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Dear fellow travelers,
No destination delights more than a place that exceeds our expectations and defies our preconceived assumptions. For proof, check out Iona Brannon’s tour of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the latest installment in our It’s Still a Big World feature.
Yes, Eau Claire is nestled in the dairyland heart of the Cheese State. But you could spend a few days there and possibly never think twice about cheese, or even cows, unless you rented a bike and toured the idyllic backroads that wind through the farms surrounding this small but bustling town. In the town itself, you’ll find plenteous craft beer, eateries for nearly every taste, and a host of arts and crafts galleries and establishments to sate your quest for creativity.
Moving now to the other side of the planet, for more exotic tastes, there’s Colin Thubron’s vivid description of a trip along the Amur River, “one of the most formidable rivers on Earth. It drains a basin twice the size of Pakistan, and more than 200 tributaries, some of them immense, pour into its flood in spring. For over 1,000 miles it forms the border between Russia and China: a fault-line shrouded in old mistrust.” And that 1,000 miles accounts for only about a third of this mighty but mysterious waterway.
The strange beauty of this lonely, barely populated place is almost otherworldly, and it better be, because Thubron’s journey is fraught from the get go, forcing him to contend with everything from churlish bureaucrats to runaway horses.
Happy trails,
— Malcolm Jones, Guest Travel Editor
Scouting Report: The Outer Bug Shield Blanket has been infused with bug-killing technology that’s not only odorless but skin-safe. The blankets are soft, durable, and will keep you safe from itchy bug bites.
A blanket that keeps bugs away? How is that even possible? Well, a lot is possible in 2021. But the traditional ways of repelling insects—the kinds that involve a strong smell to deter them from coming close—are nowhere to be found in this soft, snuggle, handsome blanket. Instead, this blanket is a stone-cold killer, laced with skin-safe insecticide to keep bugs away (as the “cide” suffix there tells you, this means it kills them). So if you’re opposed to killing mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and the like, then this isn’t the blanket you’re looking for.
The fabric is soft and light, perfect for use on cool evenings or as a layer on chilly winter days, and it’s made from 100 percent recycled polyester, so there’s that feel-good, earth-friendly factor, too.
— Scouted by Steven John OMG I Want This House!
The Domaine des Salines, Marrakech, Morocco (Vrbo): It can be tough to tread that very fine line between luxury and authenticity when you’re searching for the perfect holiday home. You want digs that embody the historical spirit of a place, but ones with the most modern of conveniences. (Gigantic infinity pools and sauna rooms are considered ordinary features today, right? Good, we assumed so.) But this property on the outskirts of Marrakech manages this balancing act with a chic sensibility worthy of Marrakech’s most fashionable fan: Yves Saint Laurent.
Jesus famously walked on water, but after the past two years we’ve had, that sounds like entirely too much work. Here, you can just plop down on a chair in the middle of the infinity pool and lounge on water for as long as it takes for your mind to stop reeling. No matter who you are, we know the pandemic has been a time. You deserve a break with a view.
Book Your Stay: The Domaine des Salines, Marrakech, Morocco $2,580t/night via Vrbo
Don't miss previous OMG, I Want to Rent This House posts, which spotlight the most spectacular and unique homes that you can actually stay in. Check out the full archives.
Bigger isn't always better—sometimes instead of a hulking tome, it's a smaller text tucked in a stack or perched on an end-table that transports you away from somebody's living room. That's why the latest selection for our series on gorgeous coffee table books (Just Booked) is the petite but charming A Table in Paris: The Cafés, Bistros, and Brasseries of the World's Most Romantic City by John Donohue.
Over the course of two visits in 2019, Donohue (a former New Yorker editor whose sketches can be found here) sketched the restaurants of Paris—famous mainstays like Le Grand Véfour, impossible-to-get-a-seat spots like Abri, and relative unknowns like Quinson. Peppered throughout are little stories from travelers, chefs, and cultural luminaries on their favorite spots.
Check out our previous selections for our series on gorgeous travel-related coffee table books, Just Booked.
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