Italy’s Alcatraz: Abandoned Island Prison to Become Tourist Attraction
Posted on 06/16/2021, 1:00 AM
Italy has plans to convert a deserted island that once housed a brutal prison into a tourist attraction similar to San Francisco Bay's Alcatraz, according to news reports. A tiny link in the Pontine Islands chain, Santo Stefano floats in the Tyrrhenian Sea off Italy's western coast near Naples. The remote speck of land was used as a place of exile as far back as the days of ancient Rome. In th...
Enter Dozens of Wild, Immersive Artworks at a New Museum North of Milwaukee
Posted on 06/14/2021, 3:00 PM
A new museum in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is the world's first institution of its kind dedicated entirely to displaying and caring for "art environments." Curators at the soon-to-open Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center use the term "art environment" to describe the sort of unusual, multifaceted installations created by often self-taught artists whose works take over whole rooms in th...
Curacao To Give One Night Free After Every Three Booked—We Think
Posted on 06/14/2021, 1:00 PM
Last week, headlines trumpeted the news that hotels on Curaçao are giving visitors a big incentive to visit: four nights for the price of three. The deal, the equivalent of 25% off the price of a four-night vacation, has to be booked by June 29 for travel between June 19 and October 30, 2021, and it was announced that the offer would only be available for United States citizens. At least, that's ...
Amtrak Nearly Halves the Price of Its USA Rail Pass for Summer Vacationers
Posted on 06/08/2021, 12:00 PM
And it's time for another impressive sale from Amtrak. Over the last six months, the national railway has rolled out one discount after another, but this one should be particularly appealing for summer travelers. It's for the USA Rail Pass, Amtrak's answer to Europe's Eurail pass. The Amtrak version lets passengers take 10 rides within a 30-day period for one single price. For this deal, Amtrak...
How to Get Free Flights on United Airlines Just by Getting Vaccinated
Posted on 06/07/2021, 11:00 AM
Beyond protection from a horrific virus that has killed nearly 4 million people worldwide (incentive in and of itself, one would think), vaccination will now provide a potent perk for some lucky folks: free travel. United Airlines has launched a sweepstakes called Your Shot to Fly, which gives five lucky winners up to 26 flights for two, in any cabin, and on any route the airline flies, to be used...
You Can Now Stay Overnight at the Palace of Versailles. Take a Peek Inside.
Posted on 06/01/2021, 1:00 PM
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 stars"). Nevertheless, the over-the-top palace, built about 30 kilometers (19 miles) outside of Paris under Louis XIV in the 17th century, now has a sumptuous hotel on its grounds. (Madame de Fouquet room, Le Gra...
To Cool Down This Summer, Rent a Private Pool by the Hour Wherever You Are
Posted on 05/28/2021, 4:00 PM
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 reasonably affordable way to take a refreshing, chlorinated dip during your next warm-weather vacation (or staycation), even if you've booked lodgings that lack a pool on the premises. An online marketplace called Swimply...
In Idaho, You Can Spend the Night in a Giant Potato
Posted on 05/27/2021, 2:00 PM
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 wide, 11.5-foot tall structure built from steel, plaster, and concrete to resemble one of the state's beloved Russet Burbank spuds. The Idaho Potato Commission created the titanic tuber for the organization's 75th a...
Chart Your Travels with Lego’s New, Nearly 12,000-Piece World Map
Posted on 05/26/2021, 3:00 PM
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 Lego Art World Map contains a total of 11,695 pieces. That's the most ever in a single set, according to the company. The newest addition to the Lego Art series of ultra-challenging sets intended for grown-ups uses...
In Paris, a Former Stock Exchange Is Now a Cutting-Edge Art Museum
Posted on 05/21/2021, 3:00 PM
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 houses a vast trove of paintings, sculptures, videos, photographs, audio works, installations, and other art from the 1960s to the present. The new museum occupies a historic domed building that started out as a co...
