Winter 2014

For more than a thousand years, the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, has welcomed weary pilgrims with open arms. Each year, Spaniards and other travelers from around the world trek hundreds of miles through the rolling hills, wooded forests, and pastoral fields of the Camino de Santiago, and the warmhearted people of Spain wish them buen camino or “good walk.” You too can make the pilgrimage and take in the stunning scenery, the rejuvenating camaraderie of other travelers, and the unexpected exhilaration of a life-changing walk.

After a day of work in Osaka, Japan, Laurel Armstrong of Minneapolis, Minnesota, got on her bike to head home, winding through the city’s busy streets toward her high-rise apartment complex. She had been living in this Japanese metropolis for almost a quarter of her one-year work contract and had grown accustomed to the gray, austere metal of the city’s skyline and its almost incessantly overcast weather.

If you like canyoneering in the southwestern United States, it might be time to take it to the next level—the Middle East.

If you like to run, chances are you already own running shoes. But have you given as much thought to your running apparel? The clothes you wear can improve your long-distance running experience, even when you’re running close to home. And when you’re traveling, carefully chosen running apparel can make it easier and more comfortable to run in a climate you’re not used to, whether it’s really hot or freezing cold. Stowaway asked Danny Moody—a manager at Runner’s Corner in Orem, Utah, and a long-distance runner for more than 15 years—to offer his expert advice on the most essential running apparel. Here are Moody’s top picks.

Need a fresh idea for weekend activities during your Chilean study abroad? Bored on your business venture? Wishing for one more week of good skiing? Portillo’s got you covered.

For patrons and lovers of the arts, attending high-caliber, live ballet performances without breaking the bank can be a challenge. International ballet competitions, however, which take place in the United States and in other countries throughout the world, allow you to see the world’s top aspiring dancers compete for scholarships, titles, contracts, and recognition on their journeys toward professional dancing.

A couple of years ago, my roommates and I hopped in the car and drove from Provo, Utah, to Zion National Park for Labor Day weekend. On a shuttle from the parking lot to the trailhead, I heard this announcement over the loudspeaker: “Angels Landing is an extremely treacherous hike. Those who are accompanied by younger children or have a fear of heights should strongly reconsider.” My knees knocked together—we were hiking Angels Landing, and I really don’t like heights.

Participants throw colored powder into the air during one of the throwings at the Festival of Colors in Spanish Fork, Utah.

McDonald's offers a variety of burgers.

After graduating from the Academy for Creating Enterprise, Moroni Jesus Ramos Olague decided to remain in Mexico City, where he manages an Internet café.

The view from the front seat of a tour van highlights the windy path.Enveloped by the lush greenery all around, I couldn’t tear my eyes from the sheer mountain slopes above and below the one-lane dirt road beneath our van. At the bottom of the deep chasm dropping away to our right, the grand Urubamba River swiftly swirled. In every direction, the sharp peaks of the Andes Mountains rose above us, shrouded in gray mist, proud in their legendary beauty.

When California resident Chuck Samonsky decided to try Salt & Straw, a small-batch, handmade ice cream shop in Portland, Oregon, he got a little more than he bargained for—but in a good way.

Julius Caesar, the Apostle Paul, Herman Melville, and Mark Twain—what do all these men have in common? They all traveled on and were inspired by one of the earliest and most-traveled roads in history: the Appian Way.

Many tourists who fill the bustling streets of Paris do not realize that there is a twisting network of tunnels and caverns deep beneath their feet—and that it is lined with the bones of the dead. These tunnels and caverns are part of the eerie underground world of Paris’s catacombs, which continue for miles on end. More than six million Parisians—nearly three times the population living in the city above—have found their final resting place here. Although Paris’s catacombs often go unseen by the typical tourist, they are a must-see for adventure-seekers and history buffs.

New England is home to many famous authors. Today, many of their residences have become museums or National Historic Landmarks. Why not travel to some of their homes to see where they got their inspiration? Grant Olsen, a freelance writer and literary enthusiast who visited many of New England’s literary sites in 2012, voices the feelings of many travelers: “I love history and literature, so when they intersect it’s magical.” Here are some ideas about where to go and what to see on your tour of literary New England.

Christina Hall may seem like a typical 20-year-old. After growing up in Lakewood, California, she left home to attend college, where she is working toward a bachelor’s degree in psychology. However, closer inspection of Hall’s life reveals some aspects that aren’t quite as typical. Her ringtone is SHINee’s “Ring Ding Dong.” Pictures of 2PM cover her laptop. She recently started watching “Protect the Boss” starring Choi Kang-hee and Ji Sung. None of these names sound familiar? Perhaps “Gangnam Style” does.