Independent Travel, Thoughtfully Planned
This tag brings together the places where history is still visible — ancient ruins and temples, old towns and monasteries, churches and monuments — along with their stories and what to know before you visit.
Jerash surprised me because I expected a few scattered ruins and a quick stop from Amman, but it ended up being one of my favorite places in Jordan outside Petra. What makes Jerash different is how much of the ancient city is still standing. You are not just looking at broken stones in a field. …
The Ultimate Guide for Exploring the Jerash Roman Ruins in JordanRead More
Only a few hours from Athens, in the Valley of Thessaly near the town of Kalambaka, lies one of Greece’s most astonishing religious sites: the Monasteries of Meteora! Second in importance only to Mount Athos, this UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the most unusually built monastic complexes in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Whether …
Meteora Monasteries – Your Guide to the Most Sacred Site of GreeceRead More
Epidaurus is one of the places that brings back great memories from our road trip to the Peloponnese. In ancient times, Epidaurus was an important commercial center on the eastern coast of the Argolid, in the northeastern Peloponnese. Today the city is mostly famous for its well preserved Ancient Theater which sits near the sanctuary of Asclepius, …
The Sunken City of Ancient Epidaurus – Wonders of the PastRead More
Somewhere on the long desert drive between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, lies Calico, one of the most popular ghost towns on Route 66, in California. At least for me. But not everybody shares my opinion.
There are very few places in the world as diverse and rich in history and the Valley of the Temples, in Sicily. We have seen many ancient ruins during our road trip in the Peloponnese, but very few of them can compete with the alley of the Temples (Valle dei Tempi) archeological site. Along with …
Valley of the Temples, Sicily – the Ultimate Guide to Agrigento TemplesRead More
The Vasa Ship Museum is one of Stockholm’s biggest attractions, and for a few good reasons. One one hand, the Vasa is the only ship from the 17th century that still exists. On the other, after laying hidden under water for 333 years, the ship was brought to life and could finally tell its tragic story. Vasa, …
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”George Santayana Some wounds should remain open forever so that people can never forget. This was my first thought as I opened the small wooden door of the Corner House in Riga – the former headquarters of the KGB secret police, also known as Cheka. The imposing structure on the corner of Brivibas and …
Dark Secrets of the Corner House – Riga’s Museum of OccupationRead More
Just a few miles north of Paso Robles, in the middle of the Hunter-Liggett Military Base, lies the most remote mission in California. Mission San Antonio de Padua was the 3rd mission build by Father Junipero Serra, the Franciscan priest who founded the first nine of the 21 Spanish missions between downtown San Francisco and San Diego. A Brief History of …
Visiting Mission San Antonio de Padua in CaliforniaRead More
Coastal California has always been a place of big affluence and monster mansions. But nothing comes close to Hearst Castle, the glamorous San Simeon estate of William R. Hearst, a newspaper magnate who made history in the early 1900s. There are many tales and unpublished anecdotes about Hearst Castle, but perhaps the most intriguing one is its own.
The Captivating History of Hearst Castle and its Controversial ‘King’Read More
