Courtesy of Zero George
People come to Charleston for many reasons. For one, the city’s wedding industrial complex is formidable—Charleston’s Post and Courier reports that on any given weekend, there are likely to be more than 100 couples tying the knot here, which means that thousands of wedding guests are booking hotel rooms weekly. Because of the Lowcountry region’s wealth of colleges, others come to tour, visit, attend football games and graduations (and to ease the transition from helicopter parent to empty nester). Business travelers come to work and enjoy the slower pace and leisure options of the city. And with the city’s music festivals, historic events, and garden tours, groups traveling together flock to Charleston, looking for suitable lodging for a crew. These different types of Charleston visitors have different hotel needs—whether it’s suites with space for entertaining, rooms with a full or partial kitchen, or amenities like golf courses and beaches. For a city of its size, Charleston has a wide range of hotel and resort accommodations for visitors of all sorts.
Courtesy of Zero George
Zero George What We Like: Five 19th-century buildings are clustered around several landscaped piazzas lit by gas lanterns at night. While the vibe throughout is intimate and romantic, the 12 luxurious guest rooms, which share verandas, are airy and light filled, with period furnishings and hardwood floors. The complimentary breakfast, built around the delightful offerings of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, includes house-made jams, smoked salmon, cured ham, and fresh berries. The generous daily wine and cheese happy hour for guests is worth returning from your day’s activities for. Guests should take advantage of the free bikes to explore the waterfront and the lovely streets of the surrounding Ansonborough neighborhood. Noteworthy: The hotel restaurant, which is open to the public, serves 14-course tasting menu dinners and offers cooking demonstrations.
Courtesy of Belmond Charleston Place
Belmond Charleston Place What We Like: This big, amenity-rich, luxury brand hotel enjoys a perfect location in the heart of Charleston with entrances on Meeting and King streets. With its extensive shopping arcade, the Charleston Grill (one of the city’s noted fine dining restaurants), a hotel bar that looks like a movie location, and a big, beautiful indoor pool, you won’t have to leave the building if you don’t want to (but of course, you do!). Guest rooms are large and elegant in an understated way. Turndown service includes a card noting the following day’s weather, a nice touch. Noteworthy: The pool doesn’t seem particularly kid-friendly, which may be a good thing for some guests and not for others. Even with its central location in town, the hotel’s size and branding make it easy to forget you’re in Charleston unless you’re looking out the window.
Courtesy of the Restoration
The Restoration What We Like: The property, which has five historic buildings around a courtyard, contains hotel rooms that range from a 500-square-foot studio suite to a three-bedroom deluxe residential suite with a full kitchen, a generously sized living room, and a washing machine and dryer. The rooftop bar, The Watch, is popular with locals for viewing the sunset with a cool beverage (and has air-conditioned indoor space for refuge during summer storms or oppressive heat). The Amethyst Spa has a Goop vibe; weekly yoga classes are held on the roof. Noteworthy: While there are a few guest rooms set aside for ADA compliance, passageways between buildings (and even within loft rooms) often mean navigating steps—a fact that may hinder older guests and those with mobility issues. There is no gym or on-site food options other than a coffee shop.
Courtesy of Hotel Bennett
Hotel Bennett What We Like: You’d never know by its stately facade that the Hotel Bennett is new. The hotel, which opened in January 2019 on the edge of Charleston’s Marion Park, has a classical gravitas on the outside and an airy lightness in its lobby. Built on the site of the former Charleston Public Library (and reusing much of the pink marble salvaged from that structure in the lobby’s art deco–styled Camellia Bar), the Bennett has snapped up the role of the opulent luxury hotel in town. On the ground level, three restaurants, including a French patisserie, and outdoor seating on a terrace overlooking the park welcome guests and locals. Extraordinary tilework on the floors throughout the ground level—from encaustic tiles in the patisserie, to curved, metal-edged and geometric pavement patterns in a rotunda entrance—will delight design lovers. Guest rooms range in size from modest to expansive, all sharing a tasteful beachy palette of pale pink, white, and tan. The rooftop bar, Fiat Lux, with nautical blue decor and panoramic views of the peninsula, is destined to become a local favorite for sundowners. Noteworthy: In the guest rooms, the freestanding bathtubs that open (via pocket doors) to the bedroom are not for everyone. Some smaller guest rooms look over bland interior courtyards. The extensive use of marble, crystal chandeliers, and shiny surfaces may strike some as ostentatious.
Courtesy of the John Rutledge House Inn
John Rutledge House Inn What We Like: If you’re excited when the exterior of your hotel plays a starring role in city tours, you are in the right place. John Rutledge, a signer of the U.S. Constitution and the first governor of South Carolina, built this tall and stately townhouse on Broad Street in 1763 (it later served as the state’s first White House, and bears a scar left by a Union cannonball that struck the house during the Civil War). The elaborate ironwork that climbs the front of the building merits examination before you enter. The house has been lovingly restored (with lots of space reserved for cabinets full of artifacts and photos) and converted into an inn, with guest rooms in the main house and in two carriage houses on the property. Guest rooms have nice touches that newer buildings usually lack—towering ceiling heights, carved marble mantelpieces, working gas fireplaces—as well as amenities you may not expect in historic lodgings like thoroughly modern bathrooms and Tempur-Pedic mattresses. Port and sherry are poured for guests in the evening and a complimentary and extensive breakfast can be brought to your room or served at tables in the garden or ballroom. The inn’s location, on Broad Street, means easy access to all of historic downtown Charleston; guests get to wake up to the sounds of church bells and the clopping of horse hooves on cobblestones. Noteworthy: The rooms in the main house are not recommended for guests who can’t climb stairs. All guest rooms are at least a flight up from the street level and there were no elevators in 1763. (Ground floor rooms and entrances are available in the carriage houses.)
Courtesy of Hotel Bella Grace/Marriott
Hotel Bella Grace
Noteworthy: In spite of the hotel’s oh-so-Charleston location across Calhoun Street from historic Mother Emanuel AME Church and just down from Marion Square, its decor is less Lowcountry antique and more sumptuous—think velvet couches and faux-marble wallpaper.
Courtesy of the Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island
The Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island What We Like: If you’re looking for a beach getaway, a golf weekend, or a chance to reconnect with nature, this is the spot. Because the hotel is right on the beach of a barrier island south of Charleston, guests can wake up to the sound of the ocean. Built in 2004 at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, the hotel is modeled after a historic Southern resort and is more fancy and formal than barefoot casual. With several different pools and restaurants to pick from, you could stay here for an extended weekend and keep everyone in the family busy and happy. Bird-watchers can enjoy the Audubon Society–protected wetlands or go on a nature hike to see the island’s local river dolphin population feed. Noteworthy: If guests want to spend time exploring Charleston proper, the 25-mile drive may make this the wrong hotel to stay in. And the upscale vibe inside the resort is decidedly unbeachy. Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel What We Like: Location, location, location. The Mills House, ideally placed in historic downtown, across from staples of Charleston cuisine like 82 Queen and Poogan’s Porch, is an easy stroll to all things downtown. The pink facade of Mills House, which opened in 1970, is adorned with lovely ironwork salvaged from the original 1853 Mills House Hotel, but inside there are no historic charms or foibles. The hotel entertains a lot: There are many weddings in ballrooms and suites, meetings in conference rooms, and groups of traveling friends gathering in the hotel’s Best Friend Lounge. The rooftop pool area and ground floor garden are pleasant and popular. Noteworthy: The lobby is allegedly haunted. Some guests like this fact. Others avoid the lobby at night.
Courtesy of the Quarters on King
The Quarters on King
Noteworthy: All accommodations are reached by climbing a steep staircase. Some guests may miss hotel amenities or a 24-hour front desk. The property offers no strong sense of being in Charleston until you walk out the building door and find yourself in the middle of everything. >>Next: Plan Your Trip With AFAR’s Travel Guide to Charleston AFAR Travel https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-best-charleston-hotels-for-every-kind-of-traveler via Tumblr The Best Charleston Hotels for Every Kind of Traveler People come to Charleston for many reasons. For one, the city’s wedding industrial complex is formidable--Charleston’s Post and Courier reports that on any given weekend, there are likely to be more than 100 couples tying the knot here, which means that thousands of wedding guests are booking hotel rooms weekly. Because of the Lowcountry region’s wealth of colleges, others come to tour, visit, attend football games and graduations (and to ease the transition from helicopter parent to empty nester). Business travelers come to work and enjoy the slower pace and leisure options of the city. And with the city’s music festivals, historic events, and garden tours, groups traveling together flock to Charleston, looking for suitable lodging for a crew. These different types of Charleston visitors have different hotel needs—whether it’s suites with space for entertaining, rooms with a full or partial kitchen, or amenities like golf courses and beaches. For a city of its size, Charleston has a wide range of hotel and resort accommodations for visitors of all sorts.
Courtesy of Zero George
Zero George What We Like: Five 19th-century buildings are clustered around several landscaped piazzas lit by gas lanterns at night. While the vibe throughout is intimate and romantic, the 12 luxurious guest rooms, which share verandas, are airy and light filled, with period furnishings and hardwood floors. The complimentary breakfast, built around the delightful offerings of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, includes house-made jams, smoked salmon, cured ham, and fresh berries. The generous daily wine and cheese happy hour for guests is worth returning from your day’s activities for. Guests should take advantage of the free bikes to explore the waterfront and the lovely streets of the surrounding Ansonborough neighborhood. Noteworthy: The hotel restaurant, which is open to the public, serves 14-course tasting menu dinners and offers cooking demonstrations.
Courtesy of Belmond Charleston Place
Belmond Charleston Place What We Like: This big, amenity-rich, luxury brand hotel enjoys a perfect location in the heart of Charleston with entrances on Meeting and King streets. With its extensive shopping arcade, the Charleston Grill (one of the city’s noted fine dining restaurants), a hotel bar that looks like a movie location, and a big, beautiful indoor pool, you won’t have to leave the building if you don’t want to (but of course, you do!). Guest rooms are large and elegant in an understated way. Turndown service includes a card noting the following day’s weather, a nice touch. Noteworthy: The pool doesn’t seem particularly kid-friendly, which may be a good thing for some guests and not for others. Even with its central location in town, the hotel’s size and branding make it easy to forget you’re in Charleston unless you’re looking out the window.
Courtesy of the Restoration
The Restoration What We Like: The property, which has five historic buildings around a courtyard, contains hotel rooms that range from a 500-square-foot studio suite to a three-bedroom deluxe residential suite with a full kitchen, a generously sized living room, and a washing machine and dryer. The rooftop bar, The Watch, is popular with locals for viewing the sunset with a cool beverage (and has air-conditioned indoor space for refuge during summer storms or oppressive heat). The Amethyst Spa has a Goop vibe; weekly yoga classes are held on the roof. Noteworthy: While there are a few guest rooms set aside for ADA compliance, passageways between buildings (and even within loft rooms) often mean navigating steps—a fact that may hinder older guests and those with mobility issues. There is no gym or on-site food options other than a coffee shop.
Courtesy of Hotel Bennett
Hotel Bennett What We Like: You’d never know by its stately facade that the Hotel Bennett is new. The hotel, which opened in January 2019 on the edge of Charleston’s Marion Park, has a classical gravitas on the outside and an airy lightness in its lobby. Built on the site of the former Charleston Public Library (and reusing much of the pink marble salvaged from that structure in the lobby’s art deco–styled Camellia Bar), the Bennett has snapped up the role of the opulent luxury hotel in town. On the ground level, three restaurants, including a French patisserie, and outdoor seating on a terrace overlooking the park welcome guests and locals. Extraordinary tilework on the floors throughout the ground level—from encaustic tiles in the patisserie, to curved, metal-edged and geometric pavement patterns in a rotunda entrance—will delight design lovers. Guest rooms range in size from modest to expansive, all sharing a tasteful beachy palette of pale pink, white, and tan. The rooftop bar, Fiat Lux, with nautical blue decor and panoramic views of the peninsula, is destined to become a local favorite for sundowners. Noteworthy: In the guest rooms, the freestanding bathtubs that open (via pocket doors) to the bedroom are not for everyone. Some smaller guest rooms look over bland interior courtyards. The extensive use of marble, crystal chandeliers, and shiny surfaces may strike some as ostentatious.
Courtesy of the John Rutledge House Inn
John Rutledge House Inn What We Like: If you’re excited when the exterior of your hotel plays a starring role in city tours, you are in the right place. John Rutledge, a signer of the U.S. Constitution and the first governor of South Carolina, built this tall and stately townhouse on Broad Street in 1763 (it later served as the state’s first White House, and bears a scar left by a Union cannonball that struck the house during the Civil War). The elaborate ironwork that climbs the front of the building merits examination before you enter. The house has been lovingly restored (with lots of space reserved for cabinets full of artifacts and photos) and converted into an inn, with guest rooms in the main house and in two carriage houses on the property. Guest rooms have nice touches that newer buildings usually lack—towering ceiling heights, carved marble mantelpieces, working gas fireplaces—as well as amenities you may not expect in historic lodgings like thoroughly modern bathrooms and Tempur-Pedic mattresses. Port and sherry are poured for guests in the evening and a complimentary and extensive breakfast can be brought to your room or served at tables in the garden or ballroom. The inn’s location, on Broad Street, means easy access to all of historic downtown Charleston; guests get to wake up to the sounds of church bells and the clopping of horse hooves on cobblestones. Noteworthy: The rooms in the main house are not recommended for guests who can’t climb stairs. All guest rooms are at least a flight up from the street level and there were no elevators in 1763. (Ground floor rooms and entrances are available in the carriage houses.)
Courtesy of Hotel Bella Grace/Marriott
Hotel Bella Grace
Noteworthy: In spite of the hotel’s oh-so-Charleston location across Calhoun Street from historic Mother Emanuel AME Church and just down from Marion Square, its decor is less Lowcountry antique and more sumptuous—think velvet couches and faux-marble wallpaper. The Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island What We Like: If you’re looking for a beach getaway, a golf weekend, or a chance to reconnect with nature, this is the spot. Because the hotel is right on the beach of a barrier island south of Charleston, guests can wake up to the sound of the ocean. Built in 2004 at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, the hotel is modeled after a historic Southern resort and is more fancy and formal than barefoot casual. With several different pools and restaurants to pick from, you could stay here for an extended weekend and keep everyone in the family busy and happy. Bird-watchers can enjoy the Audubon Society–protected wetlands or go on a nature hike to see the island’s local river dolphin population feed. Noteworthy: If guests want to spend time exploring Charleston proper, the 25-mile drive may make this the wrong hotel to stay in. And the upscale vibe inside the resort is decidedly unbeachy. Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel What We Like: Location, location, location. The Mills House, ideally placed in historic downtown, across from staples of Charleston cuisine like 82 Queen and Poogan’s Porch, is an easy stroll to all things downtown. The pink facade of Mills House, which opened in 1970, is adorned with lovely ironwork salvaged from the original 1853 Mills House Hotel, but inside there are no historic charms or foibles. The hotel entertains a lot: There are many weddings in ballrooms and suites, meetings in conference rooms, and groups of traveling friends gathering in the hotel’s Best Friend Lounge. The rooftop pool area and ground floor garden are pleasant and popular. Noteworthy: The lobby is allegedly haunted. Some guests like this fact. Others avoid the lobby at night.
Courtesy of the Quarters on King
The Quarters on King
Noteworthy: All accommodations are reached by climbing a steep staircase. Some guests may miss hotel amenities or a 24-hour front desk. The property offers no strong sense of being in Charleston until you walk out the building door and find yourself in the middle of everything. >>Next: Plan Your Trip With AFAR’s Travel Guide to Charleston AFAR Travel https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-best-charleston-hotels-for-every-kind-of-traveler https://brandnewsunrise.wordpress.com/2019/03/21/the-best-charleston-hotels-for-every-kind-of-traveler/
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Wilmington, Delaware: Where one of America’s premiere families — the du Ponts — lived and thrived. Go World Travel Magazine https://www.goworldtravel.com/wilmington-delaware-home-to-the-du-pont-dynasty/ via Tumblr Wilmington, Delaware: Home to the du Pont Dynasty Wilmington, Delaware: Where one of America’s premiere families — the du Ponts — lived and thrived. Go World Travel Magazine https://www.goworldtravel.com/wilmington-delaware-home-to-the-du-pont-dynasty/ https://brandnewsunrise.wordpress.com/2019/03/21/wilmington-delaware-home-to-the-du-pont-dynasty/Discovering Africa Vacation Rental Marketing Agency https://vacationrentalexperts.tumblr.com/post/183604170358 via Tumblr Discovering Africa Discovering Africa Vacation Rental Marketing Agency https://vacationrentalexperts.tumblr.com/post/183604170358 https://brandnewsunrise.wordpress.com/2019/03/21/discovering-africa-4/When it comes to natural beauty in the U.S. West, Wyoming, Utah, and Arizona get top billing because of their famous national parks. But Idaho actually leads the pack in pure open space—more than two-thirds of the state is public land, and almost a tenth of its acreage is federally protected wilderness. “Idaho has [among] the most public lands of any state in the nation,” notes Jared Hopkinson, longtime Idaho resident and owner of Rocky Mountain River Tours, a local adventure outfitter. The best way to take in the high mountains, clear rivers, and rolling fields packed into all this space? Hit the open road on some of Idaho’s 30 scenic byways. One of the best routes starts outside Boise on Highway 21, also known as the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway. Road-trippers pass old mining towns, inviting hot springs (central Idaho is full of them), and windy forest access roads that funnel into remote sections of wilderness. The route runs through the tiny historic town of Stanley, where it turns into the equally gorgeous—though more wooded—Highway 75, also known as the Sawtooth Scenic Byway. Finally, the route veers into Sun Valley, a springtime skiing haven and unlikely celebrity magnet. (Due to harsh winters, the best time to make the drive is May through September.) In all, it takes about six hours to drive from Boise to Sun Valley, although you’ll want to budget a few days to really savor this scenery. You won’t be going through big cities or hitting blockbuster landmarks. Here are five essential stops along the way: Idaho City Back in its heyday, Idaho City, an hour north of Boise, was a thriving trading post for gold miners. Business was so good, in fact, that in the 1860s, the city outsized Portland, Oregon, as the largest in the northwest. These days, Idaho City, with its creaky boardwalks and beautifully preserved wooden buildings, is one of the best examples of a functioning mining town from the 1800s—even the courthouse, constructed in 1871, is still in use. It’s a pure treat to walk down Main Street, admiring the rusty mining cars repurposed as planters full of colorful flowers, and stopping at the old-fashioned toy store, Simply Fun, or the outlandish antique shop, BoCo Sluice Box. And don’t miss the handmade waffle cones at the Sarsaparilla Ice Cream Parlor.
Courtesy of Idaho Tourism
Kirkham Hot Springs Another hour up the highway is Kirkham Hot Springs, a collection of naturally formed, steaming geothermal pools next to the Payette River. Their crowning feature? A piping-hot waterfall, which splashes dramatically over the side of a rock. Year-round, locals make a point of driving to Kirkham to stand under the cascade of 135-degree mineral water. If it gets too hot, you can always jump into the river to cool down. If you can, pack a tent. There’s a campsite located next to the parking lot, a few steps from the pools. Unrestricted and free, the springs are open 24/7, so when you’ve finished soaking under the stars late into the night, your sleeping bag will be close by, making for a seamless, blissed-out transition to bed. Not the camping type? The delightfully rustic Southfork Lodge, just up the road, has private cabins that overlook the river and elk-shaped pancakes at breakfast.
Courtesy of Idaho Tourism
Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness After a few hours driving west from Kirkham Hot Springs to Stanley (population 63), you’ll see the majestic Sawtooth mountains swing into view, and you might find yourself longing to go deeper into the wilderness. With Stanley-based Rocky Mountain River Tours, that can mean a few hours of stand-up paddleboarding on the Salmon, aka the River of No Return, a winding route walled in by high canyons that cuts into the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness, the largest chunk of roadless wilderness in the lower 48 states. Early pioneers who ventured upriver found that the current was too strong to allow them to sail back—hence the nickname. (Rocky Mountain River Tours also offers multiday, all-inclusive rafting trips deep into the area. “It’s the furthest away from a city or town you can get,” Hopkinson says.)
Galena Lodge There’s no electricity, cell service, or internet at the family-owned Galena Lodge, a day lodge with four rentable yurts nestled in the Boulder Mountains off Highway 75. And that’s just how the owners, husband-and-wife team Don Shepler and Erin Zell, like it. In winter, wood-burning stoves in the yurts keep overnight guests warm, and the rental fee includes snowshoe passes (yes, in this part of the country you need a pass to snowshoe through the woods). In the summer, there are hiking trails galore—including access to the lush prairie landscape and aspen stands of Harriman Trail—so you can plan a different adventure each day. The lodge also features a sauna and a pair of “loaner dogs” that guests can bring along on hikes. And for a fee, Don and Erin will deliver a home-cooked dinner right to your yurt door. Ketchum and Sun Valley Emerging from the rugged mountain passes of Sawtooth National Forest, you’ll find yourself in the surprisingly cosmopolitan town of Ketchum, adjacent to the resort city of Sun Valley, a prized landing spot for skiers. The area’s creature comforts are a nice counterpoint to the wild thrills found road-tripping along Highways 21 and 75. Main Street, with the boutique Limelight hotel, a Wild West–style saloon, and a brand-new performing arts center, draws comparisons to Aspen’s downtown, but is smaller with a much more laid-back vibe. The town has an unspoiled charm. You won’t find a McDonald’s here: Local laws prohibit chain restaurants, so the dining options are impressive. Head to The Covey for wood-fired cooking, or try the Lebanese spiced chicken at the upscale Town Square Tavern. A delightful weekly farmers’ market sets up in the town square in the warmer months. After a few days spent driving, you may want to take time to slow down and reflect on your journey. Stroll through the Sawtooth Botanical Garden, a scenic space with winding stone paths, a sculpture garden, and a prayer wheel blessed by the Dalai Lama (only one of two in the whole country). Literature lovers, meanwhile, should head to Ernest Hemingway’s final resting place in the Ketchum Cemetery; the writer spent significant time in this part of the state (he was one of the first guests at Sun Valley Lodge, in Suite 206) and was surely likewise inspired by Idaho’s lonely, wild roads. >>Next: The Best Tools for Planning a Road Trip AFAR Travel https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-little-known-idaho-road-trip-you-need-to-drive via Tumblr The Little-Known Idaho Road Trip You Need to Drive When it comes to natural beauty in the U.S. West, Wyoming, Utah, and Arizona get top billing because of their famous national parks. But Idaho actually leads the pack in pure open space—more than two-thirds of the state is public land, and almost a tenth of its acreage is federally protected wilderness.
“Idaho has [among] the most public lands of any state in the nation,” notes Jared Hopkinson, longtime Idaho resident and owner of Rocky Mountain River Tours, a local adventure outfitter.
The best way to take in the high mountains, clear rivers, and rolling fields packed into all this space? Hit the open road on some of Idaho’s 30 scenic byways.
One of the best routes starts outside Boise on Highway 21, also known as the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway. Road-trippers pass old mining towns, inviting hot springs (central Idaho is full of them), and windy forest access roads that funnel into remote sections of wilderness. The route runs through the tiny historic town of Stanley, where it turns into the equally gorgeous—though more wooded—Highway 75, also known as the Sawtooth Scenic Byway. Finally, the route veers into Sun Valley, a springtime skiing haven and unlikely celebrity magnet. (Due to harsh winters, the best time to make the drive is May through September.)
In all, it takes about six hours to drive from Boise to Sun Valley, although you’ll want to budget a few days to really savor this scenery. You won’t be going through big cities or hitting blockbuster landmarks. Here are five essential stops along the way: Idaho City Back in its heyday, Idaho City, an hour north of Boise, was a thriving trading post for gold miners. Business was so good, in fact, that in the 1860s, the city outsized Portland, Oregon, as the largest in the northwest.
These days, Idaho City, with its creaky boardwalks and beautifully preserved wooden buildings, is one of the best examples of a functioning mining town from the 1800s—even the courthouse, constructed in 1871, is still in use. It’s a pure treat to walk down Main Street, admiring the rusty mining cars repurposed as planters full of colorful flowers, and stopping at the old-fashioned toy store, Simply Fun, or the outlandish antique shop, BoCo Sluice Box. And don’t miss the handmade waffle cones at the Sarsaparilla Ice Cream Parlor.
Courtesy of Idaho Tourism
Kirkham Hot Springs Another hour up the highway is Kirkham Hot Springs, a collection of naturally formed, steaming geothermal pools next to the Payette River. Their crowning feature? A piping-hot waterfall, which splashes dramatically over the side of a rock.
Year-round, locals make a point of driving to Kirkham to stand under the cascade of 135-degree mineral water. If it gets too hot, you can always jump into the river to cool down.
If you can, pack a tent. There’s a campsite located next to the parking lot, a few steps from the pools. Unrestricted and free, the springs are open 24/7, so when you’ve finished soaking under the stars late into the night, your sleeping bag will be close by, making for a seamless, blissed-out transition to bed. Not the camping type? The delightfully rustic Southfork Lodge, just up the road, has private cabins that overlook the river and elk-shaped pancakes at breakfast.
Courtesy of Idaho Tourism
Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness After a few hours driving west from Kirkham Hot Springs to Stanley (population 63), you’ll see the majestic Sawtooth mountains swing into view, and you might find yourself longing to go deeper into the wilderness. With Stanley-based Rocky Mountain River Tours, that can mean a few hours of stand-up paddleboarding on the Salmon, aka the River of No Return, a winding route walled in by high canyons that cuts into the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness, the largest chunk of roadless wilderness in the lower 48 states. Early pioneers who ventured upriver found that the current was too strong to allow them to sail back—hence the nickname. (Rocky Mountain River Tours also offers multiday, all-inclusive rafting trips deep into the area. “It’s the furthest away from a city or town you can get,” Hopkinson says.)
Galena Lodge There’s no electricity, cell service, or internet at the family-owned Galena Lodge, a day lodge with four rentable yurts nestled in the Boulder Mountains off Highway 75. And that’s just how the owners, husband-and-wife team Don Shepler and Erin Zell, like it.
In winter, wood-burning stoves in the yurts keep overnight guests warm, and the rental fee includes snowshoe passes (yes, in this part of the country you need a pass to snowshoe through the woods). In the summer, there are hiking trails galore—including access to the lush prairie landscape and aspen stands of Harriman Trail—so you can plan a different adventure each day.
The lodge also features a sauna and a pair of “ loaner dogs” that guests can bring along on hikes. And for a fee, Don and Erin will deliver a home-cooked dinner right to your yurt door.
Ketchum and Sun Valley Emerging from the rugged mountain passes of Sawtooth National Forest, you’ll find yourself in the surprisingly cosmopolitan town of Ketchum, adjacent to the resort city of Sun Valley, a prized landing spot for skiers. The area’s creature comforts are a nice counterpoint to the wild thrills found road-tripping along Highways 21 and 75.
Main Street, with the boutique Limelight hotel, a Wild West–style saloon, and a brand-new performing arts center, draws comparisons to Aspen’s downtown, but is smaller with a much more laid-back vibe. The town has an unspoiled charm. You won’t find a McDonald’s here: Local laws prohibit chain restaurants, so the dining options are impressive. Head to The Covey for wood-fired cooking, or try the Lebanese spiced chicken at the upscale Town Square Tavern. A delightful weekly farmers’ market sets up in the town square in the warmer months.
After a few days spent driving, you may want to take time to slow down and reflect on your journey. Stroll through the Sawtooth Botanical Garden, a scenic space with winding stone paths, a sculpture garden, and a prayer wheel blessed by the Dalai Lama (only one of two in the whole country). Literature lovers, meanwhile, should head to Ernest Hemingway’s final resting place in the Ketchum Cemetery; the writer spent significant time in this part of the state (he was one of the first guests at Sun Valley Lodge, in Suite 206) and was surely likewise inspired by Idaho’s lonely, wild roads.
>>Next: The Best Tools for Planning a Road Trip
AFAR Travel https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-little-known-idaho-road-trip-you-need-to-drivehttps://brandnewsunrise.wordpress.com/2019/03/21/the-little-known-idaho-road-trip-you-need-to-drive/ Whether it’s last-minute travel plans or a big international trip that’s here before you know it, it’s not uncommon for travelers to have to expedite their U.S. passport applications. Rush services always cost a bit more, but are sometimes very necessary. The process (for both renewing and getting a new passport) is fairly similar to the regular application, which can take anywhere from a few weeks to two months. That lack of certainty is why many travelers are willing to pay for an expedited book. There are several other situations that might require a new or renewed passport in a hurry. For example, several countries don’t permit entry if your passport has less than six months of validity. Others, like South Africa, require that you have two consecutive blank pages. It is best to check the State Department’s website for each country or contact your airline (or travel agency) before you hit the road to see what passport requirements there might be. If you pay extra for faster service, you’ll be able to keep an eye on the status of your application online. You can also expedite the application of a second U.S. passport if you qualify for one. Here’s what you need to know to get a passport in your hands quickly—depending on how much time you have. If you need it within six weeks, you can still do it yourself If you have six weeks and plan to apply for a rushed passport, begin at the State Department’s website, where a handy checklist will keep you from making a mistake that could slow down the process. The $60 expedited fee (plus overnight shipping) is not refundable, so it helps to have someone double-check the application. This fee is in addition to the standard $110 application fee and $35 execution fee. No proof of travel is needed for the basic rush process. You can expedite your passport by applying in person at a passport agency or by sending it via overnight mail. If you choose to apply in person, you must use form DS-11, while applications by mail require form DS-82 (download these forms here). Submitted forms must be single-sided and printed clearly. Complete the application online before printing it out or by hand in black or blue ink; remember to write “Expedited” on the envelope and include two recently taken photos that meet the passport photo specifications. If applying by mail, you must include a check; if applying in person, ask to learn what methods of payment are allowed at your specific acceptance facility. Remember that if you have lost your passport or have special family circumstances, such as a child who needs to apply for a passport without a guardian present, different forms must be completed. If you need it within two to three weeks, it’s best to seek help from an expeditor To avoid any delays, it is often smarter to use an expediting agency, which rushes passport applications on a daily basis. It charges an additional fee (on top of the standard passport application fee and expedited passport service fee), but it knows the ins and outs of the expedited passport process to help you submit documentation correctly the first time around. Services like RushMyPassport.com double-check your application before it gets submitted. A 24-hour business day turnaround costs $449 plus the standard passport application fee, but if you’re in a hurry, it can be worth it. Rush service, which takes six to seven business days, costs $179. If you still want to apply by going to a passport acceptance facility, you should make a free appointment ahead of time. These can only be made if you plan to travel within two weeks. The facility will make an exception and let you apply for an appointment within four weeks if you also need to apply for an expedited visa with the same passport. Some agencies allow walk-in visits, but call ahead to make sure that is possible at your nearest acceptance facility. You will need proof of travel if you pay for an expedited application within three weeks of travel. Remember that if you are missing any documentation, your application won’t be processed, which is why an expeditor can prove valuable.
Photo by Africa Studio/Shutterstock
If you need it within 24 to 72 hours, try going to an agency in person If it’s a life-or-death emergency, such as illnesses and injuries or a death in your immediate family, going to an agency in person is the safest bet. Instead of wasting a day with overnight shipping, you can save valuable time (even if you have to fly to a passport agency in the departure city of your international flight). In these circumstances, it can take anywhere between 24 and 72 hours depending upon where you apply and if you can provide documentation, such as a death certificate or signed documentation from medical personnel. You may want to pay extra for an expediting agency in this situation, because it can take care of the legwork during a stressful time. It may also be able to secure a passport within 24 hours on your behalf. Another reason to use an agency? Many airline gate agents will tell you that they sometimes have to deny boarding to passengers if their passport does not comply with a country’s entry requirements. When this happens, travelers will often head to the nearest agency for a quick turnaround, so they can make their flight the following day. One final tip: The best thing you can do to avoid paying extra for expediting your passport is to set a calendar reminder for six months before the expiration date. At that point, you can look ahead at your travels and figure out the best eight-week period to apply—one where, ideally, you know you won’t be heading abroad. AFAR Travel https://www.afar.com/magazine/how-to-expedite-your-us-passport-application via Tumblr How to Expedite Your U.S. Passport Application Whether it’s last-minute travel plans or a big international trip that’s here before you know it, it’s not uncommon for travelers to have to expedite their U.S. passport applications. Rush services always cost a bit more, but are sometimes very necessary. The process (for both renewing and getting a new passport) is fairly similar to the regular application, which can take anywhere from a few weeks to two months. That lack of certainty is why many travelers are willing to pay for an expedited book. There are several other situations that might require a new or renewed passport in a hurry. For example, several countries don’t permit entry if your passport has less than six months of validity. Others, like South Africa, require that you have two consecutive blank pages. It is best to check the State Department’s website for each country or contact your airline (or travel agency) before you hit the road to see what passport requirements there might be. If you pay extra for faster service, you’ll be able to keep an eye on the status of your application online. You can also expedite the application of a second U.S. passport if you qualify for one. Here’s what you need to know to get a passport in your hands quickly—depending on how much time you have. If you need it within six weeks, you can still do it yourself If you have six weeks and plan to apply for a rushed passport, begin at the State Department’s website, where a handy checklist will keep you from making a mistake that could slow down the process. The $60 expedited fee (plus overnight shipping) is not refundable, so it helps to have someone double-check the application. This fee is in addition to the standard $110 application fee and $35 execution fee. No proof of travel is needed for the basic rush process. You can expedite your passport by applying in person at a passport agency or by sending it via overnight mail. If you choose to apply in person, you must use form DS-11, while applications by mail require form DS-82 (download these forms here). Submitted forms must be single-sided and printed clearly. Complete the application online before printing it out or by hand in black or blue ink; remember to write “Expedited” on the envelope and include two recently taken photos that meet the passport photo specifications. If applying by mail, you must include a check; if applying in person, ask to learn what methods of payment are allowed at your specific acceptance facility. Remember that if you have lost your passport or have special family circumstances, such as a child who needs to apply for a passport without a guardian present, different forms must be completed. If you need it within two to three weeks, it’s best to seek help from an expeditor To avoid any delays, it is often smarter to use an expediting agency, which rushes passport applications on a daily basis. It charges an additional fee (on top of the standard passport application fee and expedited passport service fee), but it knows the ins and outs of the expedited passport process to help you submit documentation correctly the first time around. Services like RushMyPassport.com double-check your application before it gets submitted. A 24-hour business day turnaround costs $449 plus the standard passport application fee, but if you’re in a hurry, it can be worth it. Rush service, which takes six to seven business days, costs $179. If you still want to apply by going to a passport acceptance facility, you should make a free appointment ahead of time. These can only be made if you plan to travel within two weeks. The facility will make an exception and let you apply for an appointment within four weeks if you also need to apply for an expedited visa with the same passport. Some agencies allow walk-in visits, but call ahead to make sure that is possible at your nearest acceptance facility. You will need proof of travel if you pay for an expedited application within three weeks of travel. Remember that if you are missing any documentation, your application won’t be processed, which is why an expeditor can prove valuable.
Photo by Africa Studio/Shutterstock
If you need it within 24 to 72 hours, try going to an agency in person If it’s a life-or-death emergency, such as illnesses and injuries or a death in your immediate family, going to an agency in person is the safest bet. Instead of wasting a day with overnight shipping, you can save valuable time (even if you have to fly to a passport agency in the departure city of your international flight). In these circumstances, it can take anywhere between 24 and 72 hours depending upon where you apply and if you can provide documentation, such as a death certificate or signed documentation from medical personnel. You may want to pay extra for an expediting agency in this situation, because it can take care of the legwork during a stressful time. It may also be able to secure a passport within 24 hours on your behalf. Another reason to use an agency? Many airline gate agents will tell you that they sometimes have to deny boarding to passengers if their passport does not comply with a country’s entry requirements. When this happens, travelers will often head to the nearest agency for a quick turnaround, so they can make their flight the following day. One final tip: The best thing you can do to avoid paying extra for expediting your passport is to set a calendar reminder for six months before the expiration date. At that point, you can look ahead at your travels and figure out the best eight-week period to apply—one where, ideally, you know you won’t be heading abroad. AFAR Travel https://www.afar.com/magazine/how-to-expedite-your-us-passport-application https://brandnewsunrise.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/how-to-expedite-your-u-s-passport-application/From the feelings that travel gives you when you’re exploring the world to how you hold on to those memories back at home, happiness is something we think a lot about here at AFAR. In fact, we’re dedicating our September/October issue to the topic for the first time, so naturally we were curious to see which country came out on top in the latest World Happiness Report. For the second year in a row, Finland took the number one spot in the annual survey released on Wednesday that ranks countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. Nordic countries, including Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden, dominate the rest of the top 10. In fact, the only countries outside of Europe to make the top 10 this year are New Zealand and Canada. The United States fell one spot, coming in at 19 in the rankings this year, after the United Kingdom jumped from 19 to 15 since last year.
Photo by Shutterstock
What makes Finns (and Europeans in general) the happiest people in the world? The World Happiness Report bases its annual rankings of 156 countries using data from the main life evaluation question in the Gallup World Poll. In it, respondents are asked to rate their current lives on a 0 to 10 scale with 10 being the best possible life for them and 0 being the worst possible life. The countries that made the top 10 this year ranged from Austria’s 7.246 up to 7.769 for Finland at the top. South Sudan had the lowest score at 2.853. While these results are based entirely on self-perception, factors that the Happiness Report says contribute to making these life evaluations better in each country include a high GDP per capita, a strong social support system among friends and family, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, absence of corruption in government and the business world, and generosity when it comes to donating to charity. For those considering a move abroad, these categories are something to take into mind while starting your life as an expat. But Finland’s friendly locals, thriving culture and coffee scenes, and unfettered access to nature all make it a great destination even if you have only a week to take off on vacation.
Photo by watermelontart / Shutterstock
Arts and culture lovers will be thrilled to explore Helskinki’s newest museums. In the past year alone, Helskinki opened Amos Rex, a world-class contemporary art museum, and Oodi, an energy-efficient public library at the center of the city designed to be the nation’s “living room.” If being outdoors makes you happiest, Finland has plenty of that, too. Like many other Nordic residents, Finns have a close relationship to nature and get outside even during the coldest months. For those looking to relax in a serious way, Finland also has more than 3 million saunas. Finns are more than happy to show visitors their country. In fact, you can “rent” a Finn to be your own happiness guide this year. Nearly a dozen Finnish locals from Katja in Helsinki to Esko in Lapland have signed up to host visitors at their country homes this summer to share how their connection to nature contributes to their happiness. Space is limited and only a handful of guests can be accommodated. To apply, visit rentafinn.com. >> Next: Plan Your Trip With AFAR’s Guide to Finland AFAR Travel https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-worlds-happiest-country-is-all-about-reading-coffee-and-saunas via Tumblr The World’s Happiest Country Is All About Reading, Coffee, and Saunas From the feelings that travel gives you when you’re exploring the world to how you hold on to those memories back at home, happiness is something we think a lot about here at AFAR. In fact, we’re dedicating our September/October issue to the topic for the first time, so naturally we were curious to see which country came out on top in the latest World Happiness Report. For the second year in a row, Finland took the number one spot in the annual survey released on Wednesday that ranks countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. Nordic countries, including Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden, dominate the rest of the top 10. In fact, the only countries outside of Europe to make the top 10 this year are New Zealand and Canada. The United States fell one spot, coming in at 19 in the rankings this year, after the United Kingdom jumped from 19 to 15 since last year.
Photo by Shutterstock
What makes Finns (and Europeans in general) the happiest people in the world? The World Happiness Report bases its annual rankings of 156 countries using data from the main life evaluation question in the Gallup World Poll. In it, respondents are asked to rate their current lives on a 0 to 10 scale with 10 being the best possible life for them and 0 being the worst possible life. The countries that made the top 10 this year ranged from Austria’s 7.246 up to 7.769 for Finland at the top. South Sudan had the lowest score at 2.853. While these results are based entirely on self-perception, factors that the Happiness Report says contribute to making these life evaluations better in each country include a high GDP per capita, a strong social support system among friends and family, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, absence of corruption in government and the business world, and generosity when it comes to donating to charity. For those considering a move abroad, these categories are something to take into mind while starting your life as an expat. But Finland’s friendly locals, thriving culture and coffee scenes, and unfettered access to nature all make it a great destination even if you have only a week to take off on vacation.
Photo by watermelontart / Shutterstock
Arts and culture lovers will be thrilled to explore Helskinki’s newest museums. In the past year alone, Helskinki opened Amos Rex, a world-class contemporary art museum, and Oodi, an energy-efficient public library at the center of the city designed to be the nation’s “living room.” If being outdoors makes you happiest, Finland has plenty of that, too. Like many other Nordic residents, Finns have a close relationship to nature and get outside even during the coldest months. For those looking to relax in a serious way, Finland also has more than 3 million saunas. Finns are more than happy to show visitors their country. In fact, you can “rent” a Finn to be your own happiness guide this year. Nearly a dozen Finnish locals from Katja in Helsinki to Esko in Lapland have signed up to host visitors at their country homes this summer to share how their connection to nature contributes to their happiness. Space is limited and only a handful of guests can be accommodated. To apply, visit rentafinn.com. >> Next: Plan Your Trip With AFAR’s Guide to Finland AFAR Travel https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-worlds-happiest-country-is-all-about-reading-coffee-and-saunas https://brandnewsunrise.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/the-worlds-happiest-country-is-all-about-reading-coffee-and-saunas/The award-winning, Oslo-based architecture firm Snøhetta has officially unveiled Under, a semi-submerged restaurant that leans against Norway’s craggy coast. While the ambitious project isn’t the world’s first undersea eatery (the Conrad Maldives Rangali resort’s underwater Ithaa restaurant took that title when it opened more than a decade ago), it is the world’s largest underwater restaurant—not to mention the first establishment of its kind in Europe. Snøhetta designed the 111-foot structure to integrate into its marine environment on the coastal tip of Lindesnes, Norway’s southernmost region. Its thick concrete walls—the outside of which were left intentionally coarse to serve as an artificial reef for mussels—were built to endure southern Norway’s famously dramatic weather conditions.
Photo by © Ivar Kvaal
The restaurant’s decor, no surprise, also pushes the open ocean theme in a big way. From the ground-level entrance, the building guides guests to a champagne bar, where coastal-colored furnishings call to mind sand and seashells, and a slender vertical window reveals the external environment’s gradual transition from tide pool to sea. As guests make their way downstairs, oak- and textile-clad ceiling panels reference the natural hues of a sunset above the ocean, which Snøhetta designers intended as a “metaphor for the journey of descending from land to sea.”
Photo by © Ivar Kvaal
From there, the spacious underwater dining room (which can seat up to 40 guests per night) rests 16 feet below the North Sea’s surface. Decorated with dark blues and greens, the dining room features a ginormous window that spans the length of the restaurant. Like a giant dive mask, the 36-by-11-foot acrylic panel gives diners a panoramic view of the sandy seabed and its inhabitants, which include a variety of fish species and sometimes even seals.
Photo by © Ivar Kvaal
Under also promises a seafood-centric menu worthy of the restaurant’s view. Danish chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard Pedersen, formerly of the acclaimed Restaurant Måltid, makes generous use of local produce—some of it foraged from nearby forests and some of it gathered from an undersea garden. A full meal from the Immersion Menu, which is “set” but will change seasonally, starts from 2,250 Norwegian krone (US$264), not including beverages.
Photo by © Ivar Kvaal
Beyond its futuristic design and hyper-local offerings, Under (which means “below” as well as “wonder” in Norwegian) will serve as a marine research center in its off-hours. The monolithic structure will accommodate scientists studying marine biology and fish behavior, and after the restaurant officially opens its doors to paying guests at the start of April, the researchers will work closely with Under’s team of chefs to understand how and when to harvest from the sea sustainably. As stand-alone restaurant projects go, Under is undeniably impressive. Whether it can achieve its dual ambition, emerging as both a Norwegian ecological shrine and an international culinary hot spot, only time (and tide) will tell. Under is now accepting reservations starting from early April.
Photo by © Ivar Kvaal
This article originally appeared online in October 2017; it was updated on March 20, 2019, to include current information. >> Plan Your Trip with AFAR’s Guide to Norway AFAR Travel https://www.afar.com/magazine/coming-soon-europes-first-underwater-restaurant via Tumblr The World’s Largest Underwater Restaurant Opens in Europe The award-winning, Oslo-based architecture firm Snøhetta has officially unveiled Under, a semi-submerged restaurant that leans against Norway’s craggy coast. While the ambitious project isn’t the world’s first undersea eatery (the Conrad Maldives Rangali resort’s underwater Ithaa restaurant took that title when it opened more than a decade ago), it is the world’s largest underwater restaurant—not to mention the first establishment of its kind in Europe. Snøhetta designed the 111-foot structure to integrate into its marine environment on the coastal tip of Lindesnes, Norway’s southernmost region. Its thick concrete walls—the outside of which were left intentionally coarse to serve as an artificial reef for mussels—were built to endure southern Norway’s famously dramatic weather conditions.
Photo by © Ivar Kvaal
The restaurant’s decor, no surprise, also pushes the open ocean theme in a big way. From the ground-level entrance, the building guides guests to a champagne bar, where coastal-colored furnishings call to mind sand and seashells, and a slender vertical window reveals the external environment’s gradual transition from tide pool to sea. As guests make their way downstairs, oak- and textile-clad ceiling panels reference the natural hues of a sunset above the ocean, which Snøhetta designers intended as a “metaphor for the journey of descending from land to sea.”
Photo by © Ivar Kvaal
From there, the spacious underwater dining room (which can seat up to 40 guests per night) rests 16 feet below the North Sea’s surface. Decorated with dark blues and greens, the dining room features a ginormous window that spans the length of the restaurant. Like a giant dive mask, the 36-by-11-foot acrylic panel gives diners a panoramic view of the sandy seabed and its inhabitants, which include a variety of fish species and sometimes even seals.
Photo by © Ivar Kvaal
Under also promises a seafood-centric menu worthy of the restaurant’s view. Danish chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard Pedersen, formerly of the acclaimed Restaurant Måltid, makes generous use of local produce—some of it foraged from nearby forests and some of it gathered from an undersea garden. A full meal from the Immersion Menu, which is “set” but will change seasonally, starts from 2,250 Norwegian krone (US$264), not including beverages.
Photo by © Ivar Kvaal
Beyond its futuristic design and hyper-local offerings, Under (which means “below” as well as “wonder” in Norwegian) will serve as a marine research center in its off-hours. The monolithic structure will accommodate scientists studying marine biology and fish behavior, and after the restaurant officially opens its doors to paying guests at the start of April, the researchers will work closely with Under’s team of chefs to understand how and when to harvest from the sea sustainably. As stand-alone restaurant projects go, Under is undeniably impressive. Whether it can achieve its dual ambition, emerging as both a Norwegian ecological shrine and an international culinary hot spot, only time (and tide) will tell. Under is now accepting reservations starting from early April.
Photo by © Ivar Kvaal
This article originally appeared online in October 2017; it was updated on March 20, 2019, to include current information. >> Plan Your Trip with AFAR’s Guide to Norway AFAR Travel https://www.afar.com/magazine/coming-soon-europes-first-underwater-restaurant https://brandnewsunrise.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/the-worlds-largest-underwater-restaurant-opens-in-europe/“It was her Majesty at the wheel and Prince Phillip in the passenger seat while I was in the back seat. It’s rather remarkable, I suppose, looking back.” Go World Travel Magazine https://www.goworldtravel.com/sandy-creek-sporting-grounds/ via Tumblr He’s Held a Gun with the Royal Family and the Kings of Hollywood: Reynolds Lake Oconee’s Shooting Star Shoots With Stars “It was her Majesty at the wheel and Prince Phillip in the passenger seat while I was in the back seat. It’s rather remarkable, I suppose, looking back.” Go World Travel Magazine https://www.goworldtravel.com/sandy-creek-sporting-grounds/ https://brandnewsunrise.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/hes-held-a-gun-with-the-royal-family-and-the-kings-of-hollywood-reynolds-lake-oconees-shooting-star-shoots-with-stars/Head to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific for pristine beaches, great diving, WWII history and unique island customs and traditions. Go World Travel Magazine https://www.goworldtravel.com/travel-solomon-islands/ via Tumblr Pot Holes and Paradise: Adventures in the Solomon Islands Head to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific for pristine beaches, great diving, WWII history and unique island customs and traditions. Go World Travel Magazine https://www.goworldtravel.com/travel-solomon-islands/ https://brandnewsunrise.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/pot-holes-and-paradise-adventures-in-the-solomon-islands/ |