Aurora with Milky Way
Open season for aurora hunting

Aurora Borealis in September? “Absolutely,” says Alaska-based photographer Ronn Murray. “Based on my experience and other pretty hard evidence, the equinoxes produce some of the strongest auroras. We get great shows in late September and its a great time to visit Alaska, because the weather hasn’t gotten really cold yet.” Murray began chasing the Northern…

Mansfield Reformatory

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Mansfield to host ‘Shawshank’ reunion this weekend

The town that served as the backdrop for “The Shawshank Redemption” will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its filming this Labor Day weekend. Mansfield, Ohio, and its iconic Ohio State Reformatory, hosted Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, who starred in the 1994 film as convicted murderers. The reunion festivities include events and tours taking place…

Tips for getting by on less in Zürich

Swiss bank accounts, chocolate, timepieces and army knifes. I’m swooning at the quality goods and services that this small country produces. Somehow, within two hours of landing in Zürich, Switzerland, $100 (roughly 87 Swiss Francs) slips effortlessly out of my wallet, but it wasn’t because of a shopping spree. [dropshadowbox align=”left” effect=”lifted-both” width=”188px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff”…

Danube Rising

The normally bustling boat traffic on the Danube River has ground to a halt due to flooding throughout central Europe this week and it could be several more days before things return to normal. In the meantime, both public and private riverboat operations will remain on hold, causing big losses for cruise industry. The Danube…

Stay safe while traveling solo

It was a typical Sunday morning. My husband, Chris, and I sat down to read the newspaper and one headline screamed at us: “U.S. Tourist Killed in Istanbul.” In January, Sarai Sierra, a blossoming photographer, was killed by a blow to the head while traveling alone in Turkey. Her body, tucked into a hidden corner…

Historic documents destroyed by retreating insurgents in Mali

Gone forever are these 12th-century manuscripts from the Centre de Recherches Historiques Ahmed Baba in Timbuktu / Photo by Laura Watilo Blake These delicate pages of text survived for centuries in the dry desert air in Timbuktu, a remote outpost of the Sahara Desert in Mali, which was once a wealthy trading center. Today, the…

Radio show features philanthropic deeds

The Intentional Traveler interview with Far-Flung Travels highlights work with Drink Local Drink Tap in Uganda Canadian Michael McCarthy has been covering the topic of philanthropic travel for nearly 20 years and is currently in the second season of his radio show “The Intentional Traveler.” He says, “we are all ambassadors for our own cultures…