Mountain City's Travel Blog

If you love the sounds of sails snapping in the tropical breeze, St. Maarten stands out with two iconic ways to discover your inner sailor: the largest regatta in the Caribbean, and the year-round, hands-on 12-Metre Challenge racing experience even landlubbers can win – and which has been voted the #1 shore excursion in the Caribbean for 15 years! At just...

Every year, “travel more” is in the mix of resolutions. But what travel resolutions can get you from dreaming of a trip… into the beauty and benefits of real travel experiences? Surveys consistently show that nearly two-thirds of Americans leave a third of their vacation time unused, and a quarter of workers don’t take any time off at all! That’s despite mounting...

It’s official: ‘FOMO’ is out. And ‘JOMO’ is in. After years of racing through “bucket lists,” something quieter is reshaping travel. We’re no longer chasing the Fear of Missing Out on travel experiences. Instead, we’re discovering the Joy of Missing Out — and we’re not alone. According to a recent survey for Norwegian Cruise Line, over 70% of travelers are moving...

For the first time, a country’s entire cuisine has been recognized as part of the “Intangible Cultural Heritage” of humanity. It was an astonishing moment at the announcement of UNESCO’s 2025 listings that annually celebrate living cultural traditions – and highlight them for support to ensure they remain alive. You may be most familiar with UNESCO World Heritage sites: famous monuments...

Visitors are crucial to local communities as they recover following October’s Hurricane Melissa, the strongest ever recorded storm to hit the country, with devastating results. The focus now is rebuilding Jamaica’s tourism-based economy and getting people back to work. That’s where we come in. Jamaica is back open for business this winter. So you can plan a tropical, Caribbean escape to the...

Christmas has traveled around the world – and along the way, it’s picked up local flavors, traditions and folklore. You may have traveled to sip gluhwein at Germany’s Christmas markets, attend midnight Mass at the Vatican, or even been to Bethlehem at Christmas, but you haven’t really experienced Christmas as a global phenomenon until you’ve explored some of the twists...

Rekindle your love of Christmas traveling to the official – yes, official! - European Christmas capital. Each year, the Christmas Cities Network, with support from the European Parliament, designates a different European Christmas capital, recognizing how that destination brings the local essence of the celebration to life for residents and visitors. In 2025, the European Christmas Capital is Vilnius, the capital city...

“Bigger and bolder than anything” Royal Caribbean has done yet. That’s how the cruise line is describing Perfect Day Mexico, with never-seen-before attractions. Plus, Royal Caribbean has revealed more destination experiences on the way as it doubles down on Perfect Day and Royal Beach Club private island and beach resort cruise destinations. They’ll let cruise vacationers experience the best of Royal...

Over 150,000 hatchlings of endangered loggerhead sea turtles were released during the latest nesting season from hatcheries in the Atlantic archipelago of Cape Verde, including one in front of RIU’s hotels. What’s more, local eco organizations also reported successes in helping mitigate the negative effects of climate change on the critical turtle population. The country of Cape Verde (also called Cabo...

Disney fans collecting theme park visits will soon have a new and spectacular destination to compare cherished characters, memorable experiences and new thrills. The Walt Disney company has announced plans for its 7th park. The uniquely waterfront resort will be located on an island in futuristic Abu Dhabi. The Yas Island Disney park will combine Disney’s iconic stories, characters and attractions...

On August 12, 2026, we are in for a rare and remarkable celestial event – a total solar eclipse - and a cruise may be the best place for you to experience it. This will be the first total solar eclipse visible from Europe this millennium!  When you combine an extraordinary natural spectacle that may be best viewed at sea,...

Scotland’s so-called ‘Second City’ takes center stage in 2025 as it celebrates its 850th birthday. If you’ve only been to Edinburgh, it’s time to put Glasgow on the top of your Scottish travel list and discover its history and the thriving, vivid, cultural hub of modern Scotland on the River Clyde that’s even a UNESCO City of Music. Far bigger than...

St. Patrick’s Day may be the day when we are all just a little bit Irish, but anytime we visit Ireland, we can bring home a little bit of Ireland – for our own memories, or to share an Irish blessing with our friends and loved ones. The Emerald Isle is known for its vivid landscapes, love of life and literature,...

For nearly a quarter century, it’s been the premiere open water swimming event of the Caribbean. And again this March, swimmers from around the world challenge themselves on the Nevis to St. Kitts Cross Channel Swim – the only channel swim in the Caribbean. The 2.5-mile expanse of scenic water of the “Narrows” strait between the sister islands might not represent the...

What’s better than a mid-winter getaway? The chance to test-drive a new resort before any of your friends, or try a new, tropical destination. Ask us about your best options for escaping to any of these three new resorts, in three favorite Caribbean locales - with three very different beach vacation styles! And the best part? All three belong to resort...

Travelers are looking for more than sun and sand from their all-inclusive vacations – and Sandals and Beaches Resorts has its finger on the pulse of your island holiday fantasies. Their parent company, Sandals Resorts International, has revealed the most in-demand practices and innovations that are transforming Caribbean vacations – and where they’re already being implemented in resorts you can...

It feels like we could all use some good news right now – and luckily, this year, travel has provided us with lots of reasons to feel hopeful and uplifted and that doing something we love – travel – can also be doing something good. The world of travel is showing us that not only can travel be good for...

Queenstown, New Zealand, is once again pioneering an exciting new travel trend. It’s already on the map for global travelers as the birthplace and “Home of Bungee Jumping” and the “Adventure Capital of the World.” Now, Queenstown is at the leading edge of finding ways to continue to offer its signature, adrenaline – and power–fueled – outdoor activities to the...

Restored to its former glory and beyond, Notre Dame de Paris has risen from the ashes of a 2019 fire that many feared meant the end of an era for one of the most joyous historic cathedrals in Europe. The December 7, 2024 reopening ceremony and resumption of Masses felt like a Christmas gift to the world, not just for...

December 7, 1941, is remembered annually for the attack on Hawai’i’s Pearl Harbor that drew the USA into World War 2. But September 2, 1945, is just as important in American history. That date in 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, with the formal Japanese surrender ceremony aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Two moving...