Winter 2014

Though your first dim sum outing may be intimidating, servers are happy to answer any questions.

San Francisco is known for landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. But did you know that it is also home to moving landmarks? Street performers, known as “buskers,” are scattered all over the city and have been entertaining natives and tourists alike for years.

Don’t let your next road trip get cut short. Instead, make sure you’re prepared with a few basics that will turn any car-trouble disaster into a mere speed bump. No need to be a professional mechanic or an auto enthusiast. Even if you’re on a student budget, we suggest three things no traveler should leave home without.

Generally, multiple infants share a single hospital bed.Nicole Shaw narrowed her eyes at the boy standing in front of her, ignoring his taunting friends. Nicole’s fellow interns grabbed at her shirt from behind, attempting to pull her away, afraid she might lose her cool. The boys had been harassing the interns, and Nicole had had enough.

The avocado is a tree-grown food loved by people the world over. Even the ancient Egyptians loved avocado, applying it daily to their hair to keep their locks healthy and shiny. The avocado is also called the Alligator Pear because of its bumpy green skin. Did you also know that this creamy food is actually a fruit, high in nutrients and incredibly versatile? These recipes will give you a taste for just some of the ways that the avocado is enjoyed in different parts of the world.

Eight years after Hurricane Katrina, some areas of New Orleans are completely restored. “You would have never guessed that Uptown New Orleans, the Garden District, or downtown had even been affected by the hurricane,” says resident Freddie Hanson. “Parts of the city in the East and Ninth Ward, though, have barely come back, if at all. They still look like ground zero or a war zone.”

On February 7, the chilled air in Sochi, Russia, will crackle with excitement as thousands of people cram into the Fisht Olympic Stadium, cameras glinting like a school of fish in an ocean of bodies. Tweets and texts in a myriad of languages will fly to destinations across the globe to share the memory of the moment. And with music and dancing, art and narration, the 2014 Winter Olympic Games will begin.

Landes Holbrook visits an LDS temple in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.If you’ve ever wondered how safe it might be to travel to another country, Landes Holbrook knows the answer. Holbrook is the international security analyst at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, and also has extensive experience doing security analysis for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Stowaway caught up with Holbrook recently and asked him about his analysis process, personal experiences, and helpful tips on how to be prepared for travel abroad.

Melissa was dancing the routine she had been performing every night for eight months. She knew the moves perfectly. She sang her solo flawlessly, the words coming naturally to her memory. But suddenly, the floor moved beneath her. Despite the interruption, Melissa kept right in step. As a performer on a small cruise ship, she knows that a level stage is not guaranteed.

Try something new: become SCUBA certified and surround yourself with sea life.

Is your dream destination a tree house, beach house, cabin, hotel, castle, or tent? From daycations to stay-cations, Airbnb (Air, Bed & Breakfast) is a smartphone’s best tool for finding accommodations. This app is free and is available for use online as well. With more than 8,500,000 users and 192 countries to choose from, this easy-to-use app is designed for everyone.

Students in Abomosu, Ghana help locals with community improvement projects.

Arena Stage is housed at the Mead Center for American Theater, a new high-tech facility in southwest DC.

Traditionally, you go to a library to find books. On the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, however, there is a whole lot more to the library than approximately 600,000 volumes and several million original manuscripts. Your trip to Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library will include significant artifacts and many other treasures.

Beautiful homes line the west cliff face of the beach in La Jolla (luh-HOI-uh), California, located just 14 miles northwest of San Diego. The homes are situated at the perfect angle to see the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean at the end of each day. Slowly, however, this sandstone cliff is crumbling away, and soon the historic home of one of La Jolla’s most famous residents, Dr. Seuss, will likely crash into the ocean below, endangering the very ecosystems and landscape that inspired many of his works.

Bronc riding is just one of the exciting events that you can watch at the Mesquite ProRodeo.The man who walked over to our table was tall. He bent forward, hovering over my newly delivered Texan steak. “I’m putting $20 in the band’s tip jar to see you do the chicken dance.” I was left staring dumbfounded as he walked over to the stage, put in the $20, and made his request to the country band—all before I could utter a response.

The works of William Shakespeare, the master storyteller, are popular in many languages and countries. Whether the play is in English or in German, whether it is shown under the open summer sky of an amphitheater or within an indoor arena, no theater-goer’s experience is complete without seeing a work of William Shakespeare performed live on a stage. Take a look at a few of the many promising options that are shaking up the world of live theater around the globe.