The Rio Samba Parade isn’t your run-of-the-mill Carnival celebration. Although, it did begin as a festival with people singing and dancing through the streets. Despite Carnival’s humble roots, these parades morphed into a spectacular, over-the-top competition between samba schools, which are social clubs within neighborhoods.
Sugar Loaf Mountain is just something you do when you visit Rio, but it’s not for the faint of heart. Nearly 1,300 feet above the ocean lies this giant mound of granite and quartz, apply named for its resemblance to the traditional mound shape of refined sugar.
I arrived into Rio around lunch, and by the afternoon, I was standing at Jesus’ feet. I mentally scratched #4 off my bucket list.
I’ll be the first to sing the virtues of Austin, Texas. It’s a cool place with its mix of hippies, techies, politicians, and co-eds. “Keep Austin Weird” is not just the city’s slogan; it’s a way of life. I lived in Austin for four years and plan on moving back one day. I love South [...]
When you go to Rome there are just certain things that you do: visit the Colosseum, see the Sistine Chapel, throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, and climb the Spanish Steps. And if you’re lucky enough to be in Rome on a Wednesday, you can hang out with pope like I did.
When I got off the Interislander ferry in Picton, my first time in New Zealand’s South Island, I knew where I was headed. Oh, I wandered around Picton for a bit, but none of its cute cafes or coffee shops deterred me from getting to Havelock for lunch. What’s in Havelock, you ask? Well, Havelock [...]
I’m beyond honored to welcome professional writer and photographer, Frank DiCesare to my little ‘ol blog. His work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler’s Intelligent Travel blog, The Boston Globe, Smithsonianmag.com, The Patriot Ledger, Acadiana Profile, Northeastern University Magazine, and Rhode Island Monthly. Most recently, Frank was published in the 2012 January/February issue of National Geographic Traveler, where [...]