Search results for

AFAR’s first-ever Travel Happiness survey asked: What is your happiest travel memory? We read about surrendering to a storm in Honduras, a photo shoot with orangutans, a family dinner in 14th-century French châteaus—and a parade of corgis.

Looking for some good news—or at least a delightful diversion—in this time of uncertainty and isolation? AFAR’s editors share the positive little things that have brightened long days spent inside.

Where to eat, sip, sleep, and play in Vermont.

The Inn at Newport Ranch raises the bar on Mendocino and Fort Bragg lodgings

Grab one of these easy reads before your holiday travel.

The Best Places to Bike and Eat in the World

AFAR Staffers share their experiences celebrating Thanksgiving around the world

Overview

Hint: It’s not Pad Thai.

Split! Eight Quirky Border Towns

Beyond the beach, the billboards, and the freeways, there’s a city of neighborhoods waiting to be explored.

Down a quiet street in central Vermont is a mecca for ice cream lovers: the original Ben & Jerry’s factory! While they’ve expanded production to a second factory elsewhere in Vermont, you can still tour the original factory. When you arrive, check in on Four Square for a complimentary tour ticket (otherwise it’s $4 for adults). You’ll watch a short film about the history of the company, see part of the manufacturing floor and even get to sample a new flavor! It’s fun and kitschy and a must do for ice cream lovers. On your way out, make sure you stop by the Flavor Graveyard to pay homage to your favorite discontinued flavors.

Willis Tower—originally known as the Sears Tower—was the world’s tallest building for 23 years until it was unseated in 1996 by the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. The 110-story skyscraper is still mighty impressive. Its “bundled tube” design by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was originally inspired by a handful of cigarettes and the innovative bundling changed the construction of supertall, wind-resistant buildings thereafter. The tower’s height is even more thrilling when measured from the 103rd-floor windows of the Skydeck observatory and the Ledge, a glass-enclosed box which juts more than four feet out from the side of the building so that visitors can (gingerly) walk out and stand 1,353 feet above the street.

Every city has a building with great views and Chicago’s most famous is the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower. But a little Chicago secret is that the John Hancock building has better views and their Signature Lounge on the 96th floor has free admission so you can enjoy a cocktail while you take in the sights! My favorite time to visit is late afternoon for a happy hour Old Fashioned while the sun sets and the Chicago lights start to sparkle. It’s a great place to take visitors, it’s a great place for tourists, it’s a great place to start or end an evening but I wouldn’t bother with the food, which is overpriced for the quality and selection. The drinks are pricey but the view is truly worth it.

Ferries between St. Vincent and Bequia run frequently, all day and evening. The one-way trip takes about an hour, and the fare is about $10 each way or $17 round-trip. En route, passengers have breathtaking views in all directions, including volcanic St. Vincent and Kingstown Harbour, Young Island, Mustique and Canouan in the distance, and Bequia’s lovely Port Elizabeth. Once on Bequia, take an island tour, have lunch, go for a swim, or explore Port Elizabeth before heading back to St. Vincent at sunset. If you’re traveling in the other direction, spend the day on St. Vincent walking around historic Kingstown, touring the Botanical Gardens, or hiking the Vermont Nature Trail.