Matador Network's Blog, page 577
September 20, 2021
10 soulful beach AirBnbs for the perfect SoCal yoga retreat
Famed for its beautiful beaches and almost year-round sunshine, Southern California has long been a mecca for health, wellness, and mindful living. The best way to do this is to create your own personalized weekend or week-long retreat and rent one of these beachside California yoga retreat Airbnbs for a mind-body reset beside the waves. Dotted along the coast from San Diego to Malibu these ten Airbnbs are ideal for solo travelers, couples, and friend groups looking to get their flow on, SoCal style.
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.
West Coast Ohana in Pacific Beach
Photo: Airbnb
Live like a “PB” local in this bright and spacious studio three blocks from the boardwalk and Crystal Pier in one of San Diego’s buzziest beach neighborhoods. The private yard has ample space for yoga mats, plus there’s a gas grill and patio dining set for eating outside. The cruiser bikes are another nice touch (there are plenty of bars and restaurants nearby), while the stylish interior reveals modern amenities, a queen-size murphy bed and fold-out couch that sleeps two.
Four guests, two beds
Price: $142 a night
Photo: Airbnb
It’s a five-minute walk to La Jolla’s famous surfing beach, Windansea, from this artsy standalone cottage whose patio garden enjoys panoramic ocean and canyon views making it a fabulous spot to bring the yoga mats as well. Also amazing? The outdoor hot tub, which is where you’ll want to enjoy a soak or two. Eclectically decorated, the living room is designed for relaxing and features a cool mid-century Malm fireplace perfect for curling up beside on a rare rainy day.
Four guests, one bedroom
Price: $302 a night
Photo: Airbnb
Wake up and fall asleep to the sound of the ocean at this stylish home in Solana Beach – another of north San Diego’s most desirable coastal communities. Pull back the sliding doors and enjoy a morning flow series from the deck before heading to nearby beaches Fletcher Cove or Tide Park for the day, or simply enjoy the space, which features plenty of seating areas to kick back in and soak up those Pacific Ocean views.
Six guests, two bedrooms
Price: $714 a night
Photo: Airbnb
Traveling yogi couples will love the spacious deck at this impeccably styled home in the coveted North County San Diego surfer enclave of Cardiff. It might not boast ocean views, but the beach is just two blocks away, while the grill and a fire pit make cooking, dining and socializing outside a breeze. Inside, look forward to lots of luxe details like original artwork and Belgian linen quilts.
Six guests, two bedrooms
Price: $368 a night
Photo: Airbnb
Leafy palms and avocado trees shade the private garden area of this little hideaway home west of Highway 101 in the low-key SoCal surf town of Encinitas. Restaurants, shops, and local hangout Beacon’s Beach are within blocks of the casita, which is bright, modern, tastefully appointed, and stocked with everything you could need from wine glasses to a washer dryer.
Two guests, one bedroom/studio hybrid
Price: $200 a night
Photo: Airbnb
Thanks to its prime location along Oceanside’s iconic Strand, you’ll catch the sunset and occasional dolphin pod while moving through a few flows on the balcony of this 1940s-era villa. Quaint, contemporary and tastefully decorated, it’s perfect for two and superbly located with just a ten-minute walk south to reach locals-in-the-know O’side Prime and Buccaneer Beach, or north to the breweries, boutiques and coffee shops that downtown Oceanside has to offer.
Three guests, one bedroom
Price: $251 a night
Photo: Airbnb
With its private bluff-top setting, panoramic ocean views, and a private stairway to the beach below, the patio at this luxury home is perfect for yoga, meditation, or just blissful relaxation. Within walking distance of Laguna’s lifestyle hub, the HIP District, additional highlights include the in-ground swimming pool plus plenty of cozy spaces to socialize inside together.
Six guests, three bedrooms
Price: $3,795 a night
Photo: Airbnb
From the sensational backyard and covered patio to the rooftop deck, when it comes to outside space, you’ll be spoiled for choice at this contemporary three-story beach cottage. There’s a dedicated workout area complete with a PELOTON bike, plus entertaining spaces, including a hot tub and swimming pool if you don’t feel like walking a few steps to the beach.
Ten guests, four bedrooms
Price: $2,300 a night
Photo: Airbnb
Picture yourself with six of your favorite fellow yogis on the elegant deck at this sophisticated smart home, which also boasts a Gram-worthy indoor/outdoor pool, plus a rooftop space complete with a barbecue, mini-bar and fire pit for chilling out together in the evenings. Five minutes from the beach and close to restaurants and shops in Venice, the hosts also provide a concierge service and can coordinate everything from a private chef to travel services. Of all Southern California yoga retreat Airbnbs, this one defines the experience in the most appropriate manner.
Seven guests, four bedrooms
Price: $2,444 a night
Photo: Airbnb
This breezy and beautifully decorated open-plan apartment in Malibu is West Coast living at its finest and most fabulous. It’s got a nod from Conde Nast Traveler as one of the Top 7 Airbnbs in Los Angeles, too, no doubt thanks to the fantastic views from its oceanfront deck, which is just as perfect for asanas, stretching and meditation sessions as it is for romantic sunset drinks. 
Two guests, one bedroom
Price: $514 a night
The post 10 soulful beach AirBnbs for the perfect SoCal yoga retreat appeared first on Matador Network.
Grab your crew and book these Oaxaca and CDMX Airbnbs for Dia de los Muertos
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated throughout Mexico on November 1st and November 2nd. Each town observes these days in its own unique way. Families gather together to build ofrendas (an altar to honor those who are no longer here) and to eat special Day of the Dead meals, and many Mexicans go to el panteón (the cemetery) to decorate the graves with cempasuchil flowers, candles, and music. The celebrations then pour onto the streets with parades and parties, and the result is a blend of profound remembrance and crazy fun that only Mexicans can create. Here are the best Airbnbs for Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca City and Mexico City, two of the most visited destinations.
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.
Best Airbnbs for Dia de los Muertos in OaxacaBrand new apartment in the heart of town
Photo: Airbnb
This two-story unit is part of a four-apartment complex, and it’s located just two blocks away from el Zócalo. Modern, clean, well equipped, and spotless, several guests have defined it as “the best Airbnb experience I’ve ever had.” The apartment is tucked back into the property so it’s quiet, and it has a shared, festive interior courtyard where guests can relax after a long day. There is a washing machine guests can use for free and, as an extra, there is a small coffee shop outside that will bring you breakfast to the room!
Four guests, two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Entire house with terrace in the historic center
Photo: Airbnb
Located in the center of town, this typical colonial Oaxacan house hosts up to eight people. It has a bathroom in every story and plenty of room for kids. The terrace offers an excellent view of the city, and the price ($40 per night) is simply unbeatable.
Eight guests, three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Price: $40 per night
Photo: Airbnb
This funky house owned by local artists is a ten-minute walk from the center of town (Zócalo), and a few blocks from the traditional market Sánchez Pascuas. Its three private rooms are ideal for solo travelers who want to immerse themselves in the community. The house has plenty of spaces to relax and to create art. Former guests have loved the well-stocked library, the terrace, and the excellent wifi.
Two guests, one bedroom, one private bathroom
Price: $43 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Perfect for a family vacation, this colorful, spacious, newly remodeled colonial house can host up to ten people. Each one of the three bedrooms has a private bathroom and an air conditioning unit. The most celebrated features are the interior patio/dining space, and the terrace. Free tea and coffee, and housekeeping service twice a week.
Ten guests, three bedrooms, four bathrooms
Price: $186 per night
Recently remodeled 200-year-old house with a swimming pool
Photo: Airbnb
Are you into time-traveling without losing comfort? This epic house is from the early 1800s, and it was originally built out of clay and wood on a solid rock foundation. It’s been recently renovated in a two-year process that honored its original architecture and building techniques. Located in a quiet and mainly pedestrian cobblestone street, the property is only a seven-minute walk from the center of town. The patio, the terrace, the spacious bedrooms, and the pool make it ideal for one or two families with kids.
Eight guests, two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Price: $306 per night
Photo: Airbnb
This impeccable apartment is close to everything and is very well equipped. But it’s the view from the terrace that makes it so special. It offers an ideal space to enjoy a cup of local coffee or to cool off after a day of exploring while enjoying the richness of the Oaxacan skies.
Two guests, one bedroom, one bathroom
Price: $47 per night
Photo: Airbnb
A red wall decorated with Mexican sacred hearts (also called “milagritos”)? Every regular traveler to Mexico needs to stay in a place with this feature at least once. The loft is cozy and clean, and well-located for easy access to the city’s festivities.
Two guests, one bedroom, one bathroom
Price: $35 per night
Photo: Airbnb
This apartment is right in the center of town, has lots of sunlight, and, from the balcony, one can see one of the most iconic views of the city, the dome of the Church of Santo Domingo. On the rooftop, there is a gym, a garden, and panoramic views of downtown, the mountains, and the valley. What else do you need to feel like you are in Mexico City?
Four guests, one bedroom, one bathroom
Price: $28 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Casa Sauto was built in 1598 on Tacuba Street, one of the first three streets of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, and it was renovated in 2018. The property is now classically decorated with restored original furniture. The luxury suites are fully equipped and they offer 24/7 guest service.
Eight guests, two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Price: $170 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Located on a quiet street in the center of Colonia Condesa, this one-bedroom apartment is full of natural light with amazing views of the city’s sunsets. Walkable to great coffee shops and restaurants, it has an awesome outdoor patio.
Two guests, one bedroom, one bathroom
Price: $68 per night
Photo: Airbnb
Photo: condesa-family-apartment-best-airbnbs-for-dia-de-los-muertos.jpg
Credit: https://airbnb.pvxt.net/VyN09k
This Condesa apartment is located on the 9th floor and it has amazing views. It’s within walking distance of restaurants, coffee shops, and grocery stores. The two bedrooms/two bathrooms and the proximity of both Chapultepec and Parque España make it perfect for young families.
Four guests, two bedrooms, two bathrooms
Price: $71 per night
The post Grab your crew and book these Oaxaca and CDMX Airbnbs for Dia de los Muertos appeared first on Matador Network.
How forest bathing helped me find a new sense of peace in California wine country
On my most recent trip to Sonoma County, California, fresh out of extended quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I vowed to thrust myself into a new adventure. Om this trip, I’d do something that didn’t involve umpteen pours of sultry Russian River Valley pinot noir or crisp Alexander Valley chardonnay, but was still linked to the region’s terroir.
So I laced up my hiking shoes, put on a ballcap, and set off into the woods on a late-June afternoon with Red Car Wine Company. I was here for company’s small group forest-bathing experience on the Zephyr Farms seven-acre vineyard in Freestone, near the Sonoma coast, which is led by local certified forest-therapy guide Jenny Harrow-Keeler of EcoWisdom.
Forest bathing is based on the Japanese art of relaxing called shinrin-yoku. It’s all about slowing down and noticing what’s around you in nature in order to, as the thinking goes, regulate one’s nervous system. This isn’t some ancient form of healing. The Japanese coined the term and practice in the 1980s in response to workers in Japan dying of stress. They observed that time in nature could be as, if not more, healing than popping pills. Forest bathing received renewed attention in the United States during the pandemic as many people rushed to get outside.
But forest bathing isn’t just a walk in the woods. It’s full-on meditative.
I took a deep breath as I stood in a circle with nine others in a clearing, my feet hip’s width apart and my arms flat at my sides, hands outstretched. Although I’ve practiced yoga for about 10 years and have many helpful techniques in my tool kit for destressing, this was an entirely new experience. My mind was already spinning with what I would need to do next, an unfortunate casualty of an overactive brain and type-A personality.
Photo: Red Car Wine/Facebook
“What I love about forest bathing is we don’t have to be on a mat,” Harrow-Keeler said as our eyes remained closed, the wind whistling around us and creating a sort of cocoon. “There’s really no right or wrong way to do it. This is a way for us to kind of slow things down.”
Slow down I did as I finally settled into the rare moment of being in the woods in some country on a weekday afternoon rather than at my computer or in a winery tasting room. Did you know that trees creak? A tinny, high-pitched whine vibrated out of the redwoods, the world’s largest tree species, towering above us in the clearing. The sound was haunting and raw, and as rhythmic as a playground’s seesaw. Everything came after the tree including us.
“Now stick out your tongue,” Harrow-Keeler said. “What does the air taste like?” I opened my mouth, slipped my tongue out into the cool, damp air, and closed my eyes, knowing the Pacific Ocean was seven miles to the west. Minerality in the sea. Sweet perfume. The warm smell of wild mushrooms foraged in a place just like this and the smoky undertones embedded in the forest floor.
Our next task was to walk very slowly from the clearing to the vineyard located no more than the equivalent of half a city block away. Harrow-Keeler encouraged us not to rush — a real challenge for a fast walker like me. The deeper we walked into the forest, and then out, the quieter it became. A carpet of brittle leaves crunched beneath us each time we moved, shifting our weight from one leg to the next. We filled our lungs with fresh air, knowing the red wines and zesty white wines would come later.
I used to return from walks and remark that there either was a breeze or there wasn’t. But in that moment I clearly saw the different speeds in the breeze. “It’s not about being taught something new. It’s about remembering,” Harrow-Keeler explained. We know how to walk in the woods. But do we take walks often enough? I realized I don’t.
Photo: Red Car Wine/Facebook
Out of the forest and walking through a row of vines, the soles of my boots struggled to find footing along the uneven soil. Wind whistled through the vines, which were flush with wild, unpruned leaves that nearly covered up what we would later call “baby grapes.” Taking 10 minutes for this walk felt like a lifetime as I took in all that surrounded me: the varied shapes of leaves, the McMansion under construction on the hillside, the fact that the ocean feels near even though we can’t see it.
Few Sonoma County experiences are sans wine — including this one. At the end of the forest bathing, Harrow-Keeler invited participants to sip a glass each of Red Car Wine Company’s chardonnay and pinot noir in a different way than you did pre-forest bathing. On the trip, Harrow-Keeler noted that wine is one of the few beverages where you’re able to smell and taste the earth.
“It’s really not about being taught something new. It’s about remembering,” Harrow-Keeler said about the forest bathing. “My invitation to you when you get home is to keep on noticing.”
The post How forest bathing helped me find a new sense of peace in California wine country appeared first on Matador Network.
An inside look at the massive new immersive Meow Wolf art experience in Denver
The best way to describe what it’s like to visit Convergence Station, Meow Wolf’s latest installation in Denver, is that the experience is an intricate choose-your-own-adventure journey through an immersive fantasy world. For fans of Meow Wolf, Convergence Station expands on the art and storytelling that made the Santa Fe-based group famous. For those unfamiliar with the concept, it may take awhile to understand what, exactly, Convergence Station is.
Regardless of which camp you fall into, one thing is for sure: You’ve probably seen nothing else like it.
Convergence Station is Meow Wolf’s third permanent installation. The inside is like a movie set, but one where you’re the main character and you can explore the world of Convergence Station however you see fit. At the heart, the concept is that you’re in a location where multiple universes and timelines have mashed together, and Convergence Station is the portal where you can jump off to see who (and in many cases what) ended up at stopping point.
Joanna Garner, the senior narrative creative director, and James Longmire, the story development director, told me that more than a dozen local and national writers spent years working on the narrative. It’s easy to get lost in each artist’s interpretation, but, as Garner and Longmire explained, it all connects to a larger theme with subtle ties between the various Meow Wolf locations through characters and conflicts.
“There’s no wrong path because you are your own guide,” Longmire says. “But as you go through, just under the surface there lies a cosmic mystery of four forgotten women and the gateway to the infinite.”
Photo: Nickolaus Hines
More than 300 creatives — including sculptors, writers, digital artists, and more — collaborated to put it together, including 110 Colorado artists. Meow Wolf puts inclusion front and center. According to Meow Wolf, of the Colorado artists, 51 percent identify as female, 20 percent identify as LGBTQ+, and 38 percent are people of color.
Accessibility was a central theme in building out the space. One room shows the perspective of someone who is in a wheelchair, and an old bus with the nearby Sun Valley neighborhood listed as its destination has posters and plaques that reference Denver’s Gang of 19 that helped ignite the disability rights movement in the late 1970s. A plaque in the lobby states that “Convergence Station is on the ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute people. We pay respect to the Indigenous people: their ancestors, their thriving communities of today, and their knowledge keeps of tomorrow.”
Photo: Nickolaus Hines
In the cafe, called HELLOFOOD, there are local options like Combi Tacos and Stokes Poke from chef Alejandro Flores-Munoz, Copper Door Coffee from Denver’s first entirely female-owned coffee roaster, and beer from Upslope Brewing.
The 90,000-square-feet location is the group’s biggest yet. The four floors have a 488-person capacity and are decked out with hundreds of installations, a retail and event space, and a cafe.
The theme is obvious from the start. On the outside of the building, a painting designed to show the hecticness of people coming together. I’m instantly reminded of trying to figure out the subway lines in my first years living in New York City, or an aerial view of the highway system in Dallas.
Photo: Nickolaus Hines
Inside the lobby, the sound of an old train sign ticker fills the air as if you’re in an empty Grand Central Station when the departure times were listed on split-flap boards before everything went digital. The lobby is also where you’ll start and end this choose-your-own-adventure story (along with where you’ll find the cafe and gift shop). The imagery along the ceiling was inspired by Hubble Telescope images and spray painted using about 130 cans.
The whole thing has been years in the making, and it’s clear there’s plenty of interest. Meow Wolf sold 35,000 tickets in the first hour of opening them up. Prime-time tickets can be hard to come by today, though weekday tickets are more available.
Photo: Nickolaus Hines
In the Convergence Station world, every character’s memories jumbled together when the timelines and worlds collided. These memories are what guide the experience. At the heart of this world are Oss stones that store memories. Citizens mixed up memories as they came together in Convergence Station, the story goes, and they use the convergence exchange to share and transfer crystals that preserve them.
You can interact with these characters as you activate features built into each exhibit using personal radio-frequency identification cards (RFIDs) called a QPass. The lighting may change when certain RFIDs are activated in a specific sequence or at the same time, for example, or a “memory” of a character in the world may play. Your QPass remembers which memories you’ve interacted with, and unlocking certain sets of memories reveals new parts of the story that people can take a (admittedly very deep) dive into. Or not — you can just as much enjoy seeing the exhibits as one-off rooms. The Access To Memory (ATM) stations serve as a dashboard of the inventory of memories you’ve collected. Visitors keep them and can jump back into the same spot they previously saw on multiple trips.
Photo: Nickolaus Hines
In one room, the artist drew from experiences with a family member who had dementia. The room itself had artistic touches that were reminiscent of a brain, and home videos play on screens implanted into the walls. It’s a blend of the theme of memories and intergalactic convergence mixed with the artist’s personal touch — a common theme throughout. In another hallway, a Colombian artist created a piece filled with colors that call back to the country’s naturally colorful river Caño Cristales. One room was a fever dream of a pizza place that went a little too far.
It can get dark in a Stranger Things-esque way that plays off of historical events from the 1980s. For example, the Rats Nest, which imagines an alternate parallel timeline where the Soviet Union won the Miracle on Ice and sent America into a downward spiral. Some in this timeline are forced underground like the Ninja Turtles and they gene splice with rats. True to the interactivity throughout, there’s a Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots game people can play with giant rats instead of robots.
Photo: Nickolaus Hines
One personal favorite is called Gremlin Symphony, which is from the perspective of an engineer who escaped into the multiverse. To cure his loneliness, he turned instruments into sentient beings. Insead of words, they talk through music, and the piano, drums, and other instruments built into the wall “talk” through the music they play autonomously.
The lights, sounds, and colors can be a lot. For that, there are decompression rooms available for anyone feeling overwhelmed.
Photo: Nickolaus Hines
While walking through the various rooms, my guide had a repeating line that seemed to come up often: “We’ve found this is a very popular selfie spot.” Sometimes that selfie spot took the form of a digital installation of a wall covered in a spinning black and white pattern, other times it was a maze of a colorful room filled with mirrors. It seems that the place was just as designed for interaction with the artists and story as it was for interacting with the pieces through Instagram-friendly photos.
After you’ve made your own path through and taken the selfies that you prefer, you may find yourself wanting to dig deeper. In fact, you might find yourself wanting to dig deeper after multiple visits judging by what I saw on an expedited two-plus hour tour. Thankfully, Convergence Station is here to stay in Denver.
The post An inside look at the massive new immersive Meow Wolf art experience in Denver appeared first on Matador Network.
The best fall trip to Wilmington, NC
There’s never a bad time to visit Wilmington and Beaches, North Carolina. But if there’s a better time to make the trip, it might just be fall.
Trust me on this. I’m a local, and even though I get to experience our beautiful beaches — Carolina, Kure, and Wrightsville — and historic downtown year-round, I’m partial to autumn. Why? The weather’s perfect, there’s less competition for a spot on the sand, and downtown stays alive with activity. And because I want you to love this area like I do, I’ve put together some of my favorite fall activities you should experience on your visit. Grab your spouse, tell your partner, or text the group, then pack some bags for a fall getaway in Wilmington. Here’s what you can look forward to.
Getting outdoors in Wilmington and Beaches
Photo: Wilmington and Beaches
Sunny days, cooler nights, and the lack of summer humidity make for near-perfect weather in Wilmington throughout fall. That means it’s prime time to go outside and have some fun: Pay a visit to one of our bike rental shops — like City Bicycle Company or Wrightsville Beach Bikes and Boards — grab some wheels, and then hop on the River to Sea Bikeway. It’s an 11-mile trip that takes you from the Cape Fear River, through the heart of Historic Downtown Wilmington, past stately homes, along tree-lined streets, and out to Wrightsville Beach, where you’ll end your mini Tour de Wilmington at Johnnie Mercers Pier. (You can take a quick dip in the ocean to cool off before you head back!) And with farmers markets at either end, you can get a fresh taste of what life here is like, too.
For even more leisurely views, go for a long walk or run on the Gary Shell Cross-City Trail, a 15-mile multi-use trail that carries you through several neighborhoods, along the flanks of the University of North Carolina Wilmington campus (my favorite stretch), and out to Wrightsville Beach. The trail ends near the Loop at Wrightsville Beach, a 2.5-mile path that circles town, crossing the Intracoastal Waterway twice and putting you steps from the sand.
If you’re into something a bit woodsier, head south of Wilmington to Carolina Beach State Park. There, a pair of trails will lead you through the piney woods and along the river to discover Sugarloaf, a huge sand dune that’s been a landmark for boaters on the river since the city was first settled in 1734. And along the Flytrap Trail, you can actually see the Venus flytrap, a strange and beautiful carnivorous plant that’s native to these parts. For an outdoor stroll at another state park, take a walk along the scenic Basin Trail at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, getting a good look at the marshes, creeks, and patches of woods that draw hikers, artists, and kayakers ready to explore.
And then there are the gardens and lakes: Greenfield Lake — south of downtown — is encircled by a paved, five-mile walking trail, but you can also picnic, rent watercraft, or even do a little fishing here (I like it for the birdwatching and a long, leisurely walk). Near the Intracoastal Waterway and its complex of creeks and marshes, you’ll find the New Hanover County Arboretum and Airlie Gardens. The arboretum encompasses seven acres of beautifully planted and manicured gardens, each themed around seasonality, specific flowers and plantings, or a particular aesthetic. It’s a lovely place you shouldn’t miss, especially if you’re a gardener. Airlie Gardens, meanwhile, is home to one of the most beautiful live oak trees around. It’s been standing for more than 475 years, and the spread of its branches is like something from a fairytale.
Drinks and tunes — “downtime” done right
Photo: Wilmington and Beaches
You can’t come here and not take a little downtime to check out our food, beer, and nightlife. We’ve got a bevy of breweries to visit, some excellent wine bars, and a cocktail scene that’s worth an entire itinerary of its own.
For stellar beer within walking distance of downtown, there’s Front Street Brewery (our city’s first and oldest craft brewery, and home to one of North Carolina’s largest bourbon collections), Flytrap Brewing (specializing in Belgian and American styles), and Hi-Wire Brewing (their Pink Lemonade session sour is a personal favorite). Near Wrightsville you have Wrightsville Beach Brewery, which serves up tasty food to go with a long lineup of pours. And if you’re in Carolina Beach, drop in at Good Hops Brewing for a pint or two and some disc golf.
You can always grab a bite and a drink at one of our rooftop bars or patios, where the views are as good as what’s in the glass. Cloud 9 Rooftop Bar looks out onto downtown and the Cape Fear River; Smoke on the Water pairs great food and drink with a side of exceptional river views; and Ocean Grill & Tiki Bar in Carolina Beach brings more ocean vistas, along with live music and tasty bites.
And if you’re like me and you love nothing more than seeing a concert, then you’ve got to come to Wilmington. The newly opened Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park seats around 7,500 and has already secured big acts like Widespread Panic, Counting Crows, and Lady A; comedians such as Jim Gaffigan and Trevor Noah have also graced the stage. Greenfield Lake Amphitheater — currently my favorite venue in town — sees acts like Band of Horses, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Thievery Corporation, and Rodrigo y Gabriela (those are just some of the shows coming up this fall). Smaller venues like Satellite Bar and Lounge, Bourgie Nights and sister bar Earnest Money & Sons, The Blind Elephant, The Palm Room, and SeaWitch Café & Tiki Bar play host to smaller touring acts and up-and-coming local performers.
Learning a little Wilmington and Beaches history
Photo: Wilmington and Beaches
Downtown Wilmington is full of historic homes, and while you’re free to wander on foot and explore the oak-lined streets on your own, make time to hop on a horse-drawn carriage tour with Springbrook Farms. The tour takes you through the historic district, letting you enjoy the view while the driver tosses you fascinating tidbits about the architecture and history of Wilmington.
You can dive deeper by visiting the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History & Design, a stunning home a few blocks’ walk from downtown. The museum preserves the house and tells the full story of the property, its owners, and the enslaved people who once resided there. Nearby, both the Latimer House Museum and Burgwin-Wright House & Gardens give you even more perspectives on our city and let you experience the homes, artifacts, and gardens of former residents. The Lower Cape Fear Historical Society has its offices in the Latimer House, so if you’ve got history questions, this is the place to ask; you can also join them on a tour.
Across the river sits the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA, a retired World War II battleship turned museum and war memorial. From combat in the Pacific Theater to the fight to save it from the scrapyard and bring it to Wilmington, this ship has tales to tell. A new cofferdam and walkway allow visitors to circle the ship at water-level and see it from all angles. Add that to the many decks there are to explore, and you’ve got a moving visit to one of the last remaining WWII battleships in the nation. It’s an experience that befits Wilmington as the inaugural American WWII Heritage City.
At the Cameron Art Museum — or the CAM, as we call it — you’ll find a well-curated selection of art in permanent and rotating exhibits. In November of 2021 they’ll unveil a new sculpture: a bronze-cast statue of the Wilmington United States Colored Troops. Commemorating Black soldiers’ experience during the Civil War, it’s located at the site of the Battle of Forks Road, where the US Colored Troops helped bring victory to the Union and remove Wilmington from the hands of the Confederacy.
You can get a couple more doses of culture at Thalian Hall Center for Performing Arts (which happens to be on the National Register of Historic Places) and The Wilson Center, both of which host plays and performances throughout the year. Thalian Hall, an ornate theater built in the 1850s as an opera house and the seat of city government, hosts theatrical productions and screens movies (classics, Oscar nominees, and foreign films) on a regular basis. The Wilson Center, only a few blocks away, brings Broadway-style productions and concerts to a modern theater that’s nothing short of fantastic.
Making time to feast
Photo: Wilmington and Beaches
When you come to Wilmington, come curious and hungry — we’re packed with places that’ll delight your taste buds and leave you sated. Dig into nouvelle Southern cuisine at downtown spots like Rx Restaurant and Bar, PinPoint Restaurant, manna (which, incidentally, has some of the best cocktails in the state), and Seabird. Each of these restaurants takes advantage of the best local seafood and produce available, using their relationships with farmers, anglers, and other suppliers to deliver outstanding meals.
Tip: Restaurants like EAST Oceanfront Dining, South Beach Grill, and Port Land Grille offer exceptional meals where you can dine al fresco.
Chills, thrills, and scares (even for the faint of heart)
Photo: Wilmington and Beaches
It wouldn’t be fall without something a little spooky — and in a town with a history as long as ours, there have to be a few ghosts hanging around, right? Join Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington and do a little paranormal investigation of your own on the streets of downtown, listening to stories of some of our best-known ghosts. You can also join a haunted pub crawl and add a pint or two to your research of the supernatural.
Next, head north to Poplar Grove, a former peanut plantation, for the Poplar Grove Paranormal Ghost Tour. You’ll hear about the spirits that haunt the house and wander the grounds while you search the rooms and shadowed corners for any lingering sign of the otherworldly. If that sounds like a bit much, you might prefer Poplar Grove’s Goosebumps in the Grove, a kid-friendly set of spooky stories. Or join the Halloween Ghost Trolley, where the stories are more on the friendly ghost and slightly spooky side. There’s also the Family Fall Festival at the Children’s Museum of Wilmington, a chance to celebrate the Halloween spirit — without upsetting any spirits in the process.
Wilmington is also home to a big movie studio (Screen Gems is one of the largest soundstages outside of Hollywood), and our film scene knows how to chill and thrill. The first movie filmed here was Stephen King’s Firestarter, and the most recent, Halloween Kills, hits theaters October 15, 2021 — we’re all excited (and a bit spooked) for the premier. For something timeless, Bellamy Mansion’s Monster Movie Madness at the Mansion brings a classic monster movie to the screen in a place that’s most definitely haunted.
In the end, you might not see any Wilmington ghosts on your fall trip, but you’ll definitely feel that Wilmington and Beaches spirit. And now you know why that’s something to look forward to.
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This road trip will take you to the most European towns in the American Midwest
Endless miles of scenic highways that wind coast to coast and meander around breathtaking natural wonders and ever-changing landscapes make hitting the open road second nature in the US. When it comes to the Midwest there’s often a misconception that it’s all about flyover states and repetitive countryside. But away from the big cities, industrial centers, and sprawling farmland, you can stumble upon some of the most European cities in America.
This road trip through the Midwest presents an itinerary for getting acquainted with what enticed the European settlers across the Atlantic and witnessing how their legacies are celebrated by ancestors. The journey starts in Holland, on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, before taking in the Swiss-styled New Glarus and Cornish mining town of Mineral Point. There’s time to uncover a little bit of Germany in Minnesota and visit Iowa’s rural Danish villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton, too. It all presents a veritable smorgasbord of cultures from the Old Continent without having to depart from North American shores.
Visit Michigan for tulips and windmills
Photo: Craig Sterken/Shutterstock
The banks of Lake Macatawa, which flows into Lake Michigan, mightn’t be the first place you’d imagine one of the most European cities in America. However, that’s where Albertus van Raalte and a group of Dutch Calvinist separatists made their home, called Holland, in 1847. Many immigrants arrived with the idea of finding a promised land, but it wasn’t always easy. Before things got good, the Dutch faced challenges from swamps, disease, and food shortages. Rumor has it that they also upset the native Ottawa people by stealing their sugar and meat — the Ottawas eventually moved north to protect their culture.
Make the Holland Museum your first stop for a glimpse into the town’s curious past and to peruse a collection of Dutch art. It stands on the northern side of Centenary Park, a social gathering point where tulip displays wrap around pathways. On the subject of the quintessentially Dutch tulip, you’ll see hundreds flourish in a kaleidoscope of colors from late-April to mid-May. The 12-mile-long Tulip Lanes, Veldheer Tulip Gardens, and Windmill Island Gardens are the best spots for this. The latter also houses De Zwaan, the only working Dutch windmill in the US. Head over to Nelis’ Dutch Village to experience a snapshot of daily life in the Netherlands. There’s cheese-making and tasting, clog carving workshops, and clog dancing performances alongside fairground fun for all ages.
Tip: Keep an eye on the Tulip Tracker for when and where to spot the emblematic flower during the annual Tulip Time Festival.
Visit Wisconsin for Swiss yodelers and Cornish pasties
Photo: New Glarus Hotel Restaurant/Facebook
From Holland, it’s a good five-hour drive around the southern shores of Lake Michigan and through Chicago’s western suburbs before hitting the undulating emerald pastures of Wisconsin. About 90 minutes in you’ll hit Indiana Dunes National Park, a worthy pitstop for a lakeside picnic, Dutch cheese bought in Holland included.
Once you reach Green County, Wisconsin, it’s easy to understand why the 100 or so Swiss immigrants swapped Switzerland’s Canton of Glarus for this fertile region in 1845. Over 150 years later, New Glarus maintains its cute Little Switzerland moniker and is one of the most European cities in America.
Wander around downtown New Glarus and you’ll notice the Swiss flag flying alongside the Star and Stripes outside alpine-style chalets. Many of the chalets double-up as artisan shops, cafés, and restaurants. For food, there’s typical pastries on offer at the New Glarus Bakery and raclette, rosti (potato fritter), and schnitzel to try at the New Glarus Hotel Restaurant. The Swiss Historical Village Museum does a great job of retelling the town’s history while the Chalet of the Golden Fleece Museum is an authentic recreation of a Swiss Alps chalet home.
There’s no shortage of cultural entertainment here, either. June’s Heidi Folk Festival and September’s Wilhelm Tell Pageant celebrate two of Switzerland’s most-famous folklore tales. And the almost century-old Mannerchor New Glarus yodeling group performs regularly throughout the year.
Back in the car, it’s a quick 30-mile cruise through rolling countryside along Interstate 39 to Mineral Point. In the early-to-mid-1800s Cornish miners came to seek their fortune after hearing of a wealth of mineral deposits located in the Driftless hills of Southwest Wisconsin. You can see how they lived at a collection of cottages, mine shafts and a pub preserved as the Pendarvis Historic Site. Then eat as the miners did by chowing down on a hearty Cornish pasty at the Red Rooster Café.
Tip: An alternative route to Wisconsin is to take the Lake Express car ferry from Muskegon (40 miles north of Holland) across Lake Michigan to Milwaukee.
Visit Minnesota for Bavarian beer and polka dancing
Photo: New Ulm, Minnesota… Having fun since 1854/Facebook
It’s another five-hour stint in the car from Mineral Point to our next stop, the beer-loving Bavarian city of New Ulm. German immigrants working for the Chicago Land Company established this city on the Minnesota River in 1854. When they named it after the medieval city of Ulm they probably had no idea that it would later become among the most European cities in America. This is in part thanks to the brewing traditions they brought with them. If you fancy a brew then there’s tours, tastings, and a taproom at August Schell Brewing Company. It’s one of the country’s oldest family owned breweries. In keeping with the hoppy heritage, the brewery and city host two all-singing, all dancing Oktoberfest festivals in October.
It’s not only about the beer in Minnesota’s Little Germany, though. The Rathskeller Restaurant and Bar, inside the Turner Hall, serves bratwurst sausages, pretzels, schnitzels, and other German staples. Art lovers will enjoy the restaurant’s murals that depict scenes from Germany. Around the city are some interesting landmarks such as the Glockenspiel at Schonlau Park. At timed intervals throughout the day the carillon’s 12 figurines perform to the chimes of 37 bells. Polka music was introduced to the city by the Sudeten Germans in the 1870s and can be witnessed live at the Minnesota Music Hall. Should you have the desire to take a piece of Germany with you then Domeier’s German Store has everything from cuckoo clocks to Christmas decorations.
Visit Iowa for Danish heritage and hygge
Photo: Henryk Sadura/Shutterstock
Leaving the sounds of glockenspiels and polka behind, our road trip moves south across the Wisconsin-Iowa state border to the self-styled The Danish Villages of Iowa. Kimballton and Elk Horn are the two largest Danish settlements in the country. Better still for roadtrippers, they’re located just three miles apart. Elk Horn is where most of the action is at, but Kimballton sets the scene on the way through with the Dannebrog Danish flag hoisted outside shops and homes.
Taking pride of place on Kimballton’s Main Street is the Little Mermaid Fountain, itself a wonderful recreation of the original Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. The fountain, of course, alludes to Hans Christian Andersen’s world-famous fairytale. Eight additional statues around the fountain celebrate more of Andersen’s revered works, including The Snow Queen and The Princess and the Pea.
In Elk Horn, The Museum of Danish America is an all-encompassing walk through Danish history. It’s set on a 35-acre property and home to an exhibition center and historical buildings. The 40,000-piece museum collection has everything from old photographs to a fishing boat and Lego models. Dominating the skyline at the southern end of Main Street is the Danish Windmill. The entire windmill complex features a replica Viking’s blacksmith and a model of the traditional Danish coastal town of Ebeltoft.
For food and drinks, Larsen’s Pub serves up one of Iowa’s finest breaded tenderloins and The Norse House Tavern has over a dozen beers on tap. If you happen to be around at the end of May then there’s folkloric music and Viking displays during Tivoli Fest. Meanwhile, Julefest celebrates the start of the Christmas season in late November and there’s usually plenty of frikadeller meatballs and glogg mulled wine to go around. This is perhaps when the villages best exude hygge, the Danish essence of creating a cozy atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life, with good people.
The scenic road homeThe drive back to the starting point of this European road trip is a fairly strenuous 8-hour journey. We suggest taking Highway 44 from Kimballton to drive through the eastern section of the Western Skies Scenic Byway. The byway is arguably the finest showcase of rural countryside and small town living in Iowa. Consider a stop at Starved Rock State Park, on the Illinois River, to break the rest of the long drive up. French explorers built a fort here in the winter of 1682-83 as a defense against English attacks. The fort has long since been destroyed but you can enjoy the park’s hiking trails, picnic areas, and watersports. There’s a campground if you want to feel like a real explorer, or the Starved Rock Lodge for a little more comfort.
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September 17, 2021
Van life mystery: Gabrielle Petito is missing and her fiancé is a person of interest
New York native Gabby Petito and fiancé Brian Laundrie set out on a cross-country road trip in their van, capturing and sharing their “van-life” adventures on social media. Now, Gabby is missing and Brian is not cooperating with the police.
According to NBC News, the couple set out on July 2 and documented their travels on Instagram, TikTok, and their YouTube channel, but on September 1, Brian returned to their Florida home in their van without Gabby.
On August 12, before Gabby went missing, police responded to a domestic violence call. Below is the body cam footage.
By September 11, Gabby’s family reported her missing. Gabby was last seen checking out of a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 24, and she last spoke with her family on August 25. Gabby’s mother told police that Gabby texted her on August 30, writing, “No service in Yellowstone.”
According to AP News, Brian is currently not cooperating with the police and is now considered a “person of interest” in the case. Gabby’s parents have reached out to Brian’s parents, pleading with them for help in finding their daughter.
This is the letter Gabby Petito’s parents wrote to Brian Laundrie’s parents today begging them for help. “I ask you to put yourselves in our shoes. We haven’t been able to sleep or eat and our lives are falling apart.” “Tell us if we are even looking in the right place.” pic.twitter.com/KMTGPnSyUd
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) September 16, 2021
The North Port Police have teamed up with Suffolk County Police and the FBI to search for Gabby.
Petito is 22-years-old, white, approximately 5 feet 5 inches, and 110 pounds. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and has several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that reads “let it be.”
If you have any information about Gabrielle Petito’s whereabouts, please call the FBI as soon as possible at 1-800-CALLFBI.
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These US islands are just as lovely to visit in the fall as they are in the summer
Movies about islands always seem to take place in the summer. Yet for many travelers, fall is a much better time to visit an island destination. The air might be a tad more brisk, but you can avoid the crowds that otherwise plague popular restaurants and venues in the summer, you’ll have the beaches all to yourself, and cost for travel and accommodations are usually cheaper.
In short, just because the season most associated with an island vacation has come and gone doesn’t mean you should avoid an island vacation. From Florida’s Marco Island to Kauai, these are the summer islands in the US that you should visit in fall.
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Photo: TeBe Photographs/Shutterstock
Nantucket is a classic New England summer destination. Located just off of Cape Cod, the island is shrouded in a somewhat misleading air of exclusivity that can discourage many from actually visiting. If you want to brush shoulders with hundreds of well-heeled tourists and wannabe Instagram influencers, by all means visit in the summer. If you favor a more relaxed pace and the peaceful island getaway the brochures always promise (but never quite deliver on in the summer) visit Nantucket in the fall.
Just 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, Nantucket is accessible by ferry from the Cape’s Harwich Port, as well as New Bedford, Mass.; New York City, and Highland, New Jersey. Apart from Nantucket’s historic cobbled streets and iconic beach homes that look straight out of a New England postcard, the island is known best for its beaches. Steps Beach, a quiet public beach, features trails lined with crab apple trees and beach grass that winds through the dunes. Cisco Beach and Surfside Beach are the island’s best surf beaches if you’re not afraid of the chilly water.
Fall is peak cranberry season on Nantucket. There are several cranberry bogs on the island, and visiting them to watch the harvest is an island tradition. Milestone Bog has been the epicenter of cranberry farming on Nantucket for the past 150 years, and a visit means catching views of the surrounding rolling hills and grasslands. Windswept Bog on Stump Pond is home to 231 acres of retired cranberry bogs, hardwood forests, and ponds, and hikers will enjoy the bog’s miles of walking trails.
Tybee Island, Georgia
Photo: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
It would be an understatement to say that summer in Georgia is hot. Even by the ocean, there’s simply no getting around the humidity hanging in the air. Unless you visit in fall, of course. Just 18 miles from downtown Savannah, Tybee Island is best enjoyed with a side of brisk autumn breeze.
On this barrier island, summer and fall are sea turtle season. While you’re sitting on the beach or strolling down the pier, keep an eye out for sea turtles and their nests. You can also spot wild bottlenose dolphins off the coast. Take one of Captain Mike’s Dolphin Tours if you want better odds of catching a glimpse of the wildlife. The island is also a popular birdwatching destination thanks to the North Beach Birding Trail. Located at the mouth of the Savannah River, the trail is perfect for viewing herons, egrets, American oystercatchers, ospreys, pelicans, and willets.
It wouldn’t be a fall vacation without a little haunted history, would it? Though not quite as spooky as Savannah, Tybee Island still has its share of skeletons in the closet. Every October, the Tybee Island Historical Society conducts tours of the island’s haunted lighthouse and Battery Garland.
Kauai, Hawaii
Photo: Mohamed Selim/Shutterstock
Kauai is already one of Hawaii’s lesser visited islands with less upscale shopping and fewer luxury resorts than the more frequented Hawaiian islands. That might sound discouraging, but these qualities are also what make Kauai such a desirable destination for travelers looking to avoid crowds. This is especially true in the fall.
You don’t need to be a surfer to enjoy the oceans of Kauai. The island’s Ka Lea O Kaiwa beach, Poipu beach, and Hanalei bay are known for boogie boarding. You can also snorkel in the waters off Lawa’i Beach. Kayaking to the Na Pali cliffs or down the Hanalei River are also popular pastimes on Kauai. If you’d rather stay on land, rent bikes to cruise along the shoreline. Bikes can be rented at an affordable rate for either beach cruising or mountain biking. The bike culture here doesn’t exactly parallel Amsterdam, but it’s one of the best ways to explore Kauai.
On Kauai’s west side sits Hanapepe, a community of artists with several galleries, an Art Walk, food trucks, and live music venues. The galleries are filled with the work of local artists inspired by the natural beauty of Hawaii, and it’s up there among the best places for souvenir shopping in all of Hawaii.
Marco Island, Florida
Photo: Paul Harrison/Shutterstock
Marco Island, just south of Naples in the Gulf of Mexico, is the ideal fall escape in Florida.
Connected to the mainland by a series of bridges, Marco Island offers visitors the natural beauty of Collier-Seminole State Park. The park’s Everglades-esque landscape is full of mangrove swamps and salt marshes, as well as wildlife like alligators, crocodiles, and Florida black bears. You can explore the Everglades themselves by taking a kayaking tour through the Wilderness Waterway of the Ten Thousand Islands and the Everglades. You’ll come across deserted barrier islands with some of the most beautiful beaches in Florida.
Speaking of beaches, Marco Island is home to Tigertail Beach and Sand Dollar Island — two of the best beaches in southern Florida. Tigertail Beach is split by a lagoon, where you can swim, kayak, or paddle board. Sand Dollar Island can be reached by wading across a shallow part of the lagoon. There, you’ll find an observation tower perfect for spotting birds like egrets, herons, sandpipers, plovers, and terns.
Catalina Island, California
Photo: Chris Grant/Shutterstock
When you hear about Catalina Island off the coast of California, your mind might immediately jump to the “fucking Catalina Wine Mixer” from Step Brothers. Well, you should also associate the island with diving, hiking, paddle boarding, and exploring sea caves.
Catalina Island is easily accessible via a one-hour ferry from Long Beach, San Pedro, Dana Point, and Newport Beach. A welcome reprieve from the glitz and bustle of LA, Catalina’s notably slower pace of life makes it the perfect weekend escape for friends and families. The most efficient way to explore the island is by golf cart, which you can rent right from a golf cart rental shop when you disembark the ferry. Take your cart and cruise to Avalon’s Descanso Beach, one of the only beaches in Catalina that allows alcohol, and then drive up to Buena Vista Point for the best views of the island.
For more adventurous excursions, zipline through the eucalyptus trees with Zip Line Eco Tour, hike the Trans-Catalina Trail, or go kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, or parasailing. Whale watching tours are also a must. These bring you nerve-wrackingly close to the ocean’s most majestic creatures. The tours also allow you to board smaller boats for exploring the local sea caves, which are home to seals and sea lions.
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A new tour marketplace guides travelers to eco-friendly trips around the globe
Package tours make planning and executing a big international trip much easier by bundling things like flights, lodging, and excursions together. Traveling with a tour group can also be a great way to meet like-minded travelers and experience a country in an efficient manner. Too often on group tours, however, factors like sustainable travel, cultural immersion, and local impact are lost in translation. Travel industry veteran Joy Martinello decided to change that. Her new travel concept Wild Nectar Collection launched September 1 as a marketplace of tour packages built around sustainable values and impact travel.
“I asked myself, what if a travel sales and marketing company, a third party who was not a travel operator, could keep a close eye on what travel operators were doing, could offer eco scores that represent the travel operators’ sustainability efforts and could provide clients with the most immersive, wind-in-your-hair travel experiences all at the same time,” Martinello, Wild Nectar Collection’s Founder and CEO, says.
Wild Nectar Collection seeks to combine the global adventurers that bold travelers want with the increasing desire for more sustainable travel. During her 16 years in the travel industry, which included prior experience running a tour booking agency, Martinello had booked and organized thousands of global trips from destinations as varied as the Galapagos Islands and the polar regions. During that time, she had identified a small contingent of tour operators who embedded into their business models values similar to her own: eco-consciousness and travel that leaves a positive impact on the communities visited.
Finding those operators and applying them to the trip planning process, she discovered, wasn’t always easy for her, and could be virtually impossible for the average traveler Googling tour options at home. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Martinello foresaw an increase in desire for eco-concsious travel options as people witnessed, through the media, how positively the environment reacted to even a slight break in mankind’s fossil-fueled actions.
“Covid-19 offered many people the opportunity to reflect on how we live our lives, the resources we use, and what’s most important to us,” Martinello says. “Travel is a luxury that’s extremely hard to give up. More and more people are realizing that if we want to continue traveling, we have to find a way to do it that doesn’t negatively impact the planet we are all so dearly hoping to explore. Plus, we have to treat people and communities with care while doing it.”
Travelers using Wild Nectar Collection’s listings are unlikely to notice much difference in the options available. What’s changed is what they leave behind — or rather, what they don’t. To be listed on the site, an operator must actively participate in sustainability-focused activities that benefit wildlife, local communities, carbon reduction efforts, conservation, and education, along with other measures based on location. The company’s sustainability specialist Addie Melvin developed Eco Scores for each tour and location offered.
“We include items such as future plans to remove the use of fossil fuels, single-use plastics usage, locally supported businesses, locally sourced organic foods, water usage, and incentives for employees to arrive to work on foot, bike, or by public transportation just to name a few,” Martinello says.
The company plans to meet with operators on a continual basis to assess their ongoing efforts. Those that make the cut donate and implement water filtration systems in local communities, pay for a child’s full year of education per guest, or financially support the local infrastructure through healthcare initiatives. Wild Nectar Collection has also created sustainability awards to reward those who create the most impact.
Wild Nectar Collection connects travelers to tours on all seven continents and in a variety of travel methods including small-ship cruises and water-focused travel, overland and outdoors-focused trips on land, and wildlife encounters. Travelers may trek to Machu Picchu or embark on a multi-week expedition to Antarctica. The company’s mission is to connect a client’s dream trip to an operator that can make it happen.
“Watching mist rise over a moon-like Icelandic landscape, leaning your head out the window of a small ship in Alaska to see two humpback whales breach right in front of you, having an elderly Costa Rican lady welcome you into her kitchen and show you how to make tortillas — these experiences change people, have changed me as they all happened to me,” Martinello says. “I want to make sure more people can have these life-changing experiences and still protect the absolute source of them all: our beautiful, irreplaceable planet.”
More climate wins this weekAmerica’s march towards renewable energy took two notable steps forward this week. First, Illinois enacted the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act to guide the state towards a carbon-free power sector by 2045 and 100 percent clean energy by 2050, all while creating jobs int he renewables marketplace, Grist reported. Second, Los Angeles County is on track to be the first county in the nation to outright ban oil and gas drilling after its Board of Supervisors this week passed a resolution to do so.
A new study shows that mankind effectively saved 2.5 degrees of global warming by banning CFCs and fixing the hole in the ozone layer (remember watching the news in the 90s?), Freethink reported. Commonly used in commercial refrigeration and other common practices until being widely shown to be very harmful to the environment some 30 years ago and formerly banned in 2010, CFCs and the hole in the ozone layer were a regular part of news broadcasts during the 1990s.
The world’s largest carbon capture plant opened in Iceland earlier this month, The Washington Post reported. The plant is operated by Climeworks, the Swiss startup whose mission is to capture carbon from the air, turn it into stone, and store it underground. You can help their mission by signing up to have your carbon emissions removed via the company’s subscription platform for about $8 per month.
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All-Black American climbing team to double number of Black people to climb Mount Everest
An all-Black American climbing team is set to be the first group of its kind to summit the highest mountain in the world — Mount Everest. Only about 5,000 people have made it to the top of Everest, according to Insider. Of those lucky climbers, only eight Black people have made the journey.
Phil Henderson, a former instructor at the National Outdoor Leadership School and a veteran Himalayan mountaineer, will lead a cohort of nine people on the Full Circle Expedition. If successful, the number of Black mountaineers who have made it to the top will double.
“I believe this project is important to the development of our team members in their growth in the mountaineering space,” Henderson said.
“It is bringing forward a greater conversation about Black and brown people in the outdoors and what that means: past, present, and future. Being that our entire team is made up of Black people, it is an important display of leadership, commitment, and teamwork to our community as well as the greater climbing world,” Henderson told the Outside Business Journal.
The team of seven men and two women who will embark on the journey are all well-prepared climbers with a passion for making a more inclusive outdoor space for Black people. Previously, Henderson has led an all-African American team to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Other team members include Eddie Taylor, a chemistry teacher and head track coach at Lafayette’s Centaurus High School and Misha Charles who has worked hard to get more people into the space through Outdoor Afro and the American Alpine Club. There are also two North Face-sponsored athletes Manoah Ainuu and Frederick Campbell. The remainder of the team includes Demond “Dom” Mullins, an Iraqi war combat veteran; James “KG” Kagambi a successful mountanier in Africa and Europe; entrepreneur Thomas Moore; and finally, Rosemary Saal, who led the first all-Black American team to the summit of Africa’s Kilimanjaro in 2018.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Full Circle Everest 2022 (@fullcircleeverest)
The Full Circle Expedition is expected to embark in 2022. At time of writing, the all-Black American climbing team
has raised $15,000 of their $50,000 goal on GoFundMe, due October 1, 2021.
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