The evolution of an idea into a full-blown success is truly remarkable, when you stop to think about it. A decade ago, mentioning the term “Airbnb” might have gotten you some funny looks; these days, people would think you were a weirdo for not knowing what it is.
Read MoreBefore packing your bags, before looking up things to see and do, before knowing which type of transportation you’ll make use of, you have to know where it is you’re venturing off to. What’s more, wherever you decide to go next will most likely influence where you’ll go after that, and where you’ll go after that, and where you’ll go after that… So, no, you’re not blowing things out of proportion by treating your decision as a big deal; it is a big deal.
Read MoreWhile George Lucas and J.J. Abrams would have you believe that “Stars Wars” takes place in a galaxy far, far away, the rest of us know that the movies were filmed, for the most part, in real locations all around the globe (and otherwise on green screens). From the Redwood forests of California to the arid deserts of Jordan, the creators of the film franchise have made use of many destinations to create the various planets and moons that fans have witnessed over the years.
Read MoreI could not have imagined, even a week ago, that I would be sitting here, in a Starbucks across the street from Chicago Union Station, finishing up the final post of the year as I wait to board a train headed for St. Louis this evening. But that’s how life goes, things can change in an instant.
Read MoreDay 4 was set to be the relaxing day, the day we weren’t running around like chickens with our heads cut off, intent on seeing every last nook and cranny we could find. And it was that, which is why no one was too concerned when we got off to another slow start in the morning.
Read MoreThere’s nothing quite like waiting until the last minute to plan something out. And it doesn’t get much more last minute than when you’re sitting at the kitchen table in your Airbnb after a long night of shenanigans in the northernmost capital city in the world searching up places to be and things to see on the Google Machine less than an hour before you’re planning to hit the road.
Read MoreI don’t think it was our intention initially, but Day 2 in Iceland wound up being the longest day of the trip by far. The plan was to explore the country’s southern coast, traveling at least as far as Vík, a seafront village which exists in the shadow of a glacier called Mýrdalsjökull. The village is approximately two and a half hours east of Reykjavík, about the midway point between the capital city and Vatnajökull National Park.
Read MoreI’m not sure if Iceland was as popular as it is today when I first set my sights on it a few years ago — they actually deal with a little bit of over-tourism these days — but it was a place I wanted to visit regardless if other people were going there or not. And so, finally, here I am, on the frosty frontiers of this large island nation that sits just a few degrees south of the Arctic Circle.
Read MoreGood road trip films? They're full of Clark Griswolds strapping old dead ladies to the roofs of station wagons; of dimwitted Tommy Callahans trying their darndest to sell break pads across the Midwest; of buddies riding across South America on their motorcycles, discovering injustice in the world.
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