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Our Guest Authorshttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/about/contributors/guest-authorOur Guest Authorshttps://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/travel-wiser/practical/what-is-a-travel-visaDepending on where you’re traveling, a travel or tourist visa may be essential to enter your destination. Find out how to apply for a tourist visa, and why overstaying your visa is a bad idea.2024-05-17T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/travel-wiser/practical/what-is-a-travel-visahttps://www.worldnomads.comTourist visas are important legal documents you must take seriously, or risk getting kicked out at your holiday destination’s border before your holiday has begun. Here’s what you need to know. <ul> <li><a href="#difference">Passport vs visa – what's the difference?</a></li> <li><a href="#apply">Visa essentials: How to apply for a travel or tourist visa</a></li> <li><a href="#waivers">Understanding visa waivers and transit visas</a></li> <li><a href="#overstay">Overstaying your visa and what to do if it happens</a></li> <li><a href="#extend">How and when to extend your visa</a></li> <li><a href="#rejected">What to do if your tourist visa is rejected</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="difference">Passport vs visa – what's the difference?</h2> While passports have been around since ancient times, visas granting authorization to travel emerged as important documents little more than a century ago. While your passport is your legal document to prove who you are and certify your citizenship, the visa is your ticket to enter a country as a foreigner under certain conditions. Be aware governments can and do change the rules around visas at a moment's notice – in some cases, travelers have arrived at their destination to find the rules changed while they were mid-air. While you can’t prevent a last-minute rule change, it helps to understand how visas work and what you might need to know before you apply for them. For example, many countries (such as <a href="/travel-insurance/whats-covered/schengen-travel-insurance">Schengen visa countries</a>) require proof of a certain level of travel insurance cover for specific events to obtain a visa. <h2 id="apply">Visa essentials: How to apply for a travel or tourist visa</h2> <h3>Obtaining and completing travel visa forms</h3> To find the form you’re after, start with the government website of the country you’re planning on visiting – that’s where you’ll most likely find all the information you need about visas. Depending on your country of citizenship, you may not need a visa at all to visit a particular destination, or you may be able to get a visa on arrival (meaning, one that is issued at the port of entry at your destination). For example, <a href="https://www.usa.gov/visas-citizens-traveling-abroad">US passport holders</a> can currently visit more than 180 countries without obtaining a travel visa ahead of time. If you do need a visa, there are two common ways to apply: Online: Many countries are increasingly offering visas online – now you can apply for, be granted, and have your visa recorded against your passport details without ever filling out a paper form. Check with your country of destination if they offer this service. A quick scan of your passport (by person or machine) when you get to your destination will reveal whether you have the right to enter a country and how long you’re allowed to stay. In writing: Some countries still do things in writing – that means obtaining an application form from the local embassy, office, or online, completing it and then submitting it. You may have to attend an interview and submit your passport with the application. Timings range from weeks to months for approvals and vary depending on how busy the embassy or office is. If successful, you’ll be issued official passport stickers or stamps as proof of a successful visa application. Make sure you allow enough time for them to process the visa as you can’t always pay for it to be fast-tracked. <h3>Choosing the right visa</h3> It’s important to choose the right kind of visa for your planned activities. For example, if you’re planning on working at your destination, you’ll need a work visa. Planning on studying? Then you’ll probably need a student visa. Selecting the wrong visa type may see you turned back at the border, held in detention, or sent back home with nothing to show for your getaway. Take the time to read the eligibility criteria for all visas and ask questions if you’re not sure on what is required or what they mean. <h3>Make sure your passport is valid and up to date</h3> No matter what kind of visa you’ve been granted, be sure your passport has several blank pages and at least six months left before it expires, or you may not be allowed to depart your home country. Also, some countries like the US require you to have a passport with an electronic chip to issue visas under their <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/visa-waiver-program-requirements">visa waiver program</a>. If in doubt, play it safe and renew your passport. <h3>Supporting information and reference letters for your visa</h3> The information travelers supply when they apply for a visa allows officials to control who comes in (including their health, wealth, and intentions) and what they can do while they’re there. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a change in the visa rules for many countries. An increasing number require tourists to show proof of travel insurance coverage to get a visa. Cruise ships typically also require passengers to show proof of travel insurance before boarding. <h3>Where and how long you plan to stay</h3> You may need to provide proof of your financial ability to look after yourself for the chosen length of stay, where you’re going, any job offers that your visa is dependent on, or confirmed study at a certain institution. Make sure you have all this information to hand before you submit your application and don’t leave anything out – insufficient information is one of the many reasons visa applications are refused and you may not get a second chance to supply that information later to prove your eligibility. <h3>Letter of invitation</h3> Some countries require you to be invited to the country, and have proof of it, before you apply for a visa. Speak to a travel agent about how you can obtain these or check the relevant government website. Sometimes it’s as simple as booking some travel and accommodation in advance and the letter will follow. Sometimes, a letter from a relative who lives in country you’re visiting or from, say, the organizer of an event you’re planning to attend will suffice. Sometimes it’s a little more official than that and unless you’re a diplomat you probably won’t be getting that visa. Travel tip: Be aware that travel insurance companies may not cover you for cancellation or trip interruption due to an unsuccessful visa application – consider waiting to book your travel until you’ve gotten confirmation that your visa application is successful, or at the very least that your travel arrangements are fully refundable. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/travel-wiser/passport-control.jpg" alt="A traveler hands her passport to an airport official at passport control." /> <figcaption>Don't risk getting turned away at your destination because you don't have the right tourist visa. Image credit: Getty Images / simon2579</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="waivers">Understanding visa waivers and transit visas</h2> <h3>Visa waivers</h3> As a gesture of goodwill, some countries have mutual agreements that allow citizens to come and go between them for holidays, or even work, without obtaining a visa. In some cases, that still means registering for travel but it’s a quick and easy process (usually online), and travel is often valid for much longer than a typical visa. If you come from a country that’s excluded from a visa waiver program, all may not be lost, but you’ll need to apply for a normal visa to match your plans. <h3>Transit visas</h3> Transit visas are designed for travelers passing through a country to get to another destination, and not intending to stay or visit in that country. These can be valid for up to 10 days, or for as little as 24 hours. If you have a stopover but won’t be leaving the airport, find out whether you still need to apply for a visa. Some countries won’t allow you to continue your journey without a transit visa in place, and you might find yourself having to return home at your own expense. If you’re booking flights with the help of a travel agent, double check any visa advice you receive and take a worst-case approach. A delayed flight that has you <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-wiser/practical/how-to-survive-overnight-stay-in-transit">missing your connecting flight</a> will make you glad you went to the trouble of applying for a transit visa. <h2 id="overstay">Overstaying your visa and what to do if it happens</h2> Let’s say you’ve turned up at the border ready to exit but it turns out you were having so much fun on holidays that you got your dates wrong, and you’ve inadvertently overstayed your visa. What happens now? Depending on the country you’re in, you may be able to talk your way out of it, or pay a small fine. But in some countries, it may lead to detention, deportation and/or being banned temporarily or permanently from re-entering the country <h3>What happens if you overstay your visa?</h3> If you can avoid staying longer in a country than your visa permits, do whatever it takes to do so. The penalties can be harsh and impact your travels well into the future. Even if you overstay on medical reasons, you may still find you’re banned from that country in the future. Generally, the longer you overstay, the longer the period you won’t be allowed back. Fines and imprisonment can also be expected in some countries, even if overstaying your visa by as little as an hour or two. The legal expense and hassle involved in getting yourself out of jail just aren’t worth it. <h2 id="extend">How and when to extend your visa</h2> Many countries recognize that plans change and allow travelers to extend their tourist visa if they want to stay a little longer – or have to. Just how long that extension is, and whether it’s granted at all, depends on where you are in the world as well as your home country. Apply as soon as you know you might need it. If you can’t leave a country due to border closures or limited return flights home, there may be temporary visas available to you – and they may even allow you to work. The lingering effects of COVID-19 have led to a range of special visa conditions being introduced throughout much of the world but be sure to allow plenty of time to apply for an extension or special visa. <h2 id="rejected">What to do if your tourist visa is rejected</h2> There are all kinds of reasons your visa application may be refused, including having previously overstayed your visa as mentioned above, and not all of them may seem fair if you’re given a reason at all. Not many countries welcome people who have a criminal record or have previous visa/immigration violations, and some countries will refuse a visa application for such reasons as: <ul> <li>Your passport is damaged or shows too much wear and tear.</li> <li>Failing to show you have booked accommodation in the destination country.</li> <li>Not providing all the requested documentation with your application.</li> <li>You’ve visited a country the destination country considers hostile, or you’re from a ‘high-risk’ country yourself.</li> <li>You’re not considered of good moral character.</li> </ul> What’s “good moral character”, you may ask? That depends on the country making the decisions. Even if you don’t have a criminal record, if you’ve been subject to a domestic violence order, have failed to file or pay taxes, are guilty of adultery, or have violated controlled substance laws, a government may consider they have reason enough to refuse you entry. If you fall into these categories, give yourself plenty of time to get your visa and address any queries along the way. If you’re refused, you may be able to reapply again with more information to help your case or appeal the decision.Getty Images / cglade 1174750364 Getty Images An American passport with a tourist visa for China.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/worldwide/3-epic-pilgrimage-routesJoin our nomads as they walk the Kumano Kodo in Japan, Via Francigena in western Europe, and Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka, basking in tranquility and history, and meditating on the power of nature.2023-04-24T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/worldwide/3-epic-pilgrimage-routeshttps://www.worldnomads.comYou don’t have to belong to a particular religion (or any religion at all) to benefit from a walk along a pilgrim route. Some do it for the physical challenge, some to reconnect with nature and themselves, some to learn about ancient history and cultures, and many for all the above. Here are three of the world’s most extraordinary pilgrim trails, scattered across the globe and associated with religions as diverse as Hinduism, Christianity, and Shintōism. <ul> <li><a href="#adams">Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka</a></li> <li><a href="#francigena">Via Francigena Pilgrimage Trail</a></li> <li><a href="#kumano">Kumano Kodo, Japan</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="adams">Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka</h2> I’ve always been interested in places that sit at a physical crossroads – major ports, often islands, which for hundreds of years have been settled by waves of people of diverse creeds and cultures. The histories of such places teach us a great deal about the things that unite human beings as well as separate them. My visit to <a href="/explore/southern-asia/sri-lanka/5-things-to-know-before-visiting">Sri Lanka</a> grew out of that fascination. Sinhalese Buddhists, Tamil Hindus and the indigenous Vedda, whose belief system is animistic, share the island with Chinese Buddhists, Muslim Moors, Sunni Muslim Malays and Burghers (Christian descendants of Portuguese, Dutch and English colonists). And each of these groups hold a particular part of Sri Lanka sacred. The pyramidal Adam’s Peak rises 7,358ft (2,243m) from the lush jungle of southwestern Sri Lanka. Reflecting its status, it goes by many names and the legends attached to it are legion. Deriving the name from Sanskrit, the Sinhalese call it Sri Pada, “sacred footprint”, after what’s said to be the impression of the Buddha’s left foot in a rock that crowns the summit. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/worldwide/pilgrimage/adams-peak.jpg" alt="Adam's Peak, a sacred mountain in Sri Lanka." /> <figcaption>Adam's Peak, seen through the forest. Image credit: Joe Furey</figcaption></figure> The mountain has the unique distinction of being holy to four faiths – Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity – and Shiva, Adam (after his exile from Eden) and St. Thomas are also believed to have left their mark there. It was March when I traveled by <a href="/explore/southern-asia/sri-lanka/exploring-haputale-and-sri-lankas-hill-country-by-train">lazy train</a> through tea plantations from Kandy to Hatton, and then took a bus to Dalhousie, where my pilgrimage began. The route I took is the quickest, but relatively taxing. Over three miles and some change, it climbs 3,280ft (1,000m) up 5,500 steps, and takes even the moderately fit about three hours. I started my journey at 2:30 am, to see dawn break from the top. More an aesthetic mission than a religious one, but no less devoted for that, and my climb, according to tradition, was conducted barefoot, by lantern light and conversation was sporadic and muted. About halfway up, feeling the chill and seeing a small group gathered around a primus stove, I bought a chai and made talk of whatever size I could. There were monks in maroon robes and beanies, and a Tamil family of two children, the youngest of whom, a seven-year-old, was making his first ascent. Translating for him, his father said he most wanted to see some butterflies (Adam’s Peak attracts huge numbers of migrating swallowtails during March and April – they are said, of course, to want to kiss the toes of Buddha). Despite the hour, the shrine at the summit was crowded, but I was less interested in paying my respects to a particular god than in watching a very human desire for meaning at play. And as first light began to lend form to our faces and to the forests, with their <a href="/explore/southern-asia/sri-lanka/5-national-parks-to-visit">elephants and leopards</a>, below, I realized that belief may be a beautiful thing, but Heaven’s got nothing on Planet Earth. – <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a> <h2 id="francigena">Via Francigena Pilgrimage Trail</h2> All roads lead to Rome, but the Via Francigena has stood out since the Middle Ages not only for its length – about 2,000mi (3,200km) – but also for the lush nature, the rich diversity of landscapes, the UNESCO Heritage Sites, and the Borghi più Belli d’Italia (Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages) it passes through. The pilgrimage trail runs from Canterbury in England across France’s forests and vineyards, the <a href="/explore/europe/switzerland/3-epic-summer-adventures-in-switzerland">Swiss Alps</a>, the Aosta Valley in northwest Italy, and Tuscany to Rome, and onwards along the Adriatic coast to <a href="/explore/europe/italy/secrets-of-puglia">Puglia</a>’s southernmost village Santa Maria di Leuca. On a quest for connection with nature and spirituality that I was missing, I followed my Roman friends’ advice of discovering 'the wonders beyond the Eternal City' and traveled last fall to the Lazio region, an Eden hidden in plain sight amidst the dazzling splendor of Rome. My journey started in the province of Viterbo with a detour to neighboring Rieti to walk in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi in the fertile Holy Valley. I communed with the living world at Santa Susana Spring, contemplating a colony of swans sheltering under a weeping willow and birdwatching in the unspoiled Lungo and Ripasottile Lakes Nature Reserve. Around the rock-hung Sanctuary of Greccio – where St. Francis is credited with creating the first Nativity Scene on Christmas Eve of 1223, setting up an empty manger flanked by a live ox and donkey – I wandered in the woods where the saint meditated. Surrounded by the chirping of birds and the pine scent blended with rosemary and sage carried by the breeze, it was an experience of inner peace that gave me the courage to packraft the Velino River back to Rieti, my base for exploring the city’s underground archaeological network and surroundings. I joined Via Francigena’s Southern way in the enchanting town of Castel Gandolfo, guided through a dense chestnut forest by a local family picking chestnuts for jam and porcini mushrooms for fettuccine and risotto, a pleasant route of 6mi (10km) to Nemi along the volcanic Albano and Nemi Lakes with the Tyrrhenian Sea on the horizon. I continued towards the art- and history-filled towns of Sermoneta and Priverno and ancient Fossanova Abbey, determined to reach the medieval fishing village of Gaeta, the final stage of my soul-restoring itinerary. – <a href="/about/contributors/emerson-mendoza-ayala">Emerson Mendoza Ayala</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/worldwide/pilgrimage/gaeta-south-vf.jpg" alt="The picturesque fishing village of Gaeta, Italy." /> <figcaption>The fishing village of Gaeta. Image credit: Emerson Mendoza Ayala</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="kumano">Kumano Kodo, Japan</h2> I was born a nomad. Restless from the cradle, I had a list of places to visit as long as my arm as soon as I could point at a map. Japan was my first crush. I was about six when I gave a talk on it as part of a school assembly. But I didn’t visit it for myself, other than for work, until I was 38. Before then, brash and self-indulgent, I worried I’d be an awkward fit for a culture I admired for qualities – composure, reflectiveness – that were so unlike mine. Wanting to make up for lost time, I decided to hit the ground… walking, into a part of the country where those qualities are made explicit: Kumano, its spiritual heartland. Following in the footsteps of emperors a thousand years before, I took to the Kumano Kodō, a tangle of pilgrimage routes that traverse the mountainous core and old-growth forests of the Kii peninsula, in the south of Honshu Island. In this place of legend and living gods, Shintō, Japan’s native religion, and Buddhism have co-existed harmoniously for centuries, with the former dealing with life and the latter handling what comes after. And it’s where the practice of Shugendō – a belief in enlightenment through mountain asceticism - took root and is still active today. In 2004, the Kodō (“the old ways”) and its sacred sites were given World Heritage status, one of only two pilgrimage routes recognized by UNESCO (the other being the <a href="/stories/transformation/baggage-on-el-camino-de-santiago">Camino de Santiago</a>). I chose to tackle the 50mi (80km) Nagahechi route, whose trailhead in Takijiri-oji is near Tanabe, two hours by train from Osaka’s Kansai International Airport. It was early April when I set out. Spring had brought more blooms – azaleas and rhododendrons – than pilgrims to the trail. As I was hiking for just four days, dividing the route equally between them – and staying in modest ryokans – I traveled light, my backpack holding only a change of clothes, notebook, camera, water and onigiri. Those rice balls stuffed with dried fish, kelp and pickled plum kept me going, just as they served the samurai as battlefield bracers, though no wife of mine had imbued them with hopes for my safe return. The Nagahechi took me to the three Grand Shrines of Kumano that are its reason for being: Hongū, Nachi, and Hayatama. Dedicated to an incarnation of Buddha as a Shintō kami (an earthly deity), the first is close to the 1,000-year-old <a href="/explore/eastern-asia/japan/onsen-etiquette">onsen</a> village of Yunomine, where I soaked my limbs and boiled eggs for dinner in the same steaming, sulfurous spring water. A day’s hike away, there are few sights that suggest a divine hand at work like the Nachi shrine, the Buddhist Seigantoji Temple, and the 436ft (133m) Nachi waterfall – the tallest in Japan. The trail ends with Hayatama, in Shingu, on the Pacific coast, at the mouth of the Kumano River. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/worldwide/pilgrimage/kumano-hayatama-taisha.jpg" alt="Kumano Hayatama Taisha shrine on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail, Honshu, Japan." /> <figcaption>Kumano Hayatama Taisha shrine. Image credit: Joe Furey</figcaption></figure> I’ve covered Kodō’s putative highlights somewhat briskly here, but in truth the hike was one long highlight, a meditation on the almighty power of Mother Nature. Walking fuels my thinking. There’s no problem so knotty or inspiration so resistant that it can’t be walked out. Perambulation is as close to prayer as I can manage, and every step provides an answer. Hiking the Kodō intensified those feelings a hundredfold, till they felt like wisdom. To pass through a landscape where nature has always been revered, where stands of trees older than Japan preside benignly over our struggles to find a place in their world, was a revelation. I spoke to a yamabushi, a 10th-generation Shugendō monk, at the end of my journey. Master Hoshino told me that the monks train to become one with nature, which is holy, that “we just have to make space for the enlightenment that is already within us – we do not exist outside of nature, though often act as if we do”. The training – such as meditating for an hour under a waterfall in winter – can be extreme, but the yamabushi consider their rites simple acts of gratitude. While I don’t have a particularly sharp appetite for physical suffering, the Kodō left me wanting more. I intend to try the Kōhechi, a rough, isolated route that connects the Shingon Buddhist temple settlement of Mount Kōya to the trio of Grand Shrines; or the 105-mile Omine-Okugake Michi, established by En no Gyōja, the founder of Shugendō. – <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a>Joe Furey 0 The Buddhist Seigantoji Temple alongside Japan's highest waterfall, Nachi Falls, Honshu, Japan.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/north-america/united-states/5-of-the-best-places-to-kayak-around-the-usExploring by kayak offers access to places you can’t reach by car or on foot and up-close encounters with wildlife. Our nomads share their favorite kayaking adventures around the country.2022-03-15T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/north-america/united-states/5-of-the-best-places-to-kayak-around-the-ushttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#canalway">The New York State Canalway Water Trail </a></li> <li><a href="#northern-forest">The Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Vermont</a></li> <li><a href="#calusa">The Great Calusa Blueway, Florida</a></li> <li><a href="#mirror-lake">Mirror Lake State Park, Wisconsin</a></li> <li><a href="#maryland">Maryland water trails</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="canalway">The New York State Canalway Water Trail</h2> It’s the only time I’ve ever wanted someone to ask me about my sunburn. “I got it <a href="/travel-insurance/activities/kayaking-or-rafting">kayaking</a> the Oswego Canal,” I’d brag, not embarrassed that my legs – thanks to sporting shorts on an open-top kayak – were the color of a lobster. We launched from Minetto, a tiny hamlet in upstate New York just south of Lake Ontario. The local outfitter we rented our kayaks from also supplied a guide. She wore a mic and as we paddled with the current, north toward the port town of Oswego, she told us about the canal’s history as a vital commercial thoroughfare. When it opened in 1828, the Oswego Canal linked the Erie Canal with Lake Ontario, and was a game-changer for trade between New York and Canada. Both the Oswego Canal and the Erie Canal are part of the 524mi (843km) <a href="https://www.canals.ny.gov/maps/paddling-watertrail.html">New York State Canalway Water Trail</a>. It also includes the Hudson River Greenway Water Trail which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022 and is just one of 33 designated <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationaltrailssystem/national-water-trails-system.htm">National Water Trails</a> in the country. With more than 125 public access points, the New York State Canalway Water Trail is popular with kayakers, canoers, and paddle boarders. Passing through the historic locks – hydraulic lifts that raised and lowered us as the water levels changed – was the best part. But by the time we reached the Oswego Lighthouse, looking out over Lake Ontario, my legs and feet were fried. Still, it was worth it. While I wish I’d worn more SPF, I’ll always remember those five miles, four locks, and three hours of history and fun. – <a href="/about/contributors/katie-jackson">Katie Jackson</a> <h2 id="northern-forest">The Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Vermont</h2> I was looking for some kind of sign. Drifting in the slow current of Vermont’s Missisquoi River, I scanned the forested riverbank for any indication I’d reached my first campsite along the 740mi (1,190km) <a href="https://www.northernforestcanoetrail.org/">Northern Forest Canoe Trail</a>, the United States’ longest inland water trail. Designed for both canoers and kayakers, the route begins in New York’s Adirondack mountains, then passes through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Quebec en route to Fort Kent, Maine. Paddling the whole trail is an endurance feat even for experienced boaters, who spend four to seven weeks navigating its extraordinary chain of lakes, rivers, and streams. Not that the trail is reserved for experts. <a href="https://www.northernforestcanoetrail.org/plan/suggested-paddling-trips/">Recommended sections</a> range from placid day trips to family-friendly, multi-day adventures. Seeking time alone on the river, I’d chosen a scenic three-day section near my home in northern Vermont. It was nearly dusk when I spotted a yellow campsite sign nailed to a riverside tree. Steering my small wooden kayak to the bank, I climbed a short, steep trail to a clearing overlooking the water — like many tent sites along the NFCT, it was free to use with no reservations required. While I brought my own boat and camping equipment, rentals and guided trips are available from outfitters throughout the region. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/kayaking/northern-forest-canoe-trail-kayak.jpg" alt="A kayak on the shore of the Missisquoi River in Vermont." /> <figcaption>The author's kayak on the shore of the Missisquoi River. Image credit: Jen Rose Smith</figcaption></figure> After setting up my tent, I returned to the riverbank with a mug of hot tea. The Missisquoi shone under a rising gibbous moon, then disappeared quickly into darkness. I smiled to think that, come morning, I’d follow it around the bend and paddle downstream once more. – <a href="/about/contributors/jen-rose-smith">Jen Rose Smith</a> <h2 id="calusa">The Great Calusa Blueway, Florida</h2> This blessed slice of southwest Florida is God’s gift to waterborne adventure. A 190mi (306km) trail for paddling the waterways of the Fort Myers area along the Gulf coast, the Blueway works its way up three rivers and their tributaries, through Estero Bay and Pine Island Sound and around many coastal islands. The trail is, in fact, composed of dozens of different trails. The northern edge of the Blueway is the top of Pine Island near Bokeelia. The southern end is the Imperial River through Bonita Springs. The trail has three distinct regions: the Pine Island Sound-Matlacha Pass, which includes Cayo Costa, Captiva, Sanibel, and Pine islands; the Caloosahatchee River and its tributaries (power boats use the Caloosahatchee itself); and Estero Bay (the state’s first aquatic nature reserve) and the Imperial River, which includes Lovers Key, where I saw my first manatee up startlingly close. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/kayaking/lovers-key-florida.jpg" alt="Kayakers paddle along the mangroves on Lovers Key near Ft. Meyers, Florida." /> <figcaption>Kayaking on Lovers Key. Image credit: Getty Images / Hanneke Luijting</figcaption></figure> I became a water baby, imagining myself an honorary Calusa, the people who put down roots among the mangrove forests of southern Florida 5,000 years before, and left at what is now Mound Key Archaeological State Park a complex of mounds and shell and pottery remains, which rises more than 30ft (9m) above Estero Bay. As well as mangrove tunnels, with branches arching overhead like cathedral roof trusses, the Fort Myers area has 50mi (80km) of white sand, three species of nesting turtles and, on Sanibel, one of the best shelling spots in the country (the same island is home to the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge and 245 species of birds). It’s easy to get back to nature there. And occasionally, suddenly, in the form of a bottlenose dolphin, a river otter, a pilot while, or a roseate spoonbill, it will get back to you. The <a href="https://www.visitfortmyers.com/calusablueway/explore">Blueway</a> will mail a free set of maps to anyone who requests them, and there’s a navigational app that provides real-time GPS coordinates. A great many trails are served by kayak outfitters and guides, many of whom will come to you. – <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a> <h2 id="mirror-lake">Mirror Lake State Park, Wisconsin</h2> For me, kayaking has always been a way to slow down and appreciate my environment at a more intentional pace. I tend toward <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/where-to-hike-in-the-usa-year-round">hiking</a> and <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/4-of-the-best-places-for-mountain-biking">biking</a> – moving strongly and quickly so I can see as much as possible – but, for some reason, when I slide into a kayak, I’m less focused on how far I go and more concerned with soaking in my surroundings. Mirror Lake State Park, near Wisconsin Dells, allowed me to do just that. I visited in early October, at the tail end of kayaking season but just in time for fall foliage and bird migration season. Kayak rental is available from April to October (depending on the weather) but in May, September, and October, rentals are only available on the weekend. If you bring your own kayak, you can paddle whenever you want. The lake is long and narrow, shaped somewhat like the letter “h”, so kayaking through the narrowest part (the top of the “h”) felt like floating along a river. Pine trees and brilliantly yellow and orange maple hugged both sides of the water as I navigated around fallen trees and passed a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed cottage hidden in the trees. Though I didn’t pass any sandhill cranes on my water journey, I saw many during bike rides in the area and while visiting the nearby <a href="https://savingcranes.org/">International Crane Foundation</a>. Next time I visit Mirror Lake State Park, I plan to bring my mother, as it’s one of the most accessible in the state for people with disabilities. A <a href="https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/OpenOutdoors">specially adapted kayak</a> is available (contact the park office in advance to book it). – <a href="/about/contributors/cassandra-brooklyn">Cassandra Brooklyn</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/kayaking/crane-wisconsin.jpg" alt="A sandhill crane at the International Crane Foundation in central Wisconsin." /> <figcaption>A sandhill crane at the International Crane Foundation. Image credit: Cassandra Brooklyn</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="maryland">Maryland water trails</h2> Every summer I return from the American West to the place I grew up, the mid-Atlantic state of Maryland, where I’ll spend a few days on its Eastern Shore exploring a vast filigree of salt marshes and sandy beaches by canoe or kayak. With more than 7,700 mi (12,400km) of coastline shared between the fabled Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries, and the Atlantic, the state is a paddlers paradise where you can drift among bald eagles and dolphins and sleep on beaches with wild horses for neighbors. Water rules Delmarva, the rural, folksy peninsula pinched between bay and sea, where you’ll find my favorite place to go, Assateague Island National Seashore, an undeveloped barrier island that runs for 37mi/60km along the Atlantic Coast. A water trail spans the lee side of the island to four <a href="https://www.nps.gov/asis/planyourvisit/backcountry-camping-map.htm">backcountry campsites</a> tucked among the pines, each about two to 12 miles (3 km to 19km) apart. Out here there are no boardwalks and carnival rides, just miles of soft sand and stunted forests that are home to miniature sitka deer. Most people just drive up to the beach, pitch an umbrella in the sand and call it good. You, however, should rent a kayak from <a href="https://www.assateagueoutfitters.com/">Assateauge Outfitters</a> on the north end of the island ($70 for three days) and tool along the lee side of the island looking for herons and egrets. Come evening you can stake your tent in the forgiving shade of the pines and take a sunset dip. You’re almost guaranteed to come across at least some of the 200 wild horses that roam the island. How they got there – pirates? shipwreck? forgetful farmers? – is still something of a mystery. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/kayaking/wild-ponies-maryland.jpg" alt="Kayaker's point of view of two wild ponies on Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland." /> <figcaption>Wild horses on Assateague Island National Seashore. Image credit: Getty Images / Canvan Images</figcaption></figure> About an hour southwest of Assateague on the Chesapeake side of the Delmarva Peninsula you’ll find a sneaker gem, <a href="https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/eastern/JanesIsland/Water-Trails.aspx">Janes Island State Park</a>, the first place I ever went camping. Today the park near Crisfield is home to more than 30mi (48km) of marked water trails and three backcountry campsites. You can rent a boat inside the park at the headquarters near the <a href="https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/eastern/JanesIsland/Boating.aspx">Daugherty Creek Canal</a> ($55/day) and paddle about a mile east (1.6 km) on the Yellow Trail to reach Flat Cap Beach, a 5mi (8km) strand of unspoiled sand. The 12.5m (20km) Brown Trail circumnavigates the entire island, taking you past campsites and the vestiges of a small community from the 1800s. No matter where you go, it’s best to know the weather and the tides and bring lots of freshwater for drinking. The mosquitos and gnats will eat you alive, so don’t forget some repellent and wear loose-fitting clothing. Then kick back in the sand, watch the sun set, and let the stars compete with the lighting bugs for brilliance. I’m confident you’ll see why I sometimes wish I’d never left. – <a href="/about/contributors/tim-neville">Tim Neville</a>Jen Rose Smith 0 Kayakers on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail in Vermont.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/north-america/united-states/4-great-us-snow-adventures-for-nonskiersNot a skier? Not a problem. These fun and memorable winter activities will get you out in the snowy wilderness all over the United States. 2021-12-16T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/north-america/united-states/4-great-us-snow-adventures-for-nonskiershttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#wolves">Go wolf-watching in Yellowstone National Park </a></li> <li><a href="#yurts">Snowshoe to backcountry yurts in southern Colorado</a></li> <li><a href="#dogsled">Take a dogsledding tour in Oregon or California</a></li> <li><a href="#skate">Skate the longest ice trail in the US at Lake Morey, Vermont</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="wolves">Go wolf-watching in Yellowstone National Park</h2> My goosebumps aren’t from the cold. They’re from watching the elusive Canis lupus feeding on an elk carcass in the distance. It’s my second time taking a guided wolf tour in Yellowstone. Still, my body reacts like it did when I first witnessed these revered residents of our country’s first <a href="/travel-safety/north-america/united-states/wilderness-safety-in-the-usa">national park</a>. January in northern Wyoming isn’t warm. But gray wolves are easiest to spot against a backdrop of white snow. They’re also more active, preferring to hunt in the colder months when their prey is weaker. Heavy snow at high elevations has elk and bison herds feeding at lower altitude, closer to Yellowstone’s roads. It’s bumper-to-bumper traffic in June. In January, we have the park to ourselves. Nathan Varley, founder of <a href="https://www.wolftracker.com/">Yellowstone Wolf Tracker</a>, is behind the wheel. We can see the Junction Butte pack, including its healthy litter of pups, from the warmth of our SUV. Still, we climb out and post up behind a high-powered spotting scope. Varley, the son of park rangers, has a Ph.D. in Ecology. In 2014, he guided my family on snowshoes up to the pens that held the wolves when they were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. He also takes clients out on cross-country skis. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/snow/wolves-from-car-nps-jim-peaco.jpg" alt="Wolves in Yellowstone National Park, seen through the window of a car." /> <figcaption>Watching wolves (and being watched) in Yellowstone. Image credit: NPS_Jim Peaco</figcaption></figure> Experiencing this wild, winter wonderland is an extreme privilege – even if all we see are tracks. That said, wolf sightings are pretty much guaranteed. Since some of the animals are collared, wildlife biologists like Varley have their radio frequencies. In fact, the best way to find a wolf is to find a wolf watcher. – <a href="/about/contributors/katie-jackson">Katie Jackson</a> <h2 id="yurts">Snowshoe to backcountry yurts in southern Colorado</h2> Colorado is known for Fourteeners (mountains above 14,000 ft) and world-class <a href="/travel-insurance/activities/ski-snowboard-travel-insurance">downhill skiing</a> when its lofty crags are blanketed in snow. But Centennial State winter itineraries aren’t complete without trekking into the backcountry. I strapped on snowshoes for a dose of solitude in the San Juan Mountains along the 10,022ft (3,055m) Cumbres Pass, which bridges southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. The pass shelters a system of four remote yurts – a type of hut that hails from the Central Asian steppes. Like other yurt systems in big-time outdoorsy states, the <a href="https://southwestnordiccenter.com/">Southwest Nordic Center</a> rents the wood-frame, canvas-sided huts to adventurers who don’t mind the 2.75- to 4-mi (4.4- to 6.5-km) trek through pine-studded forests to their accommodations. I called upon some basic backcountry knowhow during my excursion, including navigating via marking blazes, since this time of year trails are buried under snow. The terrain suits telemark skiing, where skiers arm their skis with skins to grip the snow, and beginner-friendly snowshoeing. Physical fitness is a must – and not just because of the elevation. Traveling here often calls for breaking trail through several feet of fresh snow while carrying a gear-filled backpack. Huts are outfitted with pots, pans, pillows, and games, but you’ll need to pack in food, a sleeping bag, and plenty of warm layers. Water is available via snowmelt. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/snow/colorado-yurt-ashley-biggers.jpg" alt="A yurt aglow with firelight at night in a snowy forest." /> <figcaption>A cozy yurt welcomes snowshoers after an active day. Photo credit: Ashley M. Biggers</figcaption></figure> Reaching the remote huts unlocks extended touring in pristine mountains. My group were the only humans within miles as we explored untouched ridges, dropped into deep backcountry bowls, and left crampon tracks up and down gentle slopes. After long days of exertion, we rewarded ourselves by kicking our feet up around the roaring woodstove at night. Two nights from US $100; yurts sleep six. – <a href="/about/contributors/ashley-biggers">Ashley M. Biggers</a> <h2 id="dogsled">Take a dogsledding tour in Oregon or California</h2> You can hear the dogs long before you see them – a cacophony of yelping and barking, a whirlwind of energy at the staging area at the base of Mt. Bachelor ski resort near Bend, Oregon. The soothing voices of Nick and Rachael Scdoris and their team of mushers at <a href="https://www.mtbachelor.com/things-to-do/resort-activities/sled-dog-rides">Oregon Trail of Dreams</a> do little to tamper the excitement of dozens of dogs eager to pull visitors along <a href="/stories/discovery/dog-sledding-at-the-top-of-the-world">snowy forest trails</a>. As Rachael, using the wisdom of her Iditarod racing experience, arrays ten dogs along two leads per sled, I pet some who nearly bowl me over with their enthusiasm. Dressed in standard winter snow gear, I hop aboard a sled with a friend, tuck under a blanket, and sit back as the musher shouts “Gee” for “right” and “Haw” for “left” to guide the dogs along the trail. Cruising at ten miles an hour and more, I watch the trees fly by, hear the joyful yipping of dogs, and feel the whoosh of the snow beneath me. It’s a wonderful taste of wilderness adventure easily accessible to any visitor who wants to reserve a trip. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/snow/oregon-dogsled-bill-fink.jpg" alt="A team of dogs pulls a dogsled through a snowy forest." /> <figcaption>A happy team of dogs pulls a sled through the woods near Mt. Bachelor. Image credit: Bill Fink</figcaption></figure> Oregon Trail of Dreams has hour-long dogsled rides beginning at $200 per sled (up to two adults and a child) and also offers Marathon 26-mile adventures with lunch that can be booked for $1,100 per couple. In California’s eastern Sierras, <a href="http://www.mammothdogteams.com/">Mammoth Dog Teams</a>, based about 10 minutes outside of Mammoth Lakes, provides similar trips, $95 per adult for a 50-minute ride (+$55 for a child), or a 105-minute ride with hot drinks for $185 (+$90/child), and even overnight camping adventures for the intrepid. Trips are dependent on snow and weather conditions and require reservations. – <a href="/about/contributors/bill-fink">Bill Fink</a> <h2 id="skate">Skate the longest ice trail in the US at Lake Morey, Vermont</h2> Temperatures were in the single digits when I arrived at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont, last winter. It was cold enough that snow creaked underneath my boots as I walked to the lakefront, where ice skaters whizzed by with scarves wrapped to the tips of their noses. Many of the tiniest Vermont villages – including my own – have an outdoor rink or two, but Lake Morey merits a special trip. The 4.3mi (6.9km) <a href="https://www.lakemoreyresort.com/activities/the-lake/">skate trail</a> around the lake’s perimeter is the longest in the United States, a ribbon of white-blue ice wrapped in low-lying, evergreen-forested mountains. You can rent ice skates there, and the trail itself is free to use. That makes it a social hub for the rural community. After lacing my skates and pushing off, I joined the families chatting as they skated, dodging stray pucks from pickup ice hockey games. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/snow/vermont-skating-jen-rose-smith.jpg" alt="Skaters on a long skate trail in the wilderness of Vermont." /> <figcaption>Skaters on the Lake Morey Skate Trail. Image credit: Jen Rose Smith</figcaption></figure> We thinned out on the long straightaway, until the only sound was the clean scraping of ice underneath my blades. Summer houses around the lake slumbered under a blanket of snow, but when I saw a bald eagle bank over the far horizon, it felt like I was gliding away into the wilderness. – <a href="/about/contributors/jen-rose-smith">Jen Rose Smith</a>NPS_Doug Smith 0 NPS_Doug Smith A pack of wolves in a snowy field in Yellowstone National Park.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/north-america/united-states/4-of-the-best-places-for-mountain-bikingThe sport of mountain biking originated in the United States, so it’s no surprise that there are endless great places to ride here, whatever your skill level. Our nomads share their favorites around the country.2021-09-13T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/north-america/united-states/4-of-the-best-places-for-mountain-bikinghttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#colorado">Breckenridge, Colorado</a></li> <li><a href="#arkansas">Little Rock and Hot Springs, Arkansas</a></li> <li><a href="#bend">Bend, Oregon</a></li> <li><a href="#west-virginia">Fayetteville, West Virginia</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="colorado">Breckenridge, Colorado</h2> It’s been said that Breckenridge (in the Colorado Rockies, about 80mi(129km) outside Denver) is just one big trailhead, and mountain biking fanatics, and even relative newbies, like me, swear that it's true. With more than 800mi (1,287km) of trails in and around the town, which sits at a whopping 9,600ft (2,438m) elevation, cyclists may have as hard of a time choosing a trail as they do adapting to the altitude. If I’m in the mood for a gentle and relaxing ride to help me acclimate, the River Trail that parallels the Blue River through town is a solid and bucolic choice. If I’m in the mood to test my courage, then the skill-building B-Line Trail with its jumps, wooden bridges and bermed turns is a true adrenaline rush. Either way, I’ve found trails that fit whatever kind of challenge I’m up for. Hardcore cyclists can test their mettle on the advanced Wheeler Pass Trail. This old hiking trail is steep and unforgiving, one of the most epic challenges avid mountain bikers can take on. The elevation is no joke, and your lungs burn as you churn your way over ruts and rocks to climb up to 12,000ft (3,658m), so make sure your body is acclimated. Weather can be tricky at this elevation, but the views and vistas make the misery of this trail well worth it. The ride starts off with a leg-quaking climb that inevitably requires some walking. But the pain is rewarded by a beautiful forest ride and a fast and fun single track. I gazed for quite a while at surrounding 13,000ft (3,962m) mountains and the beaver ponds while catching my breath, knowing that the next leg of the trail was about to spike almost 1,500ft (457m) in a mile. While you may cuss or even cry on the 11mi (18km) one-way Wheeler Pass Trail, it’s by far one of the most stamina-testing – and ultimately rewarding – trails in the Tenmile Range of the Rockies. For a full listing of trails and a map, swing by the Breckenridge Visitors Center in Downtown. Later, reward a hard and beautiful day of riding with a cold one from Breckenridge Brewery. – <a href="/about/contributors/heide-brandes">Heide Brandes</a> <h2 id="arkansas">Little Rock and Hot Springs, Arkansas</h2> The great state of Arkansas, known to locals as “The Natural State”, is often known to outsiders simply as “where President Bill Clinton is from”. Indeed, the 42nd POTUS is from Arkansas and was also its Governor. It’s a green and glorious state with a growing reputation for its outdoors activities in general (<a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/where-to-hike-in-the-usa-year-round#june">hiking</a>, biking, kayaking, tubing), and strong cycling scene. No Arkansan itinerary would be complete without the bike-friendly capital city, Little Rock, which has produced a detailed <a href="https://www.littlerock.com/experience-little-rock/cycling">cycling guide</a> with routes for different skill levels and riding styles (mountain, gravel, and road) both within the city and in nearby state parks. After leaving Little Rock, I headed to Hot Springs, an hour away. Though it’s best known for Hot Springs National Park, the real highlight of my trip was the <a href="https://www.northwoodstrails.org/">Northwoods Trails</a> system, a five-minute drive from downtown. The trail network is made up of nearly 30mi (48km) of trails that stretch across city, state, and national parkland, and is one of the few trail systems in the country that include national park trails open to mountain biking. These shared hiking/biking trails are wonderfully free of crowds. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/mountain-biking/arkansas-biking-group.jpg" alt="A group of women mountain bikers on a trail near Hot Springs, Arkansas." /> <figcaption>The Spa City Lady Gang. Image credit: Cassandra Brooklyn</figcaption></figure> In Hot Springs, Wednesday is the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/187194206464685/?ref=share">Spa City Lady Gang</a>’s weekly group ride, when any female-identifying rider is invited to hit the mountain bike trails around the city. During my visit, a dozen or so ladies welcomed me to the Northwoods Trails and took me on a guided tour of the area. I was glad I joined them. There’s a trail network map at the trailhead, and the name of each trail is clearly signposted at the start, but once you’re on the web of trials, it’s hard to know how they all interconnect. Had I not gone with the gang, I would’ve been checking the photo I took of the map every few minutes so as not to get lost. We twisted and turned through dense foliage, rotating between steep climbs and rugged descents – a few of which some of us decided to get off and walk – and stopped at several bridges and streams to catch our breath and take pictures. While the Northwoods do have more challenging trails, the gang made sure we rode beginner (and a handful of intermediate) trails since I’m a relative newbie. As was the case in Little Rock, the trails are open year-round but may close after heavy rains. – <a href="/about/contributors/cassandra-brooklyn">Cassandra Brooklyn</a> <h2 id="bend">Bend, Oregon</h2> Almost any outdoorsy person living in the United States will have heard of Bend, Oregon. It’s like Boulder or Bozeman in that way, not too big, not too small, and packed with fun, world-class ways to play and be fit and happy outside. There’s skiing, hiking, fishing, and climbing, and all of it within a can-do-after-work distance. Specifically, though, people really like Bend for <a href="https://bendtrails.org/">mountain biking</a> and beer. A wonderful pairing, anywhere, sure – but it’s Bend’s abundance of both that makes it remarkable. More than 300mi (483km) of single-track trails wend through evergreen forests and over passes and up into the airy, hinterlands of the Deschutes National Forest, a 2,500mi2 (7,300km2) swatch of public land that cradles the city. You can flow through spicy-scented ponderosas in sweeping S-curves on Phil’s Trail or climb into the strange cinder country of red gravel peaks on Flagline. There are lakes to reach on the Metolius Windigo and rapids to follow on the River Trail. It’s so good and varied that bike magazines do their reviewing here. This is not slick rock, like that in Moab, or the root-riddled paths of New England. Some of the riding here is technical lava rock, but much of it is not. You can bomb steep trails over and over while riding the bike-friendly chairlifts at Mount Bachelor in the summer, or explore endless squiggles of pleasing, smooth, forgiving routes that weave through the woods and steppes. I’ve seen deer and eagles out there. I sometimes pack a small rod to fish. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/mountain-biking/bend-biking-dave-cox.jpg" alt="Two mountain bikers on a forest trail near Bend, Oregon. " /> <figcaption>Riders on the Tumalo Creek Trail. Image credit: Dave Cox, Mountain Media</figcaption></figure> My friend Katy Bryce agrees we have it good. “We have everything,” she says. She’s the author of the guide book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Bike-Bend-Select-Singletrack/dp/1680510649">Mountain Bike Bend</a>, and the CEO of a <a href="https://robertaxleproject.com/">local bike company</a>. “I have my favorites, but there are infinite ways to link trails together to create your own fun and adventure.” My favorite has always been how you can ride so many trails right from town – no car required. You can pedal along a new car-free footpath that dives and swoops its way to the <a href="https://bendtrails.org/trail/phils-trail-complex/">Phil’s Trail Complex</a> on the edge of town, where the pavement becomes duff or sand and perfectly tacky right after a rain. You can ride any time of year, really, though too much snow or heat mean April to July and September to October are best. That’s when I’ll spin up Kent’s or Ben’s – both easy green trails – and work my way over to a fast, hoot-worthy descent down Phil’s. It’s 15mi (24km) door to door and I’ll pass a <a href="https://www.visitbend.com/bend-ale-trail/">dozen breweries</a> on the way. I think we have 30 of them now. If you're looking for a guided adventure, <a href="https://www.cogwild.com/">Cog Wild</a> runs guided trips, shuttles, and skills courses in and around Bend. – <a href="/about/contributors/tim-neville">Tim Neville</a> <h2 id="west-virginia">Fayetteville, West Virginia</h2> West Virginia’s state motto,“Wild and Wonderful”, appears on welcome signs and license plates and is fantastically accurate. A variety of wild adventures – hiking, biking, rafting, mountain climbing – along with the state’s natural beauty make West Virginia a wonderful place to holiday. I arrived at the <a href="https://wvtourism.com/company/arrowhead-bike-farm/">Arrowhead Bike Farm</a>, near Fayetteville in central-south West Virginia, on a warm September morning, half expecting the mountain bike trails to be closed due to the previous evening’s powerful rainstorm. Instead, I was greeted by a cheery skills instructor and learned that the region’s sandstone filters and absorbs rain quickly so, while trails in other states become sloppy messes after a storm, these trails stay open. In fact, they’re open year-round, even if it snows. Arrowhead Bike Farm also offers skill-building workshops and guided tours (it also has adorable goats, a great restaurant, and awesome campsites). I’ve been an avid road cyclist for 15 years and enjoyed mountain biking in forests in <a href="/explore/central-america/costa-rica/traveling-in-costa-rica-during-covid#to-do">Costa Rica</a> and deserts in <a href="/explore/middle-east/jordan/exploring-jordan-from-a-local-womans-perspective">Jordan</a>, but I’d never taken a mountain biking class. Just as personal trainers help tweak your form for a safer, more effective workout, a mountain bike coach helps you develop habits that will result in a safer, more enjoyable ride. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/mountain-biking/west-virginia-biking-alt.jpg" alt="A woman rides a mountain bike through the woods near Fayetteville, West Virginia." /> <figcaption>The author riding the trails at Arrowhead Bike Farm. Image credit: Cassandra Brooklyn</figcaption></figure> After a 20-minute session, that covered proper form for riding uphill and downhill and how to maneuver and increase stability while dodging trees, we headed to the trails. Intermediate riders should try the Dalton and La Croix trails, while experienced riders should check out the Wolf Creek Trail system a few miles away, which offers riders large rock gardens and downed trees to tackle. Since I’m still a beginner, we rode the Long Point Trail (in <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/best-of-the-blue-ridge-mountains">New River Gorge National Park</a>), a mixed-use trail (shared with hikers) that leads to a spectacular view of the New River Gorge Bridge. The last .25mi (0.4km) of the trail must be walked. During the ride, my coach constantly watched my form, reminded me where to shift my weight, and checked in to make sure I felt comfortable. He let me know when we’d be approaching a hill and suggested when I should switch gears and/or adjust my speed. It was great. Had I taken a lesson like this while in Costa Rica, I probably wouldn’t have run into a railroad track and broken off a pedal. Next time I’m in the area, I’ll be sure to visit on a Wednesday for their weekly women’s ride. – <a href="/about/contributors/cassandra-brooklyn">Cassandra Brooklyn</a>Getty Images / Jordan Siemens 1523108724 Getty Images A woman bikes through aspen trees near Breckenridge, Colorado.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/north-america/united-states/where-to-hike-in-the-usa-year-roundThe United States offers fantastic hiking every month of the year. Our nomads share their favorites – from easy day trips to multi-day treks – that let you enjoy the best of the seasons and the regions while avoiding the crowds.2021-08-19T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/north-america/united-states/where-to-hike-in-the-usa-year-roundhttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#january">January: Torreya State Park, Florida </a></li> <li><a href="#february">February: Beartooth Mountains, Montana </a></li> <li><a href="#march">March: Oregon Coast Trail </a></li> <li><a href="#april">April: The Historic C&O Canal Towpath from Harper’s Ferry to Washington, DC</a></li> <li><a href="#may">May: Green River Lakes Trails, Wyoming</a></li> <li><a href="#june">June: The Ozark Highlands Trail, Arkansas</a></li> <li><a href="#july">July: Mountains-to-Sea Trail, North Carolina</a></li> <li><a href="#august">August: Desolation Wilderness, Northern California</a></li> <li><a href="#september">September: The Cliff Walk, Newport, Rhode Island </a></li> <li><a href="#october">October: Meyers Beach Sea Cave Trail, Wisconsin</a></li> <li><a href="#november">November: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Southern California </a></li> <li><a href="#december">December: Acadia National Park, Maine</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="january">January: Torreya State Park, Florida</h2> Being a keen birdwatcher has only deepened my appreciation for trees, despite their habit of obscuring the objects of my attentions. In fact, I’ve become something of a tree-spotter. It was to satisfy this interest that I first visited Torreya State Park, on Florida’s Panhandle, between Tallahassee and Pensacola. There, growing only on the bluffs some 150ft (46m) above the Apalachicola River, can be found the torreya, aka the stinking cedar or gopher tree, the rarest evergreen in North America. It has been critically endangered since 1998, due to fungal blight. Unapologetically rugged – and occasionally challenging, because of the aftermath of 2018’s Hurricane Michael, the 12mi (19km) Torreya Challenge trail takes in most of the park’s highlights, such as Gregory House, an antebellum mansion, which can be toured; Confederate cannon emplacements; and glorious stands of white oak, water hickory, Florida maple and fan-leaved palmetto. The neighboring Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, a longleaf pine landscape restored by The Nature Conservancy, where 47 zoo-raised non-venomous eastern indigo snakes were recently introduced, makes for exceptional hiking, too. January is the best time of year to visit; the mosquitoes haven’t stirred yet, but it’s warm enough for light clothing, and you might see the golden-crowned kinglet, which spends the winter there. The park is open every day from 8am to sunset and entry costs US $3 per vehicle and US $2 for pedestrians and cyclists. A yurt, cabin, and 30 shaded <a href="/travel-insurance/activities/camping-travel-insurance">campsites</a> with restrooms, showers, and electric and water hookups accommodate overnight visitors. – <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a> <h2 id="february">February: Beartooth Mountains, Montana</h2> Snowshoes are a bit of a misnomer. Since they work by distributing weight over a larger surface area, they’re actually flotation devices. The Beartooths, however, are aptly named. These snow-capped peaks, straddling the Montana/Wyoming border, look like the canines you’d expect a grizzly to flash right before he eats you. Fortunately, it’s February. Bears are hibernating. Avalanches are a concern at higher elevations – the Beartooths boast Montana’s highest point (elevation 12,779ft/3,895m) – but the trail I’m on, Wild Bill Lake Loop, is lower. Well-groomed and well-marked, it’s as flat as the Beartooths are jagged. As a Big Sky Country native, I know the Beartooths’ premiere hike is The Beaten Path – a 26mi (42km) summit-to-summit trail that takes 2 to 4 days. I only have 2 to 4 hours. Luckily, there are a dozen easy and moderate hikes, including Wild Bill, within 20 minutes of Red Lodge (pop. 2,012), the gateway to this relatively underrated Montana mountain range. In October, snow begins to filter through the lodgepole pines to blanket the forest floor. In December, The Beartooth Recreational Trails Association starts grooming its winter-use trails on a weekly basis, and Red Lodge stores rent out <a href="/travel-insurance/activities/ski-snowboard-travel-insurance">Nordic skis</a> and snowshoes. I opt for the latter so my lumbering 150-pound Leonberger dog can keep up. Because the trails aren’t crowded – even on weekends – dogs are allowed off leash. I dread the day the Beartooths become so popular it’s hard to find parking at the trailheads. That said, I’m not going to stop bragging about my backyard. Mountains this special only form once in a millennium. – <a href="/about/contributors/katie-jackson">Katie Jackson</a> <h2 id="march">March: Oregon Coast Trail</h2> A few years ago, a travel editor sent me to the southern Oregon Coast to <a href="/travel-insurance/activities/mountain-biking">ride a fat bike</a> along the broad, sandy beaches that make up a good portion of the Oregon Coast Trail. It’s a 362mi (583km) route along the Pacific that links state parks, campgrounds and quaint towns anchored by inns, seafood shacks, and breweries. Even as a longtime Oregon resident I thought the route was awesome, but it was the whale sightings that have kept me coming back. The OCT isn’t as well-known as a lot of the other long-distance trails in the United States, but it is worthy for its simplicity. The entire Oregon coast is public land, and the route stretches from the mouth of the Columbia River near Astoria south to the California state line. It’s hard to get lost with a giant ocean to orientate you. Along the way you’ll find beaches, single-track trails, and a few stretches of road, none of which is heart-crushingly difficult. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/hikes-year-round/oregon-coast-trail.jpg" alt="A woman hikes through a misty forest on the Oregon Coast Trail, USA." /> <figcaption>Hiking through misty forests on the Oregon Coast Trail. Image credit: Tim Neville</figcaption></figure> The rewards are magnificent. Temperate rainforests give way to mountain vistas overlooking mighty sea stacks. Tide pools teem with starfish and green sea anemones. And, come March, thousands of gray whales start passing by on their migration north to the plankton-rich waters of British Columbia and Alaska. On some days, it’s not unusual to count 50 of them. The areas around Depoe Bay rank as prime whale watching regions, but my favorite has always been the 4.5 mile (7km) one-way stretch between Sunset Bay State Park and Cape Arago State Park near Coos Bay in the south. Rocky, dramatic, and less visited, the trail winds along sandstone cliffs, twisted like taffy, and past Shore Acres State Park with its lovely botanical gardens. Bring binoculars to look for the tell-tale spout of a whale coming up for air. When night falls, build a campfire on the beach and roast mussels harvested off the rocks. All you need is a <a href="https://myodfw.com/crabbing-clamming/licensing-info">permit</a>. – <a href="/about/contributors/tim-neville">Tim Neville</a> <h2 id="april">April: The Historic C&O Canal Towpath from Harper’s Ferry to Washington, DC</h2> Just across the Potomac River from historic Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, pick up the C&O Canal Towpath for a mostly flat, 60mi (97km) hike or bike into Washington, DC. I love this stretch of the trail for the scenery, especially in the spring, when native rhododendrons, wild azalea, and dogwood bloom, pawpaw give off their curious fruit (taste it if you like), and bluebells, bloodroot, lilies, and trillium pop up from the forest floor. On more isolated spots along the trail, I’ve spotted white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and foxes, plus abundant bird life. The entire 184mi (297km) towpath forms the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park, which runs from Cumberland, Maryland, near the Pennsylvania border, all the way to Georgetown in DC. Canal boats were once pulled by mules along the towpath, hauling passengers, coal, food, and other supplies. For nearly 100 years of the 19th and 20th centuries, the canal was a key supply route to Western Maryland and beyond. Wooden locks raised and lowered boats to allow for elevation change – a few of them still function and many others are in a preserved state. Today, the towpath is a wide, shady trail for walkers, backpackers, and bikers content to traverse a small section or make the entire journey end-to-end, with stops along the way at campsites or country inns. The towpath is shaded almost the entire way, but still offers dramatic views of the roaring Potomac, imposing rock formations, and fascinating history lessons – all at a pace that won’t leave you winded. – <a href="/about/contributors/elizabeth-heath">Elizabeth Heath</a> <h2 id="may">May: Green River Lakes Trails, Wyoming</h2> I dedicated my time in Wyoming to lesser-known hiking destinations. Sure, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park are both spectacular, but they’re also spectacularly crowded. While national parks get all the attention, national forests, such as Bridger-Teton, are massively underappreciated – huge swaths of public land just begging to be explored. The Bridger Wilderness area inside Bridger-Teton National Forest is 2.5 hours south of Jackson, Wyoming and 1.5 hours north of Pinedale (where I was based) – far enough off the main drag that it’s not overly crowded but close enough to civilization that daytrip hikes are possible. Overnight camping is also an option – and the only option for multi-day hikes. The Green River Lakes trail network is especially beautiful, with the Green River Loop (a 7mi/11km loop around a lake) the most popular. For multi-day hikers, the Highline Trail is a 35mi (56km) out-and-back trek with campsites scattered along the route. Instead of taking the Highline Trail to the Lakeside Trail to complete the lake loop, I opted to continue on the Highline side since the Lakeside Trail was full of downed trees. Just 3mi (5km) from the Highline trailhead I was rewarded with views of snowcapped mountains reflecting off the emerald and turquoise lakes. If you want to get that epic view but complete the loop, just double back a bit to connect to the Lakeside Trail. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/hikes-year-round/bridger-teton-lake.jpg" alt="A mountain is reflected in a lake in Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wisconsin." /> <figcaption>A mirror lake on the Highline Trail. Image credit: Cassandra Brooklyn</figcaption></figure> By early May, most snow is melted along the trails, there are no mosquitos yet, and pre-summer vacation season means few crowds. Elevation gains are fairly minimal and not too strenuous. Though hiking poles aren’t necessary, the terrain is easier in proper hiking boots, and bear spray is absolutely essential. This part of Wyoming is <a href="/travel-safety/north-america/united-states/how-to-avoid-bears-tips-for-wilderness-safety">prime bear country</a> (both black and grizzly), so be sure to have bear spray handy, wear bear bells, bang sticks, and/or sing while hiking so bears hear you coming. As I usually hike alone and am terrified of bears, I actually mistook the rev of a distant boat motor for the pounding footsteps of a charging grizzly. For a moment, time stood still while I envisioned a mama grizzly charging me from the forest. My heart stopped, then raced, then I laughed at my mistake. Ten minutes later, I fell for the same motorboat trick again. – <a href="/about/contributors/cassandra-brooklyn">Cassandra Brooklyn</a> <h2 id="june">June: The Ozark Highlands Trail, Arkansas</h2> Now fixed in the popular imagination by the eponymous TV series, the Ozarks are a heavily forested group of highlands extending southwestward from St. Louis, Missouri to the Arkansas River and take in four states. The Midwest’s answer to the Appalachians, the Ozarks aren’t a mountain range so much as a heavily weathered plateau, one of the oldest on Earth. The Ozark Highlands Trail is a work in progress. So far, 270mi (435km) of a projected 320 have been cleared, and I’ve tackled 100mi (161km) of it, on and around the Boston Mountains of Arkansas, averaging about 15mi (24km) a day, from the Fort Douglas trailhead to Lake Fort Smith State Park. This is physically demanding backcountry hiking, involving, in summer, a fair amount of bushwhacking, so it’s best to pack light (it’s easy to pitch a mesh tent and a light tarp beneath the dense tree cover that’s a fixture of much of the trail). Fresh water is easy to find, but clean fresh water isn’t, so have a portable water purifier on hand, and a bear canister to contain your vittles, as black bears and raccoons are never far away. The Trail crosses more than 60 named creeks, streams, and rivers, traverses the Hurricane Creek Wilderness Area and scales White Rock Mountain, and yet it’s lightly trafficked. I was rarely accompanied for long on my trek, so its steep inclines, sudden drops, sandstone cliffs, jungly intensity, and views of what could have passed for heaven felt as though they’d been laid out just for me. I can’t think of another slice of genuine wilderness with its sense of scale and isolation – and populations of elk, mountain lion, and bald eagle – so close to civilization (Fayetteville, Arkansas, is just 40 minutes’ drive from Lake Fort Smith). – <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a> <h2 id="july">July: Mountains-to-Sea Trail, North Carolina</h2> Strictly speaking, this isn’t the 1,175mi(1,891km) MST – as it’s commonly acronymed – but a 45mi (72km) section of it, ideal for a very long weekend. A friend sold me on this hike, from the town of Asheville to the Black Mountain Campground, as a practice run for an assault on the Southern Sixers, the 53 peaks that stand taller than 6,000ft (1,828m) among the Southern Appalachian Mountains of <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/mountain-biking-in-the-smoky-mountains">North Carolina and Tennessee</a>. Other than Mount Washington in New Hampshire, these fairly tightly clustered summits are the only ones that make the cut east of the Mississippi. Even in July, the walking is cool, thanks to the elevation not dropping below 5,000ft (1,524m) for almost half its length, though a wide-brimmed hat is essential if sunstroke isn’t your bag. The trail tops out at 6,359ft (1,949m) at Blackstop Knob, but Mount Mitchell – at 6,684ft (2,037m), the highest of the Sixers, and beloved of the Cherokee, who called it Attakulla – is temptingly close, and worth the detour if you have the legs for a much steeper climb. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/hikes-year-round/mt-mitchell-getty-878650830.jpg" alt="A panoramic view of forested mountains from the top of Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina" /> <figcaption>View from the top of Mt. Mitchell. Image credit: Getty Images / MargaretW</figcaption></figure> A nine-site tent campground in the free-to-enter Mount Mitchell State Park is open in warmer months, and a concession area and full-service restaurant caters to visitors from May to October. Many of the trailheads are a short distance from the <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/best-of-the-blue-ridge-mountains">Blue Ridge</a> Parkway, a manmade wonder, so the journey can be broken up without fuss if you want to use Asheville, with its charming downtown, arboretum, galleries, Pinball Museum and proximity to the historic Biltmore Estate, as base camp. – <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a> <h2 id="august">August: Desolation Wilderness, Northern California</h2> Above Northern California’s Lake Tahoe is a wonderworld of granite domes, alpine lakes, evergreen forests and bluebird skies that seems to stretch forever. This is Desolation Wilderness, one of the Sierra Nevada’s last strongholds for peace and isolation. My favorite hike through this 100mi2 (260km2) wilderness area begins at Echo Lake and ends 1,800ft (549m) up at Lake Aloha. You can do this 12mi (19km) out-and-back trip in a day, but I like extending it with a few nights camping along the shores of the numerous lakes found north of here, making a one-way trip from Echo Lake to the Eagle Falls trailhead on Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay. It’s 16+ mi (26+ km), connecting numerous trails, so a map and compass are essential. It’s best to start early to get the best light and miss the day-trippers. This is pure California magic, rewarded by vast views of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, meadows, and granite-shored lakes. There are plenty of chances to spot wildlife, such as mule deer, black bear, badgers, and bobcats, and fun little guys including fishers, pine marten, marmots, and pika. Keep an eye out for jays, chickadee, mountain bluebird and maybe even a golden eagle. Lake Aloha has probably the best lake swimming I’ve ever done – anywhere. The crystal-clear waters are ice cold, and a wonderful treat after a long slog. After a dip and a serious “lizarding” sunbathing session, I set up camp, take an afternoon hike (without my backpack), or just chill lakeside with my thoughts. If you want to stay for longer, you can camp at any of the lakes enroute to Eagle Falls. All overnights in Desolation Wilderness require an easy-to-get <a href="https://www.recreation.gov/permits/233261">permit</a>. This is bear country, so be sure to bring a bear canister to store your food well away from the campsite and never, ever cook in your tent. You’ll also need a good tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad, bug spray, food, water and a water filtration system, and standard mountain trekking gear. In some areas you might be required to pack out your poop (a specially designed <a href="https://www.rei.com/product/662978/cleanwaste-go-anywhere-toilet-kit-waste-bags-package-of-12">poop pouch</a> comes in handy). – <a href="/about/contributors/greg-benchwick">Greg Benchwick</a> <h2 id="september">September: The Cliff Walk, Newport, Rhode Island</h2> The Cliff Walk, in the classic New England seaside town of Newport, Rhode Island, is a popular destination during the summer season, when crowds flood in. But my favorite time to hike this trail is in September. By then, the air is cooler and the vacationers have left. The 3.5mi (5.6km) National Recreation Trail offers incredible views of the rocky Atlantic coastline as well as Newport’s iconic, gilded mansions: the Breakers, the Marble House, and the Elms. The term “walk” is used lightly, because while there are parts that are paved and easy to navigate – especially at the start of the trail – there are also plenty of areas with uneven terrain. Some parts even have steep inclines of over 70ft (21m) and require extreme caution, so make sure to wear some good hiking shoes. Aside from the thinned crowds, September is also usually warm enough to enjoy the last bits of summer fun, such as the local beaches, outdoor dining, and playing lawn tennis at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival is also held mid-month and allows guests the unique experience of wining and dining like a Vanderbilt in the gilded age. The trail is open 365 days a year and access is free and open to the public. I’ve done the walk several times and no matter how many times I hike this trail, I never tire of the views. – <a href="/about/contributors/gina-zammit">Gina Zammit</a> <h2 id="october">October: Meyers Beach Sea Cave Trail, Wisconsin</h2> When I was growing up in Wisconsin, each summer my family would “go up north” (Wisconsin speak for visiting the northern part of the state). This stunning part of the country isn’t well-known outside the region, but it’s packed with gorgeous and unique hiking trails for all skill levels. My absolute favorite hike in Northern Wisconsin is the Meyers Beach Sea Cave Trail. Located within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the trail meanders along the southern coast of Gitchigami, the name the Red Cliff band of <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/great-lakes-road-trip">Lake Superior</a> Chippewa gave the Great Lake. As the tribe’s name implies, the region (and the Meyers Beach trail, in particular) is lined with red cliffs and the trail itself is mostly shaded, well-maintained, and easy to follow. If it’s hot out, the best way to cool off is to jump in the lake after the hike. The first .75mi (1.2km) of the out-and-back trail follows a wooden plank boardwalk, then changes to a mixture of dirt paths and wooden stairs – nothing too technical. Note that if it’s been raining, the trail can get quite muddy and slippery so be sure to bring proper footwear. The first mile is through a densely wooded area that transitions to a waterfront path overlooking Lake Superior and the area’s famous sea caves. Around the 2mi (3.2km) mark – right where the cliffs are – the trail becomes narrow and overgrown, so most people turn around here, but the trail continues for another 3mi (5km) or so, on to the Lakeshore Trail Campsite. If you don’t mind climbing over fallen trees, the full out-and-back route is about 11mi (18km). <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/hikes-year-round/wisconsin-myers-beach.jpg" alt="Kayakers on Lake Superior below the Myers Beach Sea Cave Trail in northern Wisconsin." /> <figcaption>Kayakers below the Myers Beach Sea Cave Trail. Image credit: Cassandra Brooklyn</figcaption></figure> Huge evergreen trees maintain their green hue year-round but each October, maple, birch, and other deciduous trees transition to festive yellow, red, and orange. Come winter, the kayakers who paddled below the cliffs in summer have been replaced with hikers making their way across the frozen-over lake and into the icicle-filled sea caves. – <a href="/about/contributors/cassandra-brooklyn">Cassandra Brooklyn</a> <h2 id="november">November: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Southern California</h2> The California sand was still warm when I collapsed into it, eyes skyward, to watch satellites trace across the stars. The dark was dizzying. A few hours ago I’d been in San Diego wandering the Gaslamp Quarter, but out here I was alone with silhouettes of spindly ocotillo. I’d never heard of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park until a guide book project I was working on took me there one November – the ideal time to visit. The park sits in the shadow of the more popular Joshua Tree National Park, but this is California’s largest state park, a 600,000-acre expanse of canyons with ancient pictographs, soaring peaks, and ragged badlands. More than 110mi (177km) of trails wind through the park, including portions of the Pacific Crest Trail, but I’d spent a few days doing smaller day hikes instead. I wandered for 5.5mi (9km) out and back to the 20-foot-high (6m) Maidenhair Falls in Hellhole Canyon, a place that in summer lives up to its name with temperatures that can reach 125ºF (52ºC). I found an oasis of shimmering California fan palms tucked 1.5mi (2.4km) into Borrego Palm Canyon, a haven that has since burned in a small wildfire but that ecologists say will regrow quickly. On my last day, I spent a challenging several hours scrambling up to the cooler climes of 5,600ft (1,706m) Granite Mountain on a trail so lightly used at times it disappeared. Make no mistake: this is rough, rugged country and even in winter temperatures can still get hot. Be sure to bring a map, don’t expect mobile service, carry lots of water (at least a gallon per person) and, if you’re camping, be sure to carry a headlamp and mark your tent with reflective tape to find it in the dark. Then sit back, turn your gaze to the heavens and <a href="/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/planet/reach-for-the-stars">watch the show</a> till dawn. – <a href="/about/contributors/tim-neville">Tim Neville</a> <h2 id="december">December: Acadia National Park, Maine</h2> Most people who visit <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/exploring-the-maine-coast-by-boat">Acadia National Park</a>, one of the country’s most popular parks, with roughly 3.5 million visitors a year, know it as a summer getaway. But the park’s best kept secret is that it’s just as beautiful during the shoulder seasons and, as long as you’re willing to bundle up, you’ll have it all to yourself. The Gorham Mountain and Ocean Path Loop is a 3.5mi (5.6km) hike that encompasses everything iconic about the park, starting with a moderate climb to the top of 525ft (160m) Gorham Mountain, one of Mount Desert Island’s many mini peaks. From its granite summit spread seemingly limitless views of Frenchman Bay and its conifer-covered islands. My hands glide over snow and icicle-covered rocks on the way down and my boots crunch through iced-over puddles and streams. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/hikes-year-round/acadia-winter-getty-1303763744.jpg" alt="Snow-covered rocks on the shoreline of Acadia National Park in Maine." /> <figcaption>Acadia National Park in winter. Image credit: Getty Images / KenCanning</figcaption></figure> I cross the road to Sand Beach. The Maine ocean is cold year-round, so a walk on its sandy shore is no less enjoyable in the winter and the beachcombing is even better. A short climb brings me to Ocean Path, which hugs the rugged pink granite coastline and parallels Park Loop Road, closed to cars in the winter. Without the noise of the summer’s bumper-to-bumper traffic, the sound of sea birds and crashing surf intensifies and it’s easy to harken back to the park’s less peopled beginnings in the early 1900s when it was a playground to the Rockefellers. While the island typically gets less snow than inland Maine, be sure to check for weather conditions and dress for cold weather. – <a href="/about/contributors/catie-joyce-bulay">Catie Joyce-Bulay</a>Getty Images / sierralara 01204592309 Getty Images A hiker overlooks the rugged badlands in Anza-Borrega Desert State Park, California.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/worldwide/post-pandemic-travel-family-reunionsThe hardest part of the COVID-19 pandemic for many of us has been being apart from our loved ones. When it’s safe to travel and gather, our Nomads community shares how they'll reconnect with friends and family.2021-05-07T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/worldwide/post-pandemic-travel-family-reunionshttps://www.worldnomads.com“I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends in England again. I will first visit my Dad, who is no longer very mobile after a lifetime of activity, and who I haven’t seen now for more than 18 months – our longest time apart. I cannot wait to hug him and to laugh at the old stories. Then I will head to rural Suffolk to see a gathering of my dearest friends. We will all meet in the ancient 50-acre wood owned by one of my friends, to camp, cook over the fire, eat, drink, talk and laugh. Like we always have. Nothing changes even though everything changes, and for me, travel is always about the people.” – Kate Duthie, Managing Editor, World Nomads "It's been a crazy 12 months, but now that some sense of normality is starting to return, we're excited to finally catch up with friends and family who are interstate [in Australia] and go on a series of big camping trips! Whether it's <a href="https://vanlifetheory.com/blog/van-tour/">in our campervan</a> or roughing it in a tent doesn't matter. As long as we're with the ones we love it's going to be incredible." Alesha Bradford and Jarryd Salem, Directors, <a href="https://www.nomadasaurus.com">NOMADasaurus</a> “My plans, now that I’m fully vaccinated, are twofold: go see my folks and take my family…somewhere. I’ll see my folks first. They live on the delmarvelous Delmarva peninsula, a dollop of marsh muck and seafood shacks sandwiched between the Atlantic and the Chesapeake Bay. I’ll take the canoe out with my brother, I hope, and cast for striped bass, and maybe look for shorebirds at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. I’ll go toss horseshoes on a sandbar off the coast of Cape Charles and ride a cruiser bike to The Shanty for fish and chips. I’ve been a mountain guy now most of my life, but I’ve always had saltwater in my veins. The pandemic has left me deficient in that way, and so I’ll go back and reconnect with the beauty of an endless marsh and savor the mucky funk of the marsh. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most.” – <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/about/contributors/tim-neville">Tim Neville</a>, travel writer and <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/create/learn/writing/5-tips-to-writing-a-winning-travel-story">World Nomads scholarship mentor</a> “My partner and I have recently invested in quality camping gear, so we’re keen to get some good use out of it. We’re planning road trips to visit our family and friends interstate [in Australia], setting up camp along the way and discovering so many new hikes, landmarks, and places to eat that we would have missed if we had flown there. Now as semi-seasoned campers, we’re looking forward to organizing trips with our friends. Nothing like reconnecting around a campfire, under the stars, with some hot chocolate!” – Parinaz Bilimoria, Brand Programs and Community Manager, World Nomads “I’m looking forward to seeing my best friend this summer. We often joke that we live our lives in parallel, the most recent example of this being when our wives gave birth within two weeks of each other during lockdown. We’ve been on several outdoor adventures together in the past but, this time, the pace and activities will be different from when we were without little ones. With international travel out of the question, we’ve settled on hiring a cottage somewhere near the New Forest National Park and the Isle of Wight here in the UK. A beautiful part of the country that we haven’t fully explored in the past. Not only will it be great fun for both our older kids (who are also the same age and have had limited opportunity to socialize outside our bubble) but it will be a chance for us to take turns to go on date nights with our better halves and have hassle-free childcare!” – Dave O’Malley, Global Partnerships and Business Development, World Nomads <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/post-covid-reunion-isle-of-wight-getty-462366999.jpg" alt="Bathers at Steephill Cove Beach on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom." /> <figcaption>Bathers at Steephill Cove Beach on the Isle of Wight. Image credit: Getty Images / Chad Powell</figcaption></figure> “With international travel still on hold in so many places, I’ll be visiting with friends across the country here in the United States. I’m looking forward to actually staying with friends in their homes, long hugs and catching up over this year. Hopefully there will be BBQs involved. This year has made me nostalgic, and I just got together with a friend I haven’t seen since childhood. I have a photo tour to the ’Stans – <a href="/explore/central-asia/kazakhstan/trying-to-get-around-kazakhstan">Kazakhstan</a>, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan – in Central Asia in September and a trip to Vietnam in October, so I’m hoping international travel picks up by then.” – <a href="http://www.alisonwright.com">Alison Wright</a>, photographer “For the last four years (minus last year, obviously), my friends and I would do a Christmas in July (it being winter in Australia and all) at someone’s house or a holiday house. Looking forward to doing that again this year.” – Stefan Chan, Digital Specialist – SEO, World Nomads “I've been traveling during the pandemic and have visited my mom several times (always getting tested first and wearing a mask around her all the time, even outdoors), but now that she, my sister, and her husband have been vaccinated, my family is planning a vacation. We're going to rent a cabin in northern <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/great-lakes-road-trip">Wisconsin</a> at the campsite where my family went for 50 years up until about 15 years ago. I've been on a waiting list to get a cabin there for 15 years and we think we have a chance this summer – if not, we'll go off-peak in September. As Covid is still an issue, we won't do the group activities there, but since my mom has Parkinson's and her condition has deteriorated significantly in the past year, the accommodations we'll make will more so be related to her limited mobility.” – <a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/about/contributors/cassandra-brooklyn">Cassandra Brooklyn</a>, travel writer “I think the most fabulous plan would be to meet in Iceland. We’d rent a couple of camper vans and caravan around the island, stopping to camp and hike the fjords. We would take in the Arctic light and the smell of the sea, and cherish the freedom of the outdoors as well as rejoice in the reunion of camaraderie.” – <a href="https://kiliii.com/">Kiliii Yüyan</a>, photographer “Given the frictions and frustrations of international travel (plus the social responsibility of reducing risk), my travel will mostly be UK-based. I live in the city and have missed the great outdoors, so I’m looking forward to multi-day treks on the coast and highlands. Other than that, it’s all about breaks with the family – heading to retreats in the English countryside, renting a house together and visiting pubs!" – <a href="/about/contributors/ash-bhardwaj">Ash Bhardwaj</a>, filmmakerGetty Images / Morsa Images 11097418680 Getty Images At an outdoor gathering, a group of young adults greets each other with hugs.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/north-america/united-states/us-islands-for-outdoor-adventureCraving crowd-free serenity? Longing for pristine beaches? Fascinated by wildife, nature, and history? These gorgeous archipelagos just off the US coast are exactly what you need. 2021-04-21T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/north-america/united-states/us-islands-for-outdoor-adventurehttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#channel"> The Channel Islands of California</a></li> <li><a href="#san-juans">Washington’s San Juan Islands</a></li> <li><a href="#sea-islands">The Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="channel">The Channel Islands of California</h2> It was a fascination with island ecology that led me to the Channel Islands of California. I had a pilgrimage to the Galápagos planned, but my wallet had other ideas, and the more I read about evolution, the more satisfied I was that if I wanted to see Mother Nature at her inventive best, I didn’t need to join legions of travelers on a quest for a giant tortoise selfie in Ecuador. Islands are laboratories for biodiversity, places where natural selection has produced a remarkable array of creatures unique to their locales. Darwin may have had his “eureka” moment on the Galápagos, but he could have had it in Borneo, South Georgia, Coiba or… The Channel Islands. This archipelago of just eight small, mostly uninhabited islands, between 12-64mi (19-103km) from the Californian mainland, is home to more than 2,000 animal and plant species, 145 of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Five of those islands – Anacapa, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Barbara – comprise the Channel Islands National Park, and their surrounding waters are a National Marine Sanctuary. Of the three remaining islands, only Santa Catalina, a tourist destination first developed by the chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. in the 1920s, is open to the public and not owned by the US Navy. My first glimpse of the archipelago was on an Island Packers whale watching tour out of Ventura, California. That day in late March, the waters were churning with activity – fin, humpback and California gray whales, large pods of dolphins – but what really grabbed me was the sight of Anacapa rising up out of the fog like a gothic galleon. I determined to learn more. Within a month I had arranged my trip. A contact, a research scientist with the United States Geological Survey, found a room for me in Avalon, a resort town of about 3,700 people on Santa Catalina. He and his colleagues treated me as a fellow researcher. With the use of a private boat (there are others ways to explore - see below), I spent 10 days exploring each of the park’s islands, <a href="/travel-insurance/activities/kayaking-or-rafting">kayaking</a> into some of the world’s deepest sea caves, watching elephant seals nurse their giant pups, and hiking trails through intensely beautiful yet slightly alien landscapes. I lay in wait like a paparazzo for the Channel Island fox (not in the least bit flustered by my presence), Island scrub jay, deer mouse, fence lizard, spotted skunk, and slender salamander, each endemic, as a species or subspecies, to the Channel Islands. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/islands/channel-island-fox.jpg" alt="The endemic Channel Island Fox." /> <figcaption>The endemic Channel Island Fox. Image credit: Joe Furey</figcaption></figure> The human story told here is every bit as affecting, from the earliest dated remains in the Americas being found on Santa Rosa (proof that Paleoindians settled California 13,000 years ago and watercraft were in use by then) to the advanced culture of the indigenous Chumash and Tongva peoples, who were later effectively enslaved by European colonists. As the Catalina Museum in Avalon spells out, the “civilized” colonists brought ranching, gold mining, and the trade in sea otter fur, the ill effects of which the Channel Islands have spent the past 100 years trying to recover from. <h3>How to get there</h3> If you don’t have friends in the USGS, it’s still very possible to explore the islands. The Channel Islands National Park is accessible by boat and plane (to San Miguel and Santa Rosa from Camarillo Airport). Island Packers is the sole concessionaire for boat transportation, leaving from Ventura and Oxnard harbors. Journeys take between an hour and three and a half hours, one way, and round-trip day fares range from US $68 to $115. Kayaks can be rented, and you can camp with Island Packers on Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel. Visit <a href="https://flycia.com/">flycia.com</a> and <a href="https://islandpackers.com/home2/">islandpackers.com</a> for details and to book. Two companies offer a high-speed ferry service to Santa Catalina from Long Beach, San Pedro, Dana Point and Newport Beach. – <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a> <h2 id="san-juans">Washington’s San Juan Islands</h2> An archipelago located off the west coast of Washington state, the San Juan islands offer some of the most quintessential <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/4-usa-parks-you-probably-didnt-know-about#cascades">Pacific Northwest</a> landscapes – thickets of evergreen trees spilling into deep, lapis-blue waters and expansive coastline. Just a short drive and a ferry ride from Seattle, these islands are accessible, but feel a world away from mainland Washington state, offering at once adventure and serenity. Having lived on and off in Seattle for the better part of my life, the San Juan Islands are one of my favorite weekend getaways from the city, particularly during the fleeting and glorious summer months. I have frequented the San Juan Islands several times over the years, including my best friend’s wedding, camping trips with friends, and weekends spent exploring local pottery shops and remote beaches with my mom. Of all the islands, spectacular Orcas Island is the one that draws me back time and again. Getting to the San Juan Islands – whether you choose to go to San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, or one of the smaller islands – is always part of the adventure. As soon as the ferry departs from Anacortes Ferry Terminal, about a 1.5-hour drive north from Seattle, I head to the windy top deck and watch as the mainland disappears into the horizon. The one-hour trip passes peacefully as the waves lap against the ferry and the rolling green hills and the harbor of Orcas Island draws closer. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/islands/orcas-island-mountain-lake.jpg" alt="Green fir trees line the azure waters of Mountain Lake, Orcas Island, Washington." /> <figcaption>Mountain Lake, Orcas Island. Image credit: Alicia Erickson</figcaption></figure> <h3>Exploring Orcas Island</h3> Orcas Island is filled with treasures: the majestic coastline and secluded bays, and the rugged interior filled with farms, artisan shops, forests, and lakes. I’ve spent days kayaking the glassy waters with stops on uninhabited islands, and others on whale watching adventures where it’s possible to spot orcas, humpbacks, sea lions, and other Pacific Northwest marine life. Secluded Doe Bay, on the eastern coast, is a phenomenal place to relax and catch the tunes of local musicians. After a day of exploring the outdoors, I often take a stroll along the colorful streets of Eastsound, the small downtown area of Orcas Island, filled with cafes, local art galleries, and bookshops. On a foggy morning on my last visit, I hiked to the top of Mt. Constitution with friends, the highest point on the San Juans. The summit offers sweeping views over the forested island, sparkling waters, and nearby islands. After a morning of <a href="/travel-insurance/activities/hiking-travel-insurance">hiking</a>, we continued the winding drive through Moran State Park deeper into the interior of the island. We relaxed on the docks of Mountain Lake beneath the warm afternoon sun and floated in the pristine water, surrounded by statuesque evergreens. In the evening, we headed back to our campsite on a cliff’s edge and watched as a supermoon rose over the water, creating a jagged, silvery reflection. Moments like these are what keep me coming back. <h3>Trip notes</h3> Airbnb rentals, bed and breakfasts, farm stays, and grassy campgrounds are among the accommodation options. The San Juan Islands are an extremely popular destination during the summer months and places fill up quickly. Book in advance (campgrounds included) to avoid disappointment, or consider traveling during off months, even though the weather will be less predictable. Rates also vary by season. Campgrounds can be booked for US $40-$50 per night per vehicle, while cabins and cottages from $120-$350/night. Kayak tours start at around $90 for three hours and go up from there the longer the trip, while whale watching tours range from $79-99. The islands are easily reached and can be experienced without a tour, though a car is required. If boarding the ferry with a vehicle, <a href="https://www.visitsanjuans.com/washington-state-ferries">advance reservations</a> are strongly recommended. – <a href="/about/contributors/alicia-erickson">Alicia Erickson</a> <h2 id="sea-islands">The Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia</h2> I have always sought out coastal areas – deltas and estuaries, wetlands, marshes, tidal zones. They are liminal spaces, ever on the threshold of being this, that, or the other, their physical reality a matter of meteorological opinion, subject to the whims of the wind and waves. And nowhere can this be better appreciated than in the Sea Islands, the chain of 100-plus barrier islands that break up the Atlantic coast between the mouths of the Santee River, in South Carolina, and St. Johns River, in Florida. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/islands/ossabaw-island-2.jpg" alt="The sun sets over marshlands on Ossabaw Islands, Georgia." /> <figcaption>Ossabaw Island, Georgia. Image credit: Getty Images / Charlie Miller</figcaption></figure> I return to the region each October, to fish, to surf, to just be. There’s nothing quite like walking down a dirt road on South Carolina’s Dafuskie Island, savoring each footfall, until the packed earth and the live oaks flanking it give way to a stretch of sand that faces the not-yet-cold Atlantic Ocean. With dining and art scenes of international standing, Charleston, SC is wearing its 349 years well, and the city makes a good base from which to explore the islands on either side of it. I’m also happy to report that, although it was built on slave labor, and the first shots of the Civil War were fired in its harbor, the International African American Museum is slated to open on the site of a former slave market there in 2022. <h3>South Carolina’s barrier islands: Sullivan’s, Bull’s, Folly, and Hilton Head</h3> Sullivan’s Island, at the mouth of Charleston Harbor, should be as well-known as Ellis Island in New York. It was the point of entry for – it has been widely estimated – 400,000 enslaved Africans brought to British North America, and 50% of all African Americans are thought to have ancestors who passed through here. There is a memorial bench, provided by the writer Toni Morrison, on which I’ve seen whole families weeping. Bull’s Island is part of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge (favored by loggerhead turtles and more than 293 species of birds) and became the site of the red wolf breeding program, the intention of which was to reintroduce viable pairs into the wild. Sadly, that has not been a great success, but other suitable habitats have been identified and permissions sought for the release of future wolves. Called “the edge of America” by locals, Folly Beach, a small boho-y town, is Folly Island’s main attraction. It’s also the heart of South Carolina’s <a href="/travel-insurance/activities/surfing">surf</a> scene. In the fall, under the right conditions – hurricane swells and powerful nor’easters – it can inspire an amateur like me to not look a total kook. If it’s crowded, try the nearby Isle of Palms. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/islands/folly-beach-surfing.jpg" alt="A surfer braves the stormy waves at Folly Beach, South Carolina." /> <figcaption>Surfing at Folly Beach, South Carolina. Image credit: Getty Images / AwakenedEye</figcaption></figure> The site of the first “green” resort in the US, Hilton Head Island is rather swanky, but there’s an air of generosity about it. It’s where the town of Mitchelville, the first self-governing community of freed slaves, was built during the Civil War. With a language and culture rich in Central and West African influences, <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/travels-with-the-gullah-geechee">the Gullah</a>, who are direct descendants of Mitchelville’s founders, steer much of the cultural life on the island. <h3>Georgia’s barrier islands: Tybee, Ossabaw, and Cumberland</h3> Just 20 minutes from Savannah, Georgia, Tybee Island has a faded-genteel, sun-streaked, five-miles-of-public-beach charm. Slurp a cold root beer in the shadow of its vintage lighthouse and ponder that the French and Spanish once fought a battle here over control of your drink’s chief flavoring, sassafras. From Tybee it’s a short boat trip to the mysterious Ossabaw Island, whose 13 miles of sand are open to the public from sunrise to sunset, but since Ossabaw is a heritage preserve, visitors can’t go beyond the dunes unless they sign up for something improving, like a creative retreat, indigo workshop, or an archaeology dig. (<a href="https://ossabawisland.org/visit/day-trips/">Sign up in advance</a>.) <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/islands/cumberland-island-horses.jpg" alt="Wild horses stroll down a sandy trail through an oak forest on Cumberland Island, Georgia." /> <figcaption>Wild horses on Cumberland Island, Gerogia. Image credit: Getty Images / Frank Staub</figcaption></figure> The ferry from St. Mary’s, on the Georgia mainland, to Cumberland Island might as well be a rocket, because it takes you to somewhere so gloriously other. 16 miles long and extending almost as far south as Florida, the island contains one of the largest barrier island Wilderness Areas in the country; maritime forests, marshes, uncombed beaches, and wild horses whose bloodlines can be traced back to the stables of the King of Arabia. You’ll need to make reservations, as visitor numbers are limited, and then come up with excuses for why you’re not able to leave. – <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a>Getty Images / Edmund Lowe 11135614049 Getty Images A man paddles a kayak over still waters in front of Orcas Island, Washington, at sunset.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/worldwide/visiting-major-cities-during-the-pandemicWhat's it like to explore major cities that are usually overcrowded with visitors? Our nomads share their experiences in London and Istanbul.2020-10-19T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/worldwide/visiting-major-cities-during-the-pandemichttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#london">Visiting London, England, during COVID-19</a></li> <li><a href="#istanbul">Exploring Istanbul, Turkey during the pandemic</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="london">Visiting London, England, during COVID-19</h2> Update: Due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, England is under a national lockdown. This means the temporary closure of museums and other public venues. Find out the latest <a href="/travel-safety/northern-europe/united-kingdom/travel-alerts">COVID-19 travel restrictions</a> across the UK and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know">England</a>. It is the worst of times, it is the best of times… Charles Dickens might well tweak his famous opening line, from A Tale of Two Cities, if he was visiting his home town of London right now. Of course, the threat of COVID-19 lurks around every corner like a viral Jack the Ripper, but if you accept the now-quotidian inconveniences of wearing a mask, not being a personal-space invader, and booking ahead, there are astonishing opportunities for travelers to enjoy normally crowded places. Sitting alone in the Impressionists room of the National Gallery, gazing at a Monet painting of his garden at Giverny, from a distance of about 13ft (4m), with no one to obstruct my view, I was moved to tears. Turning my head to the right, I had a whole wall of Cezannes to myself, and in the next room, an uncluttered view of Van Gogh’s iconic painting of a rush-seated chair, which I could stroll towards at my leisure. These are works of art we never get to savor up close. We usually have to jostle for position for our brief moment, crammed in front of the canvas between a mass of other people – some appreciating the artworks, others just taking selfies. To have this billionaire experience – it was like seeing the paintings in a private house – all you need to do is book one of the times slots on the <a href="https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/plan-your-visit">National Gallery website</a>, and choose one of three “art routes” to follow through the gallery. You do have to wear a mask and respect other people’s space while you go round, but that’s easy when there are so few visitors, compared to this legendary institution’s usually crammed galleries. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/cities-during-covid/gallery-london.jpg" alt="A room hung with paintings but with almost no visitors at the National Gallery in London." /> <figcaption>A nearly empty room at the National Gallery in London. Photo credit: Maggie Alderson</figcaption></figure> Public transport, it has to be said, is not such a pleasure. Although social distancing measures are in place on the Tube and buses, and masks are mandatory, there are always people who think it still counts if it’s tucked under their chin. London Transport particularly advises that leisure travelers avoid peak times, when locals have to commute to work. I would advise walking whenever possible. - <a href="/about/contributors/maggie-alderson">Maggie Alderson</a> <h2 id="istanbul">Exploring Istanbul, Turkey during the pandemic</h2> <a href="/travel-safety/middle-east/turkey/latest-turkey-travel-warnings-alerts">Learn about travel restrictions in Turkey due to COVID-19</a> and get tips on <a href="/travel-safety/worldwide/traveling-safely-when-covid-restrictions-lift">traveling safely during the pandemic</a>. When you live in Istanbul, sightseeing is a part of daily life. You get your jewelry fixed at the Grand Bazaar and head to the Spice Bazaar when you run out of thyme. A trip to the fruit and veg stand leads me past the azure Bosphorus, and behind candy-colored, wooden seaside mansions that once belonged to Albanian fishermen, and have been sympathetically renovated into contemporary residences, hipster bars, and design studios. But this year, after a 14-day quarantine due to COVID-19 virus exposure early in the pandemic and, later, city-wide weekend lockdowns, leaving my apartment became the ultimate luxury. A jaunt to the grocery store became an ecstatic errand – and it felt relatively safe. Turks are responsive and resilient and seemed to take the pandemic changes in their stride. While anti-maskers stormed the Michigan legislature in my US home state, the Turkish Government supplied citizens with masks and, for the most part, people wore them. Buses limited the number of riders. One of my favorite breakfast spots put planters in between tables to facilitate social distancing. Others converted to QR code menus. Many establishments started body temperature checks. Then came summer. I grimaced when I saw large clusters of Bosphorus swimmers, screaming and laughing in close proximity, and cringed judgmentally when I saw mask-less selfies of friends on holiday in other parts of Turkey on my social feeds. Eventually, I started to wonder if I was exercising an overabundance of caution. But when the Minister of Health admitted that, since July, the government only reported the number of symptomatic Covid-19 “patients” – not total cases – I was happy I’d chosen a staycation composed of socially-distanced activities. I went to Arter, a large, airy contemporary art museum in the gentrifying Dolapdere neighborhood. On hot summer weekends, I took the ferry to <a href="/explore/middle-east/turkey/off-the-beaten-path-turkey">Burgazada</a>, one of the smaller Princes’ Islands just outside the city. I checked out a new Korean restaurant with outdoor seating and revisited the intricate mosaics at the Chora Mosque (formerly the Chora Museum). I also visited <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53366307">Hagia Sophia</a>, a much-politicized tourist attraction that, like Chora, is now a mosque. Despite the newly free admission, I didn’t anticipate crowds because of dwindling tourist numbers. Usually, it’s the mountainous building, clad in millennial pink stone, which steals my breath away. This time, the non-socially-distanced queue of hundreds of people snaking its way around the plaza in front of the mosque left me wheezing. Engaging an official tour guide allows you to skip the line – but not the wait, as the police are now limiting the number of people inside. While some people were tourists, a friendly guide explained, many were Turks from outside Istanbul who wanted to pray at Hagia Sophia, which operated as the Ottomans’ imperial mosque from 1453 to 1935. But when he told us the entire second floor, where most of the glittering gold mosaics are, had been closed for renovation since before the pandemic, I bailed. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/cities-during-covid/istanbul-mosque.jpg" alt="A handful of visitors, wearing face masks, inside the ornate Sulimaniye Mosque in Istanbul." /> <figcaption>Sulimaniye Mosque in Istanbul. Photo credit: Ruth Terry</figcaption></figure> Instead of Hagia Sophia, I went to a site I’d never been to, the <a href="/stories/connection/breaking-fast">Sulimaniye Mosque</a> complex, a few tram stops away. There were a few tourists milling about – a Russian family, an English-speaking woman engaged in philosophical conversation with a mosque docent – but the mosque itself was mostly filled with Turkish families. Children ran back and forth across the thick red carpet. Women prayed. When I looked down from the ornately patterned ceiling, I noticed a man splayed out, snoozing, in a side alcove. A father and son joined hands and knelt facing the rainbow-colored stained-glass windows. Apart from the masking tape on the carpet to help visitors socially distance, this mosque is likely much as it always was. In Istanbul, the more things change, the more they stay the same. - <a href="/about/contributors/ruth-terry">Ruth Terry</a>Getty Images / Westend61 01255083807 Getty Images An empty Trafalgar Square in London, England.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/worldwide/how-covid-is-helping-us-rediscover-domestic-travelOur nomads share where they were planning to go this year, where they’re going instead, and why it will still be amazing.2020-09-28T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/worldwide/how-covid-is-helping-us-rediscover-domestic-travelhttps://www.worldnomads.com“I was meant to be on a documentary series, shooting all over Asia this year, but we only got as far as Episode two in Japan this March. It was on that same trip that my wife and I found out that we were expecting a baby. With that news and COVID-19, the year has taken a very different course. Instead, I’ve been doing lots of rock climbing at Adelaide's local crag called “The Cave” in Norton Summit. There’s some amazing, top-quality sport climbing there, only minutes from Adelaide. It’s certainly the year to enjoy those things in your own backyard.” – <a href="/explore/africa/tanzania/amazing-nomads-mile-rowland">Miles Rowland</a>, filmmaker “I had tickets booked to Spain and Morocco. Instead, I’m taking a <a href="/travel-safety/north-america/united-states/automobiles-and-vehicular-traffic-usa-road-safety">road trip</a> to the California desert. We’re starting out visiting the Eastern Sierra hot springs around Mammoth Lakes, then braving the heat of Death Valley, and finally making our way to the desert to enjoy Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave National Preserve. The California desert is pretty much the opposite of summer in Barcelona, but I’m incredibly lucky to be able to get away and enjoy the surreal landscape. The middle of nowhere is the perfect spot to socially distance.” – Meghan Nelson, Digital Advertising Specialist, World Nomads “I was planning so many trips: Australia, Europe, Panama. I’m sticking close to home in Oregon and spending time on rivers instead. Next up: a six-day whitewater trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon. I am going on a commercial trip as a “swamper,” which is kinda like a baggage boy. So, in short, I’m going to get paid to go down a river that I would love to run with my family some day, and who knows, I think it might make for a fun essay.” – <a href="/create/learn/writing/5-tips-to-writing-a-winning-travel-story">Tim Neville</a>, travel writer and World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship mentor <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/domestic/where-were-going-merino.jpg" alt="The Big Merino, a concrete statue of a ram in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia." /> <figcaption>The "Big Merino" in Goulburn, New South Wales. Photo credit: Getty Images / Holger Leue</figcaption></figure> “This coming year I was planning to go to the city of my birth – Vancouver, Canada – where my partner, an academic, was invited to speak at a conference. I was only an infant when we left Vancouver. Now, my only coming travel plans are to go on a road trip with my film crew around regional New South Wales and <a href="/explore/oceania/australia/highlights-of-exploring-victoria-australia">Victoria</a>, to get the final shots of a feature film we’ve been making during the Covid period. We’ve filmed most of the story so far in a studio, but the final shots involve filming Australiana monuments like the “Giant Murray Cod,” the “Giant Lobster,” and the “Big Merino.” We’ll go on the road for eight days to get these when the borders again open between the states.” – <a href="/explore/guides/travel-documentary-filmmaking">Brian Rapsey</a>, filmmaker and World Nomads Travel Film Scholarship mentor “We were meant to be going on a family holiday to the South Island of New Zealand, cycling the Otago Rail Trail, a former rail track that has been upgraded to a 93-mile (150-km) cycle path between Clyde and Middlemarch. We were looking forward to the freedom, the scenery, and being together. As borders between Australia and New Zealand are currently closed, we will be holidaying in Australia instead. Depending on state border closures, we will either go to the Northern Territory to explore Kakadu National Park, or to <a href="/explore/oceania/australia/islands-to-explore-off-the-coast-of-australia">Kangaroo Island</a>, the fauna-packed island off the South Australian coast that bore the brunt of the terrible bushfires last summer. If we can’t travel that far afield, <a href="/explore/oceania/australia/top-places-to-go-for-an-adventure-in-new-south-wales">New South Wale</a>s has so much to offer, and we will either head down the coast to camp and spend money in some other bushfire-affected communities, or inland to the desert to explore under the star-filled skies. Whatever happens, we are lucky to have Australia as our backyard.” – Kate Duthie, Managing Editor, World Nomads <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/domestic/where-were-going-kangaroo-island.jpg" alt="Sea lions gather at the water's edge in Seal Bay Conservation Park, Kangaroo Island, Australia." /> <figcaption>Sea lions at Seal Bay Conservation Park, Kangaroo Island. Photo credit: Getty Images / Ignacio Palacios</figcaption></figure> “Our plan was to go to Ladakh, India, for three weeks in August, hiking around the Himalayas and exploring Buddhist monasteries. But international flights to India were suspended due to COVID-19. After several months of semi-lockdown in California, we were craving fresh air and adventure, so we went on a <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/can-i-go-rafting-during-covid">five-day whitewater rafting trip</a> on the Snake River in Idaho, about a 12-hour drive northeast of the Bay Area. It was epic – riding Class IIIs and IVs rapids through a spectacular gorge, and being totally off the grid.” – Ellen Hall, Content Producer, World Nomads “My big trip this year was going to be to London for a friend’s wedding, then tacking on a bit of a Euro trip afterwards. Instead, I’ll be sticking much closer to home, and I’ve never been more inspired by what we’ve got in our own backyard. Looking at going to Mudgee in a couple of weeks, and when domestic borders open up, I’d love to go explore with the crocs in <a href="/explore/oceania/australia/top-places-to-go-in-the-northern-territory">Kakadu National Park</a>.” – Rebecca Day, Program Specialist, World NomadsMeghan Nelson 0 Meghan Nelson Sunrise at Joshua Tree National Park in California.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/worldwide/how-covid-will-change-the-way-we-travelWhat should we learn from this global reset? We asked our staff, mentors, affiliate partners, and filmmakers how the pandemic has changed their thinking about travel.2020-07-28T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/worldwide/how-covid-will-change-the-way-we-travelhttps://www.worldnomads.comIn just a few short weeks, we went from traveling almost anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice to being confined to our countries, communities, and even our homes. What should we learn from this global reset? We asked our staff, mentors, affiliate partners, and filmmakers how the pandemic has changed their thinking about travel. <ul> <li><a href="#future">How might we travel better in the future?</a></li> <li><a href="#rebound">How can travelers help travel to rebound?</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="future">What should we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic? How might it change the way we travel?</h2> “We can all think more carefully about why we travel – and how we can have the kind of trip we love without going where everyone else tends to go. Meaningful journeys for longer, but less often, can have a positive impact on the planet – and ourselves.” – Jo Tovia, Content Producer, World Nomads “Definitely to not take things for granted, and to seize the day. I remember that, during my Yourbestlife scholarship, there were moments where I passed up opportunities to jump in a waterfall or to run in some fields because I thought to myself, “I will have another opportunity for this – heck, I'm traveling to 10 countries!” And I missed out on those chances. Now, staying home and being restricted has made me cherish them much more, and reminded me to seize every reasonable adventure that comes my way.” – Jigar Ganatra, filmmaker and World Nomads Film Scholarship winner “Nature is in charge, and sometimes, we all need a rest. I haven’t been in one place for so long since I was in college 20 years ago, and it’s been great to be grounded in a single place and experience it on foot. I think it makes me realize how much more deeply I experience a place by walking it, even in the big cities.” – <a href="https://kiliii.com/">Kiliii Yüyan</a>, photographer “My big hope is that sustainable travel becomes more mainstream and that we <a href="/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/participation/how-avoid-the-masses-when-you-travel">stop loving places to death</a>. Instead of partying in Greece, maybe we hop in a kayak for a quiet paddle and practice more “transformational travel”, where the inward journey is just as important as the outward one. This pandemic has only highlighted how much of a gift – and privilege – it is to travel and that we shouldn’t take it for granted. When this is all over, maybe it’ll be time to take that dream trip. For me, that’s India or New Zealand or Colombia or Vietnam. My list seems to be growing faster now.” – <a href="/create/learn/writing/5-tips-to-writing-a-winning-travel-story">Tim Neville</a>, travel writer and World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship mentor “We live on the edge of the Australian bush in a sustainable house we designed ourselves. For me, the pandemic followed a drought, then a bushfire crisis (we had one to the north and another to the south – we evacuated our house twice). I hope we learn to be more modest in our consumption of resources and more thoughtful of how, when, and why we travel.” – <a href="/explore/guides/travel-documentary-filmmaking">Brian Rapsey</a>, filmmaker and World Nomads Film Scholarship Mentor “We should all start putting more of a focus on sustainable tourism, <a href="/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/participation/the-beauty-of-slow-travel">traveling slow</a> and getting off the beaten path. We're very optimistic about the future of travel, although we believe it will be quite different to what we've seen in the past. Also, remember that travel is a privilege, not a right, as we've all seen with the global restrictions put in place recently. When borders open and it's safe to travel again, put a lot of thought into the places you really want to see, and then book a trip sooner rather than later.” – Alesha Bradford and Jarryd Salem, Directors, <a href="https://www.nomadasaurus.com/">NOMADasaurus</a> and <a href="https://vanlifetheory.com/">Van Life Theory</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/recovery/recovery-homestay.jpg" alt="Travelers eat lunch at a homestay on Koh Trong island in Cambodia." /> <figcaption>Travelers eat lunch at a homestay on Koh Trong island in Cambodia. Photo credit: Getty Images/Leisa Tyler</figcaption></figure> “The coronavirus pandemic has taught me the importance of resilience and community. I’d definitely focus trips on <a href="/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/people/living-with-the-locals-through-community-based-tourism">visiting local communities and homestays</a> in the future.” – Emily Willis, Head of Content, World Nomads “I think, like a lot of people, not being able to travel has made me reflect more on fixing the negative aspects of travel once we can again. Seeing images of pollution reduction, animals enjoying their habitats without human contact, and the drop in carbon emissions is certainly something to embrace. Also, it has made me realize how beautiful the country I live in is, and to reconsider the impulse and urgency to explore other countries ahead of my own.” – Kate Duthie, Managing Editor, World Nomads “We are grateful that the world now knows the importance of sustainability for our climate, to prevent pandemics, and to allow for cultural connection. It's been hard to stay put, but we are hunkered down in the Algarve of Portugal. We've been treated like Portuguese "citizens" during this time, received free healthcare, and more. If one looks at how Portugal has handled this situation, they can see what a decent country (and politicians) can do just by showing they care.” – Kristen, <a href="https://www.omventure.com/">Omventure</a> “What’s happening now is a much-needed breather for the planet. And local governments, councils and businesses should use this as a catalyst to map out a sustainable path forward.” – Isaac Entry, Social & Content Marketing Manager, World Nomads “Connect locally. There are so many things to explore around us we usually do not appreciate. I could be bored walking the same walk every day, but the change in weather or time makes it unique (and I’ve seen three new birds I have never seen before). I might be diving the same dive spot every week, but I found three nudibranchs I have never seen before. I met the locals (grey nurse sharks, a giant bull ray, giant cuttlefish, and humans) and made new friends.” – Ulrike Eulenfeldt, UX Designer, World Nomads “I think one major takeaway of the shut down is a consideration of the role of aviation in climate change. The planet, for the first time since industrialization, has had a chance to catch its breath. When the economy picks up it will very likely be back to business as usual. “2020 has always been the time when forecasters and scientists said we need to plateau our carbon output. Until COVID, it was looking impossible. But we shouldn’t be complacent. We need to make the best of this unintended outcome and <a href="/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/planet/your-guide-to-greener-air-travel">continue in our efforts</a>. “Aviation will always be part of our world, but there is only so far innovation in fuel and aircraft design can take us. We also need to moderate our usage. I think this translates to more thoughtful travel – treating air travel as a luxury like it was when it first started.” – <a href="/about/contributors/miles-rowland">Miles Rowland</a>, filmmaker “I’ve learned to wash my hands. An important lesson for someone who is not immune to gastro – and could have potentially avoided it with better handwashing in the past.” – Milly Brady, Content Producer, World Nomads <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/recovery/recovery-kayaking.jpg" alt="Two couples kayak through canals in Leipzig, Germany." /> <figcaption>Travelers exploring Leipzig, Germany by kayak. Photo credit: Getty Images/Tom Werner</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="rebound">How can travelers help travel rebound?</h2> “First of all, stay safe and <a href="/travel-safety/worldwide/traveling-safely-when-covid-restrictions-lift">take the necessary precautions</a> when traveling, and secondly, support eco-tourism businesses that are not in hot spots. Go to developing countries and choose the businesses that are supporting local communities instead of the major attractions flocking with tourists.” – Jigar Ganatra “A healthy travel industry hinges on our desire to find meaningful experiences and connections in the world around us, and so we mustn’t ignore that desire. Travel small. Spend your money at local inns, in local restaurants, with local guides no matter where you go. Don’t beat the banana dealer or the carpet guy down to get the best deal possible. Instead, ask yourself: How much is this experience/item/service worth to me and what is the true cost of my being here? In other words, make travel a force for good and not just an excuse to get bargains or drunk on $1 beers or whatever.” – Tim Neville “There’s a good chance many of us live in areas where inbound tourism supports businesses and the solopreneurs that provide the unforgettable experiences, lodgings, products, and meals that we crave and seek when we are away from home. Apart from disrupting travel, COViD-19 has had a tremendous impact on the farm-to-fork supply chain where food producers’ main revenue was supplying hotels and restaurants, and now have an oversupply of produce and food that can’t be inventoried for when travel bounces back. We can use our travelers’ purchasing power to join a local, community-supported agriculture program, stock up on small-batch roasted coffee beans from the corner coffee shop, buy the mugs, T-shirts, cookbooks, and gift cards from your favorite bakery, restaurant, indie bookstore, or artist co-op (stock up for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas!), pay in cash when you can, and not least, order and pick up take-out from your regular, family-owned restaurant and pick it up, vs. using a delivery service that eats a percentage of the restaurant’s margin.” – Christina Tunnah, General Manager, The Americas, World Nomads “Most of my travel in the last seven years has been to make films about local sustainable travel, and in doing so, I’ve had some of the best experiences of my life. I remain in contact with all the subjects, so I’ve seen how their projects have withered during the pandemic and imagined how this must affect the communities they serve. I urge travelers to research their travel plans with this in mind, and have a travel ethos that supports local economies and communities.” – Brian RapseyGetty Images / Yagi Studio 0590933737 Getty Images Hiking while social distancing at Mt. Hakusan, Japan.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/worldwide/road-and-rail-trips-to-start-planning-nowOur nomads reveal their most memorable overland trips, and the ones they’re longing to do.2020-06-26T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/worldwide/road-and-rail-trips-to-start-planning-nowhttps://www.worldnomads.comEven before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, road and rail journeys were <a href="/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/participation/the-return-of-train-travel">gaining in appeal</a>. There’s a lot to be said for flying less, having more freedom and flexibility, and exploring all the out-of-the-way spots en route to your destination. We asked Eurail’s Maia Rezig to share why she thinks train travel is the way to go. And, we collected some of the most epic train and road journeys our World Nomads community have done, or plan to do. <ul> <li><a href="#rail-vs-flying">Rail travel vs. flying</a></li> <li><a href="#rail">Travelers share their favorite rail journeys</a></li> <li><a href="#road">Travelers share their favorite road trips</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="rail-vs-flying">Rail travel vs. flying</h2> “One of the great advantages of rail travel is the flexibility to visit several destinations along the way and change your travel itinerary as you go. You also enjoy amazing scenery which really defines the calmness of traveling by train, with no rush and stress. “European train stations are centrally located and well connected, so travelers don’t need to worry about costly transfers to get to the heart of the city. Trains are associated with adventure and freedom, and are a fast, comfortable, and <a href="/responsible-travel/make-a-difference/participation/low-impact-ways-to-see-the-world">sustainable alternative</a> to cheap flights. “At Eurail, we are very conscious of the role the tourism industry plays in the harmful impacts of travel. We strive to make travelers aware that traveling by train is a responsible choice.” – Maia Rezig, Partnership Manager for <a href="https://www.eurail.com/">Eurail</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/train-journeys/train-sri-lanka.jpg" /><figcaption>View from the train between Colombo and Kandy, Sri Lanka. Image credit: Getty Images / Photography by mahosha</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="rail">Travelers share their favorite rail journeys</h2> <h3>What is the best train trip you’ve taken?</h3> “When we were traveling in <a href="/explore/southern-asia/sri-lanka/exploring-haputale-and-sri-lankas-hill-country-by-train">Sri Lanka</a>, we traveled to Kandy from Colombo by train. It was packed, but we were lucky enough to get a spot by a door and watch the countryside roll by. It’s one of my favorite moments from that trip.” – Isaac Entry, Social & Content Marketing Manager, World Nomads “A few years ago, when my mom had breast cancer and it spread throughout her body, it became clear that her remaining time was limited. I asked her if there was anything left that she really wanted to do. She told me that she always wanted to take the Rocky Mountaineer train through the <a href="/stories/connection/the-canadian-cattle-class">Canadian Rockies</a>, so I arranged it for the both of us as an assignment. It was really wonderful, as we got first-class service all the way. She didn’t have a lot of energy at that point, so it was a relaxing way to take in the view. She passed away six weeks later, and I’m always so grateful that we had that last bonding experience together. About a year later, I picked up Hola magazine in Spain, and much to my surprise, there was the story and my mom in the photos. It was a good memory.” – <a href="https://alisonwright.com/">Alison Wright</a>, photographer <h3>Are you planning a train journey in the near future? If so, where, and why?</h3> “I would really like to go to Montenegro, visit the Bay of Kotor, spend some time in Bar, discover the beautiful landscapes of Durmitor National Park, and enjoy the beautiful coast of Budva.” – Maia Rezig “One day soon I will take my father on the Ghan across central Australia. He loves trains. His first major travel experience was in Australia in the early 1970s and some of my earliest memories of “travel” are his stories from that trip. He’s never been back to Oz. A trip with him through Australia on that train would make for the kind of travel experience I’d cling to until my days are done.” – <a href="/create/learn/writing/5-tips-to-writing-a-winning-travel-story">Tim Neville</a>, travel writer and World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship mentor <h2 id="road">Travelers share their favorite road trips</h2> <h3>What is the best road trip you’ve taken?</h3> “When I was a kid, my dad took us on many road trips in NSW, Queensland, and Tasmania, always camping and trekking through beautiful national parks. My dad has since died, but those trips and the memories will stay with me forever.” – Emily Willis, World Nomads “The best road trip has been <a href="https://www.nomadasaurus.com/7-days-pamir-highway-tajikistan-guide/">traveling the Pamir Highway, along the border of Afghanistan and Tajikistan</a>. The mountainous landscapes are some of the best in the world, with 23,000ft (7,000m) peaks and glaciers surrounding all sides, and wonderful and hospitable people welcoming you into their homes in every village.” – Alesha Bradford and Jarryd Salem, Directors, <a href="https://www.nomadasaurus.com/">NOMADasaurus</a> and <a href="https://vanlifetheory.com/">Van Life Theory</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/train-journeys/train-pamir.jpg" /><figcaption>Village along the Pamir highway. Image credit: Getty Images / Wu Swee Ong</figcaption></figure> “My favorite road trip is around <a href="/explore/northern-europe/iceland/a-road-trip-adventure-through-iceland-s-forgotten-north">Iceland</a>, which I’ve done five times! I’ve slowly fallen in love with the petrol station hamburgers they have, and sleeping in the car under the Northern Lights. It’s just such a stunning country – probably the only near-Arctic region that’s so good for a roadtrip because of the infrastructure.” – <a href="https://kiliii.com/">Kiliii Yüyan</a>, photographer “In 2011, my husband and I took two back-to-back, six-week road trips, one through the Northwestern US and one through Central and Western Europe. We had a few anchor points on each trip – three days kayaking in the San Juan Islands in Washington, a voluntourism project in Croatia, Oktoberfest in Munich – and made up the rest as we went along. We went paragliding in Slovenia, had a black bear in our campground in the Grand Tetons, stayed on a barge in Bruges. I’m usually more of a planner, but it was fun not knowing what was coming next.” – Ellen Hall, Editorial Producer, World Nomads “One time three friends and I tried to drive from New Mexico to Alaska in my beat-up pickup truck that only had two seats, so we each took turns riding prone in the back wrapped up in a sleeping bag. It was autumn, and we never got anywhere close to Alaska because the beauty of British Columbia stopped us in our tracks. We spent the next month climbing and hiking and camping no more than 150 miles from the US-Canada border, but it was total freedom.” – Tim Neville “The most adventurous road trip I've ever taken was on the most treacherous road in the world, located in the Spiti Valley of the Indian Himalayas. I was crammed in a Jeep with eight other people as we rode through mountains for 10 hours. I was in the front seat with the driver and one other passenger, and I had to wrap my legs around the gear stick. Every time the driver changed gears, he did so between my legs, so I was getting out of my comfort zone in more ways than one. But the views were extraordinary. I really felt like I was on another planet.” – <a href="/create/scholarships/film/2017/jigar-ganatra">Jigar Ganatra</a>, filmmaker and World Nomads Film Scholarship winner “I drove across <a href="/explore/guides/usa-nomads-guide">the US</a> for three months, visiting 32 states. It was extraordinary in every way – the diversity of landscapes, experiences, food, music, and especially the people we met. It showed me the US is not one country – the different dialects, accents, sensibilities, and characteristics of the people were as different as those you would come across driving across Europe.” – Kate Duthie, Managing Editor, World Nomads “Any road trip in the Himalaya is memorable, but my favorite is the Srinagar in Kashmir to Leh in Ladakh. I first made the trip in 1986, and even though parts of the road have been improved over the years, it still offers the same sense of adventure today as it did back then, thanks to the remote location and proximity to the line of control with Pakistan and China, dramatic scenery, blind corners, hairpin bends, crumbling edges and vertical drops, crazy drivers, entertaining road safety signs, and the opportunity to spend time in two completely different and wonderful cultures and landscapes at either end of the journey.” – <a href="/explore/guides/introduction-to-travel-photography">Richard I’Anson</a>, photographer and World Nomads Travel Photography Scholarship mentor <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/train-journeys/train-kimberley.jpg" /><figcaption>Bumper cars at the Kununarra Rodeo, East Kimberly Region, Western Australia. Image credit: Brian Rapsey</figcaption></figure> “In the mid 1990s I traveled from Perth, Western Australia up the coast to the Kimberly Region. This is one of the most beautiful, yet devastating, regions of Australia: it has incredible landscapes, but the beauty is tempered by the knowledge of how it has transformed since colonization and the introduction of hard-hoofed animals on the landscape. Over time, diverse Indigenous groups have been exiled from their homelands and packed into communities that were never meant to be together. It was an amazing and insightful trip. I stayed in many communities, and met some of the artists of Fitzroy Crossing, and even saw one of Australia’s most famous Indigenous artists, Rover Thomas, having a nap outside the arts centre in Kununarra. I’d run out of money by this point, so I worked out of a backpackers, baling hay one day, setting fence posts or picking rock melons the next.” – <a href="/explore/guides/travel-documentary-filmmaking">Brian Rapsey</a>, filmmaker and World Nomads Film Scholarship mentor “A budget road trip across Canada with one of my besties. We’d set out before dawn each day to watch the sun come up – those sunrises were magnificent.” – Jo Tovia, Editorial Producer, World Nomads <h3>Are you planning a road trip in the near future? If so, where, and why?</h3> “Next on my list is a “dive and drive” on the south coast of Australia. I want to see the giant spider crabs in Melbourne, dive with the great white sharks and giant cuttlefish in South Australia, and find the leafy sea dragon.” – Ulrike Eulenfeldt, UX Designer, World Nomads “I plan to take a road trip along the garden route of the Western Cape in South Africa, where I left off before I had to go home due to COVID-19. It’s a route full of much-needed adventure like bungee jumping and camping. And it's incredibly scenic, too.” – Jigar Ganatra “Our next road trip will hopefully be a domestic one, across the Nullabor from Adelaide in South Australia to Perth in Western Australia, hugging the coast as much as possible. It’s a remote and empty place which should mean beaches free of people and stars full of skies.” – Kate DuthieGetty Images / mapodile 0944543524 Getty Images A young woman gazes out the window of a moving train in Poland.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/worldwide/what-we-love-about-travelingTravel may be paused, but all the reasons we love to explore still exist. We asked our community to share the travel experiences that resonated with them the most.2020-06-24T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/worldwide/what-we-love-about-travelinghttps://www.worldnomads.comWhy do we travel? Is it to make connections, create indelible memories, or just to try great new food? While we wait to hit the road again, get inspired by these standout travel moments. <ul> <li><a href="#friendship">What’s the best friendship or connection you’ve made through traveling?</a></li> <li><a href="#food">What’s the best food experience you’ve had while traveling?</a></li> <li><a href="#culture">What’s the best cultural experience you’ve had while traveling?</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="friendship">What’s the best friendship or connection you’ve made through traveling?</h2> “On assignment, as a travel writer in Bangladesh almost a decade ago, Najm and I had long and hilarious conversations about photography. We’ve since collaborated on various projects and agree we’ll be friends forever.” – Jo Tovia, Content Producer, World Nomads “Is this a trick question?! I have friends in Europe I met 30 years ago that I still talk to about once a month. But if I had to pick one, I’d have to say this freelance travel writer named Aaron I met in La Paz, Bolivia, in 1999. After meeting him, I thought, ‘wow, that’s the career I want’, and now that’s the career I have. The best part? We reconnected at a bar in Montana last year. It was the first time I’d seen him in 20 years. I gave him a hug and thanked him. I think he was a little taken aback by that, because our South American encounter was rather brief. What impact could he have possibly had? But that’s what makes it so special to me – a tiny moment that contributed to a major pivot point in my life.” – <a href="/create/learn/writing/5-tips-to-writing-a-winning-travel-story">Tim Neville</a>, travel writer and World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship mentor “While traveling in Turkey with friends from Australia, I was injured (long story, but I had stitches so I was limping everywhere). Three of the most awesome women I’ve ever met, from South Africa, took me under their wing and helped me limp around from place to place. We were roommates for the rest of our trip, and they invited me to stay with them in their flat in London. They even helped me to get casual work to pay off my travel debts. They were super-empowered chicks with amazingly kind and generous hearts.” – Emily Willis, Head of Content, World Nomads “Bibek – a Nepali man. I met him through work, because he wrote for us a few years back, but we stayed in touch. When I reached out to ask for tips, he offered to look after us. He took me and two friends in to his home, then guided us along the Annapurna Base Camp Trek. We road tripped from Kathmandu to Pokhara, drove down to Chitwan National Park – his family became my own family.” - Milly Brady, Content Producer, World Nomads “My deepest connection has been to the whaling crew that I am a part of in Utqiagvik, Alaska. The friends that I have made there are relationships that will endure for the rest of my life, and I will probably never stop going up north during the traditional whaling season while I can. “The best friendship is with my friend Robin in Finland. We originally bonded over building traditional kayaks, and then went on to have lots of adventures in the Finnish Arctic and Iceland, from fly fishing to visiting Sami herders. We’re still really close.” – <a href="https://kiliii.com/">Kiliii Yüyan</a>, photographer “I usually create deep bonds with my fixer/guides on assignments, as I’m so dependent on them for my work and sometimes my life. We keep in touch, and I’ve been very concerned about them and getting updates during this pandemic. It breaks my heart how tourism is affecting these countries that are so reliant on the income of tourism.” – <a href="https://alisonwright.com/">Alison Wright</a>, travel photographer “I first met Luis (Lucho) in the Peruvian Amazon, and at that time I barely spoke any Spanish. We just communicated through sign language and spending a long hour of silence together while he painted. He is a visionary artist who has polio. Earlier this year, three years after our initial meeting, I met him again, and now he has a family and a baby. This time I could speak Spanish, and we could communicate much more. I built a strong relationship with him through <a href="/stories/connection/ayahuasca-artists-of-the-amazon">making a film about him</a>. A beautiful, lifelong connection is what I found in the depths of the jungle.” – Jigar Ganatra, filmmaker and World Nomads Film Scholarship winner <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/best-moments/best-moments-luis.jpg" /><figcaption>Visionary artist Luis. Image credit: Jigar Ganatra</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="food">What’s the best food experience you’ve had while traveling?</h2> “There are so many, but having a margherita pizza in Naples is one of the standout food memories for me. I was backpacking, and to save money I was cooking most of my meals in the hostel, so it was a treat, and definitely raised the bar by which all other pizzas are now judged.” – Isaac Entry, World Nomads Social & Content Marketing Manager “Best food – definitely quok, or Inuit sushi, as it’s known. It’s raw fish that’s frozen solid. You eat it by peeling the skin off a steak and slicing thin translucent slivers and letting them melt in your mouth. It’s like nothing else!” – Kiliii Yüyan “As a teenager, between school and uni, I interrailed around Europe. In La Rochelle, in northwest France, we ate barbecued sardines with a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped parsley. The sardines were straight off a fishing boat, cooked over coals, in a tiny café by the water. Sailing off the coast of Australia, we cooked our potatoes in sea water, served with black pepper and a knob of butter.” – Kate Duthie, Managing Editor, World Nomads “Sitting down to just about any meal in Macedonia or <a href="/stories/connection/songs-that-connect-centuries">Georgia</a> is an unforgettable experience, but my all-time favorite food moment happened in Switzerland, maybe five years ago. I was traveling around the country on assignment to collect ingredients for the <a href="https://www.skimag.com/ski-resort-life/rites-caquelon">perfect fondue</a> under the tutelage of a Swiss dairyman that local media dubbed ‘the Fondue King’. One frigid February night, he led me into the dark woods over Bern and handed me this funny homemade belt that had a basket attached to it that was overflowing with bread cubes. He gave me a very long skewer and marched me into a clearing where 20 of his friends had hung a cauldron of bubbling cheese over a campfire for a semi-spontaneous, moonlit fondue fête. I’m telling you, there ain’t no party like a hot cheese party.” – Tim Neville “There was a little restaurant on the Greek Island of Ios that was hands down the best food I’ve ever had anywhere in the world… I ate myself silly. But also pretty much every market stall I ever visited in Thailand, the best steak of my life in Bali, the freshest of baguettes and egg in Vietnam, and my favorite café across from Musée de l’Armée in Paris which made the best Croque Madame I’ve ever had.” – Dana Paterson, Product Communications Manager, World Nomads <h2 id="culture">What’s the best cultural experience you’ve had while traveling?</h2> “I made a film about a youth Mardi Gras Indian tribe in New Orleans back in 2015 – it was truly wonderful. There is nothing like being a filmmaker to put yourself into a cultural experience in a meaningful way. The kids become true artists and performers as tribe members, and the costumes they make are amazing: they look like First Nations Plains Indian head-dress and outfits, with added beading and colors from the African-American New Orleans tradition.” – <a href="/explore/guides/travel-documentary-filmmaking">Brian Rapsey</a>, filmmaker and World Nomads Travel Film Scholarship mentor <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/best-moments/best-moments-mardi-gras.jpg" /><figcaption> Mardi Gras Indian tribe, New Orleans. Image credit: Brian Rapsey</figcaption></figure> “On my <a href="/create/scholarships/film/2017/jigar-ganatra">World Nomads Travel Film Scholarship</a>, we witnessed the Theyyam ceremony in Kerala where the people were painted in red and ‘transformed’ into avatars of God with their massive headdresses adorned with beautiful patterns. The temple was surrounded with the cacophony of chanting and bells. It was incredible.” – Jigar Ganatra “The two best cultural experiences have been spending three days with the Tsaatan reindeer herders in northern Mongolia, and being invited into the workshop of famous Haida artist Wayne Alfred in Alert Bay while he carved a ceremonial headpiece.” – Alesha Bradford and Jarryd Salem, Directors, <a href="https://www.nomadasaurus.com/">NOMADasaurus</a> and <a href="https://vanlifetheory.com/">Van Life Theory</a> “The Khumb Mela at Allahabad, India is right at the top of best cultural experiences. It’s the world’s largest gathering of humanity and has a palpable intensity and energy generated by millions of devout people converging on a place, with the shared goal of bathing at the confluence of three rivers (two actual, one mythical) in order to cleanse and purify the soul, washing away the sins of this and all other lifetimes. It is India to the max!” – <a href="/explore/guides/introduction-to-travel-photography">Richard I’Anson</a>, photographer and World Nomads Travel Photography Scholarship mentor “When you happen upon an authentic experience that’s unique, unplanned – it makes it very special. We were filming a documentary about climate change in Africa, and were visiting a Masai village that has adopted new stoves that replace an open fire in the huts. “It just so happened some of the boys of the village were getting circumcised that very evening and there was <a href="/stories/discovery/a-maasai-ceremony">an enormous celebration to mark the ritual</a>. There was a preparation dance and song that riles the boys up. The elders were feasting on a goat, and the next day they killed a cow and had a big feast that afternoon. We were just observers in the whole affair. I felt completely in the deep end, and it was a really incredible experience.” – Miles Rowland, filmmakerBrian Rapsey 1 Brian Rapsey Avatars in red headdresses, Theyyam ceremony, Kerala, India.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/caribbean/3-museums-worth-a-special-tripFrom celebrating the richness of Caribbean culture to reckoning with the past, these museums offer a unique take on the region’s heritage.2019-12-20T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/caribbean/3-museums-worth-a-special-triphttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#acte">Memorial ACTe Museum, Guadeloupe</a></li> <li><a href="#synagogue">Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue and Jewish Museum, Curaçao</a></li> <li><a href="#carriacou">Heritage Museum of Carriacou, Grenada</a></li> <li><a href="#podcast">Listen to the World Nomads Podcast: Caribbean</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="acte">Memorial ACTe Museum, Guadeloupe</h2> Every now and again, you go somewhere that changes you and your world view. The Memorial ACTe museum in Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe, is such a place. Long after my visit, the memory is as fresh as the day I visited. It’s the largest museum on the planet dedicated to the history of the African slave trade and slavery from the early 17th century to the present. The 77,000ft2 (7,154m2) complex, which opened in 2015 on the site of the former Darboussier sugar factory, is an architectural wonder. The black box housing the permanent exhibition visually represents a treasure house of knowledge. The tiny quartz specks in the black granite honor millions of victims of the slave trade and slavery. The silver latticework symbolizes new, intertwined beginnings. You could spend days in this museum, which was awarded the 2017 Museum Prize by the Council of Europe for its major contribution to the knowledge of European cultural history. It’s part of UNESCO’s Slave Route Project, the global initiative to promote the healing and harmony of people through the shared legacy of slavery. As fascinating as the façade is, the works inside are powerful and soul-stirring. I saw the replica of a slave ship stuffed with hundreds of people side by side. I lifted a chain – once around someone’s neck – that was so heavy it pulled my hand downward. It made my heart sink, and brought tears to my eyes. As I walked around the exhibits, reflecting years of oppression, I felt uncomfortable and disturbed. I had never reacted to a museum this way. However, the emotions I felt were cleansing; when truth is acknowledged, there is peace. - <a href="/about/contributors/sheryl-nance-nash">Sheryl Nance-Nash</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/caribbean/curacao-synagogue.jpg" /><figcaption>Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue. Image credit: Elyse Glickman</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="synagogue">Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue and Jewish Museum, Curaçao</h2> A Dutch territory 40mi (65km) north of Venezuela, <a href="/explore/caribbean/contemporary-art-in-curacao">Curaçao</a>’s appeal to Jewish travelers is that of a fabulous island escape with substance – a rich Jewish history dating to 1651. That history is readily brought to life within Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, the oldest continuously operating congregation in the Western Hemisphere, and adjoining Curaçao Jewish Museum. Together, they’re the heart and soul of the island’s small-but-active Jewish community. The sandy floor and simple-but-elegant baroque interiors serve as constant reminders of how a small group of Sephardic-Portuguese Jewish merchants escaped the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition in the 16th and 17th centuries and contributed to Curaçao’s cultural and economic growth. On my first trip, in 2010, I arrived just in time for Friday night Shabbat services. Afterwards, the rabbi introduced my group to the welcoming, multicultural congregants. He dispelled the popular myth about the temple’s sand-covered floor, chuckling at the romantic notion of having sand brought in from the Sinai Desert. Its actual purpose was to muffle footsteps and praying to avoid detection from Spanish invaders or pirates – a legitimate concern when the synagogue was consecrated in 1732. In 2010, the museum had a modest but nicely arranged assortment of Jewish artifacts providing a general overview of Jewish life, traditions, and holidays. Nearly a decade later, it’s been extensively refurbished. A detailed timeline at its entrance puts the island’s Jewish history in context with general world history, while artifacts from long-established Sephardic and Ashkenazi families humanize the Jewish role in Curaçao society. On my second visit, in 2019, my close friend Renee said that she felt at home here in a way she hasn’t in other Jewish communities. When sharing family names and stories from her Sephardic-Caribbean family tree, the congregants responded in kind with details of their mixed Jewish heritages. Conversations like these, over challah and coffee, say as much about Curaçao’s collective pride and Jewish culture as the museum does. - <a href="/about/contributors/elyse-glickman">Elyse Glickman</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/caribbean/carriacou-museum.jpg" /><figcaption>Clamencia Alexander, Heritage Museum of Carriacou. Image credit: Bruce N. Meyer</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="carriacou">Heritage Museum of Carriacou, Grenada</h2> The beautiful island of Carriacou, one of seven that makes up the nation of Grenada, takes some effort to get to. But it’s worth the 90-minute ferry ride from the capital, St. George’s, when you discover gems like the Heritage Museum of Carriacou. We stumbled upon this museum one afternoon while poking around in Hillsborough, Carriacou’s tiny main town. Located in what we were told is the world's second-oldest cotton gin, it's a cluttered little museum, but amidst the disarray, you can appreciate the colorful music, clothing, and history of the people of Carriacou. While angling for a closer look at a big drum used in the Maroon Festival, celebrating the island’s indigenous culture, I literally stumbled on what, at first, looks like an old log. Some years earlier, a local man found this “log” buried in the sand on Mount Pleasant Beach. As he dug it up, he realized it was a canoe made from a gum tree from the Orinoco River Basin in Venezuela. The interior had been burned and carved with a stone axe. No one knows who made it or how long it had been buried in the sand. Upstairs, we found a collection of folk art by Canute Caliste, a self-taught artist whose works are in museums around the world, including the Smithsonian. Caliste, who died in 2005, was also a master fiddler and boat builder who fathered 22 children. One of those is Clamencia Alexander, who manages the museum. Each month, she showcases a fresh selection of her father’s work from her personal collection, which is the world’s largest of Caliste’s work. My husband, an art major, loved Caliste’s colorful simplicity in capturing the spirit of Carriacou, and we thanked our good fortune to happen upon this charming little museum in this out-of-the-way destination. - <a href="/about/contributors/diana-lambdin-meyer">Diana Lambdin Meyer</a> <h2 id="podcast">Listen to the World Nomads Podcast: Caribbean</h2> Learn about safety in Jamaica, bomba dancing in Puerto Rico, the hidden Dominican Republic, and more. <iframe width="100%" height="190" src="https://webplayer.whooshkaa.com/episode/545890?theme=light" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay"></iframe>Courtesy Memorial ACTe and G. Aricique 0 Courtesy Memorial ACTe and G. Aricique Memorial ACTe Museum, Guadeloupe

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/caribbean/5-unforgettable-experiences-in-the-caribbeanFrom restoring a coral reef in Bonaire, to finding a secret surf spot in Panama, to learning how to bomba dance in Puerto Rico, these nomads share their most indelible moments.2019-12-13T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/caribbean/5-unforgettable-experiences-in-the-caribbeanhttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#surf">Surf trippin’ in Panama</a></li> <li><a href="#bomba">A bomba workshop in San Juan</a></li> <li><a href="#beer">Connecting through craft beer in Puerto Rico</a></li> <li><a href="#guavaberries">Guavaberries, a Caribbean Christmas carol</a></li> <li><a href="#coral">Restoring a coral reef in Bonaire </a></li> <li><a href="#podcast">Listen to the World Nomads Podcast: Caribbean</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="surf">Surf trippin’ in Panama</h2> On a particularly hot, humid, and surf-less January day on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, I get a text message from a friend promising a swell in the Caribbean. A day later, I cross the Panamanian border to Changuinola, and catch a one-hour speedboat bound for Isla Colon in Bocas del Toro province. After our first surf at a punchy wave called Paunch, we replenish at a signless roast chicken joint behind a chain link fence. Ice-cold Balboa cervezas accompany the salty chicken and neon-orange habanero sauce. The next day, the entire town of Bocas gathers in the plaza as the President of Panama arrives by helicopter. Running down in the nick of time, we're able to shake the hand of Ricardo Martinelli as he works the crowd. Meanwhile, we’ve heard about a secret wave on Isla Bastimentos that you can only access by hiking to it. After more than an hour of trudging through the jungle in sticky, sandal-snapping mud, we find a surf spot. We know it's the one, because the secret is out: six other surfers sit waiting for a wave. We paddle out and say hello. Within minutes, one of the other surfers shouts, “BULL SHARK!” I nearly walk on water as I paddle to the shore, grab my broken Havaianas, and sprint back to the docks. That night, we celebrate our misadventures at the local bars. Since I’d already lost one pair of thongs and know of a swim-up cantina, I put a protective layer of duct-tape on my feet in lieu of shoes. Going shoeless pays off when we have to swim, fully clothed, to the last boat back to Isla Colon. - <a href="/about/contributors/audrey-hills">Audrey Hills</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/caribbean/unforgettable/bomba.jpg" /><figcaption>Bomba dancing and drums, Puerto Rico. Image credit: Sandor Weisz / Flickr Creative Commons</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="bomba">A bomba workshop in Puerto Rico</h2> “Maraca, cuá, buleador, subidor!” We repeat the instructor’s words as she stands on stage, pointing at various instruments – a rattle, a pair of wooden sticks, low-pitch and high-pitch drums. Before I can memorize them, more words follow: “seis corridos, sicá” – names of distinct beats that the drummer demonstrates for us. Learning bomba, Puerto Rico’s earliest musical genre created by enslaved Africans, feels like learning a new language. I might have missed this bomba workshop, held at Corporación Piñones se Integra’s (COPI) community center in Loíza – the heart of Afro Puerto-Rican culture – if I hadn’t contacted Local Guest. A community-focused tour enterprise, Local Guest connects visitors with immersive experiences around Puerto Rico. They’d arranged my visit with COPI’s founder, Maricruz Rivera, who shared the history of Puerto Rico’s African heritage and the decades of marginalization of Black boricuas (Puerto Ricans) in this Piñones region. In 2001, the center began reviving bomba music to preserve Afro-Puerto Rican identity and culture for future generations. That same week, Rivera invited me back to COPI – a 15-minute drive east of Old San Juan – to join a group US students and teachers for a bomba class. It’s time to dance and demonstrate what we’ve learned together. The women are handed green, red, or yellow skirts, used to express bomba’s signature movements. We shake our hips while moving backwards, our hands holding our skirts out wide; we stop and sway side to side, while snapping our skirts open. With each move we make, slow or fast, the drummer beats a corresponding rhythm. Learning bomba, it turns out, isn’t about words. It’s about unity. - <a href="/about/contributors/lebawit-lily-girma">Lily Girma</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/caribbean/unforgettable/craft-beer.jpg" /><figcaption>Ocean Lab brewery. Image credit: Ocean Lab</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="beer">Connecting through craft beer in Puerto Rico</h2> Before visiting in 2019, I hadn’t visited Puerto Rico (PR) in 14 years, before the term “craft beer” entered the lexicon of anyone outside the savviest of mainland American connoisseurs. True, I’d snuck the occasional sip of Cuba Libre during my family’s annual vacations, taken to nurture friendships forged in 1950, when my Caucasian grandparents began bringing their children down every year for a winter escape. But in 2005, I had yet to imagine I’d become a professional beer writer, and options for local cerveza consisted of little more than mass-produced Medalla. When a work trip called me to return, I sought out several of PR’s dozen-or-so artisanal breweries, plus bar owners and homebrewers. I learned that independent breweries like Ocean Lab, Pura Vida, FOK, and REBL are blossoming from the beaches to the mountains. In San Juan, publicans are pouring them all. The geographic penetration surprised me. But true shock came from witnessing the prevalence of craft beers I’ve devoted my career to writing about. One afternoon, stopping for lunch in what used to be barely passable jungle, I literally gasped when I spotted a coffee shop covered in decorative signs for breweries like Bell’s, Cigar City, and North Coast. Two decades ago, I doubt this area had running water. Now it has American craft beer. And at La Taberna Boricua in San Juan, a keg poured Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout, a Michigan beer so rare I’ve never seen it on draught. Words evaded me when the bartender poured me an entire pint. I’ve carried a lot of guilt about neglecting my life-long Puerto Rican friends, especially after Hurricane Maria. But with this new community joining my present with my past, I feel my sentimental homeland has embraced me anew. - <a href="/about/contributors/tara-nurin">Tara Nurin</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/caribbean/unforgettable/guavaberries.jpg" /><figcaption>Lucia Henley’s guavaberry liqueur stand on St. Thomas. Image credit: Ashley Winchester</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="guavaberries">Guavaberries, a Caribbean Christmas carol</h2> For me, it’s not the holidays without a healthy dose of guavaberry liqueur. I’ve celebrated Christmas nearly every year with family on St. John in the US Virgin Islands, and this Yuletide beverage is as traditional as Santa’s milk and cookies. The sweet, but strong, rum-based brew is the product of a centuries-old eastern Caribbean tradition steeped in song, celebration, and secrecy. Groves of guavaberries, which appear year to year, are as transient as Scrooge’s generosity, and are closely guarded family secrets. There are commercial versions available, but our go-to source for the authentic stuff is Lucia Henley’s stand off of Highway 32 in the East End of St. Thomas, another of the US Virgin Islands. Henley is among the most prolific purveyors of the homemade drink, and visitors can find her stand well-stocked from November through December with guavaberry liqueur, jams and pies. A song, “Good mornin’, good mornin’, ah come for me guavaberry…” speaks to the island custom of caroling house to house in exchange for a sample of that family’s stash, and Henley always sings a few lines of the tune as she offers me a taste of her concoction. It’s special, like a fine brandy, and is traditionally passed between carolers and revelers in the same way as wassail – the mulled wine drink of Medieval Christmastime that’s also linked to song. Today, guavaberry liqueur is most often enjoyed alone in a snifter or over ice, as a holiday aperitif, but it’s also tasty as a topping over ice cream. Our favorite way to imbibe is after caroling and Christmas Eve events on St. John, following Santa’s visit – by boat – in downtown Cruz Bay, and each sip of the bright red drink adds to the festive atmosphere. - <a href="/about/contributors/ashley-winchester">Ashley Winchester</a> <figure><a href="/about/contributors/ashley-winchester"><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/caribbean/unforgettable/coral-bonaire.jpg" /></a><figcaption><a href="/about/contributors/ashley-winchester">Cutting staghorn at Buddy's Reef Nursery. Image credit: Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire</a></figcaption></figure> <h2 id="coral">Restoring a coral reef in Bonaire</h2> Weighted down by scuba gear and floating just above the sandy ocean floor, I carefully tie a string, dangling a coral fragment, to the branch of a “tree” in a coral nursery. The tree is made of thin, metal cross bars attached to a thicker post – coral fragments hang from each bar like Christmas ornaments. Around me, divers gently brush juvenile coral to remove algae and predators, while others clip, restring, and rehang fragments – which grow an inch a month – on the trees. The clipping process enables the coral to regenerate time and again. These coordinated efforts are all part of a Discover Reef Renewal Dive with Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire. We’re helping to restore the coral that surrounds the island and provides habitats to myriad marine life. After all, the reefs are what draw divers from around the world to this small, Dutch Caribbean island around 50mi (80km) north of Venezuela. Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire was founded in 2012 with a mission to protect and restore the coral reefs within the Bonaire National Marine Park, which was established in 1979 and surrounds the island entirely. Currently, some 13,000 individual corals are grown in Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire’s eight nurseries, and more than 22,000 corals have been outplanted back to the reefs. The foundation invites certified scuba divers who are interested in volunteering to complete a training course and assist with the nursery, maintenance, and outplanting corals to restoration sites around Bonaire and Klein Bonaire. As someone who’s been passionate about marine life since learning to snorkel in Hawaii as a little girl, I'm thrilled to participate in a Discover Reef Renewal Dive and do my part to help preserve Bonaire’s coral reefs for future generations. - <a href="/about/contributors/susan-barnes">Susan Barnes</a> <h2 id="podcast">Listen to the World Nomads Podcast: Caribbean</h2> Hear more about bomba music, plus learn about safety in Jamaica, the hidden Dominican Republic, and saving sea turtles in Costa Rica. <iframe width="100%" height="190" src="https://webplayer.whooshkaa.com/episode/545890?theme=light" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay"></iframe>Getty Images / tropicalpixsingapore 0

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/caribbean/nomads-share-their-favorite-festivalsFrom a Maypole festival in Nicaragua to Trinidad's famed Carnival, these celebrations highlight the region’s food, music, and diverse culture.2001-01-01T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/caribbean/nomads-share-their-favorite-festivalshttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#jouvert">Playing Jouvert at Trinidad Carnival</a></li> <li><a href="#maypole">Maypole Festival, Bluefields, Nicaragua</a></li> <li><a href="#conch">Turks and Caicos Conch Festival</a></li> <li><a href="#guna">Feria de Río Tigre, Guna Yala, Panama</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="jouvert">Playing Jouvert at Trinidad Carnival</h2> Burning sunshine, booming soca music, and blinged-out parades may be most people’s image of a Caribbean carnival, but for me, it’s the untamed intensity of “dirty mas”(masquerade): joining a city-full of revelers to dance through moonlit streets under a coating of mud, body paint, oil, and even melted chocolate. This orgy of pure, unadulterated bacchanalia is Jouvert, a loose translation of the French jour ouvert (opening of the day), and the official start of the Caribbean's biggest and best Carnival. This pre-dawn ritual begins with a 2am alarm, hot coffee, the first of many rum shots, and the briefest of outfits, pearly-white and ready for adornment. Outside, the air crackles with misrule as we meet our band and receive the Jouvert baptism, covering each other top-to-toe with smooth, purified mud until faces and features disappear in glorious anonymity. The music truck growls into action as we shuffle onto the road, moving together in the chip, chip, chip rhythm of the Jouvert walk. Arcs of paint fly: red, yellow, blue, and purple splattering me, the tarmac, the street signs in Pollock-esque style, and polka-dotting the roadside dancers who leave smudged imprints of a back or bottom against a pristine white wall. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/caribbean/festivals-jouvert.jpg" /><figcaption>Paint-smeared Jouvert revelers on Trinidad. Image credit: Getty Images / Blacqbook</figcaption></figure> Dawn streaks into the sky as we reach the hallowed, grassy Savannah. We’re the first. As we cross the stage, dancing for ourselves to the empty stands, the rising sun reveals a kaleidoscope of humanity: ochre mud, technicolor paint, rich brown chocolate, slick black oil: bodies moving with snake-hipped intensity, friends hugging, everyone laughing and loving the sheer pleasure of being alive. And three hours later, scrubbed up and clad in feathered, beaded glory, we’re back on the road in the hot-hot sun for the first day of the main Carnival parades. Trinidad’s Carnival is celebrated the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday every year. Author: <a href="/about/contributors/polly-thomas">Polly Thomas</a> <h2 id="maypole">Maypole Festival, Bluefields, Nicaragua</h2> Every May in Bluefields, a small town on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast, the streets explode into a celebration that traces its lineage 400 years – not to Spain, but to Great Britain. British pirates first touched these shores in the 17th century, where they met the indigenous Miskitos, who’d already mixed with Africans who’d escaped a capsized Portuguese slaver. Over the years, former slaves, European settlers, and Caribbean immigrants formed Nicaragua’s English-speaking Creole people. One of them was my great-grandmother. I doubt she imagined one of her descendants would be born in California and have to wait 29 years for her first Maypole dance. On my first night in Bluefields, my cousins took me to one of the neighborhood block parties that rotate throughout the month. There was a greasy pole (shimmy to the top to grab the prize), an ultra-local beauty pageant, and a dance competition around the Maypole, a tree hung with streamers and real fruit. The Maypole dance was an ancient fertility rite in England, but the people of Bluefields have made it all their own. The dizzying rhythms are unmistakably African, and it’s sung in English, Miskito, and Spanish. To dance Maypole, you have to surrender and let your hips bounce of their own volition. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/caribbean/festivals-maypole.jpg" /><figcaption>Maypole Dancers. Image credit: Lauren Schenckman</figcaption></figure> By day, each neighborhood comparsa, or troupe, dances in a town-wide parade to live drummers. On the final night, we gathered for the “tulululu”, wiggling our way in pairs down a tunnel of joined hands. We danced all night, then ran for shelter from Bluefields’ torrential rain. But my unforgettable Maypole moment was at a small party thrown by a family friend. Her granddaughters, four and six, took the floor. Effortlessly, they shook their hips to the Maypole rhythm – a good sign that this very old festival will have a very long life. Bluefield’s Maypole Festival is held throughout the month of May. Author: <a href="/about/contributors/lauren-schenkman">Lauren Schenkman</a> <h2 id="conch">Turks and Caicos Conch Festival</h2> Put a shell up to your ear, and you’ll hear the sea. Listen to Triton’s Trumpet, and you’ll hear the Caribbean. Every November, the British Overseas Territory of Turks and Caicos, some 575mi (925km) south of Miami, Florida, celebrates its edible trumpets. Visitors and “belongers” (locals) conch it up at the Conch Festival, held at Blue Hills on the island of Providenciales. Festivities include a conch fritter-eating contest, a conch-knocking contest, a conch-peeling competition, and a conch-blowing tournament. The winner of this last, prestigious event must produce a recognizable tune. When I entered, I produced a plumbing anomaly. The judges also didn’t like my peeling productivity, and in the eating contest, four fritters at one sitting was considered second division. I left the cooking to the experts. Belongers at The Three Queen’s bar – the cradle of conch worship – told me where to get the best: Coco Bistro (ravioli), The Bay (crepes), Hemingway’s (chowder), and the shacks down Blue Hills Road for conch sautéed in rum. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/caribbean/festivals-conch-salad.jpg" /><figcaption>Conch salad served in a conch shell. Image credit: Getty Images / Carlyle Sands / EyeEm</figcaption></figure> The conch is known as Triton’s Trumpet after the Greek god of the sea. It's favored by merpeople – maids and men. Along with the spiny lobster and the flamingo, the conch is featured prominently on the islands’ coat of arms. It must be the world’s only heraldic mollusc. Conch is a cult. When Columbus discovered conch on Turks and Caicos in 1492, he described the shells as “the size of a calf head”. Today, Providenciales has the world’s only commercial conch farm. Having eaten conch (Strombus) in its fried, smoked, frittered, and pecan-encrusted form, I soon developed many of the famous attributes of the Caribbean marine snail. After conching it up, you don’t move very far. Or very quickly. The Turks and Caicos Conch Festival is held on the last weekend of November. Author: <a href="/about/contributors/kevin-pilley">Kevin Pilley</a> <h2 id="guna">Feria de Río Tigre, Guna Yala, Panama</h2> Held on Isla Tigre, in the north of Panama’s Guna Yala archipelago, is Feria de Río Tigre, a four-day craft fair. As one of the last indigenous tribes of the Caribbean, the Guna gained independence from Panama in the 1925 revolution. They became the first autonomous indigenous group in Latin America, which has allowed them to retain their enchanting culture. Drawing Guna from their remote islands, the fair has an inclusive, community feel as they teach each other and visitors the craftsmanship of pottery, sewing molas – colorful appliqué clothing unique to the Guna – and geometric, beaded bracelets called chaquiras. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/caribbean/festivals-guna.jpg" /><figcaption>Guna dancers at Feria de Río Tigre. Image credit: Lucy Pierce</figcaption></figure> I’m treated to a magical Nogagope performance, an intimate, spiritual dance between couples to bamboo flutes and maracas. Dedicated to Mother Earth, the ritualistic dance is intended to keep evil spirits away. The couples line up to face each other, slowly hopping back and forth diagonally to the rhythm. Dressed in molas, the women begin to spin, with their flowing, dark hair echoing the sensual movement of the dance. Volleyball matches are also part of the festivities and are highly competitive, with players launching into action like springbok on the run. Despite their wide grins of encouragement for me to join them, the ball is tactically angled away from me after I make a few dud shots. The day wraps up with a feast of enormous, meaty lobster and delicate, sweet crab followed by fresh coconuts. No frills, just locally foraged foods as I discuss Guna traditions with my new friends. Feria de Río Tigre is held in mid-October. Author: <a href="/about/contributors/lucy-pierce">Lucy Pierce</a> <h2 id="podcast"></h2>Lucy Pierce 1 Lucy Pierce Guna women wearing traditional clothing in Guna Yala, Panama.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/eastern-europe/poland/5-places-worth-visiting-beyond-krakowThere's plenty of local culture, natural beauty, and epic architecture to discover off the beaten path in towns like Chocolow, Sanok, and Zamosc.2019-10-11T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/eastern-europe/poland/5-places-worth-visiting-beyond-krakowhttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <ul> <li><a href="#chocholow">Chochołów and Zakopane: Festivals and folklore</a></li> <li><a href="#lodz">Łódź: A textile center turned cultural hub</a></li> <li><a href="#zamosc">Zamość: Stunning Italianate architecture</a></li> <li><a href="#sanok">Sanok: Gateway to the Bieszczady Mountains</a></li> </ul> </ul> <h2 id="chocholow">Chochołów and Zakopane: Festivals and folklore</h2> My family tree has wandering roots. On my mother’s Irish side, their wandering was largely a matter of choice. But on my father’s Jewish-Polish side, it was persecution rather than fancy that drove them on. My relationship with my father offered few clues as to where I’d come from, so I first traveled to Poland to color those parts of my identity that I felt had been grayed out. What I found was a country at once cozily familiar and wonderfully different. I was led to Chochołów, a small town of log cottages in the foothills of the Tatras mountains, by an interest in the Górale, or “highlanders”, who have called this chunk of southern Poland home for some 600 years. An ethnographic group with their own customs, dress, and dialect, they’re found in northern Slovakia and the Czech Republic, too, though political borders don’t mean a great deal to them. I met my first Górale in Chicago, where the Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America has its headquarters. A year later, still fascinated by what I’d learned, I made it to Chochołów in time for the Feast of Corpus Christi, a religious holiday held 11 days after Pentecost. Here, Pentecost is celebrated as a fertility festival, Zielone Świątki, and Corpus Christi has something of the pagan about it, too. Adults in traditional costume – felt hats, sheepskin waistcoats, embroidered tunics and bodices – pay their respects at open-air altars wreathed in birch branches and garlanded with flowers, while their children toss petals before a procession of notable villagers carrying icons and paintings beneath ornamental canopies. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/poland/chocholow-procession.jpg" alt="A procession during the Feast of Corpus Christi in Chochołów, Poland." /><figcaption>The Feast of Corpus Christi in Chochołów. Image credit: Joseph Furey</figcaption></figure> I spent the weekend in Zakopane, a 15mi (25km) <a href="/travel-safety/eastern-europe/poland/polands-poor-driver-record">drive away</a>. It’s a popular-among-the-Poles ski resort between December and March, and during the summer there’s all sorts of folkloric fun to be had, from concerts of traditional music (the Górale have their own bagpipe, fiddle, and “alpine” horn) to showcases of their prowess in making decorative axes, elaborately carved pipes, and a delicious smoked, salted sheep’s milk cheese called oscypek. Now, I wouldn’t call myself a musician, but I can badger a note out of a number of instruments, and the squeezebox is one of them. For some reason, I imagined this would translate to expertise with the bagpipe, so I asked a mountain piper to give me a few lessons. It did not go well. I – and the people within earshot of me – didn’t fare much better with my attempts at speech, either. Polish is notoriously tricky for native English speakers to learn. These woes are compounded in Zakopane, where the Górale speak the Podhale dialect, whose Polish, Slovak, and Balkan influences come together to produce speech that is as musical as any flute, but fraught with hazards if you’re new to the area. – <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a> <h2 id="lodz">Łódź: A textile center turned cultural hub</h2> It was my father’s intense pride that “our people came from Łódź” that attracted me to a city we didn’t even know was pronounced “Woodge”. Specifically, I was drawn to Andel’s Hotel in the Manufaktura complex – not just because it was a beautiful factory conversion with its industrial bones still in place, but also the factory where my great-grandfather slaved over a sewing machine. Now a vibrant gallery and entertainment center as well as stylish digs, Manufaktura was once a sweatshop manned by rural 19th-century Jews pouring into a city dubbed “The Promised Land”. But instead of gold, they found slave wages and tenements. I found the building where my great-grandparents lived, and was thankful they passed away before the market square they overlooked became a place of public execution. For Łódź, a party town with a three-mile drag of bars and restaurants that never sleeps, has a dark side – it was the wartime home of a ghetto in which Jews from all over Europe were herded before dispatch to the death camps. The station reserved for that purpose still stands, complete with cattle wagon and a moving display of artefacts looted from the victims, though it’s not promoted as a tourist site. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/poland/manufaktura-lodz.jpg" alt="Manufaktura, a factory cunverted into a gallery space in Lodz, Poland." /><figcaption>Manufaktura in Łódź. Image credit: Getty Images / Berezko</figcaption></figure> Life, rather than death, is celebrated in today’s Łódź. Once famed for its textile industry, it now has a noted film school, a state-of-the-art science museum, and brilliant street art as well as homegrown fashion designers and innovative chefs. I may have felt haunted sleeping beneath the iron girders of Manufaktura, but I was won over by the city’s many charms, which my ancestors had neither time nor money for when Łódź was their home. – <a href="/about/contributors/anthea-gerrie">Anthea Gerrie</a> <h2 id="zamosc">Zamość: Stunning Italianate architecture</h2> When I first happened across this southeastern city near the Ukrainian border, about 80mi (130km) from Lviv, Ukraine, I was dumbstruck by its Italianate good looks. Though I knew that I was following the trade route that linked western and northern Europe to the <a href="/explore/eastern-europe/bulgaria/secret-charms-of-bulgarias-black-sea-coast">Black Sea</a>, and that the Second World War had left Zamość’s old town more or less intact, I was not prepared for the city’s air of opulence. It really must be seen a dozen times to be believed. We owe it all to Jan Zamoyski, a Polish nobleman who did very well for himself during the Renaissance, accumulating landed estates that included more than 200 villages and 11 cities, and leasing royal estates containing many more. They amounted to a mini empire, a country within a country, and Zamoyski wanted to build a capital that was fit for it. And so he did. Completed in the late 16th century, Zamość was designed by the Paduan architect Bernando Morando with the Renaissance theory of an “ideal city” in mind. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/poland/zamosc-closeup.jpg" alt="Italianate buildings in the historic old town of Zamosc, Poland." /><figcaption>Old town, Zamość. Image credit: Getty Images / Iryna_L</figcaption></figure> Though it was not physically scarred in World War II, Zamość did not escape its horrors. Renamed “Himmlerstadt” by the Nazis in 1941, the city was at the center of a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s a near-perfectly preserved example of its kind, having retained its original layout, fortifications, and curious blend of Venetian and Central European architectural styles. I’d happily pay a hefty fee to simply stand and stare at it. – <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a> <h2 id="sanok">Sanok: Gateway to the Bieszczady Mountains</h2> Being of Polish descent, many of my childhood summers were spent visiting family in Sanok, a vibrant town 135mi (220km) southeast of Kraków. This gateway to the Bieszczady Mountains, set in the San River valley, is rich in both cultural heritage and natural beauty. One of Sanok’s main attractions, just off its recently pedestrianized market square, is the Zamek Królewski, a 16th-century, stone-clad, Renaissance-style fortress built over the remains of the Gothic 14th-century Royal Castle. It’s also the town’s Historical Museum, housing a venerated collection of religious icons and contemporary artwork. Featured prominently is local artist Zdzisław Beksiński, whose dystopian surrealist work I grew to admire through the years. While this self-taught artist didn’t provide any explanations for his dark paintings, he was known to have said, “I wish to paint in such a manner as if I were photographing dreams.” On display are more than 600 of his paintings, photographs, and sculptures. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/poland/sanok.jpg" alt="A woman gazes at the mountainous landscape around Sanok, Poland." /><figcaption>Overlooking the landscape around Sanok. Image credit: Getty Images / Paulina Szlachta/EyeEm</figcaption></figure> My other favorite cultural journey is to travel back to the 19th and 20th centuries at the Museum of Folk Architecture, the largest and most authentic open-air museum in Poland. This veritable village is composed of more than 150 wooden cottages with rustic gardens, Catholic and Orthodox churches, and a school, created in 1958 at the direction of historian Aleksander Rybicki. While it’s tempting to remain in the lively town center, sampling local Polish dishes like pierogi, I recommend heading into the surrounding landscape to enjoy Poland’s unsurpassed natural beauty. Take a drive past the fashionable village of Bykowce and spend an afternoon discovering one of Poland’s least inhabited and most picturesque regions. Blanketed in beechwood trees and undulating, grassy plains, the Bieszczady Mountains harbor secret caves and hidden waterfalls. <a href="/travel-insurance/activities/hiking-travel-insurance">Bring your hiking shoes</a>. – <a href="/about/contributors/kasia-dietz">Kasia Dietz</a>Getty Images / hrabar 0537663475 Getty Images Colorful buildings in the historic center of Zamosc, Poland.

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/north-america/united-states/4-us-museums-worth-a-special-tripFrom a 20-story homage to New York street art, to a humble memorial to Navajo war heroes, these museums offer unique insights into American culture.2019-05-20T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/north-america/united-states/4-us-museums-worth-a-special-triphttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#mosa">Museum of Street Art, New York City </a></li> <li><a href="#currier">Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire</a></li> <li><a href="#navajo">Navajo Code Talkers Museum, Tuba City, Arizona</a></li> <li><a href="#nmaahc">National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="mosa">Museum of Street Art, New York City</h2> Standing at the top floor landing of the stairwell, it’s hard to tell what I’ll discover below. But, plunging down 20 stories, what I get is a modern history of New York City, told with spray paint. It’s street art that’s not in the streets, housed in a museum of the most unusual sort. The Museum of Street Art (MOSA) is a “vertical love letter” to New York, sprayed onto the stairwell of the CitizenM hotel in The Bowery. MOSA’s location in The Bowery is apropos because the modern-day street art movement was spawned in New York in the early 1980s. The Lower East Side was pretty edgy then, and it has remained a hotbed for world-class street art. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/museums/mosa.jpg" /><figcaption>Museum of Street Art. Photo credit: Wayfaring Views</figcaption></figure> The museum was conceived by the hotel’s designers and executed by 20 well-respected street artists who had been part of the 5 Pointz graffiti community. 5 Pointz was a famed mural space on a derelict building complex in Brooklyn, which was razed in 2014 for a redevelopment project. When that happened, New York’s street art community experienced a collective mourning process. MOSA revives the spirit of 5 Pointz with a series of murals that celebrate New York’s culture, diversity, and history. - <a href="/about/contributors/carol-guttery">Carol Guttery</a> <h2 id="currier">Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire</h2> New Hampshire's Currier Museum of Art is guarded by a giant. This is Origins: a tangle of steel crowned with hard curves. It glowers dull orange or gleams fire-engine red in the Manchester sunlight, and it announces that the Currier is not your typical small-town museum. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/museums/currier-origins.jpg" /><figcaption>Origins, Currier Museum. Photo credit: Neil McRobert</figcaption></figure> Inside, the museum's architectural anonymity belies the depth of what it contains. Ever-changing collections offer a comprehensive view of American and world artwork in all possible mediums. Though it has an international perspective, the museum also holds community at its heart, with privileged space given to local artists and interactive exhibits. The latter made me cry in the autumn of 2015. While trawling the halls, I stumbled across a bare room. A few people wandered around, each seemingly alone with their thoughts. In turn, they each wrote on small pieces of paper and affixed them to the walls. A few added photographs. I sat for a while. Next to me, a middle-aged woman sat clutching a note in her hand. She was waiting. As the last person filtered out of the room, she stood and thumbed a piece of paper into an empty space. Then she left without once looking back. I waited before approaching. This is what I read. The most beautiful fall day. 9:00am, my daughter asked if dad had called – he had not. There was no time to say goodbye. God bless them everyone. At the top of the page was written the question: “Where were you on September 11th, 2001?” I cried because the Currier had captured the most iconic of American tragedies in the most American of ways: with quiet dignity and individualism within the crowd. - <a href="/about/contributors/neil-mcrobert">Neil McRobert</a> <h2 id="navajo">Navajo Code Talkers Museum, Tuba City, Arizona</h2> If I hadn’t known the Navajo Code Talker Museum was here, tucked inside a historic, stone trading post in northern Arizona, I’d have missed it. Established in 1906, the Tuba City Trading Post in the Navajo Nation territory is flush with Indigenous silverwork and weaving, but there’s a second legacy here, too, in a nondescript annex at the rear. In the early days of its involvement in World War II, tired of having their codes broken by the Japanese, the American military looked to the Navajo people for a complex and isolated language in which to communicate about tactics and troops. The Native American soldiers known as the “Code Talkers” were later credited with being essential to America’s victory. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/museums/code-talker.jpg" /><figcaption>Dan Akee, WWII Veteran, Navajo Code Talker. Photo credit: Erin Whittaker, NPS</figcaption></figure> As a memorial, this museum is humble and quiet, with black-and-white photographs of the recruits lining the museum’s hall. I marveled at the battle gear and weapons issued to each Navajo marine – helmets and machetes that seem primitive by today’s military standards. The original communications equipment used during several of the campaigns are also on display, along with a reminder that these brave Code Talkers achieved what they set out to do: the Japanese never managed to break the Navajo code and, with their help, the Allies won the war in the Pacific. - <a href="/about/contributors/shoshi-parks">Shoshi Parks</a> <h2 id="nmaahc">National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC</h2> Opened in 2016, The National Museum of African American History and Culture is nestled in Washington, DC’s National Mall area, around the corner from the White House. Its bronze-colored, three-tiered ziggurat design is a striking addition to the nation’s capital and, according to the architect David Adjaye, is meant to appear to hover above ground as a display of resilience, hope, and faith. It’s also said to mimic the tiered crown worn by African royalty of the Yoruba tribe. As an African-American woman born in a Southern state, I was eager to see it. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/museums/african-american-exterior.jpg" /><figcaption>National Museum of African American History and Culture. Image credit: Alan Karchmer</figcaption></figure> The museum holds five floors of more than 36,000 artifacts and 12 exhibitions. It details the Middle Passage slave trade route, the inception of America, and the Civil Rights Movement, all the way to present-day. Awareness of the complicated history of African Americans in the United States just isn’t enough to describe the rollercoaster of emotions that I felt in this museum. Seeing outfits and costumes of some of my own, my parents’ and their parents’ favorite celebrities reminded me of Saturday mornings singing in the kitchen while my Dad made breakfast and played his favorite “doo wop” records. I was inspired watching the many videos of triumph for African Americans in sports, medicine, music, and other areas. The years of American history that constantly depicted black people as “lesser” is disproved through the exhibits of greats like Chuck Berry (“The Father of Rock & Roll”), Muhammad Ali (heavyweight boxing champion/activist), and Madame CJ Walker (first black woman millionaire). It was also a source of tears and anger as I stared at the masks worn by Ku Klux Klan members and the casket of Emmitt Till, the teenage boy who was murdered and mutilated after being accused of whistling at a white woman. I held my own son very close, not being able to fathom how a mother could grieve such an event. Seeing a slave cabin and the silk shawl of anti-slavery heroine Harriet Tubman left me awestruck, with mixed feelings of gratitude and rage. But it left me feeling hopeful, too. I believe, deep down, we’re more alike than different, and the better we understand each other's past, the better equipped we’ll be to create a brighter future. - <a href="/about/contributors/imani-bashir">Imani Bashir</a>Alan Karchmer 0

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/north-america/united-states/underrated-usaIf you think cities like Detroit, Oakland, or Oklahoma City are derelict, scary, or dull, think again. Our nomads share eight misunderstood cities that are worth a visit.2019-05-17T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/north-america/united-states/underrated-usahttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#oakland">Oakland: History and diversity on the Bay</a></li> <li><a href="#detroit">Detroit: Motown's recovery and renewal</a></li> <li><a href="#buffalo">Buffalo: Recreation on the waterfront</a></li> <li><a href="#birmingham">Birmingham: Food, music, and magic</a></li> <li><a href="#los-angeles">Los Angeles: A cutting-edge art scene</a></li> <li><a href="#providence">Providence: Walkable and affordable</a></li> <li><a href="#okc">Oklahoma City: From blighted to hip</a></li> <li><a href="#pittsburgh">Pittsburgh: "Steel City" reborn</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="oakland">Oakland, California: History and diversity on the Bay</h2> Oakland finally got its share of the spotlight in 2018. This city of around 420,000, perpetually in the shadows of its more famous neighbor across the Bay (San Francisco), was featured in three films that year: Black Panther, the third highest-grossing movie in U.S. history and directed by Oakland native Ryan Coogler, and two indie films that made some critics’ best-of-the-year lists, Sorry To Bother You and Blindspotting. All three films are a testament to the special place Oakland occupies in the realm of Black history and culture. Nonetheless, it’s also one of the most diverse cities in the country, home to large Latino and Asian populations and some of the best Mexican, Salvadoran, and Vietnamese food around. In fact, Oakland now rivals San Francisco as a foodie destination. Oakland’s mild weather allows for both year-round events like First Fridays – a family-friendly event that includes local artists, musicians, and food trucks – and annual events like the Art + Soul Festival, which draws big-name R&B and jazz artists. Perhaps Oakland’s most underrated feature is its geographic diversity and natural beauty, from the centrally located Lake Merritt – popular with runners, walkers, and families – to the sweeping bay views of the Oakland Hills. Visitors might be surprised to learn about the opportunities for hiking and picnicking at Joaquin Miller Park, Redwood Regional Park, or Lake Temescal. In short, far from the “urban war zone” stereotype that has long plagued the city, Oakland is a vibrant, economically and ethnically diverse city that has a ton to offer. I currently call Oakland home, and though I’m a San Francisco native, I doubt I’d move back across the Bay, even if I could afford it. I prefer Oakland’s laid-back vibe, lack of pretentiousness, and welcoming attitude toward families. - <a href="/about/contributors/rebecca-bodenheimer">Rebecca Bodenheimer</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/underrated/lake-merritt.jpg" /><figcaption>Lake Merritt, Oakland. Image credit: Getty Images / Thomas Winz</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="detroit">Detroit, Michigan: Motown's recovery and renewal</h2> Underneath me, pavement crumbles into potholes. Rising up from that, though, a mural proclaims Nothing Stops Detroit. This is the city that filed for bankruptcy six years ago – the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history. Once nicknamed Motown, Motor City, and Paris of the Midwest, Detroit is making a new name for itself: Comeback City. Detroit shares its residents’ spirit – proud, unapologetic, resilient, innovative, diverse. But even though it’s resurging, Detroit’s various neighborhoods aren’t recovering at equal rates, which contributes to increasing inequality. Where there is a Detroiter, though, there is a solution. Take the Heidelberg Project, Tyree Guyton’s street-long outdoor art installation just north of the Black Bottom neighborhood. On a rainy-day visit, Guyton’s sister tells me “he saw what was happening to other neighborhoods… he just wanted to make our community a beautiful place.” Others share the same vision. In Highland Park, social enterprise Antique Touring offers tours in vintage Ford Model As. And in Corktown looms the abandoned Michigan Central Station, which the Ford Motor Company recently invested US $740 million in to restore. The 105-year-old train station will soon house local shops and a research center on self-driving vehicles. Deeper in Detroit is Hamtramck, an enclosed two-square-mile city, where women in hijab browse through Polish grocery stores. Originally an enclave for Polish immigrants, Hamtramck is now the first US city with a majority Muslim population and city council. Some call Hamtramck a refuge, and if that’s so, then it’s Detroit that’s offering refuge. Has Detroit made its comeback? Not quite yet. But that’s precisely why it’s important to visit. Travelers can not only witness Detroit’s renaissance, but play an active role in it. - <a href="/about/contributors/sarah-bence">Sarah Bence</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/underrated/detroit.jpg" /><figcaption>Michigan Central Station in Corktown. Photo credit: Getty Images / Warren Price</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="buffalo">Buffalo, New York: Recreation on the waterfront</h2> In the 19th century, Buffalo was one of the wealthiest cities in the United States. It was a powerhouse of early industry because of its location on the Erie Canal, between the Great Lakes, and near Niagara Falls. Its fortunes changed in the mid-20th century, when much industry moved elsewhere and the city lost more than half its population. But, it never lost its mansions, Art Deco City Hall, <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/9-architectural-masterpieces">Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings</a>, ornate Queen Anne-style homes, or proximity to Niagara Falls. All of these are great reasons to go and check out Buffalo. Plus, in recent years the waterfront areas and ex-industrial apparatus, like enormous grain silos, have been developed and turned into recreational areas for residents and visitors. Investment is trickling back in and once-neglected places – often hiding architectural gems – are being revived. I lived in Buffalo for a year and a half, and explored the city with the insider-outsider perspective of a resident and a tourist. Although the winter is a time for hibernation – the snow can be so deep it’s actually funny – I got outside to ice skate at Canalside and try cross-country skiing. But Buffalo really comes alive in the summer, as if nature is rewarding Buffalonians for enduring the winter. There are street festivals in Elmwood and Allentown, weekly craft markets, food truck Tuesdays at Larkin Square, free concerts at Canalside (with some really big-name acts), and opportunities to kayak and sail on the river, canal, and Lake Erie. -<a href="/about/contributors/elen-turner"> Elen Turner</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/underrated/buffalo-mural.jpg" /><figcaption>Greetings mural. Photo credit: Drew Brown</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="birmingham">Birmingham, Alabama: Food, music, and magic</h2> It’s generally understood that phoenixes rise from ashes and that any city enjoying a renaissance must once have had it tough. But what if the city brought the conflagration that reduced it to nothing on itself? That’s a question often asked of Birmingham, which during the civil rights period acquired the nickname “Bombingham” due to the campaign of terrorism waged by proponents of racial segregation. Between 1947 and 1965, more than 50 crimes involving explosives were recorded. Black community leaders were targeted, children killed and churches and houses destroyed – and the majority of those crimes went unsolved. Birmingham’s approach to its history is to confront it head-on. It has wholeheartedly embraced its importance as a destination on the <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/tales-of-sorrow-and-uplift-on-the-us-civil-rights-trail">US Civil Rights Trial</a>, which was launched last year and connects 110 sites of historical significance, chiefly across the South. But Birmingham is more than a rueful memorial to its grisly past. Founded in 1871 as an iron, steel, and rail town, it grew quickly, earning the nickname “the Magic City”. Its recently rejuvenated downtown area, with its striking Art Deco and neo-gothic buildings, is a testimony to the good taste of that boom time. Birmingham’s population had been steadily dropping until a decade ago, when it started to attract the advance guard of gentrification: musicians, artists, gourmands, and their pals in tech. To be fair to them, the transformation has been impressive. Pepper Place, the home of Alabama’s largest farmers’ market and the 19-acre Railroad Park, used to be a few blocks of gutted warehouses and tracks going nowhere. Avondale, a formerly unprepossessing district of car repair businesses, gas stations, and rust, is now a walkable neighborhood lined with brunch places, bars, and breweries, and once-subdued Forest Park is livelier for its independent stores, consignment shoppers, and generally bohemian air. Most of these neighborhoods are linked by greenways, which, come the weekend, are ablur with cyclists making use of America’s first electric bike-share program. Almost equidistant between Memphis, the blues capital of the US, and Atlanta, hip-hop’s centre of gravity, Birmingham is becoming a hothouse for musical talent, with punk, Americana, and metal bands pulling in big audiences, and the number of performance venues quadrupling in under 10 years. The ‘Ham has a growing food scene, too. It’s not for nothing that Zagat readers voted it the “number one up-and-coming food city” in a recent national survey. -<a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey"> Joe Furey</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/underrated/birmingham.jpg" /><figcaption>Used record store, Birmingham. Image credit: Getty Images / Rob Culpepper</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="los-angeles">Los Angeles, California: A cutting-edge art scene</h2> When I moved to Southern California 25 years ago, Downtown Los Angeles was run down – a dismal landscape of abandoned factories and deserted streets. But, in recent years, the neighborhood has undergone a seismic shift, with world-class art museums and trendy galleries and hotels transforming dilapidated industrial buildings into cutting-edge, creative spaces. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA exemplifies this transition. Once a police warehouse, it’s now home to 40,000ft2 (3,715m2) of exhibition space housed in a Frank Gehry-designed building. Behind an intriguing honeycomb façade, The Broad houses a 2,000-piece contemporary art collection with works by Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons. And, in an effort to make art accessible to all, admission is free. When I want to explore the underground scene, the Arts District’s many galleries are an incubator of experimentation. A former flour mill, Hauser & Wirth is now a contemporary art gallery that has preserved elements of its past, including the original motif of wheat sheaves. The gallery supports a range of emerging and established artists across various mediums, with a steady stream of rotating exhibits. Like many transplants, I originally moved to Los Angeles to work in the film business. Cinephiles like myself flock to Downtown’s Ace Hotel, in the renovated United Artists building that once housed the production companies of movie greats such as Charlie Chaplin, for screenings at the now-restored Golden Age theatre. Retail and restaurants are part of the urban renewal, too. Originally the LA Terminal Market, Row DTLA is now a shopping and culinary hub. I bring my appetite on Sundays, when Smorgasburg LA sets up shop at the Alameda Produce Market here. Dozens of vendors dish up everything from vegan donuts to juicy porchetta. If craft beer is your beverage of choice, Arts District Brewing Company’s 15-barrel brewhouse is the place to be. And, thanks to vast improvements in Downtown’s public transportation links, it’s possible to avoid the city’s infamous traffic and explore car-free via pedestrian-friendly streets, the Metro, and bike and electric scooter shares. - <a href="/about/contributors/allison-tibaldi">Allison Tibaldi</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/underrated/los-angeles.jpg" /><figcaption>The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, courtesy of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Photo credit: Elon Schoenholz</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="providence">Providence, Rhode Island: Walkable and affordable</h2> Providence is a small city by any measure, at just 20.5mi2 (53km2) and home to 180,000 people. But, without a doubt, it’s also one of the most underappreciated cities in America. I might be a little biased. I grew up in Pawtucket, literal steps from the Providence city line. And, of course, it’s often easier to love a place once you’ve left it. It’s been 10 years since I’ve lived there. But every time I visit, it just gets better. Thanks in part to an esteemed culinary arts school, Johnson & Wales, and edgy art students at the Rhode Island School of Design, you’ll find top restaurants gaining international recognition, hipster doughnut shops with cult followings, and multi-story murals cascading down the city’s most historic buildings. Providence has been slower to grow than other cities of its size, and its affordability has fueled small businesses – you won’t see many chains downtown. I love walking up College Hill, one of the state’s best-preserved colonial-era neighborhoods, to sit in Prospect Terrace Park, overlooking the city for sunrise and sunset. I love tip-toeing to the second floor of the Providence Athenaeum, perhaps the most photogenic library in the US, to write at an ancient desk sandwiched between stacks of old books. I love grabbing a frozen Del’s lemonade – watermelon, of course – and clambering for a front-row view of WaterFire, an art installation of bonfires on the Providence River that has enchanted the city on special nights since 1994. And I love that it’s possible to stay at a sub-US $100 boutique hotel room in a renovated former brothel, within walking distance of Broadway shows on tour at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Sure, Providence is home, and so it will always have my heart. But if you’re not careful, it’ll easily snag yours, too. - <a href="/about/contributors/kassondra-cloos">Kassondra Cloos</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/underrated/providence-library.jpg" /><figcaption>The Athenaeum, Providence. Image credit: Providence Athenaeum_Cat Laine</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="okc">Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: From blighted to hip</h2> “Where do you want to eat?” my friend asked me, both of us ravenous and still full of adrenaline from an afternoon of whitewater rafting in downtown Oklahoma City. We had conquered the Class II to IV raging water at RIVERSPORT Rapids, one of the only man-made urban rafting centers in the nation, and we were ready for a cold drink and a hearty meal. Whenever someone asks me where to eat in Oklahoma City, I groan a little inside. Not because I can’t think of a decent place to eat, but because there are so many choices, from traditional Vietnamese in the Asian District to award-winning restaurants in Midtown. Not so long ago, OKC was considered a fly-over location, with a ghost-town downtown and sad nightlife. In the 1980s and early 1990s, college co-eds like me didn't go downtown at night. Besides the fact the city “rolled up the sidewalks” at 5pm, the area was shady and ominous in its emptiness – a far cry from the hopping, brightly-lit vibe that it has today. But combine a rabid love of public art, a ripping music and performance scene, a new public streetcar system, an NBA team, and districts that get hipper every day, and OKC is being called the new “Austin of the Plains.” A massive, highly-anticipated urban park now under construction will bridge OKC's quickly regenerating downtown to the Oklahoma River. Nearby, the old warehouse district of Bricktown, which has been described as a miniature version of San Antonio's famous Riverwalk, continues to add more nightlife and entertainment options. OKC’s renaissance wasn’t by accident, though. After the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that claimed 168 lives, the city and its citizens refused to be defined by tragedy. With an upswelling of pride and a crusade to heal itself, the citizens and leaders came together to create a downtown that mirrored the indefatigable spirit of Oklahomans. - <a href="/about/contributors/heide-brandes">Heide Brandes</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/underrated/okc-bricktown.jpg" /><figcaption>Bricktown, Oklahoma City. Photo credit: VisitOKC</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="pittsburgh">Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: "Steel City" reborn</h2> Pittsburgh exists in the popular imagination as one of the “Rust Belt” cities that, along with Cleveland, Detroit, and Buffalo, were left for scrap after the industries that made their names closed for business. But while it’s true “the Steel City” did lose its way for a spell, it swiftly rebuilt its fortune on robotics, biomedical engineering, and self-driving tech, drawing on graduates from Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne universities. Built at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, the City of Bridges (Pittsburgh has multiple names, and 446 bridges at last count), is defined by water. In this respect, it reminds me of a shrunken, hillier, vista-peppered Chicago, with which it shares deep blue-collar roots. On the south bank of the Allegheny, where mills once choked the city with smoke, the Strip District looks like a textbook illustration of a miraculous recovery. Just northeast of Downtown’s museums, galleries, and theaters, its warehouses and factory buildings now house dive bars, art studios, craft workshops, Polish delis, the Heinz History Center, a whiskey distillery and “Robotics Row”, an area where a string of tech companies have set up shop. Pittsburghers – or Yinz – are fiercely loyal to their city. And the city celebrates them back. Its heroes come in various forms, many of them athletic. Game days are hectic – the streets are flooded with black and gold, the colors of its three professional sporting franchises – but brain is as revered as brawn in the ‘Burgh, so long as it’s from there, and its cultural life is rich and diverse. See for yourself at these Northside neighbors: Randyland, Randy Gibson’s bemuralled house containing his own outsider creations; The Mattress Factory, a showcase of installation art; and City of Asylum, a non-profit organization that provides sanctuary for refugee writers who are under threat of persecution. The Andy Warhol Museum, the largest museum dedicated to a single artist in the country, is marvelous, a fitting shrine to the modern era’s greatest iconographer, iconolater, and iconoclast. Special mention must also go to the August Wilson Cultural Center, a multi-purpose venue that’s a leading promoter of African-American arts. As befits a place of punishing inclines, Pittsburgh has two funicular railways, though having eaten my way around the city I can tell you walking it off is the only proper response to dining there. Don’t get me wrong, its restaurant scene is thoroughly modern, with southeast Asian and Chinese influences, but its light bites tend toward the hulking: the Big Mac (which was invented in the kitchen of a Pittsburgh McDonald’s); prune butter and cottage cheese pierogies; and the Primanti Bros sandwich of sliced meats and cheese, coleslaw and, yes, French fries on Italian bread. - <a href="/about/contributors/joseph-furey">Joe Furey</a> <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/underrated/pittsburgh.jpg" /><figcaption>The Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh. Photo credit: Getty Images / Michael Lee</figcaption></figure>Brandon Zack / unsplash 0

https://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/explore/north-america/united-states/nomads-share-their-favorite-us-festivalsA winter festival centered around a dead guy. A gathering of poetic cowboys. A huge marionette set ablaze. These are just a few of the weird and wonderful events happening around the US. 2019-05-15T10:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/explore/north-america/united-states/nomads-share-their-favorite-us-festivalshttps://www.worldnomads.com<ul> <li><a href="#santa-fe">Fiestas de Santa Fe</a></li> <li><a href="#dead">Frozen Dead Guy Days </a></li> <li><a href="#poetry">National Cowboy Poetry Gathering </a></li> <li><a href="#ice">World Ice Art Championships</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="santa-fe">Fiestas de Santa Fe</h2> “Burn him! Burn him!” At first, this sounded like a macabre chant straight out of my nightmares. But I soon found it’s par for the course at the Burning of Zozobra – the fiery kick-off to the Fiestas de Santa Fe, in <a href="/explore/north-america/united-states/new-mexico-road-trip">New Mexico</a>. Founded in 1712 to celebrate the return of Spanish rule following the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, the fiesta is billed as the longest-running community festival in the US. Zozobra, aka Old Man Gloom, is more recent. Local artist Will Shuster first created a six-foot puppet in 1924 for a celebration inspired by a Catholic ritual where an effigy of Judas is burned. Word of this backyard celebration spread, and it went public two years later. As the festival has grown, so has the puppet. Zozobra, who takes his name from the Spanish word for anxiety, is now a 50ft tall (15m tall), green-haired, tuxedoed marionette that’s burned to cast off worries. At the festival, I cautiously approached the part-ghost, part-monster with a slip of paper inscribed with my personal woes. I dropped the slip into the “gloom box,” where it joined countless others to make up his stuffing. As the pageant began and flames began licking his feet, the marionette writhed above the audience, taunting us and moaning eerily. Yet, by the time flames engulfed his body and cries of “Burn him!” rose from the crowd, I had joined in the revelry – hopeful that my gloom would be carried away in the flames along with Zozobra. - <a href="/about/contributors/ashley-biggers">Ashley Biggers</a> Las Fiestas de Santa Fe is held the first or second week of September. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/festivals/zozobra.jpg" /><figcaption>Zozobra, aka Old Man Gloom. Photo credit: Enrique A Sanabria via flickr</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="dead">Frozen Dead Guy Days</h2> You’d think coffin racing would be a euphemism for chain smoking, base jumping, or some other deadly pursuit. But you’d be wrong. In the mountain town of Nederland, Colorado, it’s the star attraction of arguably the world’s most eccentric festival: Frozen Dead Guy Days. The story starts in the mid-90s, with a young Norwegian lad, Trygve Morstol, getting kicked out of the country and leaving behind his dead grandpa, Bredo, whom he’d frozen in a cryogenic chamber he built himself in his garden shed. Talk about a cool man-cave. What did the locals do when they discovered Gramps? Contact a legitimate cryogenic facility? Bury the poor chap? No. They threw a party. Frozen Dead Guy Days has been held every year since to help raise funds to keep the dead dude on ice. Think of the festival as a cross between Monty Python and the zombie apocalypse: three days of frosty, death-themed merriment and silly games, including 30+ live bands, costumed polar plunges, frozen-turkey bowling, and more. But I haven’t come as a spectator – I’ve come to compete. The UK had never had an official entry in the coffin race before. I convinced my wife and five friends, bought some masks and a couple of inflatable corgis, and team Royal Bloody Family was born. It seems so simple. Teams of six pallbearers, and one rider, must carry a home-built coffin over a 650ft (200m) course filled with hay bales, mud pits and icy hills, without it breaking or dumping the “corpse” inside on the ground. Hundreds have gathered in support of the 30 teams that compete, racing a head-to-head knockout: Lady Lumberjacks versus the Disco Queens, Rainbow Unicorns against the Toilet Plunger Knights. As we approach the start line, the crowd is hushed. This is our moment. Or not. I’d love to tell you we won. But the truth is: coffins are heavy, we’re out of shape, and team Mario Kart scuppers us with an actual banana peel thrown out the back of their box. But then, something amazing happens. After the race, the teams take part in a Death March through town. Her Majesty is a hit. Strangers hoot and high-five us as we pass. We may have lost the race, but we win the parade. And that’s the thing: To compete is honorable, but to laugh at yourself while doing so is truly enlightened. Grandpa Bredo would be proud. - <a href="/about/contributors/aaron-millar">Aaron Millar</a> Frozen Dead Guy Days takes place every March. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/festivals/dead-guy.jpg" /><figcaption>Frozen Dead Guy Days. Image credit: Getty Images / Jason Connolly</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="poetry">National Cowboy Poetry Gathering</h2> I first realized the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering was special when I ran into one of the musicians buying fencing at the local ranch store. Given the talent and artistry on display throughout the week, it’s easy to forget these cowboys and cowgirls authentically live the life portrayed in their poems and songs. Their deep love and appreciation for Western heritage brings this community together in the high desert of Nevada in the dead of winter each year. My father and I attended our first gathering in 2014, wanting to explore this intersection of poetry, cowboys, and the American West. I’ve attended every Gathering since, still proudly wearing the hat I made that first year. The opportunity to steep in a world so different from my everyday life keeps me coming back. Started in 1985 by the Western Folklife Center, the Gathering is a week-long celebration of the arts and crafts of cowboy culture. Though the American West portrayed in TVs and movies was overwhelmingly white, the reality is quite the contrary, and the Gathering tries to incorporate a different ethnic group each year – recent years have featured Mongolian, Hawaiian, Mexican, and Basque performers. The early part of the week is filled with workshops ranging from poetry writing to hat making to cooking Western fare. Performances kick into high gear Thursday through Saturday, with simultaneous events at venues around town – typically three or more performers alternately reciting poems, singing songs, or telling stories centered on a theme like After a Night on a Cowboy Town. Beyond the shows, there are dances, western goods for sale at the local casinos, and the Deep West video series offering first-hand stories of the rural west. - <a href="/about/contributors/bill-sullivan">Bill Sullivan</a> The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering takes place in Elko, Nevada, in late January every year. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/festivals/cowboy-poetry.jpg" /><figcaption>National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Photo credit: TravelNevada</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="ice">World Ice Art Championships</h2> I can’t help but think of Robert Frost’s famous philosophical puzzle as I stroll through the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska: will the world end in fire, or ice? Judging by the shimmering, phantasmagoric sculptures at the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds, it won’t be ice. Though they may be standing still, these sculptures are far too lively to represent the end of anything. More than 100 experts from Europe, Asia, and North America have turned one-ton (927kg) blocks of ice into vibrant depictions of mythical beings, wild animals, and historic scenes. Alaska’s second-largest city is a reliably frigid venue for the planet’s best ice carvers to work outdoors from mid-February to the end of March. Happily, this is also an excellent time to view the Northern Lights. I’m bundled up against temperatures that can dive below 14°F (-10°C), but Fairbanks’ sheltered location with little wind means I can wander the festival grounds in comfort. Arthurian jousting, Wagnerian apocalypse, soaring griffons, and elvish fairylands – the sculptures depict universes both real and imagined. Local carvers offer workshops where I try my hand at this art, and I find it is nowhere near as easy as it looks, even though I’m wielding a small electric saw meant for delicate shaping. “You’re working without a net,” explains my instructor because, once it’s sawn or ground away, ice cannot be put back. And, although this is a winter art, it turns out heat is the final touch: I smooth all my ragged surfaces and curves with a small blowtorch, and wind up with a mediocre, faceless, alien-planet monolith. As always, best to leave the real work to professionals. - <a href="/about/contributors/eric-lucas">Eric Lucas</a> The World Ice Art Championships is held from mid-February to the end of March. <figure><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/explore/usa/festivals/ice-festival.jpg" /><figcaption>World Ice Art Championships. Image credit: Getty Images / Cultura RM Exclusive/Stuart Westmorland</figcaption></figure> Tobias Roybal via flickr 0