How to get completely off the grid
Slide show: Too much together time? We look at super remote locales, from ice roads in Russia to a Cambodian island
What is a vacation? The word comes from the Latin verb “vacare,” an etymology that hints at emptiness — both physically vacating the premises and mentally clearing out the cluttered cupboards of your mind. The excesses of Thanksgiving — the airport groping, delayed overpriced flights, comfort food orgies, cataclysmic shopping days, intense rekindling of familial feelings (for better or for worse) — accomplish quite the opposite. It’s no wonder that the aftermath of America’s favorite long weekend inspires dreams of deserted islands, far-flung mountain villages, and quiet starry nights of contemplation.
Something to be thankful for: There are still countless places in the world that feel remote and removed. This weekend, they will be more vacant than ever. Some are closer than you might think, while reaching others requires time and dedication that few manage to muster. Enjoy these 17 escapist, off-the-grid spots. (Not sated? You can find plenty more on Trazzler.com.)
Fascinating urban mysteries, explained
Slide show: We unravel enigmas of the city, from the pink faces of Paris to a Virgin Mary under a Chicago underpass
A good, productive city is often depicted as a hive of people zipping from one place to the next with purpose and determination. As any urban dweller knows, there’s not much fun in that — few of us move to the big city to sleepwalk through it. Situationist hero Guy Debord called this state of mesmerism the “petrified life” and urged urbanites to interact with the landscape in a deeper (and weirder) way. To notice what is hidden in plain sight, you have to be in the right frame of mind, which is to say, you have to be looking. Proto-slackers like Baudelaire paved the way, drifting through the streets riffing off the endless possibilities and moods, discovering poetry and mystery in the smallest details. Others, like today’s street artists, take a more active role, altering the urban terrain in ways that provoke and entertain passersby.
The enigmatic, inscrutable corners of cities get short shrift in guidebooks and travel sections, because they aren’t landmarks or must-see-before-you-die kinds of spots. The intersection of art, literature, history and mythology imbues these 13 places with meaning.
Page 9 of 9 in Trazzler
