Search results for

You don’t necessarily need to know how to wield a paintbrush to participate in these seven art-filled tours.

The trendy neighborhoods of Wicker Park and Bucktown have some of the best shopping. Retro lovers can find vinyl records, comic books, vintage dresses, used books and more. Art lovers should make time to drink some wine and support local artists during First Friday at the Flatiron Arts Project . All curious travelers shopping in Wicker Park and Bucktown will be rewarded with unique arts, vintage goods, and quirky finds.

We love Taiwan because it fits a surprisingly exotic array of activities into a tiny area. Mountains, beaches, and cities are all connected by high-speed rail, so within hours of landing a visitor can browse the world’s finest collection of Chinese art in Taipei, bathe in rare mineral mud springs in the south, or stroll among the tea fields in Taiwan’s mountains. Convenience, culture, and low cost all contribute to our love affair with Taiwan.

Art, design, and handmade crafts are popular in Stockholm, and Sweden is known for its minimalist style—simple yet functional and attractive. Savvy shoppers can easily unearth made-to-order food offerings, custom-made soaps and chocolates, Swedish-designed home goods, and even surf-culture attire. Stockholm is also known for its secondhand shops, flea markets, antique design stores, and vintage flair, and the city sports a slew of boutiques.

Trans Pecos is magic, and it happens once a year: a gathering of friends, music, art, camping, sandlot baseball and a night sky full of stars in Marfa, Texas. The festival leaves you plenty of time to explore Marfa and the surrounding high desert. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

Artists and poets like Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel chose to live in the volcanic islands of French Polynesia for more than the turquoise waters, white sand beaches, coral atolls, and dramatic, green carpeted hills, you know. The fresh ingredients available in the Windward Islands—both the fruits and vegetables growing in the fertile black soil and the abundant seafood and fish in the surrounding Pacific—coupled with the culinary genius of the French colonists make this a paradise for food-lovers, too.

Conch is the quintessential local food in Turks and Caicos. The mollusk isn’t for everyone, but seafood lovers will dig its chewy goodness and myriad serving styles. We’ve gathered a list conch shacks, a weekly fish fry, and some watering holes that locals favor, to give you a taste of TCI.

There are hundreds of reasons we love Ireland, from the dramatic coastlines with their remote, beaches to the peat bogs, ruins and prehistoric sites dotted around the country. When you visit, you can see deer in the park, walk the cliffs, go horseback riding on the beach or tour a whiskey distillery. Visitors to Ireland will also love the cultural traditions like music sessions, storytelling and poetry, as well as lively pubs and meeting friendly Irish locals. Here are some of the country’s best highlights.

Berlin, the urban center of Germany, caters to anyone’s interests. If you’re a history buff, visit Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the River Spree consisting of five museums, including the Museum of Islamic Art. If there’s time, take a tour of Brandenburg Gate, the city’s most famous landmark. For art lovers, the East Side Gallery can’t be missed. If you’re traveling with family, be sure to spend time in Prenzlauer Berg, which has children-friendly cafes, shops, and playgrounds. There’s also a popular flea market there on Sundays.

Missouri is a gold mine for nature lovers, with crystal-clear lakes for swimming and boating, lazy rivers for fishing and floating, and wooded hamlets for hiking, biking, and camping. Visitors here will even find more than 6,000 caves, many of which offer guided tours. Head to the state’s finest parks to explore these natural wonders, perhaps with a picnic—or even a tent—in tow.

Spain’s capital offers the best of food, art, architecture, and nightlife. For the best address in town, book a stay at AC Palacio del Retiro, set on the Parque del Retiro. For Old World splendor and a star-studded past, check in to the Gran Meliá Fénix. Foodies will want to score a room at Hotel Hesperia Madrid, home to one of Spain’s top restaurants, while design lovers will appreciate the details—old and new—at Urso Hotel & Spa in the hip Salesas neighborhood.

It’s not very often that we get to witness the making of a nation. With Qatar, we are invited to do just that. To watch in awe as a tiny pearl-diving seaside village transforms itself into one of the most vibrant cities in the Middle East. And it’s not just glitzy shopping malls, fine cuisine, five-star hotels, and futurist architecture, with 350 miles of sandy coastline Qatar has a lot to offer by way of sun and sand. It rarely rains and the sky is always blue. Which means, there is lots to do.

There’s a reason that designers, chefs, and travelers love to dive into the boutiques, malls, markets, and designer shops of Seoul and that Gangnum Style was such a sensation back in 2012. It’s no secret: Seoul loves to shop.

Most travelers kick off their Thai adventure in the country’s capital, Bangkok, an exhilarating place where tradition and modernity collide. Away from the big city, Thailand supplies the whole spectrum of travel experiences. The country’s north offers mist-shrouded mountains, its south some of the world’s best beaches. With beautiful landscapes, amazing food and friendly people, the “Land of Smiles” continues to capture the hearts of visitors.