Festival season in the South skips summer and opts for spring and fall instead. With temperatures easily surpassing 100 ºF in summer, that is in festivalgoers’ best interest. Whether you put on boots or beads, these five festivals should not be missed in the American South.
Five years after my AFS exchange in Argentina, I showed my parents why I fell in love with this country. We started our trip with an eventful passage through Buenos Aires. Midnight fireworks, passionate tango and ingenious robbery were all part of Argentina 101.
Louisiana is nested deep in the American Deep South, where hurricanes are part of life and food is life. While living in Baton Rouge for eight months, I discovered everything that the swamp state has to offer. This weekend trip embraces Louisiana’s cultural diversity, from a New Orleans cocktail crawl to alligator spotting and a history lesson on antebellum America.
I never pictured myself digging into a mountain of crawfish with my hands, having alligator as an appetizer or considering deep-fried pickles as normal (and delicious). Any food lover should savor Louisiana’s unique culinary history, which few – if any – US states can live up to. These ten signature dishes and drinks will get you started.
Any inhabitant of Manhattan should be jumping for joy, but Upper Manhattan residents are the most fortunate ones. Imagine an ever-friendly doorman welcoming you to a beautiful brownstone, Central Park as your backyard and world-class museums within walking distance. Take a sneak peak into this enviable life with below neighborhood guide to Upper Manhattan.
Midtown is the bustling heart of Manhattan. No time to relax let alone promenade here; the endless stream of professionals and tourists will chase you under a cab in no time. With the tourist attractions come the tourist traps, which make a guide indispensable. I picked my favorite activity per neighborhood, paired with a memorable option for food or drinks.
Picking one activity per neighborhood is not easy in the most vibrant city in the world. The part of Manhattan below 14th Street is considered Lower Manhattan; a cultural melting pot, open-minded and creative. As city tripping tends to be exhausting, every activity is paired with an option to fuel up on food or drinks.
Peru’s Cusco region has something on offer for everyone. Savor Andean specialties, explore the Inca Empire or hike through stunning landscapes. These are ten activities not to be missed in and around Cusco.
We ended our Florida trip with three fabulous days in Miami. Perfect weather, great food, tropical bars and beautiful beaches assured it was my first but definitely not my last trip to Miami. These are my ten favorites for a first stay.
No need to deviate from the epic Overseas Highway on the way from Key Largo to Key West. The road cuts right through the island towns, offering many great pit stops along the way. We spent three days driving the Florida Keys, gaining one pound per mile.
We started our two-week trip to Peru along the Pacific Coast. The country welcomed us with excellent seafood, a shower of bird poop and a private jet ride.
We voluntarily swapped Texas temperatures for a snowstorm in Chicago. At the intersection of Chicago Restaurant Week and Theatre Week, we were lucky to have plenty of excuses to stay inside. When we did manage to stay outside for longer than five minutes, we found a beautiful Winter Wonderland. Snow or sun, these activities should not be missed in Chi-Town.
In need of warmer temperatures, we booked a little getaway to Seville in December. It was surprisingly cold, but there was plenty of sunshine and Andalusian charm to keep us warm. These are my ten favorites for a first time in sunny Seville.
Lisbon has everything you would hope to find on a weekend getaway: great weather, beautiful views, delicious food, the beach close by and on top of that, tons of charm. I could have easily made a much longer list, but these are my ten favorites for a first time in Lisbon.
The capitals of Belgium and France are just 300 kilometers apart, yet this was only the second time I visited Paris. It was also my first trip since the start of work life, the perfect excuse to splurge in Europe’s most iconic city. These are my ten favorites for a first time in Paris.
A weekend was not nearly enough to discover everything New Orleans has on offer. It did give me a good taste of the Big Easy (you can take that literally) and I loved it!
Prague had been on my European citytrip shortlist for a long time, but for some reason I never made it until April this year. The weather was not on our side, but that didn’t stop us from having fun. Because Prague is all about fun! Here are my ten favorites for a first time in Prague.
Klara the Explorer 