As someone who has visited over 100 countries, I highly recommend taking a week-long windjammer cruise off the coast of Maine.
My wife and I have done this four times, the first trip around 30 years ago. It’s always a delightful experience, though it bears no resemblance to a traditional cruise. (The word “cruise” evokes certain experiences to seasoned travelers, but anyone expecting anything remotely similar to that will be disappointed.)
While West Virginia (WV) conjured up grimy coal mines, a spontaneous car trip there in October 2016 showed us the opposite: warm, welcoming locals, lively music, creative craft shops, amazing scenery and even a famous luxury resort.
Photographed during a January 2013 cruise up the Mekong River, the Independence Monument (the structure seen in our February mystery photo) stands in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. An Angkorian-style tower, it was erected in 1958 and commemorates the country's independence from France five years earlier.
Dear Globetrotter:
Welcome to the 541st issue of your monthly worldwide travel magazine, “yours” because it is largely comprised of letters, articles and photographs submitted by you and your fellow subscribers.
Along its banks, Henry VIII honeymooned. Grand abbeys were built and destroyed. Kings were crowned and queens beheaded. “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Wind in the Willows” were written. The Magna Carta was signed. Enduring landscapes were painted, world-class gardens were established, and over-the-top palaces were built. If not for the Thames, there would be no London.
On foot I traced it all, following a route that looked like a strand of yarn thrown to the wind — 184 miles of twists and squiggles.
The plan
"My wife, Eileen, and I left Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 12, 2020, flying to Quito, Ecuador, via Miami to join a cruise to the Galápagos Islands ... .
"Upon arriving in Quito, and because of COVID-19, passengers were greeted by airport staff in full hazmat suits checking our temperature and handing out health questionnaires, all before we entered the country."
(excerpt from John Leach's letter)
"He took us on a short tour of the Rathaus, including a chamber in which both President Kennedy and Queen Elizabeth II had once spoken.
"Imagine our delight when we then found ourselves climbing a ladder up into the tower. With the rain falling just outside the turret walls, we reached the control panel for the Glockenspiel. The man then pulled a couple of tubes ... and started the carousel."
(excerpt from from Bruce Morrissey's letter)
For me, Mexico is inextricably linked to its pyramids. Yes, there are colonial-era churches to visit, plenty of them, plus markets full of color and activity, miles of beaches, fiestas throughout the year and — let’s not forget — the fabulous food. But it’s the archaeological sites that keep drawing me back.
Mexico is rich in archaeological sites, many of which boast pyramids built by Mexico’s great Mesoamerican civilizations, including the Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Toltec and Aztec.
We invite readers to keep sending in your valued travel tips (125-word limit or close) related to anything that enhances the travel experience while actually traveling. Here are the latest (each followed by my own comments).
Marcia Bansley (Atlanta, GA) — Here are some tips I can offer.
• I always use a travel agent to set up my trips and Delta Vacations (800/800-1504, www.delta.com/us/en/delta-vacations), when possible, for good deals on hotels.
