Results for "nomad"

A marshy green oasis filled with swampy waters, trees and bushes

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Sleepy Hollow

You’ve heard of Sleepy Hollow and the headless horseman, but do you know about the other Sleepy Hollow Cemetery? This one is in Concord, Massachusetts and there are so many famous authors buried there they named a section “Author’s Ridge.” As a taphophile, I had to visit. I recently visited Concord while traveling in my van on a two-year solo nomadic road trip, hiking, visiting historic sites, and staying in short-term rentals. I stopped at the homes and locations made...

The exterior of the PEZ Visitors Center with three huge PEZ candy packs attached to the wall.

The PEZ Visitor’s Center is Pop Culture Nostalgia

PEZ candy dispensers have been an iconic part of childhood since the 1930s, but did you know there’s a PEZ Visitor’s Center museum dedicated to their history and cultural relevance? Not too far from New Haven, Connecticut, inside the PEZ factory, you can see hundreds of different PEZ dispensers and watch the famous candy being made. Which child doesn’t remember PEZ dispensers and the secret thrill of seeing those colorful, square sugar tablets pop out when you tip the character’s...

Three young boys in red tshirt pose with the Rocky statue, arms raised

10 Iconic Things to See in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Finding things to see in Philadelphia isn’t hard; deciding what you’ll do will be a challenge. Philadelphia is worth visiting because it’s, in many ways, the birthplace of the United States, where the founding fathers formed a new country. It’s also a UNESCO-designated World Heritage city. I spent several days rambling around during my nearly two-year road trip as a solo nomad, and each location in Philadelphia brought a new fascinating historical fact to add to my quickly increasing bank...

Montpelier exterior four columns and red brick house in front of trees

Five Presidential Homes in Virginia You Can Visit

There are nine presidential homes in Virginia, and I visited several. The homes belonged to President George Washington (Mt. Vernon), Thomas Jefferson (Monticello and Poplar Forest), James Madison (Montpelier), and James Monroe (Highland). William Henry Harrison’s Berkeley Plantation and John Tyler’s Sherwood Forest Plantation are not open to the public. Less formally, there is also Theodore Roosevelt’s rural cabin (Pine Knot) and the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum. When I spent a month visiting the Commonwealth state, I didn’t...

A guide stands in front of the pyramid of the sun in Mexico

3 Travel Trends From Airbnb’s CEO

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky spoke with Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali at the Skift Global Forum in New York City on September 21. Skift is a news source for business travel. During the event, Chesky shared his perspective on the future of travel. He spoke on several topics related to Airbnb’s business and his insights on travel. Here are three travel trends he talked about in the interview. 1 The Need for Human Connection In an era of remote...

Monticello exterior with people walking up

Visiting Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and Poplar Forest

As a nomad, I frequently detour on my travels to view the homes of writers and artist offering tours. It goes without saying when I was near the homes of Thomas Jefferson – Monticello and Poplar Forest – I stopped. As the author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson is one of the most revered writers of the United States. He’s also a genius and polymath, cultivating much knowledge and many skills. Like most founding fathers, he was also an...

Rene Yellowstone

One Year of Living in Airbnb: Pros, Cons and Cost

I’ve been living in Airbnb on a solo road trip since February 2021. So far, I’ve stayed in over 25 Airbnbs across every corner of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. I’ve also stayed in a few hotels, traditional BNBs and even my van when I’m camping. During this time, I’ve learned a lot about renting temporary places and experienced all sorts of different accommodations. This is my experience. Travel lifestyles are on the rise across the world. With the...

Thin trees in a swamp with green moss at their base.

5 Unique Reasons Congaree National Park is Worth Visiting

Synchronistic Fireflies and Champion Trees are two reasons to visit Congaree National Park. Plus, Congaree is among the least visited parks, making it blissfully uncrowded. I’ve been to 25+ national parks and there are essentially two types: those people go to and those they don’t. Some parks are filled with amenities, trails and things to do and see, and other parks quietly exist to protect rare and spectacular environments. Congaree is one of the latter. It protects the largest intact...

Published Elsewhere

  • July 6, 2022
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These are stories Rene has published elsewhere. ROVA Magazine “White Sands” Aug/Sept 2022 issue Go Nomad “Airbnb for a Year: The Story of One Traveler“ The Kelp Journal “Ghosts in New Orleans“ Arizona Highways Magazine “Arizona Hiking Dreams Turn into a Road Trip to Savor“ Months to Years Magazine “Stardust“ Human Parts by Medium “How to Forgive a Murderer“ Book If you like books, you should read mine. The Fog is my debut novel. Buy The Fog on Amazon↗...

Beauregard-Keyes House parlor in New Orleans