Matador Network's Blog, page 489
April 6, 2022
10 Top-Rated Airbnbs in Destin, Florida, for the Ultimate Coastal Escape
Destin, Florida, is known for its sandy and emerald Gulf of Mexico beaches. Destin is your place if you’re looking to immerse yourself in beautiful beaches, tasty seafood, and world-class fishing. It’s also prime for family time and known for picturesque, challenging golf courses. These Airbnb Destin Florida properties set you up for easy access to everything the area has to offer — with a comfortable pad to relax in afterward. Bonus!
We hope you love the Airbnb Destin Florida stays we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication. See our full Advertiser Disclosure here.
Modern oceanfront condo
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Enjoy some fun in the sun with this waterfront condo. The condo features a fully equipped kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a breakfast bar, and a spacious living room with sliding glass doors leading to the patio area. The furnished patio area faces the gorgeous waterfront, and it’s perfect for relaxing after a long day at the beach.
Six guests, one bedroom
Price: $358 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Gather up your family and friends and call this beach adobe your home base for your Destin, Florida, getaway. This spacious and cozy home has everything you need for a family or friend vacation. The house has all its living space located on the ground floor, making them accessible for anyone, and there is a full kitchen equipped with all appliances and a breakfast bar. The vast living room has board games and all forms of entertainment and has a door that leads to a private enclosed yard. Outside is a private pool, fire pit, and outdoor area perfect for grilling out in the Florida sun.
Eight guests, four bedrooms
Price: $198 per night
SeaBlue house with heated pool
Traveling to Florida? Check out Matador’s guides to the best places to stay in the state:
The 12 best Miami Airbnbs from South Beach to Little Havana The best 11 Airbnbs near Universal Studios 8 of the coolest Airbnbs near Disney World, Florida 15 beautiful Florida Airbnbs for every type of traveler 6 Kissimmee Airbnbs for a multi-generational family Disney trip 11 Key West Airbnbs to experience the best of the island
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
This remodeled home is the perfect place for your dream beach vacation. This beach home features a chef-like kitchen with all the appliances that one would need to cook up a meal for the whole family, along with a dining table fit for ten and a breakfast bar made for four people. The spacious living room opens up the bright beachy home and has doors that lead to the deck, the backyard, pool, and hot tub. There are multiple seating options, a gas grill, and an outdoor shower to rinse off the sand from the beach.
Twelve guests, four bedrooms
Price: $948 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Relax, hang out on the beach, and repeat could be your regular route at this remote oceanfront space. This secluded condo is the perfect place for couples or singles to come and relax and get away from it all. It features a full kitchen and spacious living room that leads out to the patio with front row seats of the stunning ocean.
Four guests, one bedroom
Price: $222 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
This Airbnb Destin Florida property is perfect for a peaceful beach getaway. This first-floor condo has a 24 hour guarded and gated resort on 43 acres. Enjoy the amenities like private beach access, five pools, tennis courts, shuffleboard, and more. This newly renovated condo has a full kitchen living space with doors leading to the patio area.
Six guests, one bedroom
Price: $168 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Here is another gorgeous oceanfront view condo for your next Destin getaway. This stunning oceanfront condo has a kitchen and spacious living room that leads to the extended balcony outside. Each bedroom is equipped with a ceiling fan and television. The apartment is just a short walk away from The Back Porch and just half a mile away from Henderson Beach State Park, where there is plenty of wildlife to see and fish to catch.
Six guests, two bedrooms
Price: $518 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Welcome to this coastal villa retreat that gives you the best of both worlds. This retreat is between the lake and the beach and offers two private patios with gorgeous views. The home offers an open living area with comfortable seating and large windows with natural lighting. The kitchen is equipped with all appliances and food and has a dining table that can fit six people. The home is located right off the Iconic Scenic Highway 98 and near plenty of dining, shopping, and local entertainment and attractions.
Six guests, two bedrooms
Price: $237 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Sit back and relax at this tranquil studio on the beach. Situated waterfront, the pad features all new furniture and appliances and would be the perfect base for your Destin vacation. Enjoy the sunrise and sunset views and the soothing background noise of the waves right on your patio. There are also fun outdoor activities at the Crab Island Watersports, less than two miles away. Wild Willy’s Adventure Zone is just four miles away and offers many family-friendly activities if you want to stay more inland.
Four guests, one bedroom
Price: $365 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
This gate Sandpiper Cove complex is waiting for you. This Airbnb Destin Florida property offers easy access to the beach and can accommodate up to six guests and even the family dog if you want to bring them along. The condo has a full kitchen, shared pool, and hot tub, and it can accommodate up to two dogs. Enjoy the fresh Destin air on the spacious furnished balcony and catch a sunset while you’re at it.
Four guests, two bedrooms
Price: $212 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Enjoy your home away from home with this Airbnb, a Destin, Florida, beachy bungalow. Gather up the family and make your way to this beautiful bungalow located just a few hundred yards from the beach. Its large corner lot has plenty of space and privacy for the family and the kids to run around. With its spacious backyard, kitchen, and living room, this home is sure the beach lover’s dream vacation.
Fourteen guests, four bedrooms
Price: $105 per night
Lip Sync For Your Life: A Look at Drag Culture in Anti-LGBTQ Countries
The first time Onyx Godwin Ogaga saw a drag queen perform, they were amazed. “I was surprised that [drag] even existed,” says the 23-year-old nonbinary drag artist from Lekki, Nigeria.
It was 2014 — five years after RuPaul’s Drag Race began pitting queens against one another in a battle royale to become America’s Next Drag Superstar. The same year, Nigeria signed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill into law.
Under the law, discussing LGBTQ rights and gender expression is forbidden; being gay is a crime that can lead to a 14-year prison sentence. In states that practice Sharia Law, it can even lead to death.
To openly discuss the joys of drag is to commit a crime. To perform in drag can be downright dangerous. Nevertheless, Onyx found the Runiverse, and within a few years, they began challenging the gender binary on stage.
Photo: Onyx Godwin Ogaga
“When I’m in drag I feel powerful,” they say. “It makes me feel like myself. I feel glamorous; I feel fierce. Out of drag, I feel anxious.”
“Drag is all over the world,” shrieks international drag juggernaut RuPaul in Phenomenon, one of her many club-ready ear-worms. It’s a happy-go-lucky marketing soundbite backed by her ever-expanding reality show empire. This fall, RuPaul’s Drag Race will air an international spinoff in France, bringing the total number of nations with a version of Drag Race to 11.
But there are 195 countries in the world. RuPaul’s glamazonian kingdom accounts for five percent of the global drag scene. The show has homogenized the artform into a one-size-fits-all package replete with drag houses and sisters who work in the same cities, use the same designers, and appreciate a similar polish. While queens across the globe get inspired by Drag Race contestants (Onyx is a fan of Season 11’s Insta-famous beauty queen Plastique Tiara), artists in countries with anti-LGBTQ laws lead drastically different lives than those who strut for Mama Ru. Artists like Onyx are the drag world’s foot soldiers.
Before drag became a form of reality-show escapism in places like the US, it was an act of resistance against political oppression. It’s no coincidence that drag queens led some of America’s earliest fights for LGBTQ rights. There’s the Cooper Do-nuts Riot in 1959, when LA-based drag queens, transgender individuals, and hustlers fought against police officers attempting to arrest members of their tribe. In 1966, drag queens and trans women led a riot at San Francisco’s Compton’s Cafeteria to protest police violence. A similar demographic also spearheaded the 1969 Stonewall Uprising — an international rallying cry for the modern LGBTQ rights movement.
When those queens painted their faces, they weren’t getting ready for a performance. They were getting ready for war. In many places worldwide, there are still battles to be won.
The journey to the stage“I always say Anissa is an ex-porn star,” says Anissa Krana, the stage name for Aniss Ezzeddine, a 26-year-old fashion designer and drag queen who splits her time between Beirut and Paris. (Anissa Krana means “I’m drunk” in Arabic.) “She’s all about sexual liberation. She’s against slut shaming.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Anissa Krana (@anissakrana)
Anissa, who started performing five years ago in Lebanon, is the personification of resistance to Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code, which prohibits sexual acts that contradict “the laws of nature.” In Beirut — the Middle East’s most liberal city — judges don’t usually link the law to same-sex sexual activity, but it remains on the books. And while public perception of LGBTQ individuals is improving, there’s still work to be done.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Anissa Krana (@anissakrana)
In 2012, Lebanon banned the abusive practice of performing anal examinations on men suspected of homosexual acts — but Anissa says drag queens can still face persecution, humiliation, and coercion at the hands of authorities.
Three Beirut venues host drag performances, and owners usually tell performers to don their makeup and costumes on site. Traveling the streets in drag can be risky. “If there’s a checkpoint and [police] stop you, they might ask a lot of questions,” says Anissa. “They can sometimes link drag to prostitution for no reason — just because you’re gay.” (To note: doing drag doesn’t imply sexual orientation, though many make assumptions.)
Despite the dangers, Aniss gets ready for shows at home and travels as Anissa. “I feel like I always look like a woman, so people don’t really question my gender,” she says.
Lorina Rey, an avant-garde drag artist from Moscow, Russia, avoids public transport to performances altogether. Her style — a combination of Sasha Velour glamor and Sharon Needles fright-fest — would undoubtedly turn heads. “I don’t walk down the street in drag unless it’s a photo shoot,” she says.
Photo: @alohaelizbook
According to an Equaldex survey, 66 percent of Russian residents don’t approve of openly LGBTQ neighbors; over 70 percent don’t think there’s justification for identifying on the LGBTQ spectrum. Nearly one in five Russians want to “eliminate” the LGBTQ community entirely. With few legal protections against discrimination, taking one’s chances on the street isn’t advisable.
As for Onyx, appearing publicly in drag is out of the question — unless they’re with a group.
Once, while dolled up in makeup and a dress, Onyx got stopped by police. “They actually thought I was a woman, so they left me alone,” they say. (Onyx’s high cheekbones and toothy grin make them a dead ringer for Naomi Campbell.)
“If they had any idea I was a drag queen, I don’t know what would’ve happened. I thought I would get beat up — or something even worse.”
To avoid attention, Onyx leaves the house wearing baggy clothes as camouflage. “If I’m in drag, I use an Uber and avoid the police at all costs. If you try using public buses in drag, I’m sure something horrible will happen to you. It’s a risk I can’t take.”
The local drag sceneFor drag performers in anti-queer countries, the stage is a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel.
Nigeria’s underground drag scene is filled with queens “having fun, wearing crowns, and wearing beautiful clothes,” says Onyx. “They’re in their natural element.” Attending one of the clandestine pageants is like stepping into a frame from Paris is Burning, the famed 1990 documentary about NYC ballroom culture often invoked by RuPaul on Drag Race.
“When you forget about being arrested, assaulted, or even being killed — you see beautiful individuals living their truth,” they say. “If we had the opportunities and platforms [as Drag Race contestants], we’d be some of the world’s top contenders.”
Photo: Chuchu Ojekwe for Paper Magazine
Thanks to the internet, Onyx is taking her drag career from private banquet halls to the world. “My major platform is social media. That’s where I get to show off my looks and my makeup.” Exposure on Instagram and Twitter helped them land photoshoots and interviews with Vogue Italia, Paper, i-d Magazine, and more.
In Moscow, drag queens find work at nightclubs and local parties, but Lorina notes that mounting costs can be prohibitive. “Creating an image: wigs, cosmetics, costumes — it costs a lot of money,” she says.
Like Onyx, Russia’s boundary-breaking drag artists are finding their voices virtually. Moscow’s drag community, which includes roughly 30 or 40 queens, comprises three types of drag. Seasoned queens dress in what Lorina calls a “very feminine” style. “Drag artists from the 2010s to today try to be like the American drag queens from RuPaul.” Although the show has never aired in Russia, most queens follow the series online.
As for new-wave boundary-breakers like Lorina — who skew more performance artist than pageant queen — apps like Instagram are a valuable asset. Over the past two years, Lorina says a growing number of progressive artists started appearing on social media, “experimenting with looks and moving away from femininity.”
Photo: Jenia Filatova
Lorina’s Instagram boasts a diversity of styles. In one clip, she pulls chiffon from an outfit while stalking the stage like a tigress. In another, she appears behind a glory hole in a soft pink suit seemingly cut from a Janelle Monae music video.
One thing you won’t find on Lorina’s page is politics. “I am out of politics,” she says. “I’m only interested in beauty and art.”
Considering Russia’s recent crackdowns on free speech, Lorina’s stance is understandable. “I try not to pay much attention to this topic — I try to live my life and do what I like.”
But Lorina’s art, like so many drag artists, is undercover activism. “Every drag queen in Nigeria is making a statement,” says Onyx. It’s going against homophobia. It’s going against transphobia.”
“By itself, doing drag in a country like Lebanon is political,” Anissa agrees. It’s a way of telling people, ‘Fuck you. I’m going to be whoever I want.'”
Performance as politicsSoon after Anissa started dabbling in drag, she traded dance-club lip syncs for raw, introspective performances on topics affecting Beirut’s queer population.
“A lot of LGBTQ people live la vie en rose,” she says. “But I think they should also tackle political and social issues and help members of their community.”
In one of her most memorable pieces, Anissa mixed musical tracks to tell the story of a boy tormented by his family and friends for his sexuality. “They call him a monster,” Anissa explains, “until he believes he is a monster.”
As the story continues, the boy spirals into drug addiction and plans to kill those who caused him pain “until he looks in the mirror and sees he’s become the monster everyone told him he was,” she says.
To end the performance, Anissa lip-synced “Creep” by Radiohead. “While performing, I broke down in tears,” she remembers. As lead singer Thom Yorke crooned, “I don’t belong here,” the audience began spontaneously shouting, “You do belong here!” in response.
“It was such a beautiful moment for me,” she recalls. “I thought, we have a strong community in Beirut. We’re here to support each other, even if other people don’t support us.”
A family affairDespite local cultures that demonize drag, Anissa, Onyx, and Lorina have families who encourage their ambitions.
“There is not a single person in my life who would not support what I do,” says Lorina. “I am a hairstylist, and even my clients know about Lorina and support me.”
Photo: Jenia Filatova
As for Anissa, her mother and sister regularly attend performances, but her father doesn’t know about her drag career. “I don’t think he would understand drag,” she says. Her Muslim father’s religion already makes homosexuality challenging to accept.
For Onyx, the story is similar. They didn’t attempt drag until after their father passed away in 2013. “He expected a masculine child,” says Onyx. “It was tough — he was abusive.” Today, their mother and siblings are all supportive. Onyx’s mother occasionally loans her clothes and makeup. She even constructed Onyx parts of a bikini for a costume.
Photo: Chuchu Ojekwe for Paper Magazine
When it comes to extended family and neighbors, Onyx avoids contact. “I had to search for them online and block them from my social media pages,” they say. “It’s a safety precaution because most of them don’t know I’m a drag queen. I don’t want them to know. You don’t know who they might tell.”
Mainstream appeal and antiquated ideologyIn America, Drag Race made a once-subversive artform mainstream. Long gone are the days when drag was relegated to the dimly-lit stages of seedy gay bars. RuPaul’s coven of queens have gone on to model for Marc Jacobs and act opposite Lady Gaga in the Oscar-nominated film A Star is Born. Prominent government officials have served as judges on the show. Drag Race is Family Matters for a new generation: Instead of 1990s TGIF programming, kids across America can tune in to VH1 on Friday nights and watch Michelle Visage come for queens in bodysuits. Drag artists read Eric Carle classics in libraries for Drag Queen Story Hour. There’s even a Muppet Babies-style Drag Race spinoff for “kids of all ages” entitled Drag Tots.
“Not a lot of people used to understand why a man would dress up and perform as a woman,” says Anissa. But, even in Beirut, those conservative notions are slowly changing — a win Anissa credits with an increased viewership of the famed reality show.
With RuPaul’s ever-growing reach, Beirut’s tiny transformations give hope that Drag Race will continue to foster acceptance in more places with anti-LGBTQ laws.
But then again, change is a fickle beast. On March 28th, Florida’s governor signed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” prohibiting public school teachers in America’s most southern state from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity. Hateful legislation like this doesn’t go away quickly. It took until 2011 for New York State to abolish a law allowing someone perceived as male to be arrested for wearing “the dress of the opposite sex.” The law dates back to the 19th century.
The story of senseless rules is one with which Onyx is all-too-familiar. “One of the major problems with being a drag queen in Nigeria is the anti-LGBTQ law,” they say. Popular media is unlikely to show drag queens on tv or in print because it’s uncertain how the government will react.
“It’s limited my career a lot,” says Onyx. She hides her exasperation by flashing a million-dollar smile, then quotes Gloria Gaynor’s gay disco anthem, performed during an elimination on Season 8 of Drag Race: “But…I will survive.”
Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
More like thisLGBTQ TravelThe 9 Best Gay-Friendly Cities in the USApril 5, 2022
The 5 US Airlines Most Likely To Arrive on Time
There are lots of ways to judge the quality of an airline. Maybe you’re almost exclusively concerned about price or want to enroll in an excellent frequent flyer program. One thing you should definitely be concerned about is whether or not your plane will arrive on time.
The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection recently released its annual Air Travel Consumer Report that offers detailed information on flight delays; mishandled baggage, wheelchairs, and scooters; oversales; consumer complaints; airline animal incident reports; and customer service reports to the US Department of Homeland Security.
The five most on-time airlines in the United StatesHawaiian AirlinesDelta Air LinesAlaska AirlinesAmerican AirlinesUnited AirlinesAfter horror stories last year of Spirit Airlines having mass cancellations and airports descending into utter chaos, the airline ranked six out of 10. The others, in order, were Frontier, Southwest, and JetBlue.
The worst airline for on-time arrivals was Allegiant Air which, during its worst month in July 2021, only arrived on time 51 percent of the time. A flight was counted as “on-time” as long as it operated less than 15 minutes after the scheduled time in the airline carrier’s reservation system. Overall, flights arrived on time 75.25 percent of the time, even with COVID-19 waves causing mass delays and cancellations.
Common causes of delay included air carrier delay, meaning the reason was within the airline’s control — like a maintenance issue. This was true 8.9 percent of the time. Seven percent of flights were delayed because the aircraft was late arriving and, therefore, late departing. Nearly five percent of flights arrived late for reasons out of the airline’s control but had to do with things like airport operations, heavy traffic volume, air traffic control, etc. Other delay reasons included extreme weather (0.77 percent of delays), flight diversion (0.25 percent of delays), and security delays (0.09 percent of flights), which encompasses evacuating a terminal or concourse, re-boarding an aircraft because of a security breach, inoperative screening equipment, or long lines of more than 29 minutes at screening areas. Only 2.42 percent of flights were canceled outright.
Regardless of your airlines’ track record, two to three hours before arrival at your airport is still the rule of thumb to make sure you make it through those long security lines.
Photos: 112-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Tracks Permanently Damaged While Building Tourist Walkway
The Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite just north of Moab in Utah is one of the largest and most important Early Cretaceous tracksites in the world, with more than 200 tracks and trace fossils of at least 10 different animals. It also happens to be a major tourist attraction. But during the construction of a new tourist boardwalk to view said tracks, some were run over by construction equipment.
A report from the Bureau of Land Management found that, in January, construction equipment like backhoes impacted tracks and traces that were once destinations for fossil chasing tourists. The ones that were broken or eroded can’t be saved. The ones that got microfractures from the weight of machinery will more quickly degrade from the elements.
The tire tracks are on the sauropod tracks. There is an iguanadon track there, too. They’re literally driving on these. pic.twitter.com/9hLHK2v5LY
— Jeremy Roberts (@JeremyBRoberts) January 30, 2022
The fossils and tracks are from the Early Cretaceous period about 112 million years ago. Theropods, sauropods, ornithopods, ankylosaurs, birds, and crocodiles are some of the tracks and fossils left behind that people could view and researchers could study. Some of the animals were unknown to the area before being spotted here. It’s all part of why the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite is ranked as a top-10 dinosaur tracksite in the United States, the BLM report notes.
One of the losses was a crocodile slide track that, as tire marks show, was repeatedly driven over and fractured.
This is the ONLY lower Cretaceous trackway site in Utah. It has more species diversity than any tracksite in America. In terms of years, we are currently closer in years to this site than a living T-Rex was to it. This pic was a crocodilian resting trace that’s been driven over. pic.twitter.com/7jzW0eN5h8
— Jeremy Roberts (@JeremyBRoberts) January 30, 2022
It could have been a lot worse. Locals noticed the tire marks over areas with dinosaur tracks and were able to halt the new walkway.
According to the bureau, the good news was that the damage was evaluated as minor, and would have been much worse if local residents had not spotted tire tracks from heavy machinery on the ground, resulting in the boardwalk project being immediately halted.
“I’m absolutely outraged that the BLM has apparently destroyed one of the world’s most important paleontological resources,” Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “This careless disregard for these irreplaceable traces of the past is appalling. It really calls into question the Bureau’s competence as a land-management agency.”
Needless to say, destroying the very thing that you’re building a viewing platform for visitors to see is not ideal planning.
Sebastian Modak Talks 2022 Travel Trends and Seeing the World
SEBASTIAN MODAK gained acclaim as the New York Times’ 52 Places Traveler in 2019, visiting all 52 places on the Times’ Places To Vist List. Currently serving as Editor at Large for Lonely Planet, Sebastian is a seasoned global storyteller with a unique perspective on the impact travel can have not only on the traveler, but on the places they visit. Matador spoke with Sebastian about the 52 Places trip, as well as current travel trends heading into what looks to be a busy summer 2022 travel season.
This interview first appeared on Matador‘s No Blackout Dates podcast. You can listen to the full interview on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Matador Network: What are you seeing as current travel trends coming into 2022?Sebastian Modak: Any predictions go out the window immediately in this day and age, right? So I don’t want to be the one saying, ‘It’s coming back full swing!”
I think this year was unlike any other in that we were putting places on the [Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2022] list that it was unclear whether people were going to be able to get on a plane and go as soon as the list came out. It became more of a celebration of travel, and the reasons why we travel. It was more like, “Here’s a reason to celebrate the people of Nepal.”
The past two years have given me a lot of time to reflect on why I travel and what I try to get out of travel, and the values that I place on myself as a traveler. I think a lot of people have done that. Which I think means we’re all going to be traveling a little slower, a little more intentionally, if only because it’s such a pain to do it. Maybe we’ll think a little bit more about it before we do it, and be able to get more out of it, and give back a little bit.
You hear about places like Rome, that have been flogged with tourists for years. In terms of over-tourism, what do you see as the way forward?The 52 Places trip was an awakening for me in a lot of ways. Because I was going to so many places in so little time, I didn’t have the flexibility to say, “I’m going to go to this place in the best time of year.” I had to be in Senegal at the hottest, most humid, rainiest time of year. I had to be in Canada in the middle of winter.
One of my main takeaways when I came away from all of that was that our idea of high season and low season, and the best time to go, is a load of BS. It’s all marketing. In fact, going to a place when it’s the “wrong time to go” can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have while traveling. Because that’s when you really get to know people. You’re not just one of a horde of tourists. Maybe the weather’s not as great. Just put on a raincoat and go outside and meet some people. We need to reorient how we think about seasons and what that means for travel.
Especially when you’re talking about a country like Italy, a country like France. Why are we all going to the same places? Those countries are full of beautiful, enriching, incredible experiences. We need to spread the love a little bit.
There was a particular Conde Nast article you wrote where you referred to yourself as a Third Culture Kid. Can you explain what you mean by that?I grew up essentially without roots, in a lot of ways. My mother is from Colombia, my father’s from India, I was born in the States but we left when I was two. Because of my dad’s work, we moved every four years or so. So I was in Hong Kong, and then Australia, and then India, and then I went to high school in Indonesia. I came to the States for college, and that’s mostly where I’ve been ever since.
The term “third culture kid” was a term I learned about while essentially being a “third culture kid.” In an international school, they used to talk about it a lot as a way to give these sort of anchorless kids some sense of identity to grab onto. It’s essentially people who grew up between cultures. The culture of their parents, the culture of the place where they happen to be living at the time, and the third culture of that shared identity that you share with other people that have that same lived experience.
It was an incredibly charmed, privileged existence to live that way, to have that access to cultures that weren’t my own. And to come up at some a young age to put so much value on respecting other cultures and learning from other cultures, and admitting your own ignorance of other cultures and being willing to learn. I think that was instilled from a very young age, as was the joy of travel, and the meaning of travel, that it’s not just an extractive business about you just going to make yourself a better person and leaving. It’s about exchange and about conversations and about connections.
The flip side was that I never had that concept of home, and of going back home.
When reporting the 52 Places trip, where you’re in so many different places, what stood out to you that allowed you to turn around a story on a completely different place on a weekly basis?I was going to a lot of places where one, I didn’t have time to become even close to an authority. And two, I was going to a lot of places that a lot of people were never going to go to. I had to find reasons for people to read it, even if they weren’t going to go. I was always on the lookout for universals, things that would resonate with the readers.
To do that I had to go in with that open mind, open book mentality. There were definitely circumstances where I’d be hitting day four of six, and I’m sitting there going, “I have no idea what the story is here.” Las Vegas was on the list. I went in there with the wrong mindset, I already was like, “I’ve never been to Las Vegas, I don’t like Las Vegas.”
By day four, I was sitting there like, “I’ve got nothing new to say about this place, it’s all very surface level, there’s nothing to see here.” And then I was in the back of a Lyft, talking to the driver. He was asking what I was doing here and I was explaining my job.
He was like, “I see that I’m taking it to your hotel, but is it cool actually if I take you to meet some of my friends?”
So he takes me to this neighborhood called Paradise Palms where it’s all these people who live in model houses from the 1950s, and they dress like it’s the 1950s and play in rockabilly bands. It’s like this time portal, and I ended up spending the next three days with them and just seeing this whole other side of Vegas that leans so heavily into nostalgia.
It became a story not only about that community, but about being open to experiences. That’s an example of how the reporting often went, where it was two or three days of freaking out, and two or three days of having the time of my life.
How did identity play out during the trip?[There were things] I was able to do that I think were a lot harder to do for a woman traveling alone.
Identity plays out in other ways, too. When I was traveling I got the question alot, people would message me on Instagram and be like, “It looks like you’re having a great time but, is it safe?” And that would be a question that I’d often get, predictably, in Latin America, in sub-Saharan Africa, in part of Asia. No one asked me that when I was traveling around the US, or Europe, or Australia.
But the only time I felt really, really unsafe on the whole trip was in Australia, when I was tailed and yelled at by a couple of racist dudes who followed me in their car and started yelling racial slurs at me. It just goes to show that safety is not a blanket term, its so dependent on your outward identity.
You noted several times discussions you had with your partner while gone for a year. What advice do you have for people embarking on a long trip away from their partner to help soften the blow?It’s gonna hurt at times. I’m a very extroverted person, I’ve never lived alone. It was tough for me, and it hit me really hard in Wyoming, of all places. I was driving on one of those straight Wyoming roads that goes on forever. Snowfields on either side of me as far as the eye can see. This John Prine song comes on, “Summer’s End,” which the chorus is, “Come on home, come on home, you don’t have to be alone.”
I just pulled over. I was overcome, I was crying in the car. I got through it and came out the other side, and I was like, “That felt good, that felt human.” I learned to really lean into the emotions. I could see the loneliness coming, the feelings coming, and I’d just lean into it.
It made me learn the difference between that feeling and the bliss that can come out of solitude, too.
It also made all those instances where I connected with strangers and had these life-affirming experiences with other people, it threw those into relief because I had something to compare it to.
My advice would be to stay in touch as best you can. And my other advice would be to not be afraid of feeling sad once in a while. Explore the good things that can come out of being alone. Instead of loneliness, find solitude.
Screw Scenic Train Rides. Here’s Why I’d Rather Take the Bus, and You Should Too.
This is the Travel Take, where Matador’s writers and editors make the case for their favorite travel hacks, tips, and personal tics.
A few summers ago, I bought a bus ticket in Split, Croatia, to get to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, solely because it was more convenient than taking the train. When I relayed my travel plans to a cafe owner I’d become friendly with, he told me that the bus was a smart choice; he’d heard stories of tourists and women traveling alone, of which I was both, being robbed or harassed while cornered in the empty compartments of moving trains.
Safety had not factored into my decision-making — incidentally, the bus was also cheaper, though the difference between five euros and 20 euros was negligible — but my history with trying train rides has no doubt influenced my controversial travel opinion: I’d rather take the bus.
Some of my most harrowing travel experiences have taken place on trains. Once, when I was 18 years old and traveling solo in India, I took a 36-hour train ride from New Delhi to Goa. For much of that time, I was the only woman and Westerner in a car filled with navy boys on leave who were drinking heavily and pressuring me to do the same. Because I had been assigned a bottom bunk, which doubled as communal seating for the middle and top bunkers until everyone went to sleep, I had little recourse to keep quietly to myself.
A decade later, a few weeks before landing in Split, I found myself on another overnight train traveling from Budapest, Hungary, to Ljublana, Slovenia — only this time it was my fellow passengers who were teenagers hellbent on staying up all night, and I had just as little interest in accepting swigs of the unlabeled alcohol they’d snuck onto the train.
By comparison, the long-distance bus travel I’ve done has been a dream. Earlier that same summer, I bused from Norrköping, Sweden, to Stockholm in a roomy seat with a generous recline and steady WiFi. I found Uruguay’s bus system to be equally impressive, if a little less punctual: The buses were all clean and contemporary, with assigned seating for intercity riders while on some routes local riders could hop on and off like it was a municipal bus.
In fairness, some of my bus travels have felt more like a fever dream. In college, which I attended in Boston, I made frequent trips to New York City, usually opting to buy the cheapest bus ticket I could find — as little as $1 via Megabus if you’re lucky. Between the delays, mechanical issues, eccentric characters, and haphazard driving I often encountered on these rides, these buses reminded me more of the precarious ones I rode in northern India — where it was common for passengers to ride on top of the bus once the inside was full — than the comfortable Amtrak trains I splurged on occasionally to make the same journey.
Yet even on my craziest bus rides, I always felt as though I was gaining perspective. Where the trains I’ve taken have rarely lived up to the cliche of being romantic venues to peer whimsically out of the window at passing landscapes, more often than not, the buses I’ve taken have exceeded my expectations as a window into a destination and the people who live there. Stumbling through conversation with the older Bosnian woman who was seated next to me for the last leg of my bus ride from Split, for example, I got a lesson in Bosnian coffee culture and recommendations on where to participate while in Sarajevo.
Buses may not be glamorous, or even particularly comfortable at times, but they’re generally convenient, affordable, and educational, with close quarters that encourage conversation between riders. While train stations may or may not be central, the pick-up and drop-off sites for buses almost always are, and even the routes feel more intimate. You can learn a lot about a destination by winding through city streets and traveling down major highways, which in my experience can be just as scenic as railway lines without feeling quite so removed.
For spontaneous travelers, long-distance bus travel can also provide flexibility. In places like Bosnia, Uruguay, and India where long-distance buses may double as local transit, it’s easy to hop off and explore before reaching your final destination, without worrying about wasting money on an expensive ticket or fretting over when the next ride will come.
Say what you will about bus travel — my train-loving colleagues sure did when I pitched the idea for this story — but I’ll always consider it a viable transit option, whether the journey is 30 minutes or 30 hours. Hell — it might even be my preference.
This Airbnb on a California Cannabis Farm Lets You Get Out Among the Plants
We hope you love the spaces and stays we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication. See our full Advertiser Disclosure here.
If cannabis is your thing, Airbnb has partnered with Sonoma Hills Farm to give you an experience you’ll never forget. You could be one of three lucky people to bring a friend on an adventure to live the high life by booking a cannabis farm stay in Petaluma, California, for just $60 per night (a reference to the farm’s 60 acres).
Photo: Airbnb
This Airbnb is unlike any others. Cannabis lovers will be able to put their green thumb to the test while on the farm. The property offers 360-degree views of the rolling rural hills from the modern farmhouse with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a gorgeous private pool. They’ll also be able to make friends with permanent residents of the property: Curly Sue the Mangalitsa pig and Tony the Highland cow. There’s also no wifi on the property, prompting visitors to completely disconnect and become one with their natural surroundings.
Guests will spend time learning and participating in the farm’s planting season and maybe even dig a hole for a cannabis plant or two. They can then head to the stunning farmhouse kitchen with stainless steel appliances to prepare meals with fresh produce and hemp straight from plants in the property’s garden. After dinner, enjoy what quiet rural California offers while stargazing around the wood-burning fire pit. Enjoy a curated selection of CBD products from brands like Green Bee Botanicals, Potli, Rose Los Angeles, and Jane West, and candles from Garden Society to help you unwind.
Photo: Airbnb
“Our goal is to normalize growing hemp and cannabis by demonstrating it’s just like any other plant, with benefits to both humans and the earth. By offering an insider’s look into how we carefully cultivate our products — be they vegetables or cannabis strains — we hope to offer a stay that’s equal parts relaxing and enriching,” said Airbnb Host and Sonoma Hills Farm’s chief cannabis cultivator Aaron Keefer in a statement. “By connecting with the land, guests will leave with a different perspective than when they arrived and will have supported our farm in a meaningful way.”
In honor of this specialty Airbnb stay with Sonoma Hills Farm, Airbnb will donate to Regeneration International to support their mission to reverse global warming and end world hunger by facilitating and accelerating the global transition to regenerative agriculture and land management.
The three one-night stays will occur from Saturday, April 30, to Tuesday, May 3, exclusively for California residents 21 and older. If you’re interested, you’ll have to be quick! Booking for these exclusive one-night stays will open on April 20 at 10:00 AM PDT.
11 Key West Airbnbs To Experience the Best of the Island
Key West ticks all the boxes. Tropical beaches, check. Spirited nightlife, check. Sweet yet tart dessert, check. World-class snorkeling and diving, big tick. To top it all off, the island city is abundant with luxurious vacation rentals where you can recharge. Rather than take our word for it, experience all this for yourself with a Key West Airbnb.
Beautiful Key West Airbnbs with poolUnique Key West Airbnbs on the waterBest long-term Key West AirbnbsWe hope you love the Key West Airbnb rentals we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication. See our full Advertiser Disclosure here.
Beautiful Key West Airbnbs with poolCasa Serendipity
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Designed in Key West’s ‘conch cottage’ style, this restored heritage property gushes warmth and character through its colorful furnishings and décor. With three spacious double rooms, Casa Serendipity is suited to families and small groups. Pooches are welcome at this pet-friendly Airbnb in Key West. A private garden is shrouded with greenery and features a pool and propane barbecue. Located in the Key West Historic District, all the sights are within walking or cycling distance.
Six guests, three bedrooms
Price: $750 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Complete with lavish balconies and gingerbread trim, Seaside Place is your quintessential Key West home. A sunlit lounge marks the heart of the house, leading into an open-plan kitchen that overlooks the backyard. The landscaped pool comes with a waterfall and a maximum depth of 7 feet so you can safely perfect your dives. Look forward to a post-swim shower in the cabana bathroom before tucking into a gourmet grill with the property barbecue. This Airbnb near Duval Street Key West is moments from the downtown restaurants and nightlife.
Ten guests, five bedrooms
Price: $1,900 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Situated a block over from Duval Street, this rose-hued blends beautiful aesthetics with contemporary luxury and an unbeatable location. Choose a bedroom at the front and benefit from a private balcony or sleep at the rear and wake up to pool and garden views. Consisting of five ample guest rooms, five bathrooms, and countless communal areas, this Key West Airbnb with pool strikes a harmony between downtime and socializing.
Twelve guests, five bedrooms
Price: $1,500 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Designed to maximize calmness and comfort, this Key West Airbnb consists of homely interiors and an oh-so-Instagrammable backyard. Spend your day circulating from the cocktail pool to the sun lounger before firing up the barbecue for an alfresco dinner. Situated in the laid-back Meadows neighborhood, you’re not far from Duval Street and the marina.
Six guests, three bedrooms
Price: $1,200 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Maisons de Luxe comprises the villa, Grand Maison, and a self-contained cottage, Petite Maison. Both buildings are spread over two levels and offer a total of six en-suite bedrooms. Rigged out with a large open-plan lounge/kitchen, saline swimming pool, sun deck, and front porch there’s plenty of space for social butterflies. This luxurious Airbnb at Duval Street Key West is within walking distance of the best cafes, nightclubs, and tourist attractions in town.
Twelve guests, six bedrooms
Price: $2,000 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Glamping gets an aquatic makeover at this Airbnb Tiki Suite Key West. This floating cabana consists of a simple dwelling space fitted with an en suite bathroom and ocean views galore. French sliding doors open out onto your veranda where you can meditate to the sound of the waves and keep a lazy eye out for dolphins. Renting the Tiki cabin includes two inflatable paddleboards and two snorkel sets. This more than makes up for the limited Wi-Fi while you surrender yourself to an off-grid experience free of Netflix and TikTok. Do we even need to mention the potential for sunrises and sunsets?
No need to weep into your rum if the Tiki Suite is unavailable. Check into its twin instead – the OG Tiki Suite.
Two guests, one bedroom
Price: $650 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
If you’re hankering for the castaway experience without sacrificing your creature comforts, this beachfront condo has the answers. The two-story house overlooks a private sandy beach fringed with palm trees. Wake up to sunrises from your private veranda and take romantic golden hour walks along the bay. Located in the quietest part of Key West, the Hidden Beach Duplex is exactly what you need for a romantic seaside getaway.
Two guests, one bedroom
Price: $600 per night
The Pisces Yacht Airbnb at Key West
Traveling to Florida? Check out Matador’s guides to the best places to stay in the state:
15 beautiful Florida Airbnbs for every type of traveler The 12 best Miami Airbnbs from South Beach to Little Havana 8 of the coolest Airbnbs near Disney World, Florida 15 beautiful Florida Airbnbs for every type of traveler 6 Kissimmee Airbnbs for a multi-generational family Disney trip
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
All aboard ‘Pisces’ – a 36-foot S2 sailing yacht with sleek interiors to make a 5-star hotel blush. Teak and mahogany cabins await you with a modern bathroom and fully-equipped kitchen. When the sun’s out (which, in Key West, it generally always is) you can lounge on the deck with a mojito. Docked in one of the prettiest marinas in Key West you will benefit from all areas of the gated facilities including a clubhouse, swimming pool, and private beach. This Airbnb Key West houseboat is suitable for a couple or a family of three.
Three guests, one bedroom
Price: $220 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
This cushy Airbnb Key West houseboat is spread over three floors of luxury. A granite-clad kitchen and internal lounge culminate in the open-air deck where you can soak up panoramic views with your nearest and dearest. The floating home comprises two double bedrooms plus a sofa bed in the lounge. Located at Stock Island Yacht Club, the boat is a 15-minute drive downtown. You are welcome to use the club’s pool, private beach, gym, and oceanside tiki throughout your stay.
Six guests, two bedrooms
Price: $750 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Ahoy there, aspiring seafarers! This Key West Airbnb on the water is reserved for the most adventurous as you cast off and take to the high seas. Equipped with three separate bedrooms and an internal salon, there’s plenty of space to avoid the onset of cabin fever. Feel the warm ocean breeze in your hair as your captain steers you far from the hustle of downtown and into open water where you snorkel, paddle, and plunder the champagne cooler to your heart’s content.
Six guests, three bedrooms
Price: $1,700 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: Airbnb
Who wouldn’t want to commit to a month in this tropical island city? Buried beneath lush greenery, this Airbnb in Key West Florida is an oasis that you can call home (for a minimum of 28 days). In addition to the main building, the place features a separate cottage with one bedroom. Opulent touches include a cedar hot tub, an outdoor shower, and a lanai that peers over the private pool. Despite evoking a sense of remoteness, the villa is a short drive or cycle ride from Duval Street and the beaches.
Eight guests, four bedrooms
Price: $900 per night
Local's guide to Wilmington, NC
Here in Wilmington, we get it. You might already know — or think you know — your favorite Wilmington spots: Wrightsville Beach, Britt’s Donuts on the Carolina Beach Boardwalk, the Riverwalk, the list goes on. But next time you’re here, whether you’re brewery-bound, coming to town for a concert at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater or the new Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park, or you just need some time on the water, be open to discovery. Or rediscovery, as the case may be.
Wilmington’s got insider secrets in spades, from all-too-temporary art installations to hidden nooks only explorable at low tide. Pack a bag, grab your kids, friends or whoever you like travel with or without, sunscreen, and hit the road for some fresh air — and a fresh list of things to do in Wilmington this spring or summer.
(Re)Discovering Wilmington greenspacesArt museums, carnivorous gardens, and lesser-known parks
Photo: Alan Cradick/Cameron Art Museum
Even if you’ve already been to the Cameron Art Museum, where the galleries are full of thought-provoking pieces, put it back on your list — a new era of Civil War storytelling is unfolding. Since late 2021, Boundless, a sculpture honoring and depicting the United States Colored Troops (USCT), has celebrated these heroes on the ground where they quite literally marched. Sculptor Stephen Hayes even connected with descendants of some of the troops to model for the sculpture. And in fall 2022, North Carolina’s first USCT Park will open right here on the museum grounds with Boundless as its focal point. Consider this your chance to see the “before” shot.
Over in Airlie Gardens, stop by in spring and summer for some astounding blooms, as it seems everything in the garden is brought to you in technicolor. This includes the butterfly house and soon-to-open public art exhibit: a dozen or so rabbit-themed sculptures painted, decorated, and adorned by local artists. For something wilder but just as family friendly, don’t get too close to the flora at the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden, a spot full of Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, and more hard-to-believe greenery. The Venus flytrap is native to these parts, found growing wild only in a 75-mile radius around Wilmington — making it a rare beauty indeed.
Look for more animal and plant life around Greenfield Park as you walk, jog, or bike the 5-mile loop around the eponymous lake. You can also opt for an afternoon at the playground or skate park, or head out to explore the lake by pedal boat, kayak, or canoe.
Make your way to Fort Fisher to get up close and personal with marine life at the North Carolina Aquarium. Stroll through the outdoor gardens to meet Maverick, the aquarium’s rescued bald eagle. Energetic children can climb around on Adventure Reef, the aquarium’s outdoor interactive play area. This year, there are new exhibits to experience: the Caribbean Corals habitat, a mega-sized jellyfish exhibit, and two rescued owls.
Skaters take note: Bring your deck, because Greenfield Lake isn’t the only skate park around. Ogden Park features a 10,000-foot concrete paradise complete with bowl, rails, ramps, and steps.
On the waterNature sanctuaries, sand dunes, and private cruises
Photo: Wilmington and Beaches
If you’d rather get your outdoor fix in larger doses — picture sweeping views of the colorful coast, vibrant marsh grasses, and cobalt waves — then it’s time to explore by water. Arrange a guided kayak or paddleboard trip to Masonboro Island Reserve, a pristine barrier island and bird sanctuary south of Wrightsville Beach. Families can also get to the island via a cruise with Blockade Runner Surf to Sound Adventures. Or, at the south end of Fort Fisher, connect with Kayak Carolina and Cape Fear Paddleboarding for gear and tips that’ll lead you to Zeke’s Island Reserve, another wildlife-rich nature preserve on our scenic stretch of coast.
On your way down to Zeke’s Island, make sure to take a look at the coquina rock formation in Kure Beach (you’ll need to be there at low tide). Folks don’t expect to find rocks here, and these aren’t normal formations — they’re composed almost entirely of ancient shells and fossils. And on Thursdays, June through August, Kure Beach’s Up and Active program brings a festive atmosphere for the whole family to the Kure Beach Ocean Front Park & Pavilion with music, games, face painting, and more (including fossil hunting, if you time it right).
This area’s network of trails — hiking, walking, jogging, and biking — are also substantial. Fort Fisher State Historic Site is home to paths that cross the earthworks of this former Civil War gun emplacement, and at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, you can hike the dunes and shore to the World War II bunker that housed the Fort Fisher Hermit for decades. Meanwhile, you’ll find more flytraps in Carolina Beach State Park, where sandy trails also lead to Sugarloaf Dune, an important landmark for sailors dating back to the Civil War and even today.
But you don’t have to get into the woods and wilds to find a path. The Island Greenway trail system will guide you around Carolina Beach for a little exercise and sightseeing. It doubles as a great way to admire the Carolina Beach Mural Project — look for eight (soon to be 11) murals by local artists, including some talented youth, inspired by this place and its people.
The Wrightsville Beach Loop (a local favorite) is another spot that dishes out steps with a side of gorgeous views. Then there are the River to the Sea Bikeway and Gary Shell Cross-City Trail, both of which meander through neighborhoods from Wrightsville Beach to the Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington, passing ponds, creeks, and the picturesque UNC Wilmington campus along the way.
Last but not least, in Carolina Beach, there’s one adventure that’s simultaneously wild and takes it easy: Get a permit for off-road driving and head onto the sand at Freeman Park Recreation Area for exceptional fishing and sunsets you just can’t beat.
Tip: If you’re traveling with a large crew, look into the Family Beach Party option from Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours & Water Taxi, a private boat tour and shore excursion for up to 20 guests. In Carolina Beach, Island Cruises sails their Caribbean-style catamaran, Island Explorer, on sunset cruises and even moonlit outings complete with dancing under the stars. There’s also Salty Ventures, whose trips range from 2-hour private cruises to day-long adventures, sunset sailings, and more.
Al fresco rewardsFresh seafood, Carolina ‘cue, craft brews, and more
Photo: Wilmington and Beaches
There are loads of restaurants in Wilmington where you can grab a bite — or something to sip — and enjoy it in the sunshine. Butts-N-Such, in Carolina Beach, serves up barbecue, burgers, seafood, and sides if you’re hankering for Carolina classics. On Wilmington’s Riverwalk, Sauce’d is all about fries and sauces to share while you stroll and take in the sunset. Or you can head to aView Rooftop Bistro, an elevated eatery perched atop the new Aloft Wilmington at Coastline Center.
Leave time to explore Wilmington’s busting-at-the-seams beer scene, a sip-by-sip journey that’s nothing short of robust. Besides popular al fresco spots like Flytrap Brewing and Flying Machine Brewing Company, Waterman’s Brewing Company has a great outdoor space plus games (cornhole, giant Jenga, and the like) and a menu of food and beverages that’ll keep both kids and adults happy. Good Hops Brewing, in Carolina Beach, ups the ante with an 18-hole disc golf course.
Some exciting transplant breweries have taken root in Wilmington as well. Hi-Wire Brewing keeps 21 taps flowing with seasonal sours and a solid lineup of core brews, often accompanied by a roster of food trucks. The dog-friendly patio at Catawba Brewing pairs well with their kitchen offerings and the two dozen brews on tap. And Ponysaurus Brewing Co.’s second taproom is in the heart of downtown. Opening in summer 2022, this Durham-based brewery will be a welcome addition to our rich and growing beer community. Welcome to Wilmington, y’all.
AirTags are essential for travelers
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“2 items were left behind,” the alert chirped on my iPhone minutes after leaving the hotel. I turned the car around and returned to the room to retrieve my wallet and camera bag. Tucked inside each, Apple AirTags silently guarded the belongings I had forgotten to take with me.
AirTags are the latest addition to the Apple ecosystem. AirTags are Bluetooth trackers connected to Apple’s Find My network, and each is slightly larger than an American quarter and as thick as four of them. Using accessories to attach AirTags to luggage, wallets, vehicles, and keys, users can track their whereabouts.
After a thousand miles of road trips, shuffling between hotels, restaurants, and hiking trails, AirTags have kept track of my belongings. It has given me peace of mind to know that I would likely recover my stuff if something was forgotten, lost, or stolen.
Traveling with AirTags is now an indispensable part of my routine.
AirTag vs. TileTile has been in the tracking business since 2012. Like Apple’s AirTag, Tile uses devices that you attach to your belongings. Thanks to a Bluetooth connection between the tracker and the Tile app on any smartphone, you can follow your possessions anywhere they go.
But that’s where the similarities end.
Tile offers a diverse lineup of four trackers. At $24.99, the Tile Mate is their least expensive tracker and most comparable to AirTag. The Tile Mate has a handy loophole so that you can easily attach it to your belongings. Using Tile’s app, users can play a sound to help locate the device when it’s nearby, and vice versa, double pressing a button on the Tile plays a sound on the phone.
Tile’s trackers are activated with a smartphone using their dedicated app for Android and iOS. Devices are tracked when within range of any smartphone with their app installed. With the app’s free plan, users can see their devices on a map, but you’ll have to pay $29.99 per year for the Premium membership to receive Smart Alerts when you leave something behind.
Apple AirTags are very different.
Debuting in early 2021, the $29 AirTag is only available in one size – it’s 1.26-inches wide and 0.25-inches thick. The minimalist device does not have a loophole or self-adhesive backing, instead relying on accessories to attach the devices to belongings. AirTag can only be activated with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, limiting who can use the device, but also creating the most significant advantage of Apple’s trackers.
Tiles and AirTags communicate via Bluetooth with any Tile app or Find My app, respectively, secretly sharing their location across the network. But only the owners of the trackers can locate them using the Tile app on a smartphone or Find My app on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or MacBook. The biggest difference, though, is the size of the network. Tile has sold approximately 35 million devices to date and can only be tracked with smartphones. Apple, however, has approximately one billion iPhones, iPads, Macs, and MacBooks connected to the Find My network, greatly increasing the chances a lost device can be quickly found.
Users pay nothing extra for all the essential functions of the Find My app — smart alerts if you leave something behind, live tracking of all your devices on a map, and audio alerts to help you find lost items nearby.
AirTag Accessories: Keyrings, card cases, luggage tags, and stickersA lack of loophole or self-adhesive backing is the most significant disadvantage of an AirTag. But like glitzy cases for AirPods, custom bands for Apple Watches, and a plethora of gadgets for iPhones, there is an aftermarket of accessories for traveling with AirTags.
Keyrings for AirtagsApple’s leather keyring is available in several colors, but at $35, it’s ironically more expensive than the AirTag. Belkin’s keyring is a mere $12.95, and their secure keyring features an anti-theft wire cable for $19.95.
Credit card cases for AirTags
Photo: Jason Barnette
Credit card cases for the AirTag are popular on Amazon, with options as low as $12.95 for two. Designed to slide into wallets and purses easily, the cases are as thick as five credit cards, so you’ll need to make some room for the AirTag.
Stickers for AirTagsPelican’s Protector Series offers the only self-adhesive mounting option for AirTag for $19.99. The molded plastic case securely fastens the tracker to any hard surface.
AirTags luggage tagApple’s AirTag Leather Loop is an easy way to attach the tracker to luggage. It’s available in several colors for $39.99. This $19.99 Secret AirTag Leather Luggage Tag uses a buckle strap to attach to luggage and features an information card and hidden compartment for an AirTag.
Traveling with AirTags: How to use the devices bestHide your AirTags! Don’t let potential thieves see them! Photo: Bandersnatch/Shutterstock
AirTags take less than 30 seconds to put into action; all you need to do is pull the plastic tab on the AirTag, connect the battery to the device, and register it to your Apple ID. Now, the AirTag can be tracked on any device — iPhone, iPad, Mac, and MacBook – connected to the same Apple ID.
After I set up my four AirTags and their many accessories (two minutes in total), it was time to figure out where I would use these devices.
Hide your AirTags for more securityAlthough keyrings and stylish leather straps make it tempting to hang an AirTag from the handle of a rolling suitcase or the strap of a camera bag, these are the worst places to attach a tracking device. Find clever places to hide the devices rather than attach them in the open where nefarious thieves could quickly identify and remove them.
The two-pack card cases came into use with my wallet and laptop bag. I removed a few unused cards from my wallet and slid the AirTag into one of the sleeves. In my laptop bag, I slid the AirTag into a pocket within a pocket for ultimate security.
Photo: Jason Barnette
I used only one keyring, attaching an AirTag to my key fob. And I even placed an AirTag into a hidden compartment in my vehicle.
In my luggage, I usually tuck an AirTag into a rolled pair of socks. In my camera bag, I sneak an AirTag into a small inside pocket.
Remember that Airtags are waterproofIn my day hiking bag, I drop an AirTag into the water reservoir compartment — with an IP67 rating, AirTags can remain submerged in up to three feet of water for an hour.
If I leave my wallet or keys behind, I’m alerted right away. And if someone were to snag my camera bag or take my car for a joy ride, I know within seconds. It has given me comfort as I travel which is far more valuable than the money I spent on AirTags and accessories.
Now, if only I could remember where I put my sunglasses.
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