Iceland has exploded onto the travel scene in the past decade. It’s no wonder, thanks to its combination of nearly unbelievable landscapes, Northern Lights-spotting opportunities, and badly-behaved (but great-looking) volcanoes. Although it can feel like every traveler is planning to visit—or has just returned from a trip to—Iceland, there are plenty of cool spots and …
This summer I had the pleasure of visiting Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. Previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, Haida Gwaii is an archipelago of islands off the northern coast of British Columbia and south of the Alaskan Panhandle. Haida Gwaii means “islands of the people” in the native Haida language. The premier attraction in …
I spent most of today walking the streets of Alexandria. There is no better way to get to know a city than to walk around for a day and get lost in the process. In some ways, I find Alexandria really depressing. This is a city where almost every building is 100 years old and …
Glacier Bay National Park is a beautiful U.S. National Park located near Juneau, Alaska. With about 547,000 visitors per year (as of 2017), it’s the second most visited national park in Alaska, slightly behind Denali. The vast majority of visitors to the park arrive on cruise ships, which sail up the Inside Passage of the …
I like to travel and I like to read. These two things shouldn’t be in conflict. In fact, they usually complement each other quite nicely. However, I discovered just a few months into my travels back in 2007 that I had a big problem….several problems Books are heavy. If you have ever had to move …
Transcript The US one-cent coin has been a part of American currency since the country started issuing money in 1793. As inflation has continued to creep up, the cost of making a one-cent coin is now more than it is worth. Unsurprisingly, people have been starting to question if we should continue using the penny. …
Transcript What do you get when you take one part religious cult and one part Harlem Globetrotters and one part Troy Polamalu’s hair and put them all together? You wind up with the House of David Baseball Team. One of the most popular baseball barnstorming acts of the early 20th Century. Learn more about the …
Transcript In 1896, the United States was experiencing what we now call a recession. The Panic of 1896 had made life tough on everyone, and many of the companies in the highly competitive railroad business were looking for new ways to make money. One man, William George Crush, came up with a smashing idea. His …
Transcript One of the simplest mathematical statements possible is 2+2=4. While the concept is very easy to understand, when you write it down you have to use mathematical symbols which are, historically speaking, a relatively recent invention. At one point, mathematicians were doing reasonably complicated work without the benefit of symbols at all. Something which …