TRAVEL STORIES
Read stories, thoughts, and inspiration from world travelers, weekend trekkers, and adventurers from all over the world.
FAVORITES RIGHT NOW
Can You Visit Death Valley National Park in the Summer? We Did!
We traveled to Death Valley in June, on a day when it was 124 degrees out. How did we fare? Not too badly actually! Read for highlights and recommendations.
I Conquered the Ha Giang Loop: 4 Days of Motoring Adventure in Vietnam
A rite of passage for backpackers, the Ha Giang Loop reaches the northernmost part of Vietnam—read Hannah's account of this four-day road trip!
A Day on Dinosaur Island! Finding Fossils on the Isle of Wight
Take a journey back in time to the Cretaceous period at Compton Bay on the Isle of Wight. Search for dinosaur fossils and witness the preserved footprints!
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
STORIES & INSPIRATION FROM ADVENTURERS & EXPLORERS AROUND THE WORLD
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival 2026: Tiana, Beverly & a Carriage Ride
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival 2026 runs from March 4 through June 1. Here are a few highlights from this year's festival, including food, drink, and creative gardening!
Bigger in Texas: Three Nights on Amtrak’s Texas Eagle
Amtrak's Texas Eagle is the system's only three-night ride. Travel with the author on this journey from LA, to San Antonio, and finally to Chicago!
Visiting the Virgins: St. Croix in the USVI
St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands offers lush island scenery, excellent snorkeling, serpentine roads, America's easternmost point, and a perfect getaway from harsh winter weather.
EPCOT Food & Wine Festival 2025: Behind the Seeds, Test Track, and Tiffany
What are some of the highlights from EPCOT's Food and Wine Festival this year? Let's try the Mickey macaron, Behind the Seeds Greenhouse Tour, and Eat to the Beat!
Feeling Presidential: Exploring the Roosevelt Railcar and Western Pennsylvania
How about an overnight stay in a classic 1901 Pullman sleeper? That's one of the treasures ready to be explored in rural western PA - plus underground caverns, wildlife tours, and much more!
In the Path of the Flood: A Visit to Johnstown, PA
More than 130 years after a devastating flood, Johnstown still recalls its horrific past - and for that same reason, this Pennsylvania city has a lot to offer visitors! Highlights: trails, creeks, trains, and much more.
ADVERTISEMENT
Taking the Scenic Route: Chicago to Miami on Amtrak’s Floridian
Amtrak's Floridian runs daily in both directions between Chicago and Miami. Read this account of what it's like to take this newly revived line through America's Backyard!
How the Langtang Valley Trek Taught Me the Art of Slow Travel
While many travelers to Nepal focus on ticking off Everest or Annapurna, Langtang quietly offers something more profound: time. Time to notice, to breathe, to connect.
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival 2025: Topiaries, Bonsai, and Incredible Eats!
Enjoy these highlights from the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, including an Inside-Out garden, hanging gardens, character topiaries and more!
Dashing Through the Snow: Sampling Amtrak’s Floridian
Can a winter storm slow down Amtrak's new long-distance Floridian? Here's what it was like for two passengers aboard the sleeper train while Kingston hammered the Mid-Atlantic!
One of the Most Beautiful Haunted Houses You’ll Ever See: Highlights of a South Beach Ghost Tour
If you want a delightfully creative and unexpected way to get to know South Beach and explore some of its most iconic spots, then you might just love a ghost tour!
EPCOT Food & Wine Festival 2024: Pickle Milkshakes, Aloe Blacc, and Fireworks
Thinking about a Disney Parks trip? Don't pass up the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival! Here are a few highlights from this year's celebration of international cuisine.
ADVERTISEMENT
Can You Visit Death Valley National Park in the Summer? We Did!
We traveled to Death Valley in June, on a day when it was 124 degrees out. How did we fare? Not too badly actually! Read for highlights and recommendations.
Riding Amtrak’s City of New Orleans: 3100 Miles Around DC, Chicago & the Big Easy
Three trains, 15 states and 3100 miles. This is the Amtrak triangle—DC to Chicago, then on to New Orleans, and finally from the Big Easy back to Washington!
Wild Blue Yonder: Visiting the Caribbean Waters of Turks and Caicos
Glowing seascapes and reefs, jouncing car journeys, terrific seafood, and snorkeling to a sunken plane—all in a visit to the beautiful Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean.
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival 2024: Bonsai, Butterflies & Tons of Fun
Since 1994, EPCOT has held its annual Flower and Garden Festival to showcase elaborate topiaries, beautiful garden outposts, delicious food, and much more.
Riding Amtrak’s Silver Meteor: Overnight to Jacksonville and Back
From fresh-cooked steaks on the train, to one terrific bookshop, to a legendary rock guitarist—join the author on a three-day rail adventure to Jacksonville.
Slapped by a Sea Turtle: Volunteering Abroad in Costa Rica
I volunteered one summer with a sea turtle research center in Costa Rica—and my first encounter with a leatherback left me a little beat up.
ADVERTISEMENT
Postcards from the Edge: Collecting Postmarks for Every State
This Pennsylvania student collected postcards and postmarks for a school project—one each from all 50 US states—with help from travelers and friends!
Photos: EPCOT International Festival of the Arts 2024
EPCOT's International Festival of the Arts is a celebration of art through several different mediums—including culinary, visual, and performing arts.
Big Time: A Year of Travels with a Dozen Concerts and Shows
With the help of much long-distance driving (and one train ride), the author caught 12 worthy concerts in 2023. Take a brief tour of the setlists and venues from this musical panorama!
The Desert Fox: Riding Amtrak’s Sunset Limited
America’s oldest named train, the Sunset Limited runs through vast and varied desert vistas on its 46-hour trek between New Orleans and Los Angeles.
Riding Amtrak’s Coast Starlight: Seattle to Los Angeles
Ride along with the author on the Amtrak Coast Starlight: 36 hours down the West Coast, with mountains, beaches, forests, and fascinating fellow travelers.
Boo! Haunted-House-Sitting in Antigua, Guatemala
Have you ever been to a haunted house? In this post, Akaisha shares her encounter with an unexpected guest while house sitting in Antigua!
ADVERTISEMENT
Walking Tour of Guernsey: Bluebell Woods, Fermain Bay & More
There's something about rambling in a rural location that helps you step out of drudgery and into adventure—Guernsey is perfect for that.
I Moved to New Zealand: Here Are 18 Very Strange and Fun Things You’ll Learn Living Here!
Being an expat in New Zealand presents fun challenges! From trying new foods, to picking up different hobbies, here are some fun encounters.
Locomotive Breath: Jethro Tull in Indianapolis
Our author embarked on a memorable train ride aboard the Amtrak Cardinal from Baltimore to Indianapolis to see Jethro Tull play a once-in-a-lifetime concert—read all about it!
A Day in Denver: JINYA Ramen Bar, Colorado Sake Co., & Street Art
Enjoy these photos from a day spent exploring just a few small parts of Denver—including Larimer Square, the Sculpture Garden, Colorado Sake Co. and more!
Clouds with a Blue Lining: Destination Wedding on Turks and Caicos
The author visits a lesser-known Caribbean locale for a destination wedding with low-key island ambiance, great snorkeling, and a very exclusive resort.
I Conquered the Ha Giang Loop: 4 Days of Motoring Adventure in Vietnam
A rite of passage for backpackers, the Ha Giang Loop reaches the northernmost part of Vietnam—read Hannah's account of this four-day road trip!