South Africa is a country that’s hard to forget once you’ve visited. It’s a place of breathtaking beauty: miles of coastline, glittering sand dunes, towering mountains, and rich biodiversity make it a draw for tourists from all over the world. The political and cultural history adds additional nuance, making a destination that’s immensely explorable. Although …
With the passing of Neil Armstrong today, I thought it appropriate to bring up an interesting question that I wrote about several years ago on my personal blog before I started traveling. I was born on August 24, 1969. It was exactly 34 days after Neil Armstrong landed on the moon on July 20 of …
The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces begin on the eastern outskirts of Lausanne, Switzerland and cover a roughly 30 km along the stretch of Lake Geneva’s northern shore in the canton (similar to a state) of Vaud. This is a stunning area and a wine route through the Lavaux vineyards is a popular activity for travelers hoping …
Podcast Transcript In 1957, eight young engineers walked away from one of the most important laboratories in America and, in doing so, helped create the modern technology industry. Their break with a Nobel Prize-winning physicist set off a chain reaction of innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship that transformed a quiet region of California into Silicon Valley. …
Podcast Transcript Few things in nature are as instantly recognizable as a rainbow. For thousands of years, rainbows have inspired myths, religion, art, and science. Yet behind those bands of color is an extraordinary interaction between sunlight, water, geometry, and the physics of light itself. From double rainbows to full circular rainbows seen from aircraft, …
Podcast Transcript In the late 1950s, the United States found itself trailing in the Space Race as the Soviet Union achieved one milestone after another. In response, NASA launched Project Mercury, an ambitious effort to put an American into space using little more than experimental rockets, cramped capsules, and sheer determination. Explosions, near disasters, and …
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 …
From the World Heritage inscription: The sanctuary of Wies, a pilgrimage church miraculously preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and a masterpiece of creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared. The hamlet of Wies, near Steingaden in Bavaria, …
This post is sponsored by Goolets, a company specializing in luxury gulet cruises. There are no shortage of beautiful holiday destinations around the world, however, Croatia is a hotspot that only increases in popularity every year. With its rugged mountains, long coastline, and breathtaking blue waters, Croatia is a picture-perfect place to visit. But what …