Articles

Zac Thompson

Article / Slideshows

Let Tuscany Inspire You with These Ravishing Photos of the Storied Italian Region

Italy's Tuscany region is a beautiful place that has been an incubator for beautiful things, including some of the world's most well-known works of art, literature, architecture, and…

Article / Passportable

You Can Now Stay Overnight at the Palace of Versailles. Take a Peek Inside.

We're guessing Marie Antoinette's TripAdvisor review of the Château de Versailles would have been decidedly mixed ("Pastry chef: okay; security against angry mobs: subpar; verdict: two…

Article / Passportable

To Cool Down This Summer, Rent a Private Pool by the Hour Wherever You Are

With apologies to ice cream trucks and darkened movie theaters, a swimming pool is the most effective antidote to blazing summer temperatures. Fortunately, there's an easy and…

Article / Passportable

In Idaho, You Can Spend the Night in a Giant Potato

On a farm near downtown Boise, a 6-ton replica of Idaho's most famous agricultural product is now available for overnight stays. The Big Idaho Potato Hotel is a 28-foot long, 12-foot…

Article / Slideshows

These Stunning Milky Way Photos Will Make You Want to Take a Stargazing Trip ASAP

About 100 billion stars make up the Milky Way Galaxy, according to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center . But out here in our suburban solar system—located 25,000 light years or so from…

Article / Passportable

Chart Your Travels with Lego’s New, Nearly 12,000-Piece World Map

A huge new Lego set pays tribute to globetrotters—though to be honest, completing the assembly would likely confine us to our homes for several months. Set for release on June 1, the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

Newly Launched Breeze Airways Connects Smaller U.S. Cities for Low Fares

A new low-cost airline dedicated to serving small and "underserved" U.S. cities is set to take off this week. Breeze Airways, the fifth airline startup backed by JetBlue founder David…

Article / Passportable

In Paris, a Former Stock Exchange Is Now a Cutting-Edge Art Museum

Paris has a new showcase for contemporary art. In fact, the place is so fresh it's not even in the guidebooks yet. Opening Saturday, May 22, the Bourse de Commerce–Pinault Collection…

Article / Passportable

Take an Elevated Stroll Among Giant Redwoods on California’s New Sky Walk

A brand-new suspended walkway in Northern California will give visitors a unique perspective on the region's gigantic redwoods. Located at the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, Redwood Sky…

Article / Slideshows

The Most Dog-Friendly National Parks in the United States

It's a scientific fact that dogs are wonderful. Even so, they can cause damage to fragile ecosystems by trampling plants and bugs, can hurt themselves on sharp rocks and steep cliffs,…

Article / Passportable

Find the Oldest Hotel in Each Country with These Illustrated Maps

The planet's oldest hotel, according to Guinness World Records, is a Japanese onsen (hot-spring hotel) that has been in operation since the year 705. Emperors and samurai warriors are…

Article / Passportable

Japanese Airline Installing Hands-Free Lavatory Doors

Touching an airplane bathroom's door has always been scary, whether there's a global pandemic raging or not. A clever solution has been devised in Japan, and, frankly, we'd like to…

Article / Photography

Haunting Images of Abandoned WWII Weapons Scattered Around the World

Proof of World War II's truly global scope can be found in the scattered remnants of the conflict left everywhere from Europe to Asia. More than 75 years after the war's conclusion,…

Article / Outdoor & Adventure

Tips for Avoiding a Snakebite While Hiking

Minimize your chances of falling victim to a pair of fangs and know what to do if the worst happens with these simple precautions. 

Article / Passportable

After Pandemic-Era Reprieve, Parking Fees Coming Back to Las Vegas Strip

Some travel policies adopted during the pandemic look like they're here to stay (goodbye, airline change fees!). Others proved to be fleeting (goodbye, empty middle seats on…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

U.S. Now Accepts Home Covid Tests from International Travelers and Returning Americans

Travelers entering the United States may now use at-home tests to prove they're negative for Covid-19, according to rules updated last week by the Centers for Disease Control and…

Article / Passportable

The Best Time to See the Great Smoky Mountains’ Magical Firefly Spectacle

For a roughly two-week period each spring, fireflies put on a magical light show at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. After dark, lightning bugs in the…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

The European Union’s Plans to Reopen to Vaccinated Travelers by Summer

Just in time for summer travel, the European Union plans to reopen borders to fully vaccinated foreign visitors, no matter where in the world they are from. According to news reports,…

Article / Passportable

Almost Fully Assembled, Legoland New York to Open This Summer

Legoland New York Resort, a 150-acre theme park devoted to colorful plastic bricks in the Hudson Valley north of New York City, was supposed to open on July 4, 2020. But like an older…

Article / Passportable

New Photo Book Captures the World's Beautiful Beaches from Above

Showing off views ordinarily reserved for seagulls and parasailers, the aptly titled new book Bliss: Beaches (Cameron + Company) features aerial images of gorgeous shorelines around…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

What’s New at D.C.’s Zoo and 7 Smithsonian Museums, Reopening in May?

Next month, members of the public will get their first chance to see the new panda cub at Washington, D.C.'s National Zoo in all his adorable, bamboo-nibbling glory. The zoo and seven…

Article / Passportable

A Brazilian Town Is Building a Christ Statue Even Bigger Than Rio’s

Brazil is already the world's undisputed capital of very-tall-Jesus tourism, thanks to the Christ the Redeemer statue on Mount Corcovado overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Now an even taller…

Article / Passportable

Washington, D.C.'s National Mall Finally Has a World War I Memorial

More than a century after World War I ended, the nation's capital has opened its first official government memorial devoted to the Americans who served in that conflict. The U.S. flag…

Article / Arthur Frommer Online

What to Expect at the Newly Built Resorts World Las Vegas, Opening in June

The ginormous Resorts World Las Vegas has set an official opening date. The 3,500-room, $4.3-billion behemoth will begin accepting guests on June 24. The property is situated within…

Article / Passportable

See the Stunning Photos That Were Just Named the World’s Best in 2021

Eye-catching images from the U.K., Zimbabwe, India, and many other places took home top honors in the highly regarded Sony World Photography Awards last week. The online galleries…