Walking Tours - Page 6

Forests March 21, 2018

5 stunning new UNESCO World Heritage Sites

This week marks the second and final week of deliberations for the 37th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee. So far, the committee has added 19 new locations to its list of World Heritage Sites.  Held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from June 16 to 27, the commission has selected a list of new inscriptions that span the globe, ranging from the Namib Sand Sea in Namibia to historic monuments in Kaesong, North Korea. "These valuable cultural relics are the pride of our nation, and they are precious cultural relics that show the long history of our nation," Kim Jin Sok, a researcher at Kaesong City Management Office for Preserving National Heritage, told The Associated Press. With these valuable cultural relics in mind, we have selected five stunning locations from the 14 manmade sites and five natural landmarks that have recently been added to the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

North America March 21, 2018

America's 11 most endangered historic places

Houston's Astrodome stadium, New York's old Pan Am Worldport Terminal at Kennedy Airport and Montana's one-room schoolhouses are joining a list of the nation's most endangered historic places. On Wednesday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation released its listing of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. It includes sites from Maine to Alaska. Here are America's most endangered historic landmarks:

North America March 21, 2018

40 day hikes to do this summer

In its simplest definition, a day hike is a wilderness walk you can complete in a single day. That means you can go fast and light, unencumbered by tent, sleeping bags, cooking pots and other trappings of overnight camping. It's a short, glorious booster shot of nature to tide you over through yet another work week. And, at its best, a day hike gets straight to the essence of the place. It takes you inside the canyon, beneath the waterfall and delivers you straight to the wildflower-strewn clearing at the mountain's peak. We've rounded up a collection of some of the greatest day hikes in a nation that's crisscrossed by tens of thousands of miles of trails. To be fair, we picked 20 in the East and 20 out West (OK, we cheated—three are up in Canada, another country spanned by untrammeled wilderness and chockfull of trails).  For the most part, the West—with its high altitudes, rugged peaks and generally chill, outdoorsy vibe—has quietly claimed the reputation of quintessential hiking milieu. But for those who would write off everything east of the Mississippi, the seemingly endless wilderness stretches along the Ozark Highlands, North Country Scenic Trail and Appalachians have some surprises in store. There are miles of quiet singletrack trails, panoramic views and majestic peaks. The hikes we've chosen include national parks gems, as well as more than a few you've never heard of. They run the gamut from easy, two-hour jaunts among wildflower glades and berry thickets to all-day, hope-you-brought-a-headlamp slogs that serve as one-day highlight reels for entire mountain ranges. So, whether you're an expert or a first-timer, we've got the day hike for you. Not sure how to judge your time out on the trail? First of all, know yourself and the rest of your hiking party—a group is only as fast as its slowest member. Next, apply Naismith's Rule, an old rule of thumb for judging hiking time that was developed in the 1800s by Scottish mountaineer W. Naismith. It's as simple as this: Add one hour for every three miles covered. Add at least an additional 30 minutes for every 1,000 feet you'll ascend and, in steep terrain, the same for every 1,000 you descend (I know it sounds crazy, but it usually takes roughly the same amount of time coming down).  Also, understand that Naismith was an old-school badass, who probably strode easily over almost any terrain, and that Scotland is, for the most part, very open, unbroken terrain. If you're hiking over tricky territory, it'll take you more time. With enough practice, you can come to know your hiking speed and more accurately judge future hikes.

Budget Travel March 21, 2018

13 beautiful natural swimming holes around the U.S.

It's almost summer, and we'll bet you want to go swimming. Lucky you, we found natural spots—gentle waterfalls, deep swimming holes, lazy rivers—where you can relax with a dip.

Beach March 21, 2018

6 brilliantly colored beaches

Sure, white sand and crystalline waters are great, but beaches can come in all shades of the rainbow. We've added these 12 waterfronts to our travel bucket lists...

Tornado March 21, 2018

7 sites for disaster tourism

From tornado-ravaged towns to terrorist attack sites, there's something about tragedy that causes us to recoil in horror – but then run to the source to see it for ourselves. Sites of major disasters – whether man-made or entirely natural – can be extraordinarily compelling. But why? "A lot of people feel very sympathetic to victims of disasters, yet feel incapable of helping or supporting people who have suffered," says Dr. Michael Brein, a travel psychologist and author. "To some extent, when you go to revisit the scene of a disaster, you're paying homage, expressing sympathy with what has happened." The 9/11 Memorial in New York City is a striking example of this theory at work – within months of opening in 2011, upwards of one million visitors had visited the site of the worst terrorist attack in American history. "Some of us feel, if we can revisit the scene of these disaster areas, we can maybe get a more genuine, more hands on, more sensory input of what has happened," says Dr. Brein. In instances such as 9/11, he says, "we all go through a form of grieving – just as in the normal grieving process, visiting gives you some kind of completion, that you can now turn it around." Still, visitors must be appropriately sensitive, says Kelly Schulz, spokesperson for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. Schulz's family home of 30 years was devastated in the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina, in 2005. "I think the most important thing is to approach the situation and the local people with respect," says Schulz. "Also know the right time to go," she says. "Stay out of the way until it is appropriate for visitors to travel to that site." Here are seven popular sites that will leave a lasting impression:

History March 21, 2018

Eerily beautiful abandoned places

A ship graveyard in Mauritania, a picturesque 16th century Italian village, a once-grand train station—we can't help but be mesmerized by these mysterious and beautiful abandoned places around the world.

Travel Gear March 21, 2018

10 most iconic places to photograph

Recently I was asked if I could name a “bucket list” of iconic places in the world for photographers. It didn’t take long. Certain places attract photographers like magnets attract iron filings; we are drawn to them without quite knowing why. Nor do we absolutely have to know. For some of us it will simply be the joy of collecting the trophy pictures we’ve always wanted to take. But for others, myself included, the exercise has something more to do with understanding both ourselves and the world. Here is my list (not terribly original, I’ll admit), with my reflections on why these places are iconic to me. I’m absolutely sure that everyone will have a different top ten. But just as going there and taking the pictures was a deeply rich experience, so too is the simple act of asking which ones—and why?

Curriculum March 21, 2018

6 best travel books of spring

A bushel of books have sprouted to inspire a bout of warm-weather wanderlust. There’s something here for fans of every genre: memoir, fiction, adventure, natural history, history, even poetry. But what binds each of these books together is a compelling tale and a great sense of place.

North America March 21, 2018

10 famous American landmarks while they were still under construction

It is natural to assume that America’s landmarks have always been a part of our national fabric. It’s hard to imagine the National Mall without the Washington Monument or Mount Rushmore without, well, Mount Rushmore. But a look back into the archives at the Library of Congress shows the “in progress” stages of some of the nation’s most treasured sites. Whether it’s a scaffolding hanging off the White House or two hunks of steel in place of the St. Louis Arch, these photographs paint a picture of a country in the process of making its own history.  

North America March 21, 2018

Top 10 hidden corners of US national parks

Whether you’re a seasoned national park traveler or just planning your first vacation to our nation’s most precious gems, you know that every park has its “go-to” spots that you can’t miss. Old Faithful in Yellowstone, Cades Cove of Great Smoky, Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite – the list of these iconic wonders goes on and on. Though these attractions are must-sees, due to their popularity they often don’t deliver fully what we came here for - silence, solitude, and serenity. If you’re looking to really get away from the parking lots and crowds, this list should get you going in the right direction for the perfect and peaceful backcountry getaway.