The Americas – north, south and central, and the Caribbean – have loads to offer. Have a look through our America travel stories for inspiration.
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Latest Americas travel stories
Ottawa’s picturesque Rideau Canal
Here I go again, starting one thing and ending up with quite another. Working on a blog post about China’s Grand Canal, I begin thinking about other canals I’ve been on. Or along. Or above, or beside. There are quite a few. At the same time, I’m noticing that my coverage of these cool man-made structures has been so-so. In [...]
Iguazu Falls: Simply mind-blowing
I love waterfalls; it's my favourite feature of nature. I also love rainbows. We all do, don't we? However, I feel I can make it a special claim, since my youngest daughter’s middle name is Hóng, meaning rainbow in the Hakka language. Rainbow over Iguazu Waterfalls crossing borders Just like Victoria Falls/Mosi-oa-Tunya marks the international border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, [...]
Philadelphia: The crack’d bell and the newborn country
See this bell? We'll come back to it soon. But first, the building in the background. Independence Hall: where the US Declaration of Independence was signed, and later, the US Constitution. This building then, is where the first steps towards democracy in the USA were taken. (Of course, a country isn't democratic when more than half the population is excluded from [...]
World at a Glance: El Morro, overlooking the Caribbean Sea
When you enter Santiago de Cuba, the first thing you'll see may very well be San Pedro de la Roca, or El Morro, as the locals call it. On a morro, a promontory, above Santiago, it was constructed to protect the harbour of Cuba's second city. By chance, I've visited many military forts the last few years, and have found [...]
Cenotes: the bewitching underground world of the Mayas
We're not quite ready to leave Mexico yet here on Sophie's World. Today, we'll go for a swim, in a spring deep below ground, sunlight shining from high above. And we'll dive through enchanted caves in the jungle. (Well, you are. I'll stay in the shallows, because water and I, we have somewhat of a tense relationship.) And where will [...]
In transit: At least I didn’t lose Kevin
O'Hare, 28 October 2019 Not exactly my commute: Dashing through the... airport Sprinting through O’Hare like Kevin’s mom, all offspring accounted for (not here), only to discover I’ve lost the ability to read printed boarding cards - and have an entire hour to kill. So here are a few facts for you, folks, for which I’m sure you will be [...]
Chichen Itza: the mouth of the water sorcerer’s well
Last week, I wrote about the 7 wonders of the world – ancient and new. The good people in the Yucatan have Chichen Itza, one of the seven new ones, so naturally I've heard lots about it lately. As I've listened to locals going on about the new 7 wonders, and particularly their local pride and joy, I've considered whether [...]
In transit: Americana
Rick's Fine Chocolates and Coffees, 26 October 2019 Not exactly my commute - Guthrie, OK edition Working in a chocolaterie in small town America today. Strangely mindboggling. More so than it would be on a Thai beach. Or a sidewalk cafe in Almaty. This isn’t any small town, you see. Exotic, yet home. Different, yet familiar. Venue of many of [...]
In transit: All in the name of efficiency
JFK 18 Oct 2019 All in the name of efficiency: Friday tip on how to unintentionally make friends at airports. Picture the scene: Airport security, pretty busy, couple hundred people in line. Finally my turn. I go through that machine where you raise your arms above your head – and come out with a yellow warning dot on the screen, [...]
Oak Alley, a classic Southern Antebellum Plantation
By Alexandra Redisch in Vacherie, Louisiana Have you ever wanted to visit a southern plantation? In New Orleans, I visited two. The first was the unusual Creole plantation Laura - very different from what we think of as a typical southern plantation. Now it's time to have a look at the classic Antebellum mansion - with the white Greek Revival [...]
Atlantic Canada road trip
Canada is in demand these days. The country has a progressive and wildly popular prime minister, and Americans are once again looking to flee north. But this isn't a political blog. It's a travel blog. And summer is coming. Road trip! The open road! The vast spaces! The freedom to stop whenever you want! Is there a better way to see [...]
A Day Like Any Other Day
It's a chilly winter day and I'm in the state where the wind comes sweeping down the plain. The Sooner state, the Boomer Paradise, the core of Tornado Alley, the only state with an active oil rig next to the state capitol building. Lately, also home of earthquakes, very possibly man-made. Among all the nicknames, my favourite is Land of [...]
