The Anthrotorian

Still looking for that ideal pow that will make this alpine season one to remember?

These spectacular ski and snowboard destinations offer a combination of stunning landscapes, diverse terrain, and exceptional snow conditions!

Are you itching for a change of scenery? Have some vacation time to use? Ready to head somewhere warm?

Here are the BEST places to visit in February, and a few things to do in each location (including some FREE options!).

Visitors travel from all over the world to experience the magic of the European Christmas markets and join locals sipping mulled wine and purchasing local treasures to gift to family and friends.

I am a sucker for a good notebook, and because I love to handwrite when I travel, I always keep a few blank journals on hand so that I can grab one to throw in my bag.

The key to a good travel journal is to have a paperback notebook (so it is not too heavy), with enough pages to capture all of your experiences, and have room to glue or tape in ticket stubs, postcards, or any other tidbit that reminds you of your trip.

Stretching 150 km along the southern coast of Portugal, the Algarve is arguably one of the most beautiful and varied coastlines in the world.

You can find solitude on sandy islands, action-packed golden beaches with amazing nightlife, and the famous breathtaking cliff-backed shorelines that have taken over Instagram. There are also charming towns packed with cafes, restaurants, bars, shops, and lots of cobblestone streets to wander through when the sun goes down.

While there are multiple hikes throughout the park, the three that I have selected to feature in this article are open year-round (though in the winter, it is recommended that you use snowshoes or cross-country skis rather than hiking boots!), and I have personally hiked them all at different times of the year.

The Anthrotorian has officially been around for more than a decade — since 2012, I have been writing about travel, culture, art, and history on this website. To celebrate this landmark birthday, I published a book, It’s Rude to Keep an Adventure Waiting: Travel Advice, Tips, and Tricks.

Are you in the mood for a spring or autumn polar dip? Looking for a nice cold swim after a long summer hike? Or were you just hoping to dip your feet into crisp glacier water?

Despite being fed by glaciers and icy cold, these crystal clear lakes are the perfect places to cool off on a hot summer day in the mountains. In Jasper — a mountain town in the Rocky Mountains in Canada — temperatures can head well above 30°C (86°F) in the summer.

Short answer.

Yes.

Long answer.

Yes — especially if you are an adult from the Sunday night Walt Disney/animated Disney movie VHS era, and a lover of all things nostalgia.

I have a couple of friends who met while they lived in different parts of the world; they fell in love, and spent years traveling to each other’s homes, and to new places to make new, shared memories.

These adventures became a part of who they are, and now that they have children, they are continuing the adventures.

If you are an avid reader of this blog, then you will know that an all-inclusive vacation is the last type of trip that I would normally advocate for.

I prefer a play-it-by-ear, chose-your-own-adventure, off-the-beaten-path type of vacation — but during the depths of COVID lockdowns, when I was going completely stir-crazy, I started looking for all-inclusive vacations, as they seemed like the easiest (and safest) way to travel with all the new restrictions that had been put into place.

Bears do not go out of their way to attack, track or hunt humans. That is not a thing. What they are attracted to is food, or something that might be scented like food.

Unless you are doing things that will attract bears, you are unlikely to ever encounter one. You may see bears on the side of the highway, but rarely will you see them near your tent or on a hiking trail.

I don’t know about you, but I am itching to be able to travel again, and with the end of COVID in sight, I am filling my coffee table with travel magazines and my bookshelves with travel guides — it’s time to start planning!

Whether you are dreaming of a one-week escape or a month-long adventure, planning a trip requires more than just buying plane tickets — especially if you want to make the most of your time.

Vacations are looking a little different in 2020, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic grounding flights, closing borders, and shutting down festivals, shops, and tourist sites around the world.

But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still have an amazing staycation right where you live! The key is to think about your staycation like you would your vacation — an escape from the everyday where you are going to explore, have adventures, and experience something new.

Tourism produces a stagging amount of environmental waste and carbon emissions, in fact, according to the United Nations Environment Program, “tourism produces 5 percent of the world's carbon emissions… and contributes to the depletion of natural resources, the degradation of ecosystems, and the proliferation of the waste found from shorelines to trekking trails.” (source)

When faced with these facts, it is easy to feel traveler’s guilt, and even find yourself questioning if you should travel at all.

Which is a good thing.

The only way to make travel sustainable is to make sure that those of us that are doing it are aware of the impact that we are having, and do our best to counter, offset, and reduce our footprint as much as we can.

Did you know that one return flight from New York to Paris produces 1.9 tons of carbon emissions?! According to David Suzuki, a well-known environmentalist, “The total carbon impact of a single flight is so high that avoiding just one trip can be equivalent to going (gasoline) car-free for a year.” (source)

For many of us, it’s been over a year since we got on a plane to embark on an adventure, explore a new city, or wander down mountain trails in a faraway land. COVID literally grounded us, and airlines, all over the world.

With COVID vaccines being distributed around the world, the possibility of traveling again is starting to grow!

No matter your destination, here are a few things that all travelers should keep in mind when it comes to their personal safety.

To embrace the local travel trend, we are pulling together local travel guides for destinations all over the world with content ranging from gorgeous spots you need to check out to things to know to make your trip better.

Whether you are a local planning your staycation, or someone looking for travel inspiration once quarantine rules are lifted, there is sure to be something in these guides to inspire you to explore!