Celebrating Soul Food In America, One Bite At A Time

The Gullah Geechee are direct descendants of the first Black people forcibly transported from Africa to the US, who arrived in southeastern port cities such as Charleston, South Carolina. Several isolated communities survive today in coastal cities stretching from Florida to North Carolina, including Georgia’s Sea Islands.

Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland’s fertile southwest corner, has historically attracted only a tiny proportion of the visitors who push north to Edinburgh and the Highlands — but those who do stick around are rewarded by an area rich in history, culture and, crucially, food and drink. In 2002, Castle Douglas, a thriving market town at the heart of the county, branded itself ‘Scotland’s Food Town’. It’s a well-deserved title, given it’s home to more than 50 independent food businesses — pretty impressive for a place of just 4,000 people.

Online shopping can be challenging. With seemingly endless choices and product reviews that may be less than trustworthy, it can be tough to make confident decisions, especially for high-ticket items. Can AI help? Microsoft says that its goal is to bring more joy to shopping—and to help consumers make more knowledgeable decisions. According to the company, Microsoft Edge has offered $3.7 billion in savings to shoppers worldwide in the last year thanks to built-in shopping features like Coupons, Cashback, Price History, and Price Comparison. In addition, Microsoft estimates that U.S. shoppers can save an average of $400 per year with Microsoft Edge.

Love and marriage may be the ultimate gift, but just beyond those cherished vows and celebratory toasts comes the unforgettable honeymoon. Unlike the nuptials themselves, the honeymoon is intimate; a private dessert for two. It’s chapter one of a love story. Better still, it’s the newlyweds’ first chance to voyage together in wedded harmony. For LGBTQ+ couples, planning a romantic honeymoon comes with familiar choices—beach or city, resort or B&B, adventure or light recreation—plus considerations about feeling welcome as well as safe.

Food pics on Instagram feeds can sate even the biggest visual appetite. Search a hashtag such as #food or #restaurant and you’ll find the world represented through its dishes. A sweet bun served up in a village tea house in Myanmar, a high-concept amuse bouche straight from Paris, a mile-high roadhouse burger from somewhere along Route 66—there’s something for every taste.

Do you love traveling enough that you would explore 52 destinations in just one year, writing about the magic of each one every step of the way? Then the New York Times wants to hear from you—even if you’re not a journalist.

Think overnight train trips in your own cabin cost a fortune? Not with Amtrak’s latest flash sale. Book an Amtrak roomette for one and get the companion ticket free if you buy by June 26. The deal is valid for travel this August 20 through February 15, 2019, with only a single blackout date: November 25, 2018.

Looking to plan a trip around a weekend festival or worldly event in 2018? Then check out this list of festivals and events for every month this year.

Want to visit the United States’ hottest destinations this summer, but don’t want to pay crazily inflated prices? TripAdvisor (our parent company) just released its 2018 Summer Vacation Value Report which gives you the low-down on the best places to visit and the least expensive week to go. Surprisingly, Memorial Day week (May 28) was the cheapest time to go for more than half of the destinations, so if you want to save time and vacation days, you’re in luck.

The esteemed Dr. Beach has released his annual list of America’s top ten beaches, and you’ll want to visit all of them this summer—doctors orders.

If you’re planning on visiting any of these destinations, you should read up on how to spot bedbugs in your hotel room (and what to do about it). Pest control company Orkin just released its list of the top cities for bedbugs, using data from both residential and commercial (i.e., vacation rentals and hotels) calls. Orkin noted which destinations had more bedbug outbreaks (Los Angeles, for example, moved up two spots on the list), and which had fewer (good job, New York, dropping four places).

The fall season is already looking to be a busy one for culinary, with a number of exciting food festivals taking place at various cities, islands and resorts.