How to Stay Safe if You’re Traveling and an Earthquake Strikes
On March 28, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, devastating communities and killing at least 3,500 people. The quake also caused buildings to sway, even collapse, in the tourist hot spot of Bangkok. Videos posted online showed water from rooftop swimming pools spilling over the sides of high-rise hotels. Scientists can’t predict exactly where or […]
How to Get a Great Rate on a Hotel Room
With the cost of hotel stays generally trending upward — 2024 saw the highest recorded average daily rates in the U.S., for starters — the luxury hospitality world may not seem the most fertile bargain-hunting ground. But you can still find deals, and they go well beyond those you can obtain by converting your credit […]
A Sneak Peek Inside Universal’s New Epic Universe Theme Park in Orlando
Believe the hype: Epic Universe, the first major new theme park to open in Central Florida in 26 years, lives up to its name and then some. Honestly, I’m as shocked as you are. But epic-ness was indeed my takeaway after recently spending two days inside Epic Universe as part of “technical rehearsals,” a type […]
Opinion | Stop Feeling Stunned and Wounded, Liberals. It’s Time to Fight Back.
The first week of President Trump’s return to power was a flurry of provocations, of attacks on the rule of law and raw exertions of power. Part of the point, it seemed, was to bury his opposition in the blizzard, to rapidly follow each assault with another, often greater, affront to democratic norms. The effect […]
Opinion | My Farewell Column
I never wanted to be a writer. I was an information designer. Becoming a columnist, like so many things in my career, was a bit of a fluke. As I end this column, I’d like to share the strange way that it began. After many years in The Times’s newsroom as a graphics editor and […]
Brightline Brought High-Speed Rail to Florida. Can the Public Sector Follow?
Firemen from Highland Beach, Fla., were heading to a conference in Miami; a money manager was on his way to his office in Boca Raton. Families with young children wearing Mickey Mouse ears and toting Little Mermaid backpacks, filled the train’s sun-soaked four-seaters on their way to or from Disney cruises and various theme parks. […]
As Unexplained Quakes Ease, Tourist Island Insists It’s Open for Business
Weeks after being rattled by thousands of mostly small-scale earthquakes, the island of Santorini, the jewel in the crown of Greece’s tourism sector, is determined to return to business as usual — even as the quake phenomenon remain a mystery. The tourism-dependent island, which had been enjoying a strong comeback after the coronavirus pandemic, is […]
Can I Get a Refund After Booking the Wrong Hotel Dates Online?
Dear Tripped Up, Last Sept. 26, I booked a ski trip for my family at a Sheraton Vacation Club property in Steamboat Springs, Colo., for December — or so I thought. As soon as I saw the confirmation email, I realized I had actually booked a reservation for that very night, Sept. 26. I assume […]
Visting Shanghai Now: It’s a Blue-Sky, App-Based Life
On a recent visit to Shanghai, I looked up through the canopy of trees in the former French Concession district, and realized the sky was not the customary gray but a bright blue. At a busy intersection near Wukang Mansion, a century-old landmark reminiscent of New York City’s Flatiron Building, the scene was oddly quiet, […]
5 Train Stations Where You Can Get a Great Meal
With its copper bar and brass-rail-backed banquettes, Lazare evokes a traditional Parisian brasserie, but registers as modern with its exposed ductwork overhead and wall units filled with stacked white plates, pitchers, vases and other objects. Similarly, the stylish comfort-food menu includes Normandy oysters, onion soup and roasted sausage with buttery potato purée, as well as […]