Travel
Discover facts about travel. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Travel
When funhouses were designed to embarrass you
If you stepped into an early twentieth-century fairground, you were paying to be bullied. The primary attractions of early funhouses involved hidden operators…
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In the UAE, swearing in public can get you deported
Dropping an F-bomb because you stubbed your toe in Dubai could result in a surprisingly fast one-way flight home. The UAE possesses incredibly strict public…
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Why New Orleans' French Quarter looks Spanish
In a perfect example of wildly inaccurate historical branding, the iconic wrought iron balconies and colorful facades defining this neighborhood have zero…
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Why Boston's streets seem designed for wandering cows
Forget sensible urban planning; this place was seemingly designed by wandering livestock. Navigating this dense eastern city requires ignoring logic entirely,…
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Canada has a pocket of sand dunes
Despite its reputation as a frozen tundra, the Great White North harbors a tiny pocket of sand dunes in British Columbia. It is completely cut off from…
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Why some windowless hotel rooms have fake windows
Rather than letting you wallow in the subterranean gloom of a windowless box, some establishments install glowing light panels behind curtains to trick your…
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Why flip-flops can get you fined while driving in Spain
Trying to work a clutch pedal while wearing flimsy beach sandals is deemed reckless driving by Spanish police. If you hop in your rental car fresh off the…
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You may not need to check out at a hotel
Standing in line just to hand over a deactivated piece of plastic is an entirely obsolete ritual. Unless you desperately need a physical paper receipt to…
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Giant tourist buses perfectly block the most scenic views
The exact moment you pull out a camera to capture a sweeping valley panorama, a massive, belching diesel coach pulls directly into the frame. These colossal…
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Using a toothpick openly in Italy shows bad manners
Nobody wants a front-row seat to your dental excavation. Wielding a toothpick at the table without covering your mouth with your other hand is considered…
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Why kimchi was once fermented underground
Fermentation requires patience and a total disregard for normal kitchen practices. Historically, South Koreans buried massive earthen pots of salted cabbage…
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Why fast-food menus change when you travel abroad
Walking into a familiar burger joint abroad is a disorienting fever dream. Instead of standard fries and shakes, you are suddenly confronted with localized…
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In Canada, too many pennies can be refused as payment
Emptying a giant jar of copper coins to pay for maple syrup isn't just annoying to the cashier; it's legally rejectable. Canada phased out the penny, but even…
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The tourist attraction where four states meet
There is a specific brand of American tourist willing to drive hundreds of miles into the desolate desert just to place their hands and feet on a brass disc.…
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Why raw oysters may still be alive when served
There is a very fine line between fine dining and casual barbarism. To ensure they are entirely safe to eat, these bivalves must be kept living until the…
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Canada eats more boxed mac and cheese than anywhere
Forget majestic wilderness and moose; the true symbol of the north is powdered neon cheese. Canadians mathematically consume more boxed macaroni and cheese…
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Why McDonald’s arches turn turquoise in Sedona
Even hyper-capitalist mega-corporations must bow to wealthy suburban zoning boards. When McDonald's tried to open a branch in Sedona, Arizona, local officials…
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Japan has a sanctuary where hundreds of foxes roam
Walking into this designated animal sanctuary means being immediately judged by hundreds of bushy-tailed predators. They roam freely around the enclosures,…
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Dopp kits are named after a leather craftsman
Your toiletry bag has a formal name thanks to Charles Doppelt, a German leather-smith who invented the functional little pouches in the 1920s. Now we honor…
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France gets millions of tourists despite its reputation for grumpy locals
If you thought the locals wanted you there, think again. France sees nearly ninety million visitors a year, mostly tourists eager to get scammed near the…
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Why the Galápagos won’t let you bring in outside food
You cannot simply stroll into Darwin's evolutionary playground carrying a half-eaten bag of Doritos. The Galapagos relies on an incredibly fragile, isolated…
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At this restaurant, dinner rolls come flying
At this incredibly famous Missouri culinary staple, polite table service is completely replaced by blunt force trauma. Waiters aggressively lob massive,…
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Fancy hotels charge high daily parking fees
Because storing your car costs as much as storing yourself. Five-star lodgings frequently charge exorbitant daily rates for valet parking lots located miles…
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Why absinthe doesn't make you hallucinate
The green fairy is just highly effective marketing. The infamous spirit does not possess any mystical mind-altering properties; it is merely an incredibly…
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