Travel
Discover facts about travel. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Travel
What those dates on food packaging really mean
Most dates on food packages are quality guides, not a precise moment when the food becomes unsafe. They generally indicate how long the manufacturer expects…
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Dollywood really grinds grain with a giant wooden wheel
The flour goes into Dollywood’s famous cinnamon bread, baked on site.
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Salem turned its witch history into a silver souvenir spoon
Late-nineteenth-century spoons sold by Daniel Low & Co. carried a witch motif and the town's name. A small object could therefore advertise a destination and…
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Heathrow has 30 kilometers of hidden baggage tunnels
Beneath Heathrow Terminal 5, an automated baggage system runs through 30 kilometers of tunnels, with robotic carts traveling up to 20 miles per hour.
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An Atlanta drive-in measured its hot-dog sales in miles
The Varsity's celebrated scale was described as about two miles of hot dogs a day, alongside hundreds of gallons of chili. The point wasn't one enormous…
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A food critic's anonymity can be part of the test
If staff recognize a reviewer, the service and attention may differ from an ordinary diner's experience. Staying unnoticed helps the critic see what other…
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No US state has the letter Q
Every other letter of the alphabet appears in at least one state name.
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Turn-down service is just someone folding your blanket
A hotel attendant typically folds back one corner of the blanket while you're out, a small ritual meant to make the room feel ready for bedtime.
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A golf course sits between Bangkok airport's runways
Golfers must pass through airport security to reach the course, and a red warning light tells them to stop swinging when aircraft are nearby.
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In Brazil, pizza can come with condensed milk
Brazilian pizzerias serve dessert pizzas topped with sweetened condensed milk, chocolate, or fruit instead of tomato sauce.
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Melonpan can look like a melon without tasting like one
The familiar Japanese sweet bun wears a scored cookie layer resembling a melon rind. That resemblance is a common explanation for the name, even when the…
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Ship horns are a language of short and long blasts
Short and long blasts form a maritime language: different patterns can tell nearby vessels that a ship is reversing, turning to starboard, or warning of a…
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Sriracha is a sauce style, not just one rooster bottle
The name comes from Si Racha in Thailand, while the widely recognized Huy Fong version developed its own recipe and following in the United States. Other…
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Why whitewater rafts are designed to bend
Their inflatable hulls flex and bounce off rocks instead of cracking like a rigid boat, helping the raft survive rough rapids.
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An English poet built impossible-looking stairways in the Mexican jungle
Edward James created Las Pozas near Xilitla, commissioning concrete towers, columns, and staircases among dense vegetation. Plants and Surrealist art helped…
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Why ordering tap water can be awkward in Europe
In some European restaurants, bottled water is the norm, and tap water may not be offered unless you ask. Check whether a glass of tap water is available…
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Backpacking through Europe exploded after global conflicts
After global conflicts left cheap military gear in surplus, broke students could travel across Europe with little more than a canvas sack.
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Why snow sometimes falls in the Sahara
When temperatures dip low enough, even the Sahara can get snow: the Algerian town of Ain Sefra has been blanketed several times in recent years.
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Why ketchup tastes sweeter in some countries
Some ketchup recipes contain more sugar to suit local tastes, so the same condiment can taste noticeably sweeter from one country to another.
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INTERPOL has a travel document, not a border-crossing superpower
Its travel documents help eligible personnel undertake official international missions. Recognition and entry arrangements still depend on the receiving…
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Why Finns leave an empty bench between strangers
Personal space is highly valued in Finland, so people may choose a bench well away from a stranger when other seats are open.
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The Pentagon's builders planned segregated bathrooms—but Roosevelt rejected segregation
Virginia's segregation rules shaped plans for separate facilities during construction. Federal control of the site and President Roosevelt's intervention…
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Why the bottom bunk feels like a prize
The lower bunk saves you from climbing a shaky ladder in the dark. The upper bunk can leave little room to sit up and the risk of falling out.
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New Zealand puts glaciers within reach of rainforest
On the South Island's wet western side, heavy mountain snowfall feeds glaciers above temperate rainforest. The ice flows down from cold elevations toward a…
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