skinny island in the Saginaw River. Start on the northern tip at Bigelow Park before traveling south to bike around the singletrack trail network known as Michigan Sugar Trails. Cyclists and walkers also enjoy the BayZil Rail Trail, a 7-mile paved rail trail that will eventually connect the Zilwaukee Pathway to the larger Great Lakes Bay Regional Trail.

For a longer day trip, head east to the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron and check out Bay City State Park to explore iconic Michigan landscapes: a sandy beach, wetland woods, wet meadows, cattail marshlands, and oak savannah prairies. This park is also home to Tobico Marsh, one of the largest remaining freshwater coastal wetlands on the Great Lakes. Take it all in by walking the Tobico Marsh Trail, a gentle 3-mile loop.

No matter where you end up making your work-from-home base in Michigan, you’re just as close to unspoiled natural beauty as you are to a trendy coffeeshop with speedy wifi. If you’re lucky enough to have a flexible schedule and an itch for adventure, put Michigan on the itinerary and enjoy the best of both worlds.

For the Other Side of California Wine Country, Turn To the State’s Brandy

Downtown Napa’s streets are filled with winery tasting rooms. Amid all the wine is a tasting room that opened during the pandemic with a different focus: the California Brandy House. Inside, live-edge Redwood tables, grapevine wallpaper, velvet booths, and a cross section of an old Redwood tree hanging from the wall make for an aesthetic setting to explore the other, stronger, side of California wine country.

California’s famous vineyards aren’t just for wine, after all. A handful of brands are showcasing how local grapes can make world-class brandy in addition to some of the best wine in the world. And at the California Brandy House, guests can go full circle and learn about how the state has a long history of brandy distilling.

California brandy makes sense from a big picture perspective. Great brandy takes great grapes, and few regions in the world can grow grapes like California. The very first California brandies were made by Catholic missionaries who started missions along the coast in the 1700s. In what is now San Diego, spirits were made from mission grapes that was largely used to fortify church wine.

Production in the San Joaquin Valley, just inland from San Francisco, started to rise exponentially decade over decade starting in 1865 in the wake of the gold rush. By 1890, a million gallons of brandy were reportedly made in California, according to a presentation by the late UC Davis brandy researcher James F. Guymon.

Even one of California’s most prestigious universities can trace its roots back to brandy: Leland Stanford had some 3,000 vineyard acres north of the Sacramento Valley in 1888, and in a few short years he was making 20 percent of all California brandy. Ownership passed to the university after his death, and wine and brandy continued to be made there until 1916.

Photo: Argonaut California Brandy

“We refer to brandy as the first and last frontier in spirits,” says Damon W. Boelte, owner of Brooklyn cocktail bar Grand Army and the experiential specialist at California Brandy House. At one point in America’s drinking history, brandy was the spirit of choice. Classic cocktails that are now often associated with whiskey were originally created with brandy in mind. The mint julep, for one, as well as the old fashioned (and if you’re in Wisconsin, you’re still likely to see brandy as the base spirit).

Yet while bourbon and rye whiskey have seen a resurgence with the growth of cocktail culture, brandy has yet to have its shining moment.

The center of California brandy in the state’s most famous wine region

Photo: California Brandy House

Nearly 4 million people traveled to Napa Valley before the pandemic, according to numbers from Napa’s tourism board. It’s slowly getting back to that level. And while they largely come for the wine, there are only so many wine tastings a person can do.

“This is where we offer something different in wine country,” says Reza Esmaili, senior brand ambassador at Gallo Brandies. “After you have seven amazing California cabs, the eighth doesn’t taste as good as the first or second.”

Photo: California Brandy House

E&J Gallo is to thank for bringing this particular something different. The expansive alcohol conglomerate is behind the most recent push to raise awareness for California brandy, but it’s not exactly new to the category: E&J Brandy started in 1975, and in short order became the go-to name in affordable brandy in the United States. The company ventured into craft brandy production when it purchased Germain-Robin in 2017 and launched Argonaut in the same year.

The two brands are at the forefront of the California grape brandy movement, along with smaller brands like Omage, Charbay, and distillers farther down the state in Paso Robles like Pendray’s.

Of these, Germain-Robin is perhaps the most cherished. The brand is named after its founder, Hubert Germain-Robin, who comes from a family of Cognac distillers. He was hitchhiking in Mendocino County in Northern California in the early 1980s when Ansley Coale picked him up. Together, they started the Germain-Robin brand and started to produce brandies comparable to those made in Hubert’s home country.

​​“I went to Cognac and tasted everything I could, and when I came back all I wanted to drink was Germain-Robin,” Boelte said as he poured a little more of the brand’s XO into my glass at the California Brandy House.

Photo: California Brandy House

Germain-Robin takes a French approach to brandy. It uses the same type of stills as distillers do in Cognac, called charentais stills, and Germain-Robin uses solely French oak, which leaves more subtle oak flavors than American oak. However, the brand doesn’t have the same restrictions as Cognac and takes advantage of that freedom to experiment with different types of grapes. Cognac distillers are limited primarily to ugni blanc, folle blanche, and colombard. Germain-Robin uses colombard, but also riesling, viognier, pinot noir, and semillon. Germain-Robin’s inventory going back to 1983 came with the brand when E&J purchased it, as did Hubert’s expertise.

Argonaut, in addition to using a wide variety of grape varieties, blends French and California brandy traditions even further. Some of Argonaut’s brandy is made on the traditional types of stills used in Cognac, while others are made on column stills. Argonaut also uses American oak barrels.

Photo: California Brandy House

At the E&J production plant in Modesto on a recent trip, master distiller and blender Rita Hansen pulled samples from barrels and bottles. Each was a varietal brandy made with one type of grape on one type of still. Those are then blended to make the various bottles under the Argonaut name, but tasting each on its own gives insight into all of the different flavor profiles the brandies have depending on the grape and type of still used. The charentais stills produced a round and full spirit, while the liquor that came off of the column stills seemed to zero in on the lighter and fruitier notes. It’s Hansen’s job to blend these together, and each release from Argonaut lists the percentage of each type of grape used and which came from column stills and which came from charentais stills.

Argonaut and Germain-Robin showcase the history and where California brandy is going in different ways: French inspired bottlings with California grapes that are comparable to beloved Cognac houses for Germain-Robin, and a blend of French and California styles for Argonaut.

A the California brandy experience in the heart of Napa[image error]

Photo: California Brandy House

At the Brandy House, guests can try the core line up of Argonaut and Germain-Robin during an educational tasting. Old photos that depict California brandy history hang on one wall, and the team leading the tastings have an answer to just about any California brandy questions one could come up with. But as much as it’s about learning the spirit’s background, it’s also about sampling brandies.

A lucky few who express interest in local brandy at nearby bars and restaurants may receive a coin with a QR code on the back. By bringing it to the California Brandy House, guests can add in a taste of Germain-Robin’s rare bottles of single-varietal, single-barrel brandies made with either pinot noir, riesling, or viognier. There’s also the option to try The Claim, Argonaut’s brandy that changes every year but includes as old as 40-year brandies blended into the mix.

What you can’t taste at the California Brandy House are cocktails. Though take-home cocktail kits and a list of brandy friendly bars in Napa and San Francisco that you can pick up after your tasting makes it easy to find a drink if you prefer your brandy stirred or shaken instead of neat.

Regardless of what brandies you try or how and where you try it, one thing is clear: California’s wine country brandies are just as easy to love as the region’s cabernets and chardonnays.

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Costa Rica Just Made It Ridiculously Easy To Live There as a Digital Nomad

If you’ve always dreamed of moving to one of the most relaxed and beautiful countries filled with natural parks and waterfalls, then pack your bags: The new Costa Rica digital nomad visa has finally arrived.

President Carlos Alvarado signed the digital nomad initiative into law in August of last year with expectations that the program details would be finalized in about two months. But the regulations didn’t end up completed until July 4 of this year. Foreign remote workers and their families are now allowed to travel on the new visa to work and live in Costa Rica for a year and apply for a one-year extension. Alvarado said at the time of signing the bill that allowing tourists to enter the country for extended periods means the country can take advantage of the dollars they spend in the economy.

The law comes with great benefits, including not paying any of the country’s income taxes or import taxes on any equipment needed to do work, including computers, tablets, and cameras. People making the move will also be able to import up to two vehicles.

To be eligible for the visa, travelers must make a minimum income of $3,000 per month if they are solo travelers, or $5,000 if they are traveling with their families. According to the Tico Times, travelers cannot work for any Costa Rican company during their stay to ensure jobs aren’t taken from residents. And original bank statements, along with a signed affidavit, need to be presented as proof of income. Travelers will also need to obtain health insurance for their entire stay. And all documents need to be translated into Spanish before submission.

Costa Rica is one of the more expensive Latin American countries, but if you want to live there inexpensively, it’s definitely doable.Applications are already available. Included in the law, applications will either be accepted or denied within 15 days of submission to ensure efficient processing. You’ll be saying Pura Vida in no time.

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The Best Places To Eat Along Florida’s Hollywood Beach Boardwalk

Hollywood, Florida, is not your typical beach town. Located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, this charming beach town features turquoise waters, palm trees, and pristine white sand beaches (in fact, it’s a Blue Wave Beach that certifies it among the nation’s cleanest and safest). With a population of over 100,000 people, Hollywood is a bustling Florida city. And one of the best places to go on any trip to Hollywood is the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk.

Photo: Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock

The Hollywood Beach Boardwalk is also decidedly family friendly: Because it is literal steps from the beach, parents can sip a cocktail while their kids play nearby in the sand. There are two parks along the boardwalk, as well as a fountain decorated with dolphins where kids can play in the jets of water.

Relaxing on the beach all day can be exhausting, which is why you’re going to need lunch (and probably a cold beer, too). There are boardwalks in beach towns across America that offer the same tired old fried food, but that’s not the case here. At the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk, you’ll find treats like lobster tacos, beers brewed with mango, and so much more.

Where to eat on the Hollywood Beach BoardwalkJWB Prime Steak and Seafood

Photo: Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort

Located within the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, JWB Prime Steak and Seafood embodies the hotel’s laid back attitude while still offering an upscale dining experience. The menu includes classics like Florida stone crab, king crab legs, and lobster tail. The classy decor includes exposed brick walls, soft sea foam green chairs near the bar, and an open kitchen, for a stylish dining experience.

Where: 1111 N Ocean Dr, Hollywood, FL 33019

Taverna Opa

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The atmosphere in this Greek restaurant is all about celebration and family-style eating, as its name suggests. The food is the real deal, too: Traditional Greek dishes like saganaki kefalotiri (flambeed cheese), taramosalata (whipped fish roe), and spanakopita and dolamade are all on the menu. And since this is the beach, there is an extensive seafood selection here, too, which features scallops, prawns, octopus, and snapper.

Where: 410 N Ocean Dr, Hollywood, FL 33019

The Taco Joint

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Reasonable prices and views of the ocean make this taco restaurant a hit. The lobster and fried shrimp tacos are especially popular, and the nachos are a customer favorite as well at The Taco Joint. And since you’re living your best beach life, order the pina colada, too.

Where: 1000 North Broadwalk, 1, Hollywood, FL 33019

Hollywood Brewing Co.

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The beers at this brewery on the boardwalk match the personality of the beach: Many beers feature tropical and citrus notes – banana, mango, and lemon zest are all flavors and ingredients in Hollywood brews. The brew pub offers a wide selection of classic pub food including fried calamari, smoked fish dip, and potato skins. Outdoor seating has an unobstructed view of the beach.

Where: 290 N Broadwalk, Hollywood, FL 33019

Sapore di Mare

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This small Italian restaurant right on the boardwalk is beloved for its pizza in particular. If you prefer pasta, the seafood spaghetti is especially popular at Sapore di Mare, and people have also raved about the grilled octopus and branzino in reviews. The charming yellow building offers a few small outdoor tables so you can sit on the boardwalk itself.

Where: 707 N Broadwalk, Hollywood, FL 33019

Latitudes

Photo: Latitudes Restaurant / Marriott Hollywood Beach

This casual beachside restaurant located inside the Marriott Hollywood Beach offers beach views and a breakfast buffet during the week. Inflected with Caribbean flavors, the menu offers citrus-marinated pork tacos, blackened fish tacos, mahi mahi, jerk chicken, and spicy shrimp. It’s also located near the Fort Lauderdale Airport, making it an easy stop for dinner when you arrive in the area.

Where: 2501 N Ocean Dr, Hollywood, FL 33019

GG’s Waterfront

Overlooking the Intracoastal waterway, GG’s Waterfront promises guests views of passing yachts. The waterfront views are accompanied by an impressive seafood menu: sweet and spicy shrimp, white wine mussels, chilled Maine lobster, and fresh oysters are all available. The atmosphere is elegant, but still casual – enjoy dockside outdoor seating, but be sure you don’t show up in a tank top, otherwise you might be turned away. You will definitely want to stop by this restaurant in the evening, when you can sip a cocktail and watch a stunning sunset.

Where: 606 N Ocean Dr, Hollywood, FL 33019

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Natural wonders around the world

To point out that the world is full of wonders is hardly a revelation, whether you’re talking about ancient or modern marvels, feats of architecture and engineering, or geologic and natural wonders that take your breath away with their beauty. So that’s why it’s surprising that so many lists limit their wonders of the natural world to the single digits. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of natural wonders, incorporating places nominated on other top lists as well as places our editorial team thinks are the most beautiful and impressive on the planet.

From African deserts to European volcanoes to rare phenomena occurring across the globe, here are 39 of the planet’s most spectacular natural wonders of the world.

The new seven natural wonders of the world

Back in 2000, the New7Wonders Foundation decided to reboot the seven wonders of the world concept so that the places on the list were actually still standing, organizing a global poll to determine what the new wonders would be. In light of the campaign’s success, the foundation decided to tally another set of votes, which totaled over 500 million, to name the new Seven Wonders of Nature. Here’s the final list:

The Amazon River

Photo: Gustavo Frazao/Shutterstock

One of the most impressive water bodies on Earth, the Amazon is the longest river in South America at over 4,000 miles and has the largest drainage system on the planet, discharging roughly 7,4000,000 cubic feet per second. Whether or not the Nile is, in fact, longer is a point of contention for some as debates rage over the Amazon’s true headwaters.

Surrounding the river’s drainage basin, the Amazon Rainforest is just as impressive, stretching out over nine different countries and roughly 40 percent of Brazil’s land mass. With all that space, it’s no wonder the South American rainforest plays host to more species than any other bioreserve on the planet, including countless species that have yet to be recorded.

Jeju Island

Photo: Natthawut Utsawachaichot/Shutterstock

Jeju Island is a volcanic island and province of South Korea that sits to the south of the peninsula between South Korea and Japan. It’s where you’ll find the Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes, including  both the extensive Geomunoreum lava system and Mount Hallasan (the highest mountain in South Korea).

Ha Long Bay

Photo: Stephane Bidouze/Shutterstock

Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam is a popular tourist destination thanks to its gorgeous limestone karsts and floating fishing village. The landscape formed by its 1,600-2,000 islands and islets, most of them uninhabited, is just spectacular. Thanks to these unusual landforms, many of them still unaffected by human impact, the area became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994.

Iguazu Falls

Photo: Dmitry Pichugin/Shutterstock

The famous Iguazu Falls straddles the Iguazu River on the border between Argentina and Brazil. Its name, Iguazu, means “big water” in Guarani, and it seems appropriate — made of 275 waterfalls, it’s the largest waterfall system in the world. The tallest of these waterfalls, where approximately half of the river’s flow falls, is called the Devil’s Throat — a long, narrow, U-shaped chasm whose thunderous sound visitors never forget.

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River

Photo: Dmitry Pichugin/Shutterstock

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is located on the Philippine Island of Palawan and leads into a cave that you can take boat tours through. It was impressive enough as it was, but in 2010, a group of environmentalists discovered the river has a second floor, so there are small waterfalls inside the cave. As the river emerges directly into the sea, its lower portion is subject to tidal influences.

Komodo Island

Photo: Pocholo Calapre/Shutterstock

Komodo Island is part of the Indonesian archipelago and is famous for being home to komodo dragons, in Komodo National Park. Its history also makes it a special place as its inhabitants (around 2,000, compared to the island’s 5,700 remaining Komodo dragons) are said to be descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island in the 19th century by a sultan in Sumbawa. Also found on the island is Pink Sand Beach, one of the world’s best destinations for snorkeling and diving when the island is open to visitors.

Table Mountain

Photo: Andrea Willmore/Shutterstock

Table Mountain is a famous landmark that towers over Cape Town, South Africa. There are some great views of the city from the top (accessible via a hiking trail and cableway). Its main feature is a level plateau that stretches approximately two miles from side to side, edged by impressive cliffs. It’s also a cool place to practice some cloud watching — from afar — as the plateau is often covered by the famous tablecloth clouds.

Other wonders of the natural world nominations

While the wonders below didn’t make the final list with the New7Wonders foundation, they’re arguably just as impressive, and you’ll find them nominated on many a list of potential new additions.

The Great Barrier Reef

Photo: Edward Haylan/Shutterstock

Australia’s famous, gigantic barrier reef is sadly at risk of being destroyed by climate change, overfishing, and tourism. Coral bleaching is more widespread than previously thought, and scientists have admitted this great wonder is at a terminal stage and in desperate need of humans to alter their behavior. It’d be a sad end for the largest natural structure inthe world.

The Grand Canyon

Photo: Amineah/Shutterstock

The famous, massive canyon cut by the Colorado River through Arizona is one of the few wonders that belongs on every iteration of this list. At 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and attaining a depth of over a mile, it’s not the longest nor the steepest canyon in the world, but its overall scale combined with the beautifully colored landscape makes it one of the most amazing natural wonders. The Colorado River has been carving this canyon over the course of, according to several studies, five to six million years.

Harbor of Rio de Janeiro

Photo: marchello74/Shutterstock

Brazil’s most famous city fills in the spaces between the surrounding mountains and the ocean, making it one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. Above it all, it’s watched over by the Christ the Redeemer statue — one of the regularly cited man-made wonders of the world.

Mount Everest

Photo: UBC Stock/Shutterstock

Everest’s peak is 29,035 feet above sea level, or at least it was. Nepal’s earthquake in 2015 is believed to have clipped the mountain’s height, so India and Nepal are about to measure it afresh. For the sake of counting these, if you’ve seen Mount Everest, located on the border of Nepal and Tibet, you’ve been to it. You don’t have to have made it to the summit.

Nighttime aurorae

Photo: Denis Belitsky/Shutterstock

The aurora (also known as the aurora borealis, northern lights in the north, and aurora australis in the south) is caused by the collision of solar winds with Earth’s magnetosphere and can be viewed from pretty much anywhere within certain latitudes, depending on the visibility and severity of the geomagnetic storms.

Victoria Falls

Photo: Efimova Anna/Shutterstock

Victoria Falls — on the Zambezi River between Zimbabwe and Zambia — is the largest waterfall by volume in the world at over 5,500 feet wide and 355 feet high. Its local name in Tokaleya Tonga is Mosi-oa-Tunya, which literally means “the smoke that thunders,” gives a perfect explanation of what you’ll feel if you get close to it.

Paricutín volcano

Photo: Rubi Rodriguez Martinez/Shutterstock

Paricutín volcano in Mexico makes it on most lists just for the sheer bizarreness of its history. It was a cornfield in 1943 and then, in the span of a year, grew to a height of 11,475 feet. By the time the volcano’s eruptions ceased in 1952, its peak measured a whopping 9,210 feet above sea level. The villages around it are buried in lava, and only a church bell tower juts out from the rock.

Moraine Lake

Photo: Zhukova Valentyna/Shutterstock

Moraine Lake, which you may recognize from many a default screensaver, is one of the most beautiful — and busiest — places in Canada. Near Lake Louise, Moraine Lake shares the same distinctively blue water, caused by tiny rock particles from the nearby glaciers that float on the surface and reflect that brilliant blue color. If you want to visit, you’ll need to take a shuttle from Lake Louise Ski Resort. Try to get there as early as possible. If it’s too crowded, opt for the hike to a high-elevation at nearby Lake Louise, which looks down on the Victoria Glacier.

The Dead Sea

Photo: Olesya Baron/Shutterstock

The Dead Sea, on the border of Jordan and Israel, is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world. So salty that you can famously float in it and that no macroscopic organisms can survive in it. It was one of the world’s first health resorts (for Herod the Great) and has supplied a wide variety of products, from asphalt for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers. However, it’s receding at an alarming rate.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Photo: Volodymyr Burdiak/Shutterstock

Kilimanjaro is Africa’s tallest mountain and, as it’s a dormant volcano, the tallest free-standing, or non-massif, mountain in the world. Since Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller reached its summit in 1889, it has remained a popular climbing destination. It has also been the subject of many scientific studies because of its shrinking glaciers.

Jeita Grotto

Photo: Florian Kriechbaumer/Shutterstock

The Jeita Grotto is a series of karst caves in Lebanon that was inhabited in prehistoric times and is now a major cultural symbol of the nation, not to mention a practical one considering it supplies drinking water to over a million Lebanese people.

Masurian Lake District

Photo: Janusz Lipinski/Shutterstock

This well-connected system of lakes (comprising over 2,000) in Poland is a popular European vacation spot. Connected by rivers and canals, the lakes form an extensive system of waterways surrounded by large forests and historic towns. It’s a great destination if you like water sports like sailing or windsurfing, as well as activities such as hiking, fishing, and kayaking.

The Sundarbans

Photo: Matyas Rehak/Shutterstock

The Sundarbans — mostly in Bangladesh, though partially in easterm India — is one of the world’s largest tidal mangrove forests, and it’s famous for also being one of the largest Bengal tiger reserves. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987 on the Indian side and 1997 on the Bangladesh side, it covers 140,000 hectares and is home to a wide range of wild fauna, including 260 bird species and other threatened species, such as the estuarine crocodile and Indian python.

Maldives

Photo: icemanphotos/Shutterstock

Kudos to the Maldives for getting the entire country on the list. The Maldives is a series of coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, and if climate change raises sea levels by even a little bit, it will no longer exist — the nation’s highest point is only about seven feet and 10 inches off the water (it’s the world’s lowest country). Its waters are home to several ecosystems, including 187 species of vibrant hard coral. This area of the Indian Ocean alone houses 1,100 species of fish, five species of sea turtles, 21 species of whales and dolphins, 400 species of mollusks, and 83 species of echinoderms.

Angel Falls

Photo: Alice Nerr/Shutterstock

The world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall (at 3,212 feet) is in the jungles of Venezuela and undoubtedly one of the best natural wonders of the world, whether it’s on a list or not. It was not known to the outside world until American aviator Jimmie Angel, following directions given by the explorer Félix Cardona who had seen the waterfall six years before, flew over Angel Falls on November 16, 1933. The falls are named after him.

Bay of Fundy

Photo: V J Matthew/Shutterstock

Canada’s Bay of Fundy is famous for having the highest tidal ranges in the world, with an incredible maximum of 53 feet (though the highest water level ever recorded was a whopping 71 feet in 1869). It’s also a popular whale-watching destination — 12 species of whales, including the rare right whale, call the Bay of Fundy home each summer and fall.

The Black Forest

Photo: Funny Solution Studio/Shutterstock

Germany’s famous Black Forest is famously dense and dark, but it’s also home to the cuckoo clock, charming little towns, and fairytale castles. It’s the place where Hansel and Gretel had their encounter with the witch and where Little Red Riding Hood was followed by the wolf.

The Cliffs of Moher

Photo: shutterupeire/Shutterstock

Western Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher are one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. And for good reason. The cliffs hug the Atlantic Ocean for roughly five miles and, at their tallest, tower around 700 feet over the sea. Not just popular with people, the Cliffs of Moher also provide a habitat for more than 20 different types of seabirds, including puffins and peregrine falcons.

El Yunque

Photo: Dennis van de Water/Shutterstock

Stretching a modest 29,000 acres, El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the US National Forest System and just a short drive east of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Within the park are opportunities to swim in waterfall pools, rare species of tree frogs called coqui frogs, and excellent hikes through some of the lushest forest in the US. It’s easy to take a day trip from San Juan, but there are plenty of ecolodges and boutique hotels in nearby towns like Fajardo or Ceiba if you think you’ll want to stay for a few days.

The Galapagos Islands

Photo: FOTOGRIN/Shutterstock

Among the natural wonders, the Galapagos Islands are perhaps most famous for their biological diversity, which informed Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking theory of evolution by natural selection. Among the islands’ most iconic inhabitants are the giant tortoise, blue-footed booby, Galapagos albatross, Santa Fe land iguana, and Galapagos fur seal. Together, all of the species that visitors are most eager to see are known as the Big 15, a play on Africa’s Big Five safari animals.

The Matterhorn

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The Matterhorn, which rises to 14,692 feet between Italy and Switzerland, is considered one of the most difficult mountains to climb in the world, particularly from the Italian side. While expert rock climbers may be able to summit it, for everyone else, the best way to see it is to take the Matterhorn Gondola from Zermatt. Though if the weather is really nice, you’ll be able to see the Matterhorn from various vantage points around town.

Milford Sound

Photo: Blue Planet Studio/Shutterstock

Rudyard Kipling called this fiord on New Zealand’s South Island the “eighth wonder of the world.” To see it for yourself, venture out to the northernmost part of Fiordland National Park. While there, snap a photo of the nation’s famous Mitre Peak, conveniently located on the shores of the sound. The drive from Queensland to the park takes about two hours, and the two options for basecamps with lodging and restaurants are the towns of Te Anau and Manapouri. You’ll also find three of New Zealand’s Great Walks in the vicinity.

Mud volcanoes of Azerbaijan

Photo: Denis Sv/Shutterstock

A mud volcano is exactly what it sounds like: a volcano-shaped mud buildup caused by geothermal pressure. It’s not a volcano in the lava/Dante’s Peak sense, but it’s still amazing cool (and pretty rare). Azerbaijan is home to between 350 and 400 mud volcanoes, more than any other country in the world (and half of the world’s total). They’re mostly in and around Gobustan (also spelled Quobustan) National Park, about an hour outside the capital city of Baku.

Uluru

Photo: Stanislav Fosenbauer/Shutterstock

Australia’s Uluru (or Ayer’s Rock) ranks among the continent’s most recognizable natural wonders icons, rising up over the arid Red Centre near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Anangu people, one of the oldest human societies in the world, are the traditional and current custodians of Uluru.

Vesuvius

Photo: S-F/Shutterstock

As impressive as this Italian volcano near Naples is as a geographical landmark, Mount Vesuvius is most famous for its violent history, which includes the destruction of Pompeii and neighboring Herculaneum in 79 AD. If you’re in Rome, you can do a day trip to the site as well as the Antiquarium, where most of the relics and remains from the towns are on display. By the way, you can hike to the top and look into the crater, but keep in mind it’s an active volcano. So if you see headlines saying there have been a few ground tremors in the area recently, maybe re-think your hike.

Yushan

Photo: weniliou/Shutterstock

Yushan is Taiwan’s tallest mountain, sometimes referred to as Jade Mountain. It’s surrounded by a national park of the same name where hikers will find several scenic routes to explore. The trek to the summit is rather arduous at 15 miles and a 6,110-foot gain, and you’ll need to make a reservation to stay at Paiyun Lodge — the only option for sleeping along the route — at least four months in advance. If you don’t plan to hike to the summit, you can get great views of Yushan from almost anywhere within the eponymous Yushan National Park.

Yellowstone National Park

Photo: Anders Riishede/Shutterstock

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Yellowstone National Park — America’s first national park — on this list. The Yellowstone Caldera supervolcano and surrounding Yellowstone National Park represent one of the most striking landscapes in the world. Pictured above is the Grand Prismatic Spring, one of more than 500 geysers (and roughly 10,000 various geothermal features).

The Sahara Desert

Photo: Anton Petrus/Shutterstock

The Sahara is the world’s hottest desert, having been known to reach temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer, and it’s the largest desert outside the polar regions. It spans most of northern Africa, stretching across 10 countries and the disputed territory of Western Sahara. One of the easiest ways to walk through the Sahara is to book a multi-day trip from Fes or Marrakech in Morocco, which usually includes other stops along the way as it’s roughly a nine-hour drive to Merzouga, the gateway town for the Sahara.

Salar de Uyuni

Photo: Sara Winter/Shutterstock

Bolivia’s salt flat is the world’s largest. During the rainy season, water collects on the ground creating a mirror-like effect, giving photographers something extra surreal to capture. As with many ancient natural wonders, there’s a legend behind it: there was a love triangle between three mountains in the area, and the one was was eventually left out cried so many salty tears that it created this lake.

Pando

Photo: Kreig Rasmussen/Shutterstock

Pando is a tree colony spread across more than 100 acres in Utah that’s actually a single organism, the largest in the world. It weighs around 13 million pounds and is also one of the oldest organisms on the planet. Unfortunately, the extensive quaking aspen grove is dying due to grazing wildlife and human encroachment.

Giant’s Causeway

Photo: Kanuman/Shutterstock

Giant’s Causeway is a group of some 40,000 basalt columns in Northern Ireland that’s believed to be about 50-60 million years old. It’s a World Heritage Site and free to visit since most of the land is own by the country’s National Trust, which is akin to a parks service (the rest is privately owned). However, there is a low fee to see the visitor’s center’s displays, take a guided tour, or park on-site. Those tickets cost about $15 USD and should be purchased in advance if possible.

Zhangjiajie

Photo: aphotostory/Shutterstock

The stunning sandstone pillars of Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area’s Zhangjiajie looks like it belongs on Avatar’s Pandora rather than Earth. Luckily, visitors only have to travel as far as China’s Hunan Province to see this spectacular natural wonder for themselves.

This article about natural wonders was first published in 2014, updated in 2019, and again in 2022. 

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A Stunning New Resort Makes One of the Caribbean’s Least Visited Islands Instantly Accessible

The first place to recognize the United States is an island few Americans know exists.

Back when the United States was just a Revolutionary government, it repurposed merchant ships as war ships and used them to transport arms and munitions from the Caribbean. When one such ship, the Andrew Doria, sailed into the bustling Dutch free port of St. Eustatius in November of 1776 waving the American flag, the island’s governor ordered his men at Ft. Oranje to return its salute. It was the first time any foreign government recognized the US flag, and while it later would lead to England declaring war on the Netherlands, the First Salute is still celebrated every year on St. Eustatius.

Despite all that, most people couldn’t tell you what hemisphere it’s in.

Of course, that pleasant anonymity is what makes St. Eustatius (or Statia, as it’s locally known) one of the most alluring destinations in the Caribbean. Because few people recognize the name, much less know where it is, the island has flown largely under the tourism radar since it was the Caribbean’s largest trading hub 400 years ago.

That leaves the stunning nature – where you can hike up a volcano and down into its crater, then dive for blue beads along colorful reefs – mostly untouched and completely uncrowded. And with the opening of a gleaming new luxury resort, it’s easier to access than ever before.

A less touristy Caribbean island experience

Photo: Golden Rock Dive and Nature Resort

If you’ve been to the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, then you’ve likely seen Statia from a distance. It’s the two-humped island in the far distance from St. Barts, and the large volcano that looks like it’s swimming distance from St. Kitts. Statia is a 20-ish minute flight from St. Maarten, too, but because the island hasn’t made much of a name for itself, it has largely stayed off of the tourism radar.

This has been all well and good by the local population, who going about their daily business around the lush volcanic island with nary a visitor. They work their property in the shadow of The Quill, the island’s iconic 2,000-foot peak, then visit their neighbors in the small bars of Oranjestad, and hike in the Northern Hills.

Photo: Sam Horine

“Statia is one of those places you can still talk to someone. If you have a question just go up and ask them,” says Celford Gibbs, a Statian renaissance man who leads hikes up the Quill, does landscaping, and raises bees on the side. “If you need help, we help you. If you need a ride, we take you there. If you’re hungry, I’ll give you something to eat. You don’t need to be my friend to be fed.”

The only thing even remotely resembling a crowd is at the Boardwalk Café, a popular sundown happy hour spot for locals where you’ll find families enjoying pizza and beer as the sun sets. “Traffic” is when more than one car arrives at a stop sign. And you’ll never find a wait to enjoy a drink by the water in the breezy seaside bars in Lower Town.

It’s a refreshing change from the most popular Caribbean islands where everything caters to tourists. Statia offers a look at what life is like without a visitor-approved veneer. But experiencing this pastoral Caribbean lifestyle has traditionally been a challenge for visitors, as the island hasn’t typically offered much in the way of accommodations aside from a handful of rustic dive lodges and a few local B&Bs.

The new Golden Rock Dive and Nature Resort ushers in a new era for Statia

Photo: Golden Rock Dive and Nature Resort

Late in 2021, seldom-visited St. Eustatius saw the opening of its first luxury hotel, the Golden Rock Dive and Nature Resort at the base on the Quill about 10 minutes from Oranjestad. It makes traveling here a comfortable experience thanks to a full-service restaurant, swimming pool, bar, and forthcoming private beach club.

“We are in the middle of islands filled with hotels, but our [island] is still nature,” says Peter Barnhoorn, the Dutch flower magnate behind Golden Rock. “Nature is almost untouched here, for divers, for nature lovers, for people who want to go rock climbing and hiking. It’s the perfect place to be, and now you can have a nice restaurant and a swimming pool.”

Photo: Sam Horine

The resort, as it stands now, has 32 rooms in its long, two-story main building facing the Caribbean. Ultimately, the resort will include far more, including a collection of villas, dive “lodges,” and private houses near the water. No view will be obstructed, as the steep hillside serves as stadium seating for the ocean.

The whole project is ambitious, to say the least. And it’s a major gamble on an island that hasn’t traditionally been much of a tourist destination. But Barnhoorn believes once he’s put the place on the map, others will follow. In the future, St. Eustatius could see a similar economic flow from tourism dollars as other Dutch Caribbean islands.

Photo: Sam Horine

“There has already been interest in buying other pieces of land for resorts,” he says. “We are working with the airport for a jet fueling station so larger planes can come in. We have to be the engine behind it, but the hope is other entrepreneurs will follow, and then the sky’s the limit.”

What to do on Statia: Explore a volcano, inside and out

Photo: Sam Horine

From the front gate of the Golden Rock, an ambitious climber can immediately start straight up The Quill. For a slightly more gradual ascent, head to the main trailhead in Oranjestad. A path through tropical forest leads you to the top of the crater, where you can look out to distant islands in one direction, and down into the mouth of a volcano in the other.

This is where Statia differs from other Caribbean volcano hikes. Upon reaching the top, rather than hiking back down you can then hike right into the crater. The peak hasn’t erupted in over 1,800 years, so no need to worry about lava shooting up at you. The biggest danger is scaling the boulders along the trek down, though it’s pretty easy for an experienced climber.

Thick trees line the trail, as monkeys and other animals swing by overhead. The crater floor is a welcome slice of flat ground where you can stare up at 360-degrees of mountain around you and enjoy the sunshine as it trickles through the treetops. It’s an ideal spot for a lunchtime picnic, or even an overnight camping trip if you’re feeling ambitious.

Photo: Golden Rock Dive and Nature Resort

For a second day of hiking, head to the island’s other side and Northern Hills. It sits about a 10 minute drive from the Quill and offers a completely different perspective of the island. Here, you can hike along the ridges of Gilboa Hill and past the ruins of old plantations and rum distilleries. You’ll also catch glimpses of surrounding islands in the distance, and wild, deserted beaches below. You won’t find a ton of shade in the Northern Hills, but if you pack enough water this half of the island is the kind of remote Caribbean experience that’s become harder and harder to find.

Dive for sunken blue treasure off the coast of Statia

Photo: Golden Rock Dive and Nature Resort

Statia’s other big natural draw is its diving. While you don’t have to be an advanced diver, the best sites tend to be at lower depths, like the 40-meter Volcano Fingers – stunning rivers of petrified lava that now house colorful corals and seahorses.

Less-experienced divers can still appreciate the wreck of the Charles S. Brown, a 1950s cable laying ship that’s now filled with barracuda. The top if it sits at about 60 feet, and gives you plenty of opportunities to interact with marine life. The coolest thing about it, though, is the abundance of swim-throughs at about 100 feet, so you can poke around and discover the inside of the vessel beyond simply looking at fish.

The most unique thing about diving in Statia, though, is the hunt for blue beads. As local lore tells it, enslaved people on the island were paid in blue beads, and once they accumulated enough beads, they were granted their freedom. When a person was freed, they would then throw their blue beads in the ocean, where many still sit today.
Most local divers will tell you the blue beads on the ocean floor likely come from a ship that wrecked near the island. But they still make for fun treasures should you be lucky enough to spot one.

Photo: William Drumm

Most dives leave from Lower Town, the historic warehouse district that was once the busiest port in the New World. Today, the ruins of those 16th Century warehouses still dot the shoreline, interspersed with wine bars and sunset lounges. It’s the odd stretch of Caribbean beach bars that still feels relaxing and unfettered. And even with the addition of a luxury resort, this historic section of the island feels mostly unchanged.

Directly above Lower Town stands Fort Oranje, the place where the U.S. first received international recognition. Its significance, like everything on this island, remains mostly uncelebrated for now. How long it stays this way is anyone’s guess. But for the time being it strikes the perfect balance of remote and comfortable, and might be the perfect trip for island hoppers seeking something different.

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These Chinese Street Food Tours and Cooking Classes Showcase Authentic Shanghai Cuisine

Trying out a Chinese street food tour or cooking class in Shanghai should be on your list of things to do when you’re in the city. Today, Shanghai is a megalopolis, both a financial and cultural hub that showcases some of the world’s best architecture. Let’s not forget the food culture that started it all — the city’s heritage stems from steamed crab, fried pork buns, and the infamous Xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings. If you’re looking for a Chinese street food tour in Shanghai, check out these unique options.

We hope you love these Shanghai street food tours! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book an experience. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.

Authentic local food tour

Photo: Airbnb

Photo: Airbnb

Photo: Airbnb

In this Chinese street food tour in Shanghai, guests will walk around the former French concession, walk by the birthplace of the Chinese Communist Party, and learn about the history and culture of the city. Dive into Shanghai’s food scene by stopping at multiple restaurants, breweries, and more. On the docket are traditional egg tarts, dim sum stops, and of course, the famous soup dumplings.

Price: From $48 per person

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Croissant making in popular bakery

Photo: Airbnb

Photo: Airbnb

This Shanghai food tour takes you to one of the most popular bakeries in Shanghai and includes plenty of bread samples. But the experience that separates it from other tours is that you will learn how to make traditional croissants. Learn all about the history of the croissant, how it evolved into an unexpected star of Shanghai’s pastry scene, and then get to baking. The class climaxes as you taste your creations — and believe us, they’re going to be mouthwatering, even if you’ve never baked before.

Price: From $33 per person

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Shanghai craft beer tasting experience

Photo: Airbnb

Photo: Airbnb

Photo: Airbnb

There are only a handful of microbreweries in the big city of Shanghai. In this tasting experience, you’ll visit at least three local brew tap rooms in Sinan Mansions and the Xintiadai area. Along the way, not only will you be tasting local drinks, but also you’ll get to stroll through Shanghai’s Old City and see the traditional neighborhood. Enjoy Shanghai-style dumplings and local rice wine with your best craft beer — you’ll never want to pair your beer pretzels and burgers again.

Price: From $70 per person

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Making soup dumplings

Photo: Airbnb

Photo: Airbnb

Photo: Airbnb

Get your hands dirty and learn how to make a traditional dish with this cooking experience. Over the course of a few hours you’ll learn how to make xiǎolóngbāo, commonly known as soup dumplings. Learn how to make traditional and popular dumplings by understanding how the soup gets wrapped up inside the dumpling (we’ve always wondered how that happens) and you’ll even craft the dipping sauce that goes with the dumplings.

Price: From $57 per person

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Authentic tea and dessert tour

Photo: Airbnb

Photo: Airbnb

Photo: Airbnb

This Chinese street food tour in Shanghai teaches you how to make authentic tea and dessert. Experience the secret of Chinese afternoon tea while tasting multiple traditional desserts. You will taste tea and desserts from Huaihua Road during the tour and experience a traditional tea ceremony. In addition to satisfying both your sweet tooth and your penchant for caffeine, you’ll come away steeped in tea culture, history, and fun trivia like the meanings behind teacup sizes.

Price: From $65 per person

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