Every year millions of people pack their suitcases and depart for some sunny destination intent on taking a break from the stresses and strains of modern life. Most of us are happy to recharge the batteries spending a few days lounging on the beach or by the pool at a resort hotel. And then, there are those who crave variety and like nothing better than coming back home with tales of having stayed somewhere just that little bit different [Spiegel]

Some of the best moments traveling are spent connecting with local people. When you are feeling adventurous and willing to delve deeper into the world around you, there are six essential things to have in your bag that can help break the ice and make an introduction.

This is way better than just going to 800 museums…which is pretty much what many people do in Europe.. A person can only look at so many paintings

An intellectual pub crawl in Dublin, learning to sail in Greece, cook in Sicily, or do a wine tasting course in France. Check out these cool trips that will make you smarter!

Andrew over at Airsick was over at Dulles International airport and he spotted a United Airlines plane that had two different color schemes.

Is United running out of replacement parts?

The San Alfonso del Mar is a 1,013 meter, 19-acre pool on the central coast of Chile. It holds 66 million gallons of filtered sea-water and even has a 115-foot deep end.

Kind of seems more like a lake no?

Reader’s Digest has come up with a great list of ways for us to enjoy our flights more.

Here’s the first tip:  “Fly early in the day. At airports scheduled to capacity, any delay in the morning means there will be at least that much of a delay for every flight thereafter”

Check out the remaining 12

From Concierge:

“The Parthenon. The Taj Mahal. Hagia Sophia. The Hotel Marqués De Riscal? At no other point in history have there been so many great buildings worth the trip. This year’s marvels include the Le Corbusier–designed Church of St-Pierre in Firminy-Vert, France (finally realized forty-one years after the architect’s death); the thrillingly off-kilter extension to the Denver Art Museum, by the controversial Daniel Libeskind; and of course Frank Gehry’s latest project, the Hotel Marqués De Riscal in Elciego, Spain, its frame writhing with the architect’s signature titanium ribbons. These are buildings ahead of their time…and, who knows, perhaps timeless as well”

Check out these 5 wonders

I just came across an amazing site called “Notes from the Road” and in it contains fantastic stories about places that people have been and the history behind these destinations.

One that particularly caught my eye was a piece on the West Indies.

It began like this:  “I am on a boat, tied to a dock in a bay on the tiny island of Great Guana Cay in the Northern Bahamas.  Troy Albury is untying lines and points out a Caribbean reef squid taking shelter under the dock.”

Read the rest and see some amazing photos too 

When you put Sedona at the top of this list then I have to agree!  Sedona is far and away my favorite place in the US so I’m a little biased here.

But check out another 9 of CNN’s picks for their top ten smart vacations.

How would you like to live in that house?  Hell of a view huh?  Check out these pictures and a great history lesson on Meteora, Greece.

The Greek word Meteora means “suspended in the air”, and our words meteorite and meteorology come from the same root. The conglomerate rock at Meteora, Greece, has eroded into fantastic peaks upon which medieval monks built monasteries, several of which are still active.

You’ll have to click the link above to read the rest!