Travel blog

Visitors to Pearl Harbor expect to see the sobering sight of the USS Arizona Memorial. Lying on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, this sunken battleship is the final resting place for many of the 1,177 crewmen who perished in the attack and is the centerpiece of the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. However, this is only part of what there is to experience during your time at Pearl Harbor.

With Memorial Day just around the corner, many of us are gearing up to travel. However, before you pack your bags and grab your passport here are some helpful tips to make the most of your summer vacation:

Back before sun-seeking tourists flocked to Hawaii from the mainland, Tahitian voyagers made the harrowing journey to Hawaii in canoes. These early settlers brought a host of traditions, flavors and customs with them, not the least of which was something called a lei.

These natural necklaces were made of flowers, leaves, shells, feathers and even animal bones, and were worn to celebrate and beautify the ancient Hawaiians. They were used as a symbol of friendship, to honor the gods and to seal peace treaties between neighboring chiefs.

Mothers come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. Some express their love quietly, while others shout it out for everyone to hear. All of them love us, and on Mother’s Day, we get to remind them we love them right back. 

This Mother’s Day, why confine yourself to gifts of flowers and brunch? Show the mom in our life you really care by giving her the trip of a lifetime. Perhaps she’d like a romantic cruise for two, or maybe a land adventure. It all depends on what type of mom you have.

While we can’t say for sure which trip your mom would like best, we do know a little about what certain types of moms like. So, here’s a list of the most common moms we see on our tours, and the type of tours we most often see them on.

For those of us whose bags are always packed, travel can mean a sophisticated European capital one month, and the wild backcountry of a National Park the next. As we get set to roam the world, knowing and honoring the customs of each place we visit is crucial, especially when it comes to how we eat. Let’s take a close look at the dining etiquette of several of Asian countries—pull up a seat at the table and enjoy!

May 4 is known worldwide as Star Wars Day. And the reason? “May The Fourth be With You” sounds just like “May the Force Be With You,” and Star Wars fans love nothing better than a good pun.

Cinco de Mayo is more than just sombreros, mariachi bands and bottomless margaritas. In fact, the holiday has as much to do with the Latin experience during the American Civil War as it does with Mexico itself.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria was more than just a royal, she was a world traveler, a gifted poet, a keen athlete, and a true individual. Restless with her dull married life at court, she would often holiday for long stretches in Corfu, Madeira and Venice. When things grew distant with her husband, Franz Joseph, she would escape to exotic destinations like Morocco, Algeria, Malta, Egypt and Turkey. Soon her adventures grew to be more than a mere distraction from the realities of life in Sisi’s, as she was called, gilded cage; they became a source of joy and the foundation of her legend.

While the idea of visiting 7 states and 2 countries in just 14 days can sound daunting, the trip is as easy as a warm September breeze on YMT Vacations’ Autumn Leaves Tour.

The secret to making such a journey manageable is pace and timing. Group tours are notorious for hurrying guests onto waiting buses and rushing from stop to stop with little time to appreciate the experience—but that’s not the case on this YMT itinerary.

Our tours are designed specifically so that you can experience the destinations at a pace that allows you to take in the amazing places we visit, and to return home refreshed, invigorated, and full of wonderful new memories, stories, and friendships.

The British monarchy is in the middle of a hot streak. The princes have turned out quite nicely—handsome young men who inherited their mother’s love for good deeds and settled down with lovely women. The family’s been remarkably scandal-free—appearing in the news only to dedicate African orphanages or to graciously deflect compliments about Kate’s hair. Add to that the success of Netflix’s The Crown, E!’s The Royals, the upcoming marriage of Harry, and the relative quiet of the dreaded former in-law Fergie, and you would be safe in saying that the royal family is enjoying a true renaissance.