Travel
Discover facts about travel. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Travel
Independence Hall operated entirely as a local courthouse
Before it became a symbol of American independence, the building served as a local courthouse, hosting ordinary disputes and public trials.
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The hotel waffle maker is a breakfast trap
Batter can overflow from a heavily used waffle iron, leaving you to wait awkwardly while a line forms behind you. The result may be burnt outside and raw…
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Walking across America requires five million steps
The trip would also put serious wear on your shoes.
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The ocean around Antarctica got its own name recently
The waters around Antarctica were once treated as extensions of other ocean basins. Cartographers drew a boundary around them to define the Southern Ocean as…
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Sintra has a spiral well built for people, not water
Quinta da Regaleira's Initiation Well is a deep shaft with a staircase winding around its walls and passages below. Visitors descend through an architectural…
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Why tipping in Japan can send staff after you
Tipping isn't customary in Japan, where good service is considered part of the job. Staff may assume cash left behind is forgotten change and run after you to…
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German bread can be dense enough to hurt
Some traditional German loaves are packed with seeds, grains, and dark flour, making them so dense they can feel more like a small weight than a fluffy slice.
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Why the Parthenon's columns aren't truly straight
The columns bulge slightly in the middle to counter the way straight lines can look curved from far away.
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Why durian is banned on Singapore transit
Singapore bans durian on public transit because its pungent smell can linger in enclosed, air-conditioned train cars.
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In Greece, an outstretched palm can be an insult
The moutza is a palm thrust toward someone with the fingers spread. Direction and intent matter: this is a confrontational gesture, not a rule that every wave…
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A cruise ship anchor can destroy a coral reef
A modern cruise ship anchor can weigh up to 30,000 pounds, and its heavy chain can drag across the seafloor, damaging fragile coral.
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Tampa has 4.5 miles of continuous waterfront sidewalk
Bayshore Boulevard's broad path follows the bay, with open water on one side and historic neighborhoods nearby. Its unusual length lets a city walk unfold…
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Great Artesian Basin is an enormous underground reservoir
The basin holds an enormous volume of water beneath Australia's arid interior—a hidden reservoir under some of the country's driest terrain.
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How photos make crowded places look untouched
A low angle and tight crop can hide the parking lot behind a scenic subject, making a crowded spot look like untouched wilderness.
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Thailand can jail tourists for vaping
Thailand banned the import and use of e-cigarettes in 2014, so tourists caught with a vape can face confiscation, heavy fines, or prison.
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A hotel-room study found a surprising hotspot: the remote
Researchers surveying hotel surfaces found television remotes and bedside switches among those with high bacterial contamination. Frequently touched objects…
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Denied entry remains on your permanent record
A refusal may be recorded and can come up on later visa applications, which may ask whether you have ever been denied entry.
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The catacombs holding six million skeletons
The exhumed bones are stacked in a vast underground labyrinth, turning the catacombs into a stark contrast with the city above.
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Tree frogs leap massive distances at once
Some tree frogs can leap more than 50 times their body length, using elastic leg muscles to launch through the canopy.
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Carmel has a permit rule for unusually high, narrow heels
The California city's ordinance targets heels over two inches high with less than one square inch of contact area. Its concern is the risk of injury on…
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Why Bangkok street food may be safer than a hotel buffet
Busy street carts may cook ingredients soon after preparing them because they serve many customers quickly, while food on a buffet can sit lukewarm for hours.
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Roman baths were far dirtier than they look
Roman bathwater could be far less pristine than the luxurious setting suggests: shared pools collected dirt and oil washed off by bathers.
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Why sniffing your food can be insulting in India
In some Indian dining settings, putting your nose close to a dish to smell it can suggest you suspect the food is spoiled or poisoned. The gesture may read as…
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Water flumes began as logging tools
Nineteenth-century loggers sent timber down mountains in wooden troughs—the same basic idea behind modern flume rides.
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