Snuggled along the coast of Hawke’s Bay on New Zealand’s North Island, the small city of Napier owes its current fame to an earthquake that destroyed it. On February 3, 1931, a massive 7.8 earthquake leveled most of the city, killing 258 people in the temblor and the ensuing fires. With its citizens eager to rebuild their city as quickly as possible, construction projects sprouted up all over town in the next few years. Art Deco happened to be the architectural style of choice at that time, and, as there were so many simultaneous projects, the city achieved a uniformity rarely seen in urban environments. Today, after Miami, it’s the best city in the world to appreciate Art Deco architecture and style. Read more about Napier’s best buildings >
A Scandinavian Mansion on the Shore of Lake Tahoe, California
My loop around Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border included everything I expected — beautiful beaches, fiery sunsets, a couple of historic sites, a little gambling, and views of this gorgeous body of water. What I didn’t expect was Vikingsholm, one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the Western Hemisphere, conceived of by a senior citizen widow and created by a Swedish architect. Read more >
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When Spring Springs in the World’s Best Botanic Gardens
Every spring, as we bid winter goodbye, the time comes to terminate our hibernation and return to the outdoor world. One visually invigorating, and very gentle, way to re-acclimate ourselves is to visit a botanic garden. These oases of flora, very often in the heart of concrete urban clusters, can stir your soul, as the annual rebirth begins and plants, birds, animals, and insects get busy once again. Read more about the top five botanic gardens in the world >
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A Taste of Old-World Cuba in New-World Miami
Following President Obama’s recent trip to Cuba, you can rest assured the flood gates of tourism to the largest Caribbean island will open very soon for Americans, and the lines to get in will be fairly long. While you’re waiting your turn, you can do the next-best thing by taking a stroll through Miami’s Little Havana. My hunger for a Cuban meal intensified as I walked along Cuban Memorial Boulevard, with its memorials to the Cuban independence movement and its heroes dotting the verdant meridian, and then along the main drag, Calle Ocho, past Domino Park, where older men gather to play this national pastime; past the Walk of Fame on the sidewalk with stars for famous Latino performers; past abundant cigar shops. Fortunately, I didn’t have to travel very far for what I was yearning for when I found Havana 1957. Read more >
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Feel Like Family Over Dinner at Botticelli in Rapid City, South Dakota
Named for the Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli, this downtown Rapid City eatery received both the Best of the Black Hills Award for Italian restaurants and the Wine Spectator Excellence Award in 2014. Recommended to me by some local cognoscenti, Botticelli has been serving hungry South Dakotans and visitors alike since 1997. And when you’re here, you almost feel like part of la famiglia. Read more >
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The Greatest Story Ever Told on a Crucifix
If you celebrate Easter, then you most likely start your day by preparing a big holiday meal, tearing into a chocolate bunny, watching your children search your home for hidden colored eggs, or putting on your Sunday best — including the obligatory bonnet — for the Easter Mass. The most important day in the Christian calendar brings with it the most powerful image as well: Jesus on a cross. Although it’s His resurrection that Christians celebrate today, it’s this Good Friday image that solidifies what His life and teachings were all about. Since that pivotal day at Golgotha, the Crucifixion has been represented countless times in countless cultures in countless media — paintings, sculptures, stained-glass windows, and more. Read about the world’s top five crucifixes >
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Five Things You’ll Love to Do in Dublin, Ireland
Every March 17, the world is invited to be Irish in honor of St. Patrick, the fifth-century missionary and bishop who brought Christianity to Ireland and reputedly rid the entire island of snakes. Whether you’re celebrating by attending a parade, slow-cooking some corned beef and cabbage, toasting this rich heritage with a shot of Jameson’s Irish whiskey, or simply donning something green, this is the day to appreciate everything the Emerald Isle has to offer. If you’re in Dublin on this holiday, you’ll be lucky to be part of the annual celebrations. But even if you miss it, this lively city offers plenty for the other 364 days of the year. Read more about my top five things to see and do in Dublin >
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Windy Wellington’s Best Buildings
Frequently cited as the world’s breeziest city, the capital of New Zealand is one of the planet’s top draws for windsurfers, sailors, and kite enthusiasts. With an average wind speed of 16.6 miles per hour, the city certainly deserves its blustery reputation. But nothing more than a gentle zephyr greeted me upon my arrival in Wellington, and motionless anemometers characterized my departure a few days later, via ferry across Cook Strait to South Island — one of the world’s most treacherous rides in inclement weather, but also one of the world’s most beautiful on a fair day. Residents swamped pocket parks to enjoy the apparently unusual stillness — a glorious respite that permitted me to easily explore the city and its best architecture without chasing my hat down the street. Read more about my five favorite buildings >
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College Without the Classes: A Trio of Celebrated Sites at UBC Vancouver
Now that I’ve been out of college for some time, going back to a campus has become a joy, a return to a pleasant environment without the stress of studying for a calculus final or writing a term paper on Thomas Hardy. Whether I’m checking out some terrific collegiate architecture in Princeton or stumbling upon ebullient commencement ceremonies at a university in Scotland or Michigan, I’m always up for a good stroll around a campus for an hour or two. But at the University of British Columbia, my campus visit became a full-day event, with three world-class attractions integral to a rewarding vacation in Vancouver. Read more >
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A Home for War Blimps: Tillamook Air Museum, Oregon
Today, the only time you’re likely to see a zeppelin is when it’s hovering over a football game or a parade, advertising Goodyear, for instance, or MetLife. But not that long ago, zeppelins were being touted as the next big thing in travel. A little disaster called the Hindenburg almost single-handedly sent that idea up in smoke. Zeppelins continued to be of great importance to the military, however, and the Tillamook Air Museum in Oregon provides a fascinating look at a massive World War II blimp hangar and what it meant to the defense of the United States during the war. Read more >
Stephen Travels 