Matador Network's Blog, page 621
July 8, 2021
Watch: This luxurious Japanese ferry feels like a cruise
Although Japan has some of the most rigorous travel restrictions, like a list of 159 countries that are denied entry and the news that there will be no spectators at this year’s Tokyo Olympics, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to experience the beautiful things the country has to offer.
The creators behind the Youtube channel Solo Travel Japan are helping to ease the itch for travel to Japan, giving us an in-depth tour of the MOL Ferry Sunflower Furano from Tomakomai to Oarai. This luxury ferry is filled with plenty of premium options for passengers.
A premium room is spacious and can fit three people comfortably. There is a balcony, full bathtub, TV, refrigerator, pajamas and slippers, and even an air cleaner. The ferry has many open spaces if passengers want to relax outside of their room. Other public areas include a small shop, a laundry room, a kitchenette, vending machines, and, of course, the buffet.
If you want to live out your Japan travel dreams and see more first-class options, check out Solo Travel Japan’s YouTube channel.
If this makes you want to finally plan a trip to Tokyo, check out our comprehensive guide. 
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5 historic cafes that every coffee lover must visit in Venice
A true Italian coffee connoisseur should make a pilgrimage to Venice at some point in their life. Though many Italian cities have a reputation for serving exceptional coffee (we see you, Milan), Venice has a particularly strong connection to one of the world’s favorite caffeinated beverages.
Venice’s coffee history dates back to the end of the 17th century, when the first cafe, Caffè Florian, popped up in the Piazza San Marco. Italy has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of Venice’s most storied establishments — including Caffè Florian and the historic Harry’s Bar — closed temporarily. Close calls like these are scary, but they can also help travelers appreciate the historic institutions that are still around.
Whether you’re a coffee fiend or a lover of history, these are the historic cafes in Venice that should be on your radar when you visit.
1. Caffè Florian
Photo: Caffè Florian/Facebook
Founded in 1720 under the name Alla Venezia Trionfante, Caffè Florian in Piazza San Marco is the oldest continually operating cafe in Venice. For centuries, the cafe has been known for its esteemed and noteworthy clientele, including Casanova, Goethe, Andy Warhol, and the Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni. Characterized by its elegant architecture and ornately decorated rooms, the cafe remains an important cultural center. It currently hosts a variety of exhibitions, meetings, and installations, though you can also grab a simple cup of coffee and just enjoy the ambiance. You’ll likely find musicians playing in the square in front of the cafe, adding even more to the atmosphere.
2. Caffe Lavena
Photo: Gran Caffé Lavena/Facebook
With an origin story that dates back to 1750, Caffe Lavena is one of the best-known cafes in Venice and is located at the foot of the Clock Tower by the Basilica in the Piazza San Marco. Formerly known as Caffe dei Foresti (“The Foreigners Cafe”), it was particularly popular among international visitors and became a meeting place for anyone who got lost in Venice’s labyrinthine streets. The city’s gondoliers often stationed themselves outside the cafe to assist lost visitors and help them find their way home. It took the name “Caffe Lavena” in 1860 when it was purchased by Carlo Lavena, who maintained the original architecture and furnishings. The cafe remains a historic landmark.
3. Grancaffe Quadri
Photo: Gran Caffè Quadri/Facebook
Grancaffe Quadri has also earned historic landmark status and has been in business since 1775. It retains its 18th-century feel though it was renovated in 2018, and you can easily imagine artistic giants of the age like Lord Byron, Alexandre Dumas, and Marcel Proust calling the place home. The cafe is accented by pastel-colored walls and adorned with mirrors, floral decor, and murals of Venice painted by 19th-century artist Giuseppe Ponga. It remains a favorite among the Hollywood elite, especially those attending the Venice Film Festival. The cafe is known among tourists for options that cater to patrons with strict diets, including people who are lactose intolerant.
4. La Calcina
Photo: Hotel La Calcina/Facebook
In the neighborhood of La Zattere in the south of the city, you’ll find Caffe La Calcina, one of the most popular cafes in Venice for artists and writers to meet in the early 1900s. Its name derives from the warehouse of the limestone sellers located in the building in the 17th century, causing many boats carrying stones and lime to pass under the nearby bridge, known as Ponte della Calcina (“the lime mortar bridge”). The building became a guest house in the 20th century, and its cafe was often written about by the famous writers who stayed there. The building became Caffe La Piscina, named after the beach resort located there during the 1960s, but has most recently taken the form of a restaurant and hotel called Restaurant La Calcina. No longer strictly a coffee shop, the restaurant still retains the building’s old-world charm while serving up more modern amenities.
5. Harry’s Bar
Photo: Dietmar Rauscher/Shutterstock
Harry’s Bar opened in 1931, and it was declared a national monument in 2001 by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. While technically more of a bar and restaurant than a cafe, it’s worth a stop on any tour to sip a cocktail, enjoy a cuppa, and soak in the historical and cultural ambiance. Built in an old warehouse, Harry’s Bar is named for a wealthy young American named Harry Pickering, who had traveled to Venice and stayed at Hotel Europa. One day, Harry stopped showing up at the hotel bar, and bartender Giuseppe Cipriani asked why. Harry replied that drinking habits had bankrupted him, so Cipriani lent him $500. Two years later Harry returned to the hotel bar and gave Cipriani the equivalent of $4,500. At that moment Cipriani resolved to use the money to open a bar called Harry’s Bar. Serving alcohol as well as coffee, it became popular among artists, writers, and actors, including Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, and Truman Capote. It’s also the birthplace of the popular Bellini cocktail.
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Everest climber tells us how he survived the most terrifying day in climbing history
April 25, 2015, lives on in the nightmares of those who were on Mt. Everest that day, when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake rattled the Himalayas and ravaged the nation of Nepal. Among those to experience the single deadliest day in the mountain’s living history was mountaineer and author Jim Davidson.
In a new book, Davidson looks back at the terrifying events that he and a team of climbers with International Mountain Guides lived through on their ascent to the world’s tallest peak. The Next Everest: Surviving The Mountain’s Deadliest Day and Finding The Resilience To Climb Again, out now from St. Martin’s Press, details the harrowing events that transpired and his drive to get back to Nepal and stand on the peak he’s dreamed of for more than three decades.
“‘Should I go back to Nepal?’” Davidson tells us he asked himself in the earthquake’s long and painful aftermath. “‘Should I never even go climbing again?’”
Nepal hadn’t seen an earthquake of that magnitude in 81 years. Nearly 9,000 people died in Nepal, with scores more injured and devastation rocking the nation from the capital city, Kathmandu, to the countryside. The earthquake was equally tragic in the high country.
On that day, the earth underneath the world’s tallest mountain range shifted, scraped, and resettled, triggering a series of massive avalanches in the Upper Kumbu Valley along the route used by climbers to summit Everest from the Nepali side. One avalanche tumbled down the side of Pumori, a 23,494-foot behemoth of a peak that overlooks the basecamp used by the IMG climbing expedition that year.
The camp was destroyed, overrun by ice debris. Other avalanches slid down the West Shoulder, a ridge above the Khumbu Icefall that stands at around 23,000 feet between basecamp and Camp One. Davidson and his team were trapped at nearly 20,000 feet, unable to reach higher ground or descend to safety.
For two days, Davidson and his team huddled in and around their tents, waiting for rescue. Passage in or out was impossible, even with a fully equipped mountaineering unit. By the time the plumes and ice of the Gorkha earthquake had settled and the crew was finally rescued via helicopter, 19 climbers had lost their lives.
Photo: Jim Davidson
Davidson spent two years putting his experiences into words. The book is at once an inspiring narrative of triumph over trauma and a spiritual guide for how to accomplish such a thing. He recounts the experiences and how he sought to help Nepal, both through volunteer efforts on the ground and through fundraising initiatives back home in Colorado.
Along the way, the author addresses common rumors surrounding Everest, including the presence of trash and bodies on the mountain (not as bad as it’s made out to be), how the Nepalese government is handling over-tourism (not well), and whether or not anyone with the financial means can show up and summit Everest (they can try, but most won’t succeed).
“I wanted to show the non-climber what it was like to climb Everest now,” Davidson says. “I wanted it to be a visceral experience — I needed to bring to life all those sensations of cold and fear and avalanche risk.”
There was nobody better to tell the tale. Davidson has spent over 30 years climbing peaks around the world after being turned onto wilderness excursions as a teenager. Much of his climbing is done in the high alpine, where avalanche risk is a constant threat.
“I was shook up like everyone else that was on the mountain and in Nepal,” Davidson says. “We helped out however we could … This was a major, scary setback for me, and everybody else. It doesn’t mean I should necessarily quit, but I do need to ask myself, ‘If I go back, am I putting myself back into the lion’s mouth?’”
Photo: Jim Davidson
After witnessing such a horrific event firsthand, and having his dream stripped away when he was just days from securing it, Davidson considered quitting climbing for good.
He ultimately decided that overcoming the shock and fear that resulted from his experience was the only path forward. He focused his mental attention on dissecting what happened and how he had reacted, and pivoting that knowledge towards making himself stronger, both mentally and physically.
One lesson Davidson took from the experience is that we are dependent on those around us, often far more than we realize. Climbing is not a team sport in the vein of tennis or baseball, but to be a good climber — and a good friend or relative — is to be someone others can trust with their lives. One Everest summit is the result of groups of people coming together to accomplish something great.
“Try and become a partner that other people would want to climb a big mountain with,” Davidson says, both as advice to aspiring mountaineers and as a mantra to live by. “Figure out all the skills you need. Become highly proficient at some, and reasonably proficient at them all.”
He also put his skills as a geologist to use, analyzing the strain on the plates — which had increased following the 2015 quake — to determine the likelihood of another major earthquake happening while he was there. The odds were low.
“From a traumatic situation, if you think about it long enough you can distill some wisdom, some lessons, some strength, and actually make yourself better equipped to handle something scary down the road,” Davidson says. “That’s what I call ‘post-traumatic growth.’ I didn’t want that thing, I didn’t like that thing, but how can I use that thing to make myself either a better person, a wiser person, or a better teammate.”
Photo: Jim Davidson
The book’s title is of dual purposes. Davidson returned to Everest in 2017 after the sleepless nights and bouts of trepidation had caved to raw desire. But it is also a metaphor for life and the never-ending, seemingly insurmountable challenges that present themself along the way.
“To my right the rising sun pushed waves of orange and pink ahead of its arrival,” Davidson writes in The Next Everest “To my left the western sky was releasing its gentle grip on nighttime and starlight.
“A deep satisfaction flowed through me. After each step I stopped to stretch out the final minutes of summiting and to savor my dream coming true. I wanted to feel all the joy and experience every second of awe.
“My head rose higher than the final snow mount and I saw over the mountaintop, far into Tibet. After two more gentle strides, at 4:19 a.m., I stopped and embraced PK.”
After 35 years of dreaming, training, and planning, this Everest had been met. Now it’s on to the next one, carrying forth the indelible spirit of the climber.
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Denver’s Marijuana Mansion is the most glamorous cannabis experience you can have
Walking through the Marijuana Mansion is like strolling through a world where a photo-friendly cannabis experience is as acceptable as an Instagram-ready Museum of Ice Cream — even though marijuana isn’t even legal everywhere in the United States yet. The building has more than 4,200 square feet of space spread out over three floors and 11 rooms. In one, a swinging chair hangs from the ceiling of a room covered in fake cannabis leaves with a neon sign that reads “High Life” positioned between the swing’s ropes. Another is a speakeasy-style poker room, while close by there’s an art-covered room that’s accessible through a hallway lined with neon-colored trees.
A recent event at the Marijuana Mansion in Denver came complete with servers carrying platters of pre-rolled joints and edibles to consume inside. This might not be what cannabis enthusiasts thought a world where recreational weed is easily accessible would look like, but it’s safe to say the Marijuana Mansion doesn’t disappoint — both from an aesthetic perspective and a historical perspective.
Photo: Jacqueline Collins
The building where the Marijuana Mansion is located has been on the National Register of Historic Properties since 1977, but not for anything to do with cannabis. It was built for the wealthy businessman Joseph Creswell in 1889 by Denverite architect John J. Huddart. The Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival architectural influences helped earn its historic registry position.
The building would earn a spot on the National Register of Historic Cannabis Properties as well if there were such a thing. It was the headquarters of the Marijuana Policy Project, which started in Denver and moved to Washington DC. It’s also where Amendment 64 was written, which, when passed, legalized recreational cannabis for the first time in the US in 2012.
Aside from the history, there’s the Instagrammable rooms, cannabis history, and art aspects to experience. Lisa Leder purchased the house in 2019 and gave each of the 11 rooms a distinct cannabis theme with an all-women team of artists and creators.
Photo: Marijuana Mansion
Experiences like these are popping up more and more as the country starts to open back up and an increasing number of states legalize recreational cannabis. For example, Planet 13, a two-store chain of mega dispensaries that double as art experiences, recently opened its Los Angeles area location. The business already has plans to include a 13,000-square-foot consumption lounge in future expansions.
Still, it’s illegal to consume cannabis in public spaces or in areas where tobacco is prohibited in many recreational states. And where it is legal, businesses have a hard time securing a license. Public consumption licenses are available in Denver, but businesses must be 1,000 feet from daycare centers and drug rehabilitation centers — something that can be hard to do in the densely packed urban core.
“Every state has its own challenges,” says Kim Stuck, CEO and founder of Allay Consulting. “In most states the challenge is over-regulation. For instance, in Denver, they put out consumption laws, and then only two locations in the city of Denver could open at all. The regulations were so strict that it made it impossible for anyone to get a location, a license, or operate.”
Compare that to places like Nevada, where lawmakers are working on a framework for legal consumption sites that work for tourist-heavy cities like Las Vegas and Reno.
The laws are frustrating for retailers as well as travelers interested in sampling some legal weed. Limiting where people can legally consume also limits who can comfortably partake.
“What’s most frustrating is the inability to get Ripple [cannabis products] in front of everyone we want to,” says Kate Dwyer, general manager of the cannabis brand Ripple. ”We support the ‘regulate like alcohol’ narrative and would like the opportunity to sample 21-plus consumers at events such as concerts or festivals, the same way alcohol brands are able to.”
Until that happens, consumers have to find workarounds like cannabis-friendly Airbnbs or hotels. Smoking is out of the equation since few states allow smoking indoors, and outdoor spaces are usually classified as public. That said, there’s been a lot of innovation in discreet edibles that are easy to pack along on a day trip. Ripple’s dissolvable THC powders easily mix into food and drinks, for example, and the brand’s quick-hitting edibles come in five-milligram gummies.
Photo: Jacqueline Collins
That’s one reason why the presence of the Marijuana Mansion is so notable: it seems to exacerbate the tension between marijuana’s increasing popularity and the efforts to make it more accessible. Marijuana Mansion has run into its own issues with getting a public consumption license. The building sits just under 1,000 feet from a daycare facility, meaning that unless the laws change, the Marijuana Mansion can’t be a public consumption spot.
Private parties, events, and photoshoots, however, are fair game.
“There was a bit of a shift late last year, and January and February this year, where we slowly started to reopen,” April Emma, Marijuana Mansion’s event director, says. “We started doing tours with smaller groups. Then we started doing photoshoots as well, and then as things progressed we slowly started ramping things up.”
Recently, Emma says, the mansion has been a popular place for cannabis companies to throw parties for their employees. The building is open to reserve for dinners, events, and any other type of private party for up to 100 guests — and they can consume on-site since the events are private.
Photo: Marijuana Mansion
Even if you don’t make it to a private party or get to be part of a photoshoot, the Marijuana Mansion is still worth a visit. You can see the rooms for yourself, take cute shoots for social media, and learn more about the history of the building and cannabis culture on a 30-minute Marijuana Mansion Experience tour. While you can’t consume on the tour itself, the well-known dispensary chain Green Dragon has a location in the carriage house at the back of the property if you’d like to stock up before or after your tour.
Regardless of how you see it, the Marijuana Mansion deserves a stop by any cannabis-curious traveler, public consumption laws be damned.
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As travel reopens, it’s time to rethink how we talk about unfamiliar foods
As a Singaporean living in London, I’d usually be in Southeast Asia this time of year, visiting my family and tucking into the food that I still can’t find in the British capital. One of those dishes is mama’s (my grandmother’s) congee, which has been a fixture in my life since I was a kindergartener. Not wanting to miss my fix, I’ve been calling mama on FaceTime and watching her prepare it. A base of warming rice and a sprinkling of spring onions envelops the star ingredient: slices of soft, creamy, gelatinous century eggs. Throughout my life, it’s always been a balm for everything from bad weather to bad mood.
Perhaps because of my attachment to this comforting dish, I was pained to find out that it has been demonized in Western media. A recent petition by Filipino American Kim Saira alerted me to “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts,” a segment of James Corden’s popular late-night talk show that’s been running since at least 2016 where he gives his celebrity guests a choice: Answer difficult questions about their personal life or choose from an array of foods he describes as disgusting and horrific. Saira noted how many of the featured foods were Asian in origin and called for the segment to be cut from the show and for Corden to issue an apology.
Watching the segment for myself, many of the foods caught my eye as he spun the lazy Susan under the glaring lights of the late-night studio. There was a scorpion similar to one I ate during one of my trips to Cambodia after a college friend introduced me to it. Also roasted grasshoppers like those I ate in Thailand as another friend’s grandmother shared her story of selling them as a street vendor in her 20s. And closer to home, a bowl of fish eyes made me recall family dinners in Singapore where the main course is often a tilapia or garoupa nestled in a light, comforting ginger broth. As a child I would get first dibs on the eyes, excitedly participating in the ritual of scooping the gelatinous bulbs onto my bowl and dabbing them lightly in chili-infused soy sauce.
These are cherished memories for me, but here they were, recontextualized by Corden as disgusting foods that (usually white) celebrities wouldn’t dare touch without gagging. The sampling of unfamiliar food should be a positive culinary adventure, one that includes an open-minded embrace of the nuanced culture that created the dish in question. Yet Corden has stripped away the pleasure that comes with experiencing new flavors and ingredients for the sake of a few cheap audience gasps.
While you might consume deep-fried or grilled cod sperm in a Japanese feast, for instance, in Corden’s studio, it’s framed as an outlandish and barely edible object designed to maximize the ick factor (he has a particular obsession with smoothie-fying everything, for one). To exploit animal parts for gross-out laughs reminds me of the fetishistic way many Western museums and art galleries line their plain white walls with cultural artifacts without context: simply displayed as yet another exotic artifact to gawk at.
Photo: Cubankite/Shutterstock
“Spill Your Guts” is, sadly, far from an isolated instance of food racism on television. The much-beloved reality cooking series The Great British Baking Show faced backlash last October when, during Japanese Week, judge Matt Lucas of Little Britain fame made gleeful references to katsu curry as “cat poo” curry, amongst many other instances of cultural insensitivity.
The following month, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation aired an episode of kids comedy show Horrible Histories featuring a sketch where a Chinese empress consumes rats as food. Despite being met with swift backlash, no apologies were issued in these instances. Corden issued a statement insisting that he didn’t mean to “upset” anyone and pledged to stop using “those foods” in his segment. Saira received death threats after posting the petition of Corden’s segment online.
The racism baked into Western media shouldn’t be surprising, given that it can be easily traced to a long history of anti-Asian sentiment in the West. Food has been a highly effective way to other people from the continent, from the demonization of MSG to the tendency to characterize Asian restaurants as unhygienic.
The global pandemic has exacerbated anti-Asian racism in horrific ways, making scapegoats out of Asian people and in particular East Asian food culture, which has been alternately described in the media as bizarre, strange, and barbaric, and infamously as the cause of the coronavirus outbreak. But humor that equates Asian cuisines with disgusting food reeks of a lazy and offensive stereotype that perpetuates the belief that Asian people are primitive and unclean. Shows like Corden’s push these stereotypes to a large audience who likely have no familiarity with the nuances of Asian food and culture.
Photo: Baiterek Media/Shutterstock
It’s not just television that’s to blame for these stereotypes. Look up any of the foods Corden has featured on his segment, and you’ll realize that they’re similarly described on travel blogs. Descriptors like “awful,” “weird,” and “disturbing” come up most frequently on backpacking, expat, and other websites to describe what are delicacies for many Asian people and staples for others. Saira’s petition is a timely reminder for all of us to interrogate how the wider conversation around unfamiliar foods continues to fail Asian cuisines.
After a year of restricted travel, many are looking up long-haul flights. But before you pack your bags, consider that as travelers, there is an unspoken duty to care how one talks about the food they encountered on their journey, and that we all have a responsibility to portray unfamiliar dishes accurately and sensitively. Remember above all that travels grants you the extraordinary opportunity to participate in a culture, not gawk at it. You don’t have to like everything you eat, but you don’t have to degrade it either.
People have preferences, and that’s absolutely fine. But consider how much of what you supposedly love to eat is the result of Western preconditioning, and how what you don’t like may stem from years of hearing a dish labeled as disgusting on television with no deeper interrogation of its cultural context.
As you embark on your next voyage, here’s a challenge for you: approach cuisines with an open mind and innate curiosity. Because if you can get past people like Corden and his celebrity friends telling you certain foods are weird and awful, then you’re in for a treat. There’s a world, quite literally, of food histories and culinary adventures waiting to be unlocked. You’ll find that so much of it is misrepresented, and so much of it is delicious.
The post As travel reopens, it’s time to rethink how we talk about unfamiliar foods appeared first on Matador Network.
The best and worst cities for first-time homebuyers in the US in 2021
Right now probably isn’t the best time to buy a house, unless you’re rolling in expendable income. Housing prices are soaring and many homebuyers are reporting having to offer $50,000 to $100,000 above asking price to even be considered. Many first-time homebuyers nevertheless remain undaunted. According to WalletHub, there are 14 percent more people looking to buy a home now than last year, which is why they put together a list of the best and worst cities for first-time homebuyers. The finance site looked at 22 key metrics to create the list, from affordability to crime rate, quality of life and property taxes.
These are the top 10 cities for first-time homebuyers:
Chesapeake, Virginia Gilbert, Arizona Lincoln, Nebraska Cape Coral, Florida Boise, Idaho Hampton, Virginia Peoria, Arizona Virginia Beach, Virginia Norfolk, Virginia Surprise, ArizonaMeanwhile, these are the bottom 10 cities:
Boston, MassachusettsBurbank, CaliforniaGlendale, CaliforniaSanta Barbara, CaliforniaSan Mateo, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaSanta Monica, CaliforniaSan Francisco, CaliforniaOakland, CaliforniaBerkeley, CaliforniaNotice a trend? Though Massachusetts managed to sneak into the bottom 10, California is overwhelmingly the worst place to buy a house right now due to the astronomical costs. On the other side, first-time homebuyers might want to zero in on Virginia and Arizona due to their general affordability and relatively high quality of life.
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Get on the water in Myrtle Beach
The Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach comes by its name for a reason: 60 miles of uninterrupted beaches unfurl along avenues of incredible seafood restaurants, live music venues, strollable boardwalks, boutique shops, and artsy hotspots.
But for many of the area’s 20 million annual visitors, the beach is enough. Some come to relax and unwind on the sand, while others look to ramp up their daily adventure quotient with a different kind of vacation. One that takes place almost entirely on the water.
Or above it. Through it. In it. From the speed of a sunrise stroll to making your own 45mph waves, if you’ve got that appetite for adventure, here’s how to spend your days on — and off — Myrtle Beach.
1. Strolling for shells and surfing the waves
Photo: Stacie Stauff Smith Photos/Shutterstock
It’s easier to be an early riser in a place like Myrtle Beach. Set the coffee-maker, get a jump on the crowds — and that crowd-free sunrise — and you’ll win first dibs on the high-tide deposits of seashells lining the shore.
You can stoop and sift just about anywhere on the Strand, but Huntington Beach State Park and Myrtle Beach State Park both reliably pile up the lettered olives, heart cockles, and coquina clams. If you’re really lucky, perhaps you’ll find a large fossilized shark tooth from the long-extinct megalodon.
By the time you’re finished, the surf has probably rolled across your feet once or a dozen times — notice how warm it is, courtesy of the Gulf Stream. Grab a skim or bodyboard and enjoy the waves as they methodically break approaching the beach. Or just cool off with a quick dip before returning to your chosen spot of lounging, anywhere on this sandy, 60-mile stretch.
2. Flying hundreds of feet above the water
Photo: J_UK/Shutterstock
Imagine seeing drone footage play out before your eyes — that’s what it feels like to parasail. Tethered to a boat that traces the shores of Myrtle Beach, you’ll zoom through the air above the water, taking in the horizon and whatever wildlife’s popping up through the waves (watch for large manta rays, sea turtles, and dolphins in particular).
And unlike skydiving, parasailing (not to be confused with paragliding) doesn’t require any training, special preparation, or skillful maneuvering. Once you’re out to sea and safely harnessed in, your pilot boat will speed off, and you and your canopy will gently lift hundreds of feet above the water, gliding with the wind. You have little control over the parasail — just hang back and enjoy the ride. Eventually, you’ll get reeled back to two-legged reality.
3. Jetting across the open ocean
Photo: YanLev/Shutterstock
The Atlantic’s Intracoastal Waterway — 3,000 miles long, made up of creeks, rivers, and canals — wasn’t purpose-built for jet skiing…but it might as well have been. At least when it comes to the length that runs along the Grand Strand. Here, where warm waters roll, rentals are widely available for both short-term thrill rides and all-day, 45mph adventures up and down the coast. Bring a hair tie.
There are two ways you can’t go wrong: Scream across the open ocean as envious onlookers watch from the beach, or take to the quieter rivers and waterways. For those looking for guided instruction, consider booking an inland tour, where you’ll likely be joined by some of the area’s native wildlife.
Note: You must be at least 18 to fly solo, and all drivers need a valid government ID.
4. Paddling along marshes and tidal creeks
Photo: Visit Myrtle Beach
Kayaks and standup paddleboards can get you to areas often inaccessible to other watercraft. Salt marshes and tidal creeks often hide eye-catching bird species, too, like oyster catchers, egrets, and herons. Here are a couple places worth gliding through:
The Waccamaw River, over 140 miles long, makes its final push through the Grand Strand. Its mellow flow is great for beginners or those just looking to slow things down a bit. Along its lower portion, watch for old rice fields and historic plantation homes. And as you float past the centuries-old cypress trees, keep your eyes peeled for shy black bears and frisky river otters.You’ll catch loads of the world’s favorite feathered aviators at Huntington Beach State Park, slicing silently throughout the salt marshes in a kayak or atop a SUP. This quiet, human-powered mode of transportation makes it more likely to spot kingfishers, egrets, herons, eagles, and osprey — perhaps before they spot you.5. Practicing your angling skills
Photo: jamestheredd/Shutterstock
Does it need to be said that fishing reigns supreme here in the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina”? Probably not. And while no catch is ever guaranteed, local captains know the area and what’s bound to be biting — and where — in this angler’s playground. All you have to do is ask around.
…Or just cast a line off one of the ten fishing piers that run from Cherry Grove to Garden City. Some have been attracting anglers for nearly 70 years — and some even boast world-record catches. In addition to providing effortless access to the water, the piers offer a place to acquire gear, bait, and licenses. (And pro tips, if you’d like ’em.)
For true professional guidance, consider chartering a local guide. They can cater your trip to your experience level and often up your odds of reeling in the “big one.” Local charters up and down the Grand Strand can take you angling for Spanish and king mackerel, trout, flounder, cobia, wahoo, and tuna, just to name a few.
Note: Kayaks give you the ability to troll the inshore waterways in search of a bountiful harvest. Rental options abound, as do kayak-fishing guides who can set you up for a successful outing.
6. Finding your pod — of dolphins
Photo: Tory Kallman/Shutterstock
Move over, SeaWorld. In Myrtle Beach, local guides take you where dolphins are likely to be feeding and frolicking in their natural habitat. No pools or zoos here, just you and a symphony of whistles, clicks, and splashes.
Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, in general, aren’t shy or easily intimidated. Jet ski tours provide the quickest route to possible sightings, while kayak tours get you the most up-close and personal experience — imagine gliding along with them at water level. Tour boats provide an accessible-for-all experience, you and your crew leaning over the edge to peer into the blue world below you. Just one of the many Myrtle Beach water activities waiting to be experienced this summer.
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July 7, 2021
Tennessee is giving 10,000 lucky travelers flight vouchers to come visit
It’s official: Tennessee’s ready to welcome back travelers. And it’s providing an incentive.
Together with country superstar Brad Paisley, Governor Bill Lee recently announced a state-sponsored airline voucher giveaway for travelers who book a trip through Tennessee On Me. The vouchers — which are redeemable for flights to Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville on American, Delta, or Southwest airlines — are worth $250 each and will be awarded to a total of 10,000 travelers. The giveaway is first-come, first-served, though, so you better book fast.
On the state’s decision to organize a tourism campaign, Governor Bill Lee said in a statement, “Tennessee is known around the world for its music, scenic beauty, and iconic attractions. We’re ready for people to come to Tennessee ‘on me’ to enjoy live music all over the state created by our talented musicians and songwriters like Brad Paisley.” Paisley’s most recent hit, “City of Music,” celebrates all things Nashville, which travelers are being encouraged to do as well.
How to win a voucher is simple: All you have to do is book a two-night stay at one of the state’s 60-plus participating hotels between July 11 and December 30, 2021, and flights on one of the participating airlines. One night of your stay must fall on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Then, if yours is one of the first 10,000 bookings, you’ll receive a voucher via email between 48 and 72 hours after you click submit. Read the full list of rules and details here.
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Why Tamarindo, Costa Rica, is an ideal base for solo travelers
The Pacific coast of Costa Rica entices with its stunning beaches, lush green mountains, national parks, and abundant wildlife. When you’re traveling alone, the addition of a laid-back town that you can use as a base for activities is key. In the country’s northwest Guanacaste Province, Tamarindo is the ideal beach town for solo travelers — a walkable place that offers plenty of relaxed activities and opportunities for cultural immersion.
Tamarindo offers solo travelers the right mix of adventure and cultural activities. And despite its crowded beach town reputation, Tamarindo has the same warm and relaxed “Pura Vida” vibe that embodies the best of Costa Rica. Literally “pure life,” pura vida is more than just a phrase; it is a way of life and greeting, much like aloha is in Hawai’i. Here’s how to make the most of it.
Getting thereI traveled to Tamarindo via Miami, arriving in Costa Rica’s second major airport in Liberia. There, a taxi whisked me off to Tamarindo, a peaceful ninety-minute drive away. On our way, I took in the landscape: smooth roads, roadside food shacks called “sodas,” fruit stands, and lush forests as far as the eye can see. Costa Rica is one of the most eco-friendliest countries in the world with nearly 30 percent of its land reserved as national parks or private reserves, a huge draw for adventurous and eco-conscious travelers.
I could tell we were approaching Tamarindo as our travel slowed a bit with a few more cars on the road. Sidewalks — just a sandy part of the road — looked increasingly busier with people in flip flops and bathing suits. Beach-facing resorts, restaurants, cafes, craft stores, and surf shops came into view. Most importantly, I got a whiff of salt water, which means one thing — the beach was near.
Stay in an eco-hotel
Photo: Hotel Boruca Tamarindo/Facebook
You don’t need a plush bank balance to afford an eco-hotel, and there are many inexpensive and green-conscious hotels in Tamarindo. I lucked out with Hotel Boruca, a five-minute walk from Playa Tamarindo. It has a pool area surrounded by large coconut and shade trees, which are a boon in hot weather. If that’s your thing, you can do nothing but lounge at the poolside with a drink in hand and watch a family of monkeys jump from tree to tree in play. They come as far as the top of the fence that separates the property from its neighbor, but they do not enter the compound.
The rooms are clean with wooden bed frames, windows or a sliding door for natural light, the latter of which have room darkening curtains that must be drawn when the air-conditioner is on. There are notes to switch off lights and the a/c when going out or when not in use. This is part of Costa Rica’s engagement in tackling climate change as these measures save energy. Lastly, a cool feature at this hotel is the eco shower made of stone that allows for natural drainage into the stone cracks.
Celebrate your inner beach bum
Photo: Fotos593/Shutterstock
If all you want to do in Tamarindo is lounge beachside until your departure, you will not be blamed for your decision because the ambience is relaxed, the town is safe for a solo female traveler, and the people are super friendly. Within Tamarindo are two white-sand beaches accessible on foot — Playa Tamarindo and Playa Langosta — and they are as different as night and day.
Where Playa Tamarindo is within Tamarindo beach town and is a 10-minute or less walk from surrounding hotels and beach-side resorts, Playa Langosta is a 20-minute walk through quiet, residential areas with private villas, resorts, and apartment hotels. Playa Tamarindo is popular with tourists because of its tiki bars, cafes, live music, crowds, and surfs, while Playa Langosta is more popular with surfers for its much stronger surfs and epic sunsets. Whichever you choose, grab some drinks and snacks, secure a deck chair and parasol, and plant yourself on the sand.
Unleash your adventurous side at the playas
Photo: riekephotos/Shutterstock
Alternatively, indulge in activities at Playa Tamarindo like stand up paddle boarding (SUP), kayaking, ATV rides, boat tours, and even a sunset catamaran tour available from activities promoters at the beach. You cannot miss their advertising on the roadside or at beach stands — but, if you prefer a referral, ask any of the friendly locals or long-term expats for options. All levels are welcome so a novice surfer or paddle boarder can learn on calmer tides. All beaches have identical water activities, so if you miss one, you can get it in another.
If adventure for you is more about taking in the beachside wildlife, head just a bit north to the Las Baulas National Marine Park — an important site for leatherback turtle conservation. The park is open daily from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, but only until 5:00 PM during turtle nesting season from October through February. At that time — either when turtles come to nest or the hatchlings emerge and head out to sea — you may be able to participate in guiding tours designed to protect the endangered turtles.
Take a day trip to Samara Beach
Photo: LMspencer/Shutterstock
Guanacaste Province is packed with other inviting beaches in even smaller beach towns. And while they are lovely beach towns for solo travelers, we think their small size makes them best suited as day-trip destinations. If you can cram a day trip into your itinerary, Samara Beach is a great option.
Samara is two hours from Tamarindo, through the towns of Santa Cruz and Nicoya. The ride is on smooth and fairly empty roads flanked by reforested trees on either side, planted as part of the Costa Rican government’s bid to offset greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change.
Samara is much smaller, low-key, and definitely less crowded than Tamarindo, but not without the Pura Vida atmosphere that is Costa Rica’s mantra. Rent an affordable deck chair and parasol, order some roasted snapper, fries, cold beverage, and people-watch your time away. If you choose to, partake in activities like stand up paddle boarding (SUP) or surfing lessons.
You can also kayak through the mangroves in Ora River between Samara and Playa Camaronal. You could do a horseback beach ride starting at $20 for a one-hour ride along the beach and to a nearby eco-friendly reserve. To check out the wildlife in the lush mountains that overlook the beach, you could take a ride in a gyrocopter. Gyrocopter tours start at about $130 per person for a 20-minute flight and go up from there.
Alternatively, yoga is as popular in each of these beach towns as surfing, and you’ll find opportunities for beach-side yoga in Samara and elsewhere.
Get your food fix at affordable local restaurants, right on the beachAll that lounging, watersports, and crisp air leaves one peckish, and you are spoiled for choice with food on the streets of Tamarindo. Tamarindo has a large expat population, predominantly Canadians and some Italians, who immigrated decades ago and have beach-centric businesses in town.
You will find popular spots like Jonny Tamarindo. It’s the in-spot and extremely popular with the expat Canadian community and tourists alike for its live music, prime beach-side location, food, and cocktails. It gets full in late afternoons as its sunset views are breathtaking. The best breakfast is at NOI Bistro, which serves a delicious shredded coconut pancake stack with orange juice for breakfast that is fuel for your day of activities. It is also part of a hostel, so it is a prime spot to make new friends, ask for recommendations, or people-watch.
There are also taco spots, sushi, Thai, Vietnamese eateries and food trucks for a wider culinary variety. For lunch or dinner, seek a seafood spot at many of the beach restaurants and have your fill of affordable lobster dishes. If available, try the national dish of gallo pinto or “spotted rooster,” made from stir-fry rice and beans with vegetables and some fried plantains. Wherever you eat, finish with a Pura Vida cocktail as you listen to live music at Jonny Tamarindo’s and watch the setting sun on the beach.
Browse Indigenous arts and crafts stores, then indulge in chocolate
Photo: Stefan Milivojevic/Shutterstock
You cannot miss the craft stores in Tamarindo with their attractive collection of Indigenous masks, hammocks, jewellery, baskets, art, and adornments. These craft stores are expat-owned and either source from local indigenous communities in Costa Rica or imported from South America or Bali — so always ask if you are interested in product sourcing.
Nevertheless, you will find many intricately crafted Boruca masks, baskets, and hand-drawn art. Boruca are a indigenous community famous for their carved masks, and you’ll find them in every craft store. Additionally, visit the Chorotega indigenous community in Guaitil, thirty minutes outside Tamarindo, and watch their sculptors create pre-Columbian-style pottery with clay and natural dyes; these are sold as their main source of income.
Costa Rica’s indigenous community makes up one percent of its total population. There are Indigenous reserves country-wide that fuse traditional activities into Costa Rica’s tourism initiatives supporting cultural preservation.
Another cultural activity a solo traveler can indulge in is a chocolate tour. Costa Rica is famous for the cacao bean — known as the “food of the gods” to the Mayan civilization — that gives us chocolate products and is still a large part of the country’s economic and Indigenous activities. You’ll find many chocolate tours in the area, but we recommend Reina’s Chocolate Tour in Tamarindo which offers chocolate tasting options, chocolate tea, organic Costa Rican chocolate, and chocolate drink recipes.
Soar in the clouds on a zipline or pound the pavement
Photo: Black Stallion Hills/Facebook
Ziplining was invented in Costa Rica over 50 years ago by a biologist who wanted a means to study the forest canopy. Near Tamarindo, you can try your hand at platform ziplining. Book a tour with the Pinilla Canopy Tour, the Monkey Jungle Canopy Tour, or the Black Stallion Eco Park & Estates — all of which are relatively close to Tamarindo. It is an incredible feeling to quietly soar a few hundred feet above ground.
The best way to acquaint yourself with Tamarindo is by walking the length of its main street, Calle Central, northwards until the boisterous nature of the town subsides and then turn back. Pop into shopping malls, boutiques, eco-friendly shops, ice cream bars, and restaurants along the way. See what activity catches your fancy from the tour offices and book it on the spot, patronize Indigenous craft sellers in mobile kiosks, and indulge in the friendly “Pura Vida!” greetings from locals and fellow tourists alike. And hopefully, at the end of your stay, you can take some of the Pura Vida vibe back home with you.
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For just $173k you can own this Scottish village and they’ll throw in a free ghost
If you’re thinking about buying land or you just have a deep love for haunted historical sites, this haunted village in Scotland is just the place for you.
The ruins of the Old Village of Lawers located in Loch Tay, Perthshire, which is an hour and 40 minutes away from Scotland’s largest city Glasgow. This village was abandoned in 1926 is now on the market for ownership for £125,000 ($173,000).
According to the Goldcrest Land and Forestry Group, this haunted village is over 3.31 acres with remarkable historical and romantic connections like semi-ancient native woodland, a private beach, Riparian trout fishing rights, and ruined buildings. Take a look at the lush landscape below.
Let’s not forget the ghost that comes along with the village–the Lady of Lawers. The Lady of Lawers is said to haunt the village. According to Goldcrest, the Lady of Lawers is remembered for various prophecies that were said to have come true, like the invention of the railway and the destruction of a local church by a nearby tree.
Buyers looking to make an offer on this haunted village can contact selling agents to note your interest. For more information on the property itself, you can visit Goldcrest or download the brochure here.
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