Oktoberfest on the Beach? Yes, You Can!
Every year, beer lovers look forward to the month that celebrates friendship over a stein of brew. The original Oktoberfest has returned full strength and has also inspired a world of imitators that look nothing like the beer tents and wooded hills of Germany’s Bavaria. Wherever you celebrate, it’s all about the “Gemutlichkeit.” Some call it fellowship, friendliness, or even good...
Can’t-Miss Events this Fall that Celebrate Celestial Wonders
What’s the fastest-disappearing natural phenomenon? Dark skies. As cities expand, the night skies are flooded with light, dimming our views of the complex, mystical wonders of the heavens that inspired our ancestors. We are still fascinated by the night skies, and many of us take time on vacation to spend our evenings outdoors gazing up into the darkness and its mysteries. Luckily,...
Upgrades and Celebrations Mark the 50th Anniversary of Australia’s Architectural Icon: the Sydney Opera House
In 2023, the iconic Sydney Opera House celebrates a half-century of symbolizing not just a city, but a country and even a continent. It may even be the most famous building in the southern hemisphere. This icon of modern design evoking giant stylized, sail-shaped shells occupies Bennelong point projecting out into Sydney Harbour. It dominates the skyline and has gripped the...
How to Celebrate Year of the Rabbit in Hong Kong
Kung Hei Fat Choy! Millions of people around the world join in as many Asian countries celebrate the arrival of the Lunar or Chinese New Year, with colorful traditions designed to help ensure health, prosperity and good luck in the coming year. This Year of the Rabbit is ‘lucky’ indeed, as Hong Kong has just recently reopened for travel! Our...
Celebrate Christmas in the Holy Land
It may be the ultimate holiday trip: a visit to the land of the original Christmas story, especially during the holiday season. For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to sites referenced in the Bible that still exist today, like Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nazareth. According to the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about half of visitors to the country are Christian, and about...
Doing the Holidays Disney Style in Orlando and Anaheim in 2022
The gift of travel can create precious memories of one of the best holidays ever, and Disney theme parks on both sides of the country have been arrayed in their festive best, unwrapping a full lineup of holiday cheer lasting into the New Year. There’s still time to plan a Disney version of the holidays this year in Anaheim or...
7 Festivals and Events that Make Hawaii Irresistible This Fall
You may think of Hawaii as a Pacific paradise. But there’s so much more than mind-boggling sunsets over endless beaches, tropical breezes and scents, hula and ukeleles, surfing and luaus, poke and shave ice. The fall months bring some of Hawaii’s most beloved events and festivals that add new focus and memories to a trip to the islands, as well as opportunities...
This Island's 'Crop Over' is the Hottest Harvest Festival of the Summer
Move over pumpkin patch. Step away from the apple bobbing booth. Harvest festivals aren’t limited to rural and small town traditions of northern climes memorialized in Norman Rockwell artwork. Almost every culture in the world with agricultural roots has some kind of harvest festival – and Barbados' ‘Crop Over’ heats up summer with a distinctly ‘islands’ way of celebrating its traditional...
Fun Facts About Your Favorite St. Patrick's Day Drinks
What’s the best part of celebrating the day named after Ireland’s patron saint? Is it the ‘wearin’ o’ the green?’ The irresistible beat of Irish music that makes every listener’s toes tap? Your hilarious attempts at an Irish jig or your own version of Riverdance? Or the famous Irish beverages that fuel the festivities in the Emerald Isle and around the...
Masking Up for Fun: the World's Top Carnivals
“Carnival” and “Mardi Gras” evoke some of the world’s most legendary, annual, pre-Easter parties. The two events are related, with a shared origin and even some of the same cultural traditions. Carnival is a whole season, but Mardi Gras is one special day. They are celebrated in countries with strong, historic Catholic traditions.The calendar tells all. Pre-Easter, devout Catholics observe Lent, a time...