Travel
Discover facts about travel. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Travel
What those dates on food packaging really mean
Throwing away perfectly good yogurt just because the calendar hit a specific Tuesday is tragic. Most printed dates merely indicate when the manufacturer…
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Dollywood really grinds grain with a giant wooden wheel
Tennessee's heavily celebrated Appalachian theme park violently refuses to use completely fake plastic props for its incredibly famous bakery. They…
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The tiny spoon that launched a souvenir craze
The entire exhaustive collector craze was kickstarted because a wealthy traveler brought back a tiny windmill spoon from Europe, prompting local silversmiths…
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Heathrow has 30 kilometers of hidden baggage tunnels
While you are upstairs paying twenty pounds for a mediocre sandwich, your luggage is experiencing a far more efficient transportation system. Hidden beneath…
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Atlanta’s Varsity serves roughly two miles of chili dogs
Atlanta heavily hosts an aggressively massive fast-food institution that absolutely violently dominates regional ground meat distribution. The highly chaotic…
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Even famous food critics get seated by the kitchen
Mystery shopping means getting zero special treatment. Because restaurant staff have utterly no idea who they are, famous food critics frequently end up…
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No US state has the letter Q
The English alphabet generally works incredibly hard, but the letter Q officially took an extended vacation when they finalized the American map. From Alabama…
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Turn-down service is just someone folding your blanket
Paying extra for this highly touted luxury means an underpaid employee sneaks into your room while you are out, folds one corner of your blanket back, and…
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A golf course sits between Bangkok airport's runways
Nothing relaxes the nerves like a 300-ton Boeing 747 screaming over your head while you try to putt. Built by the Royal Thai Air Force, this 18-hole course…
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In Brazil, pizza can come with condensed milk
If you thought pineapple was a culinary crime, look away now. In Brazil, sweet pizzas are an entirely normal and wildly popular menu item. Instead of tomato…
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Japanese melonpan contains no melon
If you bite into this massive pastry expecting a fruity explosion, you will be deeply disappointed. Melonpan translates to 'melon bread', but the name merely…
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Ship horns are a language of short and long blasts
That deafening blast interrupting your deck nap is actually a highly coordinated maritime language. Different patterns of short and long honks instantly tell…
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Why Sriracha can taste different abroad
The famous red sauce served overseas tastes absolutely nothing like the iconic rooster bottle you know. Due to complicated trademark disputes and varying…
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Why whitewater rafts are designed to bend
You would desperately want a sturdy, solid boat when crashing through violently angry river rapids, but rigid hulls just completely shatter against the rocks.…
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The jungle maze of concrete stairs leading nowhere
When an eccentric aristocrat decides to build a fantasy world, logic goes completely out the window. Deep within a dense tropical forest, visitors can wander…
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Why ordering tap water can be awkward in Europe
Nothing says vacation quite like paying for something that falls freely from the sky. Across much of the continent, requesting a simple glass of tap water is…
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Backpacking through Europe exploded after global conflicts
Wandering around with nothing but a canvas sack wasn't a leisure activity until the mid twentieth century. Massive surpluses of cheap military gear suddenly…
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Why snow sometimes falls in the Sahara
The Sahara is universally recognized as a brutal, blistering ocean of sand where water goes to die, but atmospheric conditions enjoy being deeply ironic. Due…
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Why ketchup tastes sweeter in some countries
Basic tomato sauce is heavily infused with extra sugar specifically to cater to vastly different international palates. Global food giants completely alter…
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Why Interpol agents carry black booklets
Interpol officers get to skip the standard red or blue booklets in favor of an intimidating black document. Designed to bypass standard visa requirements, it…
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Why Finns leave an empty bench between strangers
If there are five open benches and you choose to sit directly beside the only other human in the room, you are basically a sociopath. Personal space in…
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The Pentagon once had separate bathrooms by race
A dark relic of historical segregation is permanently baked into the blueprints of this massive defense headquarters. Constructed during an era of strict…
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Why the bottom bunk feels like a prize
Claiming the lower mattress is the ultimate victory for any budget traveler. It completely eliminates the terrifying nightly climb up a shaky metal ladder in…
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Where glaciers meet New Zealand's greenery
Instead of staying politely up at high elevations, these massive rivers of ice ruthlessly carve their way straight into humid coastal zones. It is a…
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