205 articles tagged with hidden gems
There's something utterly captivating about the way Louisiana nights unfold—particularly in places that haven't yet been overrun by the tourist circuit. Monroe sits like a hidden jewel along the Ouachita River, often overshadowed by its flashier Louisiana siblings. But after...
While Colorado's tourism spotlight often shines on Denver, Boulder, and mountain resort towns, I've discovered that some of the state's most authentic experiences come from its overlooked corners. Pueblo—a city with deep multicultural roots, industrial heritage, and surprising natural beauty—offers...
Standing at the edge of Algar do Carvão, peering down into a volcanic chimney that plunges 90 meters into the earth's crust, I had one of those perfect teaching moments—except my classroom was now this magnificent island in the middle...
The morning light spills over Table Mountain like liquid gold as I sketch its contours from my temporary apartment in Bo-Kaap. This is my third visit to Cape Town, and each time I return, this city reveals another layer of...
The first time I set foot in Arecibo, I was supposed to be training for the Puerto Rico Marathon. Instead, I found myself on an unexpected pilgrimage of flavors. Between morning runs along the Atlantic coastline and evening cool-downs through...
Los Angeles often conjures images of palm-lined boulevards, celebrity mansions, and the iconic Hollywood sign. Yet beneath this glossy veneer lies a metropolis with historical layers as diverse as its population. Having spent three fascinating weeks exploring LA with my...
The rhythmic pulse of samba music fades as you venture beyond Rio's postcard shores. While tourists flock to the crescent sweep of Copacabana and the fashion-forward Ipanema, the soul of Rio's coastal identity lies in its lesser-known stretches of sand—places...
Standing on the shores of Charlestown, I couldn't help but reflect on how these pristine Caribbean beaches face the same climate challenges as my adopted New Zealand coastlines. As someone who's documented both emergency situations and climate impacts across the...
The moment my feet touched the warm golden sands of Tayrona National Park, I knew I had found something extraordinary. *Sacré bleu*, what a revelation! After 15 years of controlling air traffic patterns across North America, finding myself beneath Colombia's...
Singapore's gleaming skyscrapers and iconic attractions draw millions of visitors yearly, but beneath this polished veneer lies a Singapore that most tourists never experience. As someone with Korean heritage who's traveled extensively throughout Asia, I've developed a knack for uncovering...
Paris and I have a complicated relationship. Like many travelers, I initially fell for her grand monuments—the Eiffel Tower's iron elegance, Notre-Dame's Gothic splendor, the Louvre's artistic abundance. But after numerous visits, including a memorable sabbatical teaching English at a...
The southern tip of Saint Lucia harbors secrets that most tourists never discover. Having spent decades tracking down missing persons, I've developed a sixth sense for uncovering what's hidden in plain sight. Three winters ago, while escaping Birmingham's bitter cold,...
You know what they say about Portugal's beaches—they're all postcard perfect and packed with tourists. Well, folks, I'm here to let you in on a little secret: that's only half true. After 25+ years of corporate sales trips that eventually...
Let me tell ya something, folks - after 25 years of corporate schmoozing and beach-hunting across the globe, I've developed what my wife calls a 'sixth sense' for finding those perfect stretches of sand where the crowds thin out and...
When my wife and I decided to take our three-year-old twins, Eliot and Emma, to London last summer, I approached the trip with my usual policy analyst's spreadsheets and research documents. The standard tourist circuit—Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, London Eye—appeared...