A gateway to Washington D.C. to the north, Virginia Beach to the east, and touching the James and Elizabeth Rivers, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean, Norfolk draws visitors and residents from around the country – and the world. The culinary scene is equally eclectic. While you can catch the occasional chain, more often street corners are home to mom and pop diners, chef-driven hotspots, and unique food finds from Turkish to Creole, Jamaican to European.
 

Ashley Swinton is an explorer. She’s also a photographer with a great eye and a penchant for sharing her adventures on instagram (@wildfrolicker), where quite a number of people have started to take notice. From her origins on an island off the west coast of Canada, to wanderings around Iceland, Scandinavia, and now trekking around the Rockies, she manages to connect and ground us to the greater world in an intimate and personal way. It’s our pleasure this month to introduce you to the work and words of Ashley Swinton.

Although London has many attractions, one of the most memorable for me was several of the guided walking tours I went on during my time in London. I went on four of many that are offered. I’ve put together some information about the walking tours to give you some insight into how they work and what to expect. You have the opportunity to see and learn interesting facts, while getting some great exercise and seeing parts of London you may have not seen otherwise. 

Music is a collaborative art and a solitary one -- solitary at times in creation and at practice and study, collaborative with listeners, other players and singers, and at times, with musicians who are also partners in life. From the landscapes and traditions of Cape Breton, Ontario, Texas, Ireland, and Boston, among other places, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis, and Matt and Shannon Heaton draw their stories told in word and melody...

San Antonio is a city that never sleeps. Hordes of tourists, cameras at the ready, vie for space on noisy, downtown sidewalks near the busy River Walk. Visitors snap photos in front of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks, or along a string of souvenir shops. 

Across the street at the Alamo Plaza, another throng mills around the San Antonio de Valero mission entrance. More intent on proving they saw a historic site, these tourists shoot selfies in front of “The Alamo,” the best known Texas landmark.

Recently, articles have been popping up about whether you should vacation with your extended family, and the answer is a big, fat YES! Whether your family is close and already does it, or you barely know your cousins and think of them as strangers. You should vacation with your extended family, because something special happens when you do.

A Note from ChristaD, Education and the Rainforest Editor:  
This post was written by Kailini C., a high school student from the Gunston School in Maryland.  Kailani is a participant in the 2015 Amazon Workshops Student Field Reporter Project which enlisted the help of several students to share their 2015 Amazon experiences with us. Over the coming months, the Education and the Rainforest posts will feature Kailani's words, photos, and reflections – giving you a student's perspective on travel to the Amazon and its educational impact!  
 

Roasted Crispy Cricket Tacos and Plantain Empanadas share the menu with traditional Jalisco favorites like Corn Sopes, Beef Barbacoa, and Cochinita Pibil. Such is the assortment of inventive dishes that have become the trademark of El Arrayán restaurant.

The mission of Putumayo World Music is defined in its tagline: music guaranteed to make you feel good. Putumayo founder Dan Storper and ethnomusicologist Jacob Edgar search the world for music from varied cultures to meet this idea.