After three days in the captivating capital of Estonia, it was time to escape from the almost inescapable clusters of day-tripping tourists from massive cruise ships who have inadvertently edged Tallinn toward becoming a Disney-esque caricature of itself. So I hit the road with Martin, a local university student majoring in social sciences, for a private look at the Estonia that wasn’t overflowing with medieval-themed restaurants and countless amber shops. Read more >
Tag Archives: nature
Man Meets Montana Moose
When you’re hiking in the woods, you never really know what to expect when you hear something rustling in the trees beside you, especially in Glacier National Park, which teems with wildlife. Is it a cougar, a gray wolf, a grizzly bear? Perhaps it’s just a chipmunk or a pygmy shrew. Maybe it’s only the wind. But when it turns out to be a female moose, and you’re only 20 feet away from it, your little stroll in the forest transcends a mere hike. And when her mate shows up, sporting a full rack of antlers, you become positively giddy — until two crotchety senior citizens show up and ruin the mood. Read more >
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Falling for Iguazú
Deep within South America, in the northeastern arm of Argentina that forces its way between Brazil and Paraguay, Iguazú National Park teems with life. Jaguars, howler monkeys, ocelots, countless birds and more than 2,000 vascular plants thrive in the park’s 212 square miles. But the main draw, by far, is the 275 cascades that compose Iguazú Falls. Wider than Africa’s Victoria Falls and higher than Niagara, Iguazú attracts about one million visitors per year. When I first saw this natural wonder of the world, the adjectives to describe it couldn’t come fast enough: awe-inspiring, beguiling, tremendous, exotic, enchanting. Clearly, I had just arrived at the most beautiful waterfall I’ve ever seen. Read more >
Stephen Travels 