New stories added this month:

Destinations

Golfing and Exploring Wales: Beautiful Castles and Courses
Nigel the van driver summed up Wales pretty much the way many Welsh did, “God apprenticed making England, but he perfected building Wales”. There is a great sense of Welsh pride on the rise and with great reason.    Wales is the original homeland of the King Arthur and Merlin legends. Don't tell them that in Cornwall!  St. Patrick was Welsh even though they don't tell you that in Ireland. Continue story...



Isle Royale: Michigan's Secret Island
In the far northern reaches of Michigan lies a pristine island practically untouched by human life. It remains a virtual secret, so far off the beaten path that some lifelong Michigan residents have never even heard of it.This piece of land is known as Isle Royale, and in 1946, it was designated a National Park. 45 miles long and 9 miles wide, Isle Royale is located 55 miles north of Michigan 's Keewanaw Peninsula and 22 miles south of Thunder Bay, Ontario: right smack in the middle of Lake Superior. To get to Isle Royale is an experience in itself. First, you have to drive north to Copper Harbor, the northernmost point of the Keewanaw Peninsula. Continue story...

The Smithsonian Museums: A Different Side of Washington DC
They are open 364 days a year and everyone has a standing invitation to visit anytime. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex with 16 museums and galleries, plus the National Zoo.   While the impressive monuments, touching memorials, and government buildings are major Washington D.C. attractions, there is also so much to see in the Smithsonian Museums, located on the National Mall. Continue story...

The Natural Beauty of Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a popular destination for sea and ski holidays. But the country has also other charming places yet to be discovered. These are the numerous mountains, plains, rivers, villages and many more. Here you can practice many outdoor activities. Among the well developed are trekking and hiking, horse back riding, bird watching, etc. Other practiced activities are: caving, paragliding, mountain-biking, rafting and kayaking, photography tours, botany, etc.  The unique geographical location of Bulgaria provides possibilities for all year round adventure activities. There are 4 snowy months, a mild and green spring when many flowers blossom, a hot summer with less rain and a colorful autumn.
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features
Bedouin Woman Takes The Leftovers
He said good-bye to the barber, nodded to the man with silver hair in his chair getting a trim, reconnecting with wisdom and daily affirmations and passed an old man smoking his Cuban cigar in a shaft of sunlight.

Well-heeled fashionable Cadiz women with and without their children in wheeled prams shoveling sweets into their mouths paraded past the Iglesia de San Juan de Dios. With its splendid wide inlaid stones, lined with palms, the edifice is flanked by cafes with ‘Novelty’ metal chairs holding tired tourists and relaxed natives smoking, drinking coffee, talking in multiple tongues, eating soft hot pastries, studying creased paper maps. Continue story

Read our previous newsletters, these are a cross section of new articles on destinations around the world.

Travel Books
GoNOMAD Book Excerpt: Europe From a Backpack
Mark Pearson and Martin Westerman put together a collection of stories from college-aged travelers who traveled throughout Europe . The results are tales of mishaps, woes, and pleasant surprises, fit into 371 pages of unexpected adventure. Where there is youthful travelers there are spontaneous experiences, which make for some interesting situations. Most stories celebrate the risk taking nature of these youths and the fly-by-night attitude that they encompass. Tales include a girl who used her friend's Eurail pass which got her in trouble with Austrian officials, a traveler looking to save some money compromises by staying in the dangerous city of Belfast , and an American working for food in Paris.
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Alternatives
Amigos in Oaxaca: A Life Changing Experience
For about two years my mom could not use her hands or arms at all. She was diagnosed with an acute case of Fibro Mialgia and many other crippling conditions. She could not cook, drive, clean, work or do anything my whole family had relied on her for so a lot of responsibility was put on me.
Since 1965, Amigos de las Americas has selected and prepared high-school and college-aged students to volunteer in Latin America in a culturally sensitive manner. AMIGOS provides students an opportunity to experience hands-on cross cultural understanding and leadership by means of living with host families in rural communities or underserved semi-urban neighborhoods and volunteering as public health, education and community development workers.    Continue story...

Tours

Fraser Island, Australia by 4x4: Bonding by Moonlight
Fraser Island is the largest all-sand island in the world. This stunning paradise, which is located just off Australia 's eastern coast, possesses tropical terrain at its best. Lush rainforest surrounds freshwater lakes, shallow creeks, rolling sand dunes, champagne lagoons, and endless beaches. Dingoes roam the rugged wilderness while sharks, stingrays, whales, and dolphins can be spotted offshore from the island's many fine vantage points. Dorothy and I tend to prefer independent travel. I often find tour groups slightly annoying, a bit intrusive, and too well-organized for my liking. That said, it is often very difficult to strike out on an independent wilderness excursion while traveling. Sure, it can be done, but it requires the right gear, preparation, and experience. Continue story...

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