By Tom Adkinson As I navigated the International African American Museum’s intellectually challenging artifacts and displays, a scene that lasted only a few moments captivated me. A Black man, perhaps in his 60s, stood at a floor-to-ceiling window and gazed out on Charleston Harbor. He was watching a hulking cargo ship approach, carrying who knows…
Southern California is renowned for picturesque beaches, iconic theme parks, Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and vibrant cultural scene. But visitors who travel from Los Angeles south toward Orange County will discover a rich tapestry of diverse Asian communities. America’s Asian population is growing both in numbers and spending power. A 2019 Pew Research Center study…
Petra’s fascination today lies not in its association with Indiana Jones but with lingering echoes of the Nabatean civilization that softly murmur at the end of the day when shadows envelop the terraced caves wealthy merchants once called home. Read More
Airline loyalty programs and their banking partners have begun waging war in airport hubs around the country by upgrading and opening new lounges with hopes to conciliate top members’ frustrations with club availability and quality. Delta and United are opening opulent airport lounges. So are JP Morgan Chase, Citibank and Capital One. Read More
Travelers often find themselves seeking unusual items while on the road. These curios may be explained by the psychology behind the souvenir–the French word for “memory.” As we hold a souvenir in our hands—a model of the Eiffel Tower, a postcard of Angkor Wat, a silk scarf from Vietnam—we are transported back in time…
New Orleans is not the only French city in America. From the cafes near the French Consulate to the celebration of Bastille Day; from the Museum of the Legion of Honor (a copy of the one in Paris) to the Matisse paintings donated by the Gertrude Stein family to the Museum of Modern Art, San…
By Teresa Bitler A flight of five bourbons sits on the thickly varnished wooden bar inside a Louisville, KY tavern. Nearby, office workers and tourists escaping the heat of the day enjoy the tavern’s justifiably famous fried chicken and pork ribs. The food is tempting, but I’m going with samples of middle-of-the-road Kentucky whiskey simply…
By John Gottberg Anderson A colossal figure in alabaster rising majestically from a hilltop outside Danang stares regally across an armada of fishing boats into the vastness of the South China Sea. She is Quan Âm, whom the Vietnamese call “the Lady Buddha.” In the mother temple of the Cao Đài religion near Tây…
Houseboats lure thousands of families to rivers and lakes for unique, get-away-from-it-all vacations. The slow-moving vessels sleep up to a dozen passengers and are equipped with many modern amenities, such as ovens, refrigerators, toilets, hot showers, gourmet kitchens and bedrooms with linens. Some houseboats look downright luxurious, albeit somewhat compact. Lake Powell is billed as America’s Best Houseboating Destination because of the stunning scenery in southern Utah and neighboring Arizona. The lake is among the nation’s largest manmade reservoirs with 2,000 miles of shoreline, hundreds of private beaches and 96 side canyons where you can drop anchor and bask in the majestic solitude.
In 1972, mathematician Edward Lorenz coined the phrase ‘the butterfly effect.’ He used the term to describe the unforeseen results that stem from seemingly inconsequential changes in the natural order. It’s as if, he mused, a powerful tornado could be started by the distant flitting of a butterfly’s wings. The historic Georgia coast, a charming amalgam of colonial history and maritime beauty, has played the role of that butterfly many times.