Flower Power San Francisco

In 1967, Scott McKenzie put flower power on the map by asking visitors to San Francisco to come wearing flowers in their hair. But McKenzie wasn’t a fashion-fiend. In fact, he was a pop singer with a message. Flowers represented peace and love in an era when the USA was at war with Vietnam. And Read More …

Semana Santa in Spain and Around the World

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plane. At least that’s what you’ll be hoping for if you’re planning a trip to see Spain’s infamous Semana Santa, or Holy Week, in April. Semana Santa is a week (or two in Toledo) of outdoor festivities marking the Passion of Christ—the Christian events of Jesus’ trial Read More …

Handy Hints for Reducing Jet Lag

Those feelings of irritability. That pair of elephant-trunk ankles. The overwhelming fatigue. That’s jet lag for you. It’s hard to live with it and unfortunately, hard to escape it, especially for long-haul fliers. Experts say that for every time zone crossed we’ll need an extra day of recovery at our destination. And with a 10-hour Read More …

Living the Pure Life in Costa Rica

Pura vida! The “Rich Coast” is filled with it. It’s a life philosophy in Costa Rica, a toast, a blessing… It can mean hello, goodbye, thank you and you’re welcome depending on the occasion. Some say that the Costa Rican slogan, literally the “pure life,” came from the surfers and Ticos (the local name for Read More …

Throwing Festivals Around the World

You know how to throw a party, but what about throwing festivals? (And making the throwing part of the fun, at that.) From tomato throwing in Spain to water throwing in Thailand, we’ll help you understand the rituals so you when you go, you’ll know to bring a healthy sense of humor—and a change of Read More …

The circus is calling in Montréal

Life’s a circus. But some days, you might still daydream about running off to join one. Try it on for size in Montréal, Canada whose unique circus company brought the world the spectacular Cirque de Soleil. Though the idea of a circus—involving a traveling group of trained animals, acrobats, and clowns—dates back to Ancient Rome, Read More …