Matador Network's Blog, page 648
May 21, 2021
This is how much more you’ll have to pay for Disney Parks tickets by 2031
Disney parks might be the “happiest places on Earth,” but getting to experience the joy will soon cost you even more. According to new research from KOALA, the predicted cost of going to Disney parks, no matter where in the world, will increase in 2031.
This new research from KOALA looked into past costs of a ticket at each Disney resort and park when it first opened and then compared them against the current prices to figure out the ticket cost in 2031.
Here are the current and predicted ticket prices for all the Disney resorts and parks. If you want to see how to plan your next Disney trip for the future, KOALA has a full report on which Disney resort is the cheapest of them all and could fit your budget.
Walt Disney World, FloridaCurrent ticket: $124
Predicted for 2031: $253.20
Current ticket: $124
Predicted for 2031: $223.96
Current ticket: 79 euros ($94.11)
Predicted for 2031: 109.73 euros ($130.72)
Current ticket: 639 Hong Kong dollars ($82.21)
Predicted for 2031: 930.53 dollars ($119.71)
Current ticket: 8,200 Japanese yen ($74.96)
Predicted for 2031: 9,782 yen ($89.42)
Current ticket: 399 Chinese yuan ($60.91)
Predicted for 2031: 463.97 yuan ($70.83) 
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Paris will ban car traffic from its city center by 2022
Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s plan for Paris is to turn it into a “15-minute city,” meaning neighborhood residents will be able to reach basic necessities within a 15-minute walk or bike ride — no car required. On May 20, 2021, Hidalgo pursued her latest development to move toward the ambitious plan. Paris will be banning most traffic through its city center by 2022.
The move is meant to cut down air pollution, reduce noise, promote more peaceful areas within the city, and make it easier and safer for pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate.
The city launched its consultation with Parisian residents about creating a Limited-Traffic Zone (LTZ) in its center, as it’s meant to benefit their quality of life within the city. There are other cities in Europe that already have LTZs, including Milan, Madrid, and Rome.
Motorized vehicles would not be entirely banned. A list, which includes public transportation, residents in specific neighborhood zones, people with reduced mobility, and delivery people, will still be allowed to travel through the city center using a vehicle. However, traveling through there without making any stops will be banned.
The report from the city of Paris shows that only 30 percent of drivers in the city actually have to travel by car, and the new ban would cut out about 55 percent, or 100,000 cars, per day. The plan would also prevent too many cars returning to the roads post-pandemic. Residents can submit their opinions at idee.paris.
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A full-sized Titanic replica is under construction in China
If you ever wanted to experience what it would be like to travel on the Titanic (without the sinking situation, of course), here is your chance. A theme park in China is building an exact, full-sized replica of the ill-fated ocean liner as a theme park attraction.
The theme park, called Romandisea, is planning to have the Titanic 2.0 as its centerpiece. The ship is under construction and will be the same size as the original Titanic — 882 feet in length and 92 feet in width — and be an exact replica inside and out.
The ship will have banquet halls, theaters, observation decks, luxury cabins, and a swimming pool. Yahoo News explained that even the door handles are exactly the same as in the original ship. The replica will be able to house guests if they want to stay a night on the ship.
It was supposed to debut in 2019, but six years later (longer than the time it took the Titanic to be built) the ship is still under construction. The building of this ship took 23,000 tons of steel, and the total cost was one billion Chinese yuan ($153.5 million), CNN reported.
One big difference between the replica and the original: this new iteration of the Titanic will not sail. It will stay docked in a Qijiang River reservoir, which is several hundred miles from the sea.
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May 20, 2021
Norwegian Cruise Line to resume Alaska cruise this summer
If you’ve been biting your time for Alaska cruises to finally return, some good news is coming your way. Norwegian Cruise Line has resumed selling sailings to Alaska for August, September, and October.
The sales have restarted after the US Senate passed a bill that allows cruise travel to return.
On February 4, 2021, Canada extended their cruise ship ban until February 28, 2022. Under the ban, foreign-flagged cruise ships like Norwegian Cruise Line cannot make their mandatory stop at a port in Canada. In an attempt to save Alaska’s tourism sector, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski introduced The Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, which would temporarily allow cruise ships to sail directly from the continental US to Alaska. The act passed unanimously in the Senate, and it must now be passed by the House of Representatives and President Joe Biden, according to the Associated Press.
As of now, cruises are still banned in the US, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seems hopeful that this ban will end mid-summer.
“We remain optimistic that by working with the CDC and local port and government authorities in the destinations we visit that we will be able to resume safe cruising in the U.S. this summer,” a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson told Alaska’s News Source this week. “As such, we have opened for sale voyages on Norwegian Bliss to be scheduled for August until the end of the season.”
The CDC recommendation for cruises is that all passengers and cruise members should be vaccinated. Norwegian Cruise Line’s policies will be in line with this recommendation.
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New app helps Black LGBTQ+ travelers find safe places around the world
For Black people, it can be harder to find destinations and businesses that feel comfortable to visit, and for Black LGBTQ+ people, even more so. That’s why the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and Out in Tech have set out to create an online platform called the Lavender Book.
Black people have been looking for safe ways to travel for decades. After segregation became legal in the US, travel for many Black Americans became even more dangerous post-slavery. With white diners and bathrooms only and even sundown towns, the need for a guide to know what was and wasn’t a safe place to travel became critical for Black people. Enter the Negro-Motorist Green Book started by Victor Hugo Green in 1936, which documented friendly towns and businesses to stop into.
The Lavender Book is a modern-day version of this, positioned as a community-driven online platform that takes an intersectional approach by documenting safe spaces for Black and African diasporic LGBTQ+/SGL (same-gender-loving) people to visit.
“Finding safe, supportive, responsive environments can be a tall order for Black and African diasporic LGBTQ+/SGL people. We created Lavender Book to serve our BIPOC LGBTQ+ community in a time where anti-discrimination efforts and safety cannot be taken for granted,” said David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, in a statement.
Users on Lavender Book app are able to search for a safe and friendly space and then use over 33 different filters that could include everything from “wheelchair ramp on-site” to “trans-owned” to “sober friendly.” The crowdsourced search engine feature is fueled by the community who give feedback about their experiences.
In 2020, the Human Rights Campaign released a State Equality Index that offers a nationwide report that showed the disparities LGBTQ+ individuals face state-by-state. It’s proven that the US has a long way to go in terms of equality.
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7 LGBTQ heritage sites in the National Park Service to visit
Snow-capped mountains, sweeping vistas, and rangers in broad-brimmed flat hats — these are the typical images conjured by the United States National Park Service. Rainbows may occasionally make the cut, but not the LGBTQ kind. Queer folx aren’t poster children for the federal agency presiding over the country’s parks, monuments, and other historical properties.
Shocking? Not exactly. Although the National Park Service (NPS) was created in 1916 to protect sites of both ecological and historical significance, it took nearly one hundred years before any LGBTQ-associated sites were deemed worthy of preservation. Today, there are over 90,000 locations listed as National Historic Landmarks and featured on the National Register of Historic Places. Less than forty NPS-featured destinations currently connect to LGBTQ heritage.
But excluding queer people and places from the NPS is like watching Drag Race and skipping — you’re only getting half the story. There is no Union victory in the Civil War without the trans soldier who fought forty of its battles. June’s Pride parades would not take place without the Stonewall Uprising. Proud LGBTQ politicians like Pete Buttigieg and Sarah McBride might not openly serve the country if the Cherry Grove Community House wasn’t constructed decades prior. LGBTQ Americans are an integral part of US culture. Their stories are the seedlings of life as we know it today.
Luckily, the NPS is beginning to cultivate those seedlings. Thanks to a 2014 initiative to increase queer visibility in the US, there have been new LGBTQ sites added to the NPS almost every year. By including these perspectives on US history, the NPS is finally recognizing what LGBTQ folx have always known: we’ve always been here, we’ve always been queer, and our historical significance has always been national-park worthy.
Here are seven influential LGBTQ sites listed by the NPS that reframe American life with a Gilbert Baker-style rainbow.
1. Stonewall National Monument — New York, New York
Photo: PeskyMonkey/Shutterstock
There’s much uncertainty surrounding the mythic uprising that erupted after police raided the Stonewall Inn in the early hours of June 28th, 1969. Why did officers show up on this particular date? Why, on this night, did the patrons respond with resistance? Who threw the first brick? When did activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera arrive? Still, one statement about this night remains unimpeachable: the Stonewall Uprising was a turning point for the modern LGBTQ rights movement.
According to gay rights activist Frank Kameny, “By the time of Stonewall…we had fifty to sixty gay groups in the country. A year later, there were at least fifteen hundred. By two years later, to the extent that counts could be made, it was twenty-five hundred.”
Had it not been for the events of 1969, this Christopher Street dive would be an unlikely choice for New York’s LGBTQ epicenter. The bar is an unassuming queer haunt located in Greenwich Village with a simple brick facade and a cozy wood-panel interior. But Stonewall isn’t just a bar — it’s a cornerstone of queer culture, a call to action, and an idea that continues to ignite change around the world.
In 2000, the Stonewall Inn became the first National Historic Landmark commemorated for its importance to LGBTQ history. In 2016, it became the National Park System’s first LGBTQ monument.
2. Cherry Grove Community House and Theater — Fire Island, New YorkCherry Grove, a tiny town tucked in between Fire Island’s rolling dunes and maritime forests, is well known as one of the world’s hottest seasonal destinations for LGBTQ travelers; it also happens to be one of the most important. In the 1930s and 1940s, queer folx found sanctuary on this isolated sandbar and began building the first gay and lesbian enclave in the US. Although there were occasional police raids for “lewd behavior” and same-sex sexual activity, Cherry Grove essentially provided what the country’s forefathers promised nearly two centuries prior: freedom.
Cherry Grove Community House and Theatre, a site that has served as both civic center and performance space since opening in 1944, is integral to understanding queerness in the US. Unlike the gayborhoods forming in major metropoles in San Francisco and Chicago at the time, LGBTQ residents in bucolic Cherry Grove were openly integrated with straight residents and helped govern local life. The Community House and Theatre became a place where LGBTQ people safely experienced what it’s like to live without hiding their identities — a vital precursor to the gay liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
Throughout summer, locals can still enjoy a roster of community-oriented events in the historic building, including live performances, yoga classes, Al-Anon meetings, and church services.
3. Vicksburg National Military Park — Vicksburg, Mississippi
Photo: Chris Higgins Photography/Shutterstock
After introducing anti-trans legislation in March, the “Hospitality State” might not seem so hospitable to trans people, but in 1906, Mississippi erected a national monument honoring a man who would likely identify as trans today.
In the summer of 1863, Union forces defeated Confederate soldiers in Vicksburg after starving them out during a 47-day siege — a victory seen as a decisive turning point in the Civil War. Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates the events with 1,325 markers, including the Illinois Monument — a marble fortress bearing the names of 36,325 participating soldiers from Illinois.
One of these names is Albert Cashier — the shortest Private enrolled in the 95th Illinois Infantry. Cashier, born Jennie Hodgers and assigned female at birth, enlisted in the Union army as a male in 1862 and served in upwards of forty Civil War battles. After the war, Cashier continued identifying as a man and enjoyed privileges denied to women at the time. He held various jobs in manual labor, collected a veteran’s pension, and even voted in elections.
After admittance to a veteran’s hospital following an injury, Cashier’s secret was made public. Although members from the 95th came to his defense, he was sent to a mental institution and forced to wear women’s clothing until he died in 1915.
Albert Cashier is one of roughly 400 people who were assigned female at birth and enlisted as a man to fight in the Civil War. His legacy laughs in the face of both Mississippi’s recent legislation and the draconian trans military ban repealed by the Biden administration in early 2021.
4. Edificio Comunidad de Orgullo Gay de Puerto Rico — San Juan, Puerto RicoThe gray facade of 3 Saldaña Street in San Juan, Puerto Rico, might seem drab from the outside, but inside the Mediterranean-style apartment complex, a colorful history unfolded. Between 1974 and 1976, Edificio Comunidad de Orgullo Gay de Puerto Rico, commonly known as Casa Orgulllo, used the apartment complex as the site of Puerto Rico’s first gay liberation organization. Inspired by the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, Casa Orgullo fought for LGBTQ rights through a mix of political lobbying, educational programming, and social outreach. Although the group disbanded in 1976, its impact on the local LGBTQ community was long-lasting. The National Register of Historic Places added Casa Orgullo to its list in 2016.
Today, travelers will find that San Juan’s LGBTQ community is enjoying a real-estate upgrade. In the past fifty years, queer folx migrated far from the dull house in Santa Rita to colorful beachfront properties in Condado — a trendy destination next to Old San Juan favored by tourists and locals alike.
5. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument — Crow Agency, Montana
Photo: Don Mammoser/Shutterstock
In June 1876, 263 American soldiers, led by Lt. Col. George A. Custer, lost their lives while fighting an army of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors in the Battle of Little Bighorn. The decisive Indigenous victory was one of the last times Native people successfully fought to preserve their way of life in the US.
The site was named a national cemetery in 1879. Two years later, the government added a memorial for Custer and his men. “Custer’s Last Stand” is a popular nickname for the battle, and most historic literature focuses on his leadership and loss instead of the Indigenous lives he threatened.
It wasn’t until 1991 that the US Congress proposed a similar memorial for Indigenous tribes, and today, reclamation efforts highlight a powerful piece of LGBTQ+ history. Cheyenne male Two-Spirits, known as he’emane’o, played essential roles in celebrating battle victories and likely led their tribe in honoring the events of 1876.
Two-Spirit refers to an Indigenous person who embodies both masculine and feminine qualities. It’s a revered spiritual and societal role held by queer tribe members. Now, while examining the ravines and bluffs around this national monument, visitors can imagine an America that praised people outside the male-female gender binary — a way of life that queer communities are currently trying to restore.
6. The Clubhouse — Washington, DCDuPont Circle emerged as Washington DCs go-to gayborhood in the mid 20th century with gay-centric bookstores, activist organizations, and bars. But because of racist attitudes and discrimination, there’s something the neighborhood lacked — queer people of color.
As a result, a social club for Black queer locals known as the Metropolitan Capitolites began throwing inclusive parties in their homes in the 1960s. By 1974, the group outgrew their house parties and opened two bars — both too small to capacitate the clamoring crowds — and were on the lookout for a bigger space. That’s when they found a single-story, L-shaped building at 1296 Upshur St, NW–20-minutes north of White-dominated DuPont Circle. For the next 15 years, this building became a nationally-renowned dance hall and community center for Black LGBTQ folx. It was dubbed ClubHouse.
Legends like Patti Labelle, the Weather Girls, and Sylvester graced the venue’s stage. Ballet icon Rudolf Nureyev purportedly spent a night dancing with patrons until dawn. The same engineers behind Studio 54 set up the sound system, and for nearly a decade, this after-hours nightclub enjoyed an equally glamorous reputation.
In the 1980s, as the AIDS epidemic devastated queer communities, ClubHouse became a site for activism and support. Us Helping Us — a group providing holistic health assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS — met at the ClubHouse until the establishment closed in 1990. The group is still one of DC’s most important Black-centered HIV/AIDS education and support organizations; the Historic American Buildings Survey added ClubHouse to its roster in 2016.
Although the dance floor is currently empty and the building in disrepair, its legacy lives on in events like DC Black Pride — a modern reminder that if someone doesn’t make space for you at their party, throw a party for yourself.
7. National AIDS Memorial Grove — San Francisco, California
Photo: Ken Wolter/Shutterstock
Golden Gate Park, an expansive 1013-acre green space stretching from Ocean Beach to Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, has been sacred to LGBTQ residents for decades. In 1970, a park “gay-in” following the city’s first gay rights march solidified San Francisco’s annual Pride celebration. A Dutch windmill in the park’s western corner once served as a popular cruising location. The inaugural Gay Games took place here in 1982, and iconically queer “Tales of the City” and “Looking” both feature the park in their respective series.
It’s no wonder, then, why LGBTQ activists and allies chose this location to create a living memorial honoring people impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Queer folx have a long history of calling these hallowed grounds home.
The National AIDS Memorial Grove was conceived in 1988 and federally designated as a national monument in 1996. According to the CDC, over one million Americans currently live with HIV, and over 50% of new infections come from male-to-male sexual contact. This government-sanctioned space provides the disproportionately affected LGBTQ community a safe place to reflect upon the ongoing health crisis and continue the arduous healing process.
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Soon you’ll be able to vacation in an all-mirrored cabin in Canada
A new approach to cabin life has just been announced and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Leckie, a Vancouver-based architecture studio, and Aruliden, a design agency, have come together to create a stunning mirrored cabins project called Arcana. Arcana will be a set of secluded mirrored cabin rentals that will be built in a forest in Ontario, Canada — just two hours away from Toronto.
The cabins are 275-square-foot buildings clad in highly polished reflective stainless steel that makes them blend so well with the wooded surroundings that they are almost invisible. However, to preserve the environment the cabins will be located in, the steel cladding will reflect a distorted image of the forest so as to prevent bird strikes.
Photo: Leckie Studio Architecture + Design
According to Leckie Studio Architecture + Design, the mirrored cabins will bridge “the gap between urban life and the wild” and “enable people to easily access the restorative powers of nature.”
Photo: Leckie Studio Architecture + Design
Inside, the cabins will be all pine and have a pared-back, luxurious decor. Each cabin will come with electricity, running water, a contemporary kitchen, a private bathroom with a rainfall showerhead, and other amenities like a custom-built fire pit with a grill that’s located on a private deck. There will also be a sauna on site.
Photo: Leckie Studio Architecture + Design
Guests will have a contactless check-in process, and the cabins’ location will not be disclosed until guests have booked their stay. Dezeen stated that construction would begin this year.
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Hit these spots for the ultimate Big Bend National Park road trip
Big Bend National Park runs the border with Mexico across a stunning stretch of southwestern Texas, where evenings are defined by an orange sky and red canyon walls, and where chirps of yellow meadowlarks and the sounds of the Rio Grande fill the air. While such stunning scenes are commonplace within Big Bend, the massive desert preserve remains overlooked among US national parks — it has never surpassed 500,000 annual visitors since its designation in 1944. The lack of tourists might be due to the park’s extreme remoteness: Big Bend lies 300 miles from El Paso, the nearest major metropolitan area, and is geographically isolated within a massive turn of the Rio Grande from which the park gets its name. Those who brave the miles will find the journey is filled with natural riverfront hot springs, quaint Mexican villages, luminous night skies, and secluded mountain trails awaiting them. Here is how to make the most of your trip to one of the more underrated parks in the United States.
Pick the right season, and give yourself plenty of time
Photo: CrackerClips Stock Media/Shutterstock
With its southerly location and exposure to the elements, triple-digit temperature stretches in the summer months are not uncommon in Big Bend and threaten to turn the most well-intentioned hike into a sweaty, sunburned mess. A better experience is found in winter and autumn, but spring comes with the double bonus of long daylight hours and wildflower season. If you do go in the summer, make sure to bring lots of water, sunscreen, and plan your excursions around the heat. Winters can also get surprisingly chilly — averages hover around 60 degrees but can dip into the forties — so dress warmly if you plan your trip in the colder months.
Big Bend is among the largest national parks in the United States. With numerous trails, mountains, canyons, and villages to explore, each point of interest could easily yield itself to days of exploration. For the best experience, resist making a set plan — allow yourself plenty of time to explore and discover each desert sanctuary at your pace. Three days is enough time to traverse the park by car, stop in each area, and get a few hikes in along the way.
While the paved roads make it possible to explore much of the park’s natural beauty, many of the campgrounds and more obscure sights are hidden deep within the park’s interior on rough, dirt roads. Bring something with four-wheel drive, plenty of ground clearance, and good tires, or head to Lucky Sun Jeep Rental in neighboring Terlingua and grab a vehicle capable of getting you where you need to go.
Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife and gaze at the night skies
Photo: Wisanu Boonrawd/Shutterstock
Roadrunners, sparrows, and warblers are among the 450 species of birds found within Big Bend, home to more birds than any other national park. With a keen eye and a bit of luck, you can also spot coyotes, black bears, and the javelina — a hairier cousin to the familiar pig. Sunrise and sunset observations are recommended for optimal wildlife spotting, and while the average smartphone will mostly suffice, take a camera capable of capturing the brilliant scenery at night. Due to its relative isolation from major cities, this side of West Texas has some of the lowest levels of light pollution in the country. Thousands of stars are visible on a clear night, and even the Milky Way can be seen under the darkest conditions. Consider bringing a telescope or simply lie down at night, looking up, and see what appears above.
Pass through Marfa on the way in, and Terlingua Ghost Town on the way out
Photo: Jo Hunter/Shutterstock
About 100 miles north of Big Bend lies the tiny, peculiar artistic town of Marfa. Here you’ll find the El Cosmico hotel, with rooms consisting of brightly colored vintage trailers, tepees, and yurts. The town acts as a venue for the annual Trans-Pecos festival in September, containing a weekend’s worth of art, building, and songwriting workshops, artisanal markets, pop-up parties, live music of all genres, and the tense yearly sandlot baseball showdown between Austin’s Texas Playboys and the Los Yonke Gallos de Marfa. Travel 30 minutes north on U.S. 90 to find the famous Prada Marfa art installation in neighboring Valentine, a tiny, fake store isolated within the surrounding landscape and complete with actual Prada shoes and handbags from the fall 2005 collection. Grab a pimento cheese dip from Para Llevar and try heading east about 10 miles to watch for the mysterious Marfa Lights off of U.S. 67. Sometimes they’re red, sometimes they’re green, and sometimes they’re white. Visible at night regardless of season or weather, nobody is quite sure what causes them.
Travel 30 miles east on U.S. 90 to the town of Alpine, and then take TX-118 for 80 miles due south to find Terlingua at the gates of Big Bend. The remnants of a mercury mining camp from the early 20th century, the former ghost town has become known for its charming assortment of gift shops, earthy hotels, and its famous chili cook-off in early November. Check out the Terlingua Trading Company for handmade gifts, the High Sierra Bar + El Dorado Hotel for drinks and lodging in a rustic western atmosphere, or grab a bite of chips and guacamole and catch live honky-tonk music at the old Starlight Theater.
Take the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and see Santa Elena Canyon in west Big Bend
Photo: Terri Butler Photography/Shutterstock
At the western end of the park coming from Terlingua, the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive is perfect for single-day trips. The paved road covers 30 miles of gorgeous desert scenery, including stops at landmarks such as Sotol Vista, Tuff Canyon, and Mule Ears. The road ends at Santa Elena, one of the numerous river canyons within Big Bend. Rent a kayak and place yourself within the scene of the towering 1,200-foot cliffs of Mexico and the United States, as the Rio Grande doubles as an international border throughout the park. While the relative shallowness of the river makes navigation simple, if rafting is on your itinerary, consider the aptly-named Rock Slide rapids upstream for an extra challenge. Big Bend River Tour can take you there.
Tour the Chisos Mountains in central Big Bend
Photo: Zack Frank/Shutterstock
In the center of Big Bend lies the Chisos Mountains, the only mountain range in the United States fully contained within a single national park. Given their relatively high elevation — the summit of Emory Peak stands at 7,835 feet — the Chisos are typically 10 to 20 degrees cooler than the adjacent desert and home to a wide variety of shady juniper, mesquite, and oak. Within the 20 miles of trails here, it’s a fairly easy hike to a beautiful view at the summit of Emory Peak, the highest point within Big Bend. Camping is available here as well at the Chisos Basin Campground. If camping isn’t for you, try the stone cottages at the Chisos Mountain Lodge, the only hotel within the park.
Visit the Hot Springs Historic District and Ernst Tinaja in east Big Bend
Photo: Andy Wilcock/Shutterstock
The eastern side of the park is home to Big Bend Hot Springs, a geothermally heated oasis now sitting within the remnants of an early 1900s bathhouse. Once a gathering place for locals on both sides of the river, soak in the year-round 105-degree waters, said to have healing properties, and enjoy unobstructed views of the Rio Grande and into Mexico. On the short trail there, don’t miss the Native American petroglyphs on the adjoining limestone cliffs, and the still-standing Hot Springs Post Office, where mail was once delivered every Monday in the early 20th century. If the springs are occupied, go about seven miles north on nearby Old Ore Road to find one of Big Bend’s more overlooked refuges in Ernst Tinaja. A bright red mini-canyon featuring hidden swimming holes, this is the perfect place for a low-key hangout with friends.
For the truly hardcore, there is the opportunity to raft Mariscal Canyon, the most remote of the park’s river canyons. The journey there requires 30 miles of driving on very rough dirt roads to the put-in at Talley campground. The canyon, roughly 10 miles in length, is also home to rapids bearing fun names such as “The Tight Squeeze” and the “Rockpile.” Those willing to brave the journey will be rewarded with perhaps the most rarely seen treasure in all of Big Bend.
Cross the border into Mexico via burro or boat and visit Boquillas del Carmen
Photo: Vincent K Ho/Shutterstock
On the far eastern end of the park, visitors with a valid passport and $5 can ride a burro across the Rio Grande to the Mexican village of Boquillas del Carmen, where guests can buy handmade quilts and wire sculptures of the desert wildlife, or sample the Mexican cuisine. Paddle a canoe downstream to be immersed in the nearly 1900 foot walls of nearby Boquillas Canyon, the deepest in the entire park. For the same price, you can also travel across the river by rowboat. Tickets for both can be purchased onsite.
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This underwater Italian village just resurfaced for the first time in 70 years
If you haven’t heard of the Italian city of Curon, it’s probably because it’s been submerged underwater for the past 70 years.
The village, located in the province of South Tyrol, was home to hundreds of residents before being flooded by a hydroelectric plant and the unification of two nearby lakes in 1950, resulting in the creation of Lake Resia. Now that the lake is being drained for maintenance, Curon has finally emerged, and tourists are able to see it for the first time in seven decades.
The draining began a few months ago, and the lake was completely dry by April. Now remnants of the town like bricks, rubble, steps, and some walls, are visible. Since hotels in the area have been closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, few noticed Curon’s reemergence until lockdown rules were lifted, and people started sharing images on social media.
Local resident Lucia Azzolini told Reuters, “It was strange for me to walk among the rubble of houses, I felt curiosity and sadness.”
Photo: Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock
Previously, residents and visitors were only able to see the church bell tower that has been poking out of Lake Resia for decades.
Unfortunately, you don’t have long to enjoy Curon before it returns to its watery grave. A power company has already started releasing water back into the lake, and in a couple of weeks it should be completely full, once again hiding the village’s remains from view.
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5 must-visit music venues off Nashville’s main drag
In Nashville, the phrase “off Broadway” has nothing to do with theater. Broadway Street is downtown Nashville’s main drag, a thoroughfare lined with honky-tonks that bottle up the city’s Southern sound and sell it to tourists by the whiskey shot. Out-of-towners have the right idea: You can’t visit Tennessee’s Music City without experiencing its legendary live music scene. But ask any local, and you’ll learn to steer clear of the gimmicky venues on Broadway Street, with the exception of local-favorite Robert’s Western World. These are the top five venues to visit instead, from hip East Nashville to elsewhere downtown.
1. Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge
Photo: Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge/Facebook
Everything you need to know about Dee’s is right there in the name: It’s got more style, a better drinks list, and groovier local and international acts than your average Tennessee honky tonk. Inspired by 1970s Nashville, this retro venue keeps things fresh, from the house-squeezed citrus in its agave margaritas to the classic country that sounds from the jukebox between sets. The decor is as fun as the dartboards and pool table that make Dee’s a refined dive, with tinsel streamers and a disco ball decorating the stage while taxidermy and photos of country greats like Johnny Cash share the walls. Some living legends even frequent the venue as patrons. If you’re lucky, you might catch Margo Price manning the bar.
Where: 102 E Palestine Ave, Madison, TN 37115
2. The 5 Spot
Photo: The 5 Spot/Facebook
The 5 Spot is a mainstay in the Five Points neighborhood of East Nashville, where locals say the city’s real music scene has migrated in recent years. The no-frills venue puts on a variety of shows throughout the week, both live and DJed, but Motown Monday is a particular hit. It’s an intimate space with plenty of room to accommodate everyone, thanks to the indoor and outdoor seating that accompanies the dancefloor. Out back, local food trucks often complement the venue’s selection of draft and bottled beers, plus cider and mixed drinks.
Note: While The 5 Spot will remain closed to the public until Phase 4 of the Nashville’s plan to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the venue has converted its space into a video production studio and is streaming live performances nightly.
Where: 1006 Forrest Ave, Nashville, TN 37206
3. The Basement East
Photo: The Basement East/Facebook
A decade after The Basement opened in Nashville’s Eighth Avenue South neighborhood in 2005, the local-favorite venue opened a second location in East Nashville, appropriately named The Basement East. Known around town as “The Beast,” this sister site is significantly larger than the original, creating space for 400 onlookers to enjoy local and national touring acts of various genres, as well as special events ranging from theme nights to tribute shows. Though it sustained damage in 2020 after a tornado tore through much of East Nashville, the venue is already back on its feet and staging killer shows.
Where: 917 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206
4. The Station InnPhoto: Station Inn/Facebook
A go-to venue in Nasvhille’s now-trendy Gulch neighborhood since the 1970s, The Station Inn built its reputation on the legendary bluegrass acts that grace its stage. Country, roots, and Americana musicians also play here regularly, with big names like John Prine, Alison Krauss, and Dierks Bentley having all taken a turn. In addition to live shows, the venue also hosts a Bluegrass Jam picking circle on Sunday nights, as well as a Jam Class for aspiring musicians who want to improve their finger-picking dexterity.
Where: 402 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
5. Alley Taps
Photo: Alley Taps/Facebook
While East Nashville has risen in the ranks of Nashville’s nightlife and entertainment anchors, downtown still has its appeal. As music venues go, one of the biggest draws is Alley Taps. A couple of blocks from Lower Broadway, between Church Street and Commerce Street, this speakeasy-style venue calls itself “The Home of the Future of Country Music” owing to its nightly lineup of up-and-comers. Proud to promote local talent, from musicians to comedians and other performers, Alley Taps also supports local breweries by serving Tennessee drafts alongside imported beer, domestic wine, and mixed drinks.
Where: 162 Printers Alley, Nashville, TN 37201
The post 5 must-visit music venues off Nashville’s main drag appeared first on Matador Network.
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