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Few places in North America are anchored in a heritage like the Pueblo of Taos. This is the longest inhabited living arrangement in the US. The Pueblo still has ten families of around 150 native people working to maintain the culture and the adobe architecture for generations to come. A living artifact, the past and present form a delicate harmony to produce a unique travel experience. The environment says a lot about the sustainability of this community. Tucked up against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, with the Rio flowing through the center of the Pueblo, the inhabitants have maintained their lifestyle through wars, disease, cultural genocide and environmental impact to survive. From the efficiency of their adobe walls to provide comfort against extreme heat and cold, to the guiding wisdom of elders to keep the Pueblo vibrant, the way of life preserved within these walls is a testament to the strength and vision of native people, connected to this land with over a thousand years of tradition.

Andalucia, Spain, is located in the southern Iberian peninsula. The vast area consists of eight provinces. Among them are Cadiz, Cordoba, Granada, and Seville. I sampled the hams, paellas, wines, and olive oils and enjoyed the tastes and smells of the Andalucian menus. The region is rich in culture and history. The flamenco and bullfights are favorite attractions here. Much of the Moorish-influenced architecture dates to the days of Muslim rule. Muslims ruled Andalucia from 711 when Tariq, an Islamic Berber, conquered the area and called it Al-Andalus. He established it as the Islamic Empire. Al-Andalus was a huge cultural center of vast beauty. In 1492, the fall of Granada put an end to Muslim rule when King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled the Muslims from Spain. Andalucia was born and it has been Spanish ever since. Driving through the countryside, I saw beauty around every curve in the road like the rows of olive and oak trees, and fields of grain. I laughed when I saw the huge Osborne Sherry Company’s black bull on the hilltops. These large boards were erected all over Spain to advertise their Brandy de Jerez. I found them charming and so very Spanish. I saw this region of Spain as vast and very beautiful with its mountains, dry plains, and lush forest areas. So many different types of landscapes within the region. I recommend a good guidebook and an up-to-date Michelin map. When renting a car, do so in the States when you book your trip. Happy traveling!

Every culture seems to have its own ways of making wishes and prayers. I’ve tossed many a coin into many a fountain and blown out many a candle on a cake. In Mongolia, the tradition revolves around the ovoo, a large stone cairn. Ovoos serve mainly as religious sites, used in worship of the mountains and the sky as well as in Buddhist ceremonies. They are also used as landmarks – important on the Mongolian steppes where there are few paved roads, let alone street signs! The tradition for travelers is to walk around the ovoo three times, in a clockwise direction to wish for a safe journey. Three rocks are picked up from the ground and added to the pile each time you circle around the mound. Ovoos will have tree branch or stick in the middle. Worshippers tie a blue khadag, a ceremonial silk scarf that is commonly white in color in northern Buddhist cultures, to the branch. Some of the cairns were large enough that we could actually drive around them and others were far away enough from the road that all we did was honk the horn three times. Apparently, honking the horn is acceptable if you don’t feel like getting out of the car. I’m not superstitious but who doesn’t want to wish for a safe journey so I took every opportunity that I could to walk around the ovoo. Besides, it was really interesting to see them up close. It’s not uncommon for worshippers to leave items behind like animal skulls, bones, and utensils. I even saw bottles of vodka and a crutch!

They’ve been popularized and commercialized in movies and may even seem to be a cultural stereotype of sorts, but visit Mexico City‘s Plaza Garibaldi on any given evening and you’ll soon see that the tradition of mariachis is alive and well and very much a part of modern culture. Mariachis gather at Plaza Garibaldi nightly, waiting to be hired for an off-site event or an impromptu in-the-plaza serenade. You can even negotiate for a few songs yourself, or, if you prefer, sit in the plaza and watch the action as mariachis in a variety of outfits wait for work. Although Plaza Garibaldi has spiffed up a bit in recent years (particularly with the opening of the Museum of Tequila and Mezcal a few years ago), it does have a seedy underbelly. It’s best not to bring your valuables, and if you enter one of the bars on the plaza’s periphery, stay sober enough to keep your wits about you. A popular Garibaldi scam is to invite unsuspecting tourists to several rounds of drinks and then stick them with an astronomical bill.

The second-oldest museum in Australia, this is where you’ll learn about Tasmania’s Aboriginal heritage, its history since settlement and the island’s wildlife. There’s also a collection of Tasmanian colonial art. A spectacular redevelopment in 2013 opened up new public and exhibition spaces, making this an unmissable stop on any Hobart cultural tour. Admission is free, and there are free 40-minute guided tours Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Exarcheia is the most unique neighborhood in Athens, by far. It’s not for everyone. It’s gritty, graffiti-laden, and crawling with punk rock kids who are far more harmless than they appear.


But behind its rough exterior you’ll find a dozen bookshops, tiny cafes where old men sit sipping Greek coffee, and an onslaught of art exhibits with political undertones. The neighborhood’s cultural identity is diverse: you can smoke hookah with Syrians or you can dine with the artsy Greeks. Embrace every second of it.

Catch a glimpse of what Hawaii looked like before European contact. An unmissable destination for culture buffs, this sacred area stretches along the lava flats of the Big Island’s western coast. Behind a massive wall stands an ancient pu’uhonua (place of refuge)—where defeated enemies and those who violated the kapu (laws) could seek pardon. The park also shelters the Royal Grounds, a residential and ceremonial epicenter, and the 1871 Trail that takes in the shoreline. Tip: This is a religious site, so be respectful and don’t smoke, picnic, play sports, take wedding photos, or carry beach equipment (including towels) here. Just north of the boat launch outside of the park you can find Two Step, a phenomenal scuba and snorkeling spot.

The imposing, white-domed wedding cake now known as Palacio de Bellas Artes was originally planned as a national theater, and construction was begun in 1904. The Mexican Revolution, among other things, postponed its completion until 1934, which explains the stark contrast between its creamy art nouveau exterior (note amazing iron- and stonework with local motifs like serpents) and its art-deco-inspired interior, finished in black and red marbles, and with walls that feature dazzling murals by Rivera, Siqueiros, and other postrevolutionary masters. Today the beloved edifice is home to a concert hall, exhibition areas given over to blockbuster shows, and Mexico’s National Architecture Museum; take an auditorium tour—or better yet, see a performance—to lay eyes on the theater’s magnificent Tiffany glass “curtain,” a mosaic formed (they say) by more than 1 million separate glass components.

Hong Kong’s oldest colonial British building dates back to the 1840s and served as the office and residence of the Commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong up until 1978, when it was handed over to the government. In 1984, the Greek Revival house was reborn as the Flagstaff House Museum. Its collection of about 600 teaware items from as far back as the 11th century B.C.E. includes many fine examples of the famous Yixing teapots. Besides exhibits of tea bowls, teacups, teapots, and ewers, there are demonstrations and lectures about the significance of tea drinking to Chinese culture.

A favorite cultural activity of mine is to visit bookstores wherever I go. Even if I can’t understand the language, I can usually get a sense for the themes of the most popular books. Luckily, the massive bookstore Eslite has a great English-language section in addition to the hundreds of shelves devoted to books in Chinese. What I enjoyed most was browsing through the travel section, especially the American travel area, to see exactly what the popular perceptions are of traveling to the United States. If you get hungry, there’s also a cafe and some great gift items to take home as keepsakes.

It’s one of those buildings that you walk by all the time, yet have no idea what goes on inside. What does go on inside? Well, plenty. The Navarre Building was a bordello, fancy dining club, and jazz hot spot, and is now an art museum housing one of the best Western Art collections in the country. The Anschutz Collection is now open to the public three days a week. Go absorb some culture, and be sure to ask about the secret tunnels that used to shuttle “ladies of the night” to and from the Brown Palace hotel across the street.

Whether you’re a fan of awe-inspiring dinosaur skeletons & dioramas, or 19th century European painting, the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh have you more than covered. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History is a great place to learn about the history and development of life and human cultures, while the Carnegie Museum of Art offers a broad spectrum of collections, including contemporary art, photography, decorative arts and design, and the Heinz Architectural Center. The best part is, admission to one buys you admission to both, so you can indulge your interests in the Jurassic period and Impressionism in one go.

Camelback Inn is offers my dream staycation. This AAA 5-Diamond hotel has maintained its excellence since it first came around in the 1930’s. it has an old pueblo-style feel that really exemplifies Southwestern culture. You’ll get the most amazing treatment here from the moment you walk in. Granted you’ll be paying for it. They offer larger property options where you have access to your own private swimming pool. It’s really one of the most historic hotels in Phoenix.

I happened upon this moment at a night market in Jaipur, India, which has some of the best shopping for beaded crafts, jewelry, ceramics, carpets and textiles. This jewelry stand in Johari Bazaar was crowded with women interested in the necklaces, bracelets, and trinkets on offer in abundance. Markets all over India are fascinating, colorful places and provide a great sense of nearly every aspect of the culture, whether it be the degree of religious devotion, the styles of dress and adornment, or the delicious gastronomy. Soak it all in, but give yourself plenty of time....

Zurich’s Old Town has one foot firmly in the past and the other very much at the forefront of Swiss culture. Wandering through the pedestrian-only cobbled streets of the Altstadt (which you can do for hours!), you’ll find Switzerland‘s highest concentration of clubs, as well as theatres, comedy troupes, street performers and young fashion designers selling their wares in small, elegant shops on medieval streets. Landmarks include the Grossmünster’s double towers, built by Charlemagne, and the Peterskirche, which has the distinction of being the church with Europe’s largest clockface. Don’t miss Limmatquai, along the Limmat River, one of Zurich‘s most thronged shopping sites where restaurants and shops are housed in Baroque gilded houses from the 1700s, something like the canalside houses of Amsterdam. It’s a great place to actually walk into the past and have the vibrant present all around you! Check out the Artistry and Craftsmanship itinerary to Switzerland, created by Bob Preston of Swiss Panache, on AFAR Journeys.