I love visiting kitschy or unique tourist landmarks on a road trip or weekend getaway. In fact, after visiting all 50 states solo, I've enjoyed my short visits to nearly all the major tourist attractions in the United States.
18.09.2024 - 09:29 / nytimes.com / Winston Churchill / Charles Iii III (Iii) / Lewis Carroll
A bottle of gin, a Paddington bear or a wicker picnic hamper full of jam and scones — these are just a few of the purchases the 20 million international travelers pick up while visiting London each year, often at famous British retailers like Harrods and Fortnum & Mason.
But scattered across London are also small, specialized shops, some centuries old and crafting items by hand, that sell unique wares in spots full of wonder. These retailers are the favorites of politicians, celebrities and royalty — some display royal crests on windows and packaging, a sign that they have received royal warrants from the monarchy — and each has a story to tell of humble beginnings, of perseverance through fires and wars, pandemics and fickle tastes.
Here’s a selection of some of the most eccentric — or at least, distinctive.
Founded in 1676, Lock & Co. is the oldest shop in London and the world’s oldest hat shop. Holding numerous royal warrants over the centuries, and currently a newly issued one from King Charles III, it has been at No. 6 St. James’s Street since 1759, when it moved across the road because the light was better. It’s a tall, narrow townhouse one might easily walk past. Winston Churchill is seen wearing its Cambridge and homburg hats in World War II photos; Adm. Horatio Nelson was wearing a Lock bicorn when he died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The Mad Hatter is reputedly based on a Lock salesman — Lewis Carroll was a customer. More recently, the actors Gary Oldman and Bill Nighy have been said to insist on Lock hats for film roles.
I love visiting kitschy or unique tourist landmarks on a road trip or weekend getaway. In fact, after visiting all 50 states solo, I've enjoyed my short visits to nearly all the major tourist attractions in the United States.
Autumn is a big season for hotels, especially those that represent the winds of change. In New York City, Standard International debuts its latest hotel concept, The Manner—which feels less like the hedonistic Standards of yore, and more like any of the city’s growing number of fabulous private-members clubs. Across the country in California, a beloved Laguna Beach icon enters an exciting new chapter. Salt Lake City is finally getting a new lifestyle hotel—just in time for another ski season. And the country’s first ultra-sustainable, “carbon positive” hotel opens its doors in Denver to set an example for hotels everywhere. There’s a lot happening, and a lot to explore—where will you go first? These are the most exciting new hotel openings of fall 2024.
Low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines is the most likely to bump passengers, far surpassing other major airlines in the United States.
Since the dawn of time, the romance of railways has seduced poets, spellbound novelists, and dealt directors the perfect hand for capturing fleeting friendships, illicit affairs, and all manner of crimes and capers. A ticket is not just a permit to ride, it’s permission to trespass on the intimacies of other people’s lives. Trains bring us up close and personal—both inside and outside the carriage. On board, passengers chat politics in Finnish dining cars, clamber into couchettes above strangers on the Trans-Siberian, and share samosas on India’s many raucous mail trains. Outside, the world flashes by, a slideshow of rivers growing into oceans, deserts rising into mountains and cities sprawling then receding into darkness as the train thunders on through the night.
A town in Japan is taking necessary steps to block the iconic panoramic view of Mount Fuji from a popular photo spot due to a surge in tourist crowds trying to get the perfect shot. This has caused frustration and safety concerns for local residents and businesses in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, prompting authorities to erect a mesh barrier to ensure safety and order.
Near the start of 2024, Pelumi Nubi started a solo overlanding trip from London to Lagos, Nigeria. The 4,000-plus mile trip included ferries, long desert drives, and a train that doesn’t run on an exact schedule.
Renting a car from the airport is a vey convenient way to explore a new city independently, but convenience has a price, and it’s often very high. Once you’ve added the airport fee, the damage insurance, and the liability insurance on top of the price of your rental, you’re often looking at a daily amount that reaches three figures. Car rental companies do vary their prices from one airport to the next, however, and some are significantly cheaper than others.
Les Deux Magots began as the Colette of the mid-19th century, a purveyor of silks and notions, fashion and accessories to a stylish clientele. Eclipsed by the rise of department stores, it reopened in 1884 as a modest cafe and liquor counter.
Singapore has risen to the top of a ranking of the world’s strongest passports, knocking Spain off the top spot.
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