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This Maine lighthouse marks where America begins in February fog

This Maine lighthouse marks where America begins in February fog

The ferry from Eastport pulls into Lubec at 6:15am. Fog sits thick over the wharf. Three fishing boats idle at the dock, engines rumbling low. The smell hits first: salt, diesel, wet rope. This is the easternmost town in the contiguous United States, population 1,200, and it feels like the edge of something older than … Lire plus

8 Caribbean islands feel like luxury resorts but cost $120 a night

8 Caribbean islands feel like luxury resorts but cost 0 a night

St. Barts averages $600 per night. Maldives resorts demand $400 seaplane transfers before you see your room. Bora Bora charges luxury prices for overwater bungalows that look identical in every Instagram post. Eight Caribbean and near-Caribbean islands deliver the same turquoise water, boutique hotels, and empty beaches for $80 to $250 per night in February … Lire plus

5 Greek islands feel like Santorini but cost $70 a night

5 Greek islands feel like Santorini but cost  a night

Santorini’s whitewashed villages and blue-domed churches pull 3 million visitors annually. Hotels average $350 per night in summer. The caldera views come with shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and $25 Greek salads. But five Greek islands deliver the same Cycladic aesthetic at half the cost. White cubic houses cascade down hillsides. Azure water laps empty beaches. Tavernas serve … Lire plus

This Death Valley slot forces you to crawl in darkness at noon

This Death Valley slot forces you to crawl in darkness at noon

The parking lot sits empty at 7am. Gravel crunches under boots. Badwater Road stretches south for 31 miles from Furnace Creek, past the salt flats, past the tourists taking selfies at the lowest point sign. At mile marker 31.2, a worn track cuts east toward the Black Mountains. No sign marks it. Most drivers pass … Lire plus

This Provence village keeps a 900-year hexagonal tower for 550 residents

This Provence village keeps a 900-year hexagonal tower for 550 residents

The hexagonal stone tower rises from lavender fields 40 miles north of Marseille. Most travelers speed past on the A51 toward more famous Provence villages. The 550 residents of Simiane-la-Rotonde prefer it that way. Their 12th-century rotunda keep, one of France’s rarest circular donjons, sits quietly on a hilltop where medieval ramparts still encircle cobblestone … Lire plus

Forget Ávila where hotels cost $140 and Marvão keeps castle walls for $50

Forget Ávila where hotels cost 0 and Marvão keeps castle walls for

“`html Ávila’s medieval walls draw half a million visitors annually who pay $14 to walk ramparts booked weeks ahead. Hotels charge $140-$350 per night. Tour buses from Madrid arrive by 10am, filling cobbled streets until dusk. Ninety-three kilometers east, Marvão sits at 2,820 feet on a granite ridge where 350 residents guard whitewashed lanes that … Lire plus

6 ways to swim 70°F springs where Tarzan filmed for under $50

6 ways to swim 70°F springs where Tarzan filmed for under

Wakulla Springs sits 18 miles south of Tallahassee where 1.2 billion gallons of 70°F water surge daily from ancient limestone caves. Park entry costs $6. Two boat tours run $16 total. Swimming is free. The 1937 lodge charges $150-250 per night. You spend a full day here for under $50 and see what Hollywood filmed … Lire plus

This Utah wash glows gold for 30 minutes when winter light cuts through at 8am

This Utah wash glows gold for 30 minutes when winter light cuts through at 8am

The Hartnet Road drops 400 feet in two miles. High-clearance vehicles crawl down switchbacks where mud turns to dust by mid-morning. At the bottom, Capitol Reef’s Cathedral Valley opens wide and empty. Most visitors never make it here. Upper Cathedral Wash cuts through orange Entrada sandstone 28 miles from Highway 24. Winter mornings between December … Lire plus

This Caribbean island shows 7 colors of water from a volcanic peak

This Caribbean island shows 7 colors of water from a volcanic peak

San Andrés gets a million visitors a year. Twenty minutes away by plane, Providencia sees maybe 50,000. Same archipelago, same turquoise water, completely different world. The difference shows at dawn when you climb El Pico and watch seven distinct shades of blue appear as the sun hits the reef. The island measures 17 square kilometers. … Lire plus

This Vermont gorge hides a swaying bridge 30 feet above swimming pools

This Vermont gorge hides a swaying bridge 30 feet above swimming pools

“`html The suspension bridge sways 30 feet above Mill River. February snow dusts white marble cliffs and purple basalt columns. Most Vermont gorges hide behind ski resorts charging $274 for lift tickets. This one costs nothing and sits 0.2 miles from free parking. Clarendon Gorge marks where the Appalachian Trail crosses Mill River in Rutland … Lire plus