Anastasia (Stasha) Healy

It may be the biggest tourist attraction you’ve never heard of—but it's about to sweep the nation.

How did a 5,000-person rural Vermont town become a famous center for artisanal food and drink? Waterbury seemed to appear on the map in 1986 when two guys named Ben and Jerry expanded their ice cream factory from Burlington to Route 100 in Waterbury. The sweet-toothed pilgrims it attracts now fuel a local industry of gourmet goods. Over the years, a cider mill, barbecue restaurant, and tasting centers for locally made cheese, coffee, chocolate, and spirits have popped up in this Green Mountai...

A story about unexpected attractions including a to-scale replica of the Parthenon in Nashville and mermaids in Denver.

Locals will never understand why Connecticut has a reputation as a drive-by state. We have miles of pristine coastline, world-class museums, destination-worthy architecture, exceptional seafood, and lots and lots of fascinating history. More than 100 craft breweries invite taste tests, antiques and collectibles stores reward the hunt, and glittering casinos draw guests with way more than slots.

All about Earth's newly designated Southern Ocean

A priority for many families now is getting everyone (not just the kids!) off their devices and reconnected with relatives and friends. Venturing out in the wild for some much-needed adventure is the perfect way to reunite small groups safely in wide-open spaces. With a mix of new daily discoveries, incredible wildlife, undersea wonders, and activities for every age and fitness level, an expedition is an ideal way to reboot real-life connections.

Gliding along banks lined with date palms, and past fishermen throwing their nets, life on the Nile over the millennia is palpable. It’s not a stretch to envision villagers gathering on the shores to catch a glimpse of their queen, who, according to Shakespeare, sailed in a vessel fashioned of gold and silver with purple sails “so perfumed that the winds were love-sick with them.” In the heady wake of Cleopatra, Napoleon, Mark Twain, and countless others who have fallen under the spell of this fabled river, we explore Egypt’s legendary sites of antiquity in peerless style

It might surprise you to know that Connecticut is home to world-class collections of American and British art and a showstopper museum of Native American culture. The state is king of house museums: You can see where Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is literally right next to Harriet Beecher Stowe's home. Don't forget the Philip Johnson Glass House and the Mecca for all things maritime, Mystic Seaport Museum.

Thousands of giant orange-and-black striped rock cones create the stunningly dramatic landscape of Australia’s Bungle Bungle Range. Resembling enormous beehives, these unique sculpted sandstone karsts vary in height, with the tallest soaring 75 stories towards the blue desert sky. Hiding within this fascinating landmark there are deep gorges, narrow chasms, palm trees, seasonal waterfalls, surprising biodiversity, and even a meteorite crater.

More than 850 million pounds of seafood are reeled in from Louisiana’s waters each year, so there’s no shortage of fresh fish, crawfish, oysters, shrimp, and crabs in New Orleans.

If the return to travel has you dreaming big, you can now book a near-private overnight experience at the Palace of Versailles—that’s if you can snag a reservation for the first-ever hotel on the palace’s grounds.

An example of the bios and speech topics I wrote for a speakers' bureau.

In the Nutmeg State you can kick back in a lighthouse or treehouse, a water-facing suite steps from the East Coast’s answer to Rodeo Drive or a Relais and Châteaux inn with a world-class spa in the middle of nowhere (sorry, Washington, Connecticut – you’re pretty but not exactly hopping).

A little planning (and bribery) goes a long way.
If your kids have ever lost it in on a crowded city street or lain down on a hotel room floor in protest against visiting a museum, join the club. Follow these tips from a traveling mom to keep the peace on your next trip.