Alaska Airlines will expand its presence in San Diego next year, adding a new flight from the Southern California city to Atlanta.
11.09.2023 - 17:47 / matadornetwork.com
Taking a year off and traveling cross country is a dream many never actually get to live out. Those who procrastinate, and explain away their road trip reluctance, often do so by citing real-life responsibilities and jobs. Taking a year-long vacation would mean neglecting a career. But what if you could do both? That’s what aspiring astrophotographer Anthony DeSantis did when he embarked on a one-year vanlife trip across the US — in a van he built himself — with the goal of turning his passion into a career.
DeSantis first became interested in astrophotography in 2017 during a trip to Iceland. “One night there happened to be some Aurora activity,” he told Matador Network, “and though I really had no idea how to photograph the night sky or even what astrophotography was, I couldn’t help but grab my little point and shoot camera and take a picture. It wasn’t until the summer of 2019 that I successfully captured my first image of the Milky Way. I was immediately hooked.”
A post shared by Anthony DeSantis (@antwithacamera)
To learn more about the craft, DeSantis would make weekend trips to Acadia National Park in Maine — from his home in Haverhill Massachusetts — in pursuit of the dark skies necessary for good astrophotography. The only issue? “The distance I needed to travel, finding a place to sleep after shooting, the cost of these excursions, and the infrequency that I could make it happen,” always seemed to get in the way. It’s also difficult to plan an astrophotography trip in advance, since clear, dark skies are essential, you need to make sure that the moon phase will give you enough time to shoot before moonrise or after moonset.
“The opportunities to get to truly dark skies on the East Coast, where I’m from, are pretty few and far between,” DeSantis said. “Out west, they’re pretty abundant. For a long time I’ve wanted to take a trip there to shoot astrophotography, but it wasn’t until the pandemic happened that I really started thinking about buying a van. So I sold my house, bought a van, and started building it into my mobile astrophotography studio.”
A post shared by Anthony DeSantis (@antwithacamera)
Indeed, having an astrophotography travel hobby and quitting your job to pursue that full time are two very different things. The first hurdle was building out what would become his home for the next year. According to DeSantis, the good thing about vans is that they can be purpose built to fit your exact needs. The bad thing, however, is that purpose-building a van can take quite a long time, and come with many unexpected hurdles. In his case, it took a year and a half.
A post shared by Anthony DeSantis (@antwithacamera)
“My key must-haves for the van were a bed, a desk space, a toilet, ability
Alaska Airlines will expand its presence in San Diego next year, adding a new flight from the Southern California city to Atlanta.
It's been just a year since Japan reopened its borders to international travel after the pandemic. But tourism has rebounded in ways almost no one could have predicted, setting up a potentially record-breaking 2024.
It’s that time of year when the night air cools, pumpkins appear on doorsteps and apples are ripe for the picking — sure signs that leaf-peeping season is on the horizon. If you’re hoping to spend a weekend marveling at fall foliage but haven’t yet booked a place to stay, the time is now. To help you on your way, here are five new properties for autumn adventures, including a pair of boutique hotels in Asheville, N.C., amid the Blue Ridge Mountains; a former textile mill turned hotel in Southern Maine; a reopened haven in Yellowstone National Park; and a luxury hotel in Boston that makes for a pampered departure point for New England road trips.
With its fifth and final season making its way down the trail, Kevin Costner’s wildly popular Yellowstone – a Paramount Network series about a cattle-ranching family in the American West – continues to spark interest in the cowboy aesthetic. Looking to learn the ropes? These five destinations have you living out your ranch-hand fantasies in no time.
Cities and countries across Europe have introduced visitor taxes as they battle the return of mass tourism following the pandemic. The extra fees can mean increasing the cost of your holiday by hundreds of dollars.
Marathons have long since been a draw for travelers. The host city not only attracts the actual marathon runners, but also friends and families showing their support as well as marathon enthusiasts who want a front-row seat of the action.
Pacific Crest Trail, John Muir Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Colorado Trail, Oregon Coast Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail—the U.S. is full of challenging long-distance routes, alluring intrepid hikers from near and far. One of the most well-known thru-hikes is the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT), the Footpath for the People.
It took me close to a year of living in Philadelphia to find a cheesesteak I really like.
If you have World of Hyatt Explorist or Globalist status, this one is for you.
At 18 years old, I moved to Madrid, Spain, to become an au pair for the summer.
Fall can look and feel different depending on where you live in the United States.
As fall brings cooler temperatures, many travelers will be seeking a Caribbean getaway this season.Puerto Rico should be high on their list as Americans can visit without a passport. That's a significant advantage given the current extended wait time for a new travel document.Routine processing times are up to 10-13 weeks while expedited processing (for an additional $60) can still take as long as 7-9 weeks."Since Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, American citizens and permanent residents don't need a passport to travel to the island," Discover Puerto Rico reminds travelers. "However, they must always travel with a valid ID, such as a driver's license or a state ID card."International travelers such as residents of Canada or Mexico will still require a valid passport to visit. Additionally, visitors to the island no longer require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result to enter.Amid Atlantic hurricane season running through November 1, travelers will also want to be aware of any restrictions due to weather conditions. Hurricane Lee is projected to pass north of Puerto Rico this week with minimal impact. "All major airports in Puerto Rico are fully operational, as are cruise ports with cruises/ferries operating normally. Similarly, all major hotels and venues are thoroughly prepared for inclement weather and have generators," according to Discover Puerto Rico.