Things to Do

Most travelers make the same mistake: they treat Alpine as a 15-minute pit stop for gas and ice on their way to Big Bend. In my experience, that is like skipping the main course for the garnish. While Marfa gets the Instagram fame and Fort Davis gets the history buffs, Alpine is the beating heart…

The year 2026 marks a significant shift in how we interact with the ocean, ushering in the era of the Marine Citizen. Travelers are no longer passive observers but active participants in a global movement focused on reef restoration and dedicated ecological stewardship. Photo by Nick Wehrli In my decade of travel writing, I have…

Forget the flyover state clichés. If you’re still picturing Kansas City as a flat expanse of cornfields, you’re about a decade behind the curve and missing out on one of the most vibrant urban centers in the Midwest. In my experience, Kansas City is one of the most misunderstood urban gems in America. It’s a…

Chattanooga is famously known as the Scenic City, but for many travelers, it quickly becomes the Expensive City. Between thirty dollar aquarium tickets and twenty-five dollar parking fees, a family weekend can easily spiral into a four-figure affair. In my experience, you don not need a deep pocket to see the best of this town;…

Geneva often gets an unfair reputation as a cold, buttoned-up hub for bankers and diplomats. After spending years exploring the winding cobblestones of the Vieille Ville and the shimmering shores of Lac Leman, I can tell you that the real Geneva is a vibrant, multi-layered city. The Dual Soul of Geneva Geneva is a city…

Beyond the concrete tunnel that separates it from the roaring crowds of Amalfi lies a time capsule. While Positano has become a victim of its own Instagram fame, Atrani remains a whisper of the old world. In my experience, Atrani is where you go when you want the Amalfi Coast to feel like Italy again,…

Stop thinking of Tianjin as just a side trip from Beijing. In my experience, travelers who treat it as a secondary destination usually miss the soul of Northern China’s most underrated metropolis, which offers a unique blend of heritage and high-tech wonder. By 2026, Tianjin has evolved into a stunning hybrid of 19th-century European elegance…

You haven’t truly seen Mexico until you’ve stood in the middle of a blue agave field at dawn or tasted a spicy Torta Ahogada in a crowded Guadalajara market. Most travelers make the mistake of pigeonholing Jalisco as just the place where Tequila comes from or that beach town Puerto Vallarta. In my experience, Jalisco…

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the union, but don’t let its size fool you. With over 400 miles of coastline, a world-class culinary scene, and a history that punches way above its weight class, this is the highest joy-per-square-mile destination in the U.S. In my experience, travelers often treat the Ocean State as…

Toronto is not the city it was five years ago. In 2026, it has finally embraced its identity as a sprawling, hyper-diverse cultural powerhouse that requires a bit of insider knowledge to navigate without going broke or getting stuck in some of North America’s worst traffic. If you come here expecting a polite, smaller version…