Travel blog

Before it became an urban trend in cities across America, Alaskans were consuming meat and produce no more than one step removed from the point of harvest. With some of the nation’s most verdant landscapes and pristine waterways, eating local in Alaska also means eating very well.

So if you’re planning a vacation to the Last Frontier, here are some tips on what you should be eating in Alaska.

As the elevator begins its descent into the earth, visitors wait with bated breath for what lies at the end of a 75-story drop. When the doors finally open, one of the world’s most spectacular cave systems reveals itself. Hundreds of millions of years in the making, the Carlsbad Caverns were known to Native Americans as far back as the 10th century when the earliest of their pictographs were drawn upon the walls. Today, visitors still come to explore the 100 known caves that lie in this system 14 football fields in size and shrouded in netherworld-like darkness.

In In the book, Ulysses, author James Joyce details a single day in the life of Leopold Bloom, an Irish Jew and modern-day Odysseus. So taken are the Irish with this novelist and his masterwork that every year on that legendary day they hold a festival in the character’s honor: Bloomsday. On June 16th, and the days surrounding the festival, literary fans dress up in Edwardian clothing, partake of the peculiar eats found in the book and revel in the atmosphere of turn-of-the-century Dublin. Visitors and locals alike take to the streets of Dublin to pay homage to the places associated with Joyce and the characters in his books, making the James Joyce walking tour a favorite stop on any Irish getaway. Here are some of the sites you can expect to see:

As the United States prepares to celebrate the Centennial of the National Parks System, travelers will be heading out across our nation to explore the natural wonders of places like the Grand Canyon and Death Valley. We invite you to join YMT Vacations as we take a look at the history, the wildlife and the many fascinating things to discover inside our nation’s parks in this series: 100 Years of Wonder: Exploring America’s National Parks. 

Perched high above a bend in the Danube where the river enters the Wachau Valley is the quaint Austrian village of Melk.

Home to a massive Benedictine Abbey, this small town grew in importance thanks to a lively market and a spectacular location along the riverbank. Today, the port city offers plenty of charm and a myriad of ways to spend a lazy summer day.

Stroll the pedestrian walkways of the city center or linger over lunch in an outdoor cafe. Bike along the meandering waterway or explore the grand Baroque abbey.

Here are just some of the top things to do in the Austrian town of Melk:

More than half a century after the last Cohibas were imported from Cuba, Americans can now bring $100 worth of the cigars into the country. Thanks to the widening of U.S. travel privileges to this Communist island, you can now legally procure some smokes for yourself but you may be surprised what $100 can (or can’t) buy you. Here are some tips you’ll want to know on bringing back cigars from Cuba:

Across the Adriatic, on the Istria Peninsula, sits the charming Old World city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Rich with history and culture, it has long been a favorite holiday spot for Europeans -- and Americans are now beginning to see why.

For more than half a century the American view of Cuba has been largely based on black and white movies and long-ago nostalgia. This “forbidden fruit of travel” is now opening its doors to curious travelers fortunate enough to earn a coveted spot on a U.S. State Department ‘People to People’ tour like the ones offered by travel company YMT Vacations. Before you go, here are some tips on what to pack when traveling to Cuba:

One of the best things you can do in County Galway is to spend an evening in a pub. Well to be competely truthful, that's one of the best things you can do anywhere in Ireland. One YMT Vacations Best of Ireland Tour we overnight in Galway on Day 7, so there's no excuse for not getting out and experiencing the Galway pub scene!

As home North America’s highest peak, and one of America's oldest National Parks,  Denali National Park offers a world-class setting for shutterbugs. From beginners to professionals, photography is a great way to forever capture the majesty and immensity of this incredible place. To help you make the most of your time shooting in Denali, here are some tips to keep in mind: