Staying in the Rim Cabins of Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas

When I called the reservations line to ask about cabin availability at Palo Duro Canyon, the lady on the other end of the line chuckled a bit.  She told me that they are often booked months in advance, and finding something last minute wasn’t guaranteed.  We were lucky and got a last-minute cancelation. The problem …

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Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen

Town Hall and Roland on the Marketplace of Bremen World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription: The Bremen Town Hall and Roland are an outstanding ensemble representing civic autonomy and market freedom, as developed in the Holy Roman Empire. The town hall represents the medieval Saalgeschossbau-type of hall construction, as well as being an outstanding example of the so-called Weser Renaissance in northern Germany. The Bremen …

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Hanseatic City of Lübeck

Hanseatic City of Lubeck UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription: Lübeck is the city which, more than any other, exemplifies the power and historic role of the Hanseatic League. Founded in 1143 by Heinrich der Löwe (Henry the Lion) on a small island of the Baltic coast, Lübeck was the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League from …

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Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar

Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription: Wismar and Stralsund, leading centres of the Wendish section of the Hanseatic League from the 13th to the 15th centuries and major administrative and defence centres in the Swedish kingdom in the 17th and 18th centuries, contributed to the development and diffusion of brick construction techniques and building types, characteristic …

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Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe

Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe

From the World Heritage inscription: The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany are a serial property comprising fifteen components. They represent an outstanding example of undisturbed, complex temperate forests and exhibit the most complete and comprehensive ecological patterns and processes of pure stands of European beech across a …

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Falling in Love with Kodiak, Alaska

For months I had been planning my summer trip to Kodiak, Alaska and I was excited.  I told everyone I ran into that I was headed there, and without exception, they questioned me on my choice of destinations.  I was somewhat at a loss – there was no particular reason I could point to.  Somewhere …

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Gary’s Big German World Heritage Adventure

Starting Monday, March 11 I will spend 2-weeks driving around Germany with the goal of exploring 28 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Germany, 27 of which I have not previously visited.* I am excited to be doing this trip for several reasons. I love road trips because there is a freedom you have when driving …

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This Week in Travel – Episode 134

This week’s guests are Mark Peacock of the TravelCommons podcast and Corey Taratuta from the Irish Fireside Podcast. I wasn’t in this episode as I was sound asleep in Poland. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts This Week’s News: Tycoon proposes to send married couple around mars. Egyptians do Harlem Shake to protest Islamists BBC selling Lonely …

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