Steves: A walk across Prague
Known as the “Golden City of 100 Spires,” Prague boasts a fairytale medieval Old Town, historic churches and synagogues, and perhaps Europe’s largest castle.
Ask Angi: What small projects can make a big impact?
Not every home renovation needs to be a bank-breaking, back-breaking epic. Sometimes, small and simple projects are the way to go.
Volcano Watch: The USGS review process: Checking and verifying our information
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is part of the U.S. Geological Survey, the science agency of the U.S. Department of Interior. Our job is to obtain and share science-based information about the volcanoes of Hawaii and American Samoa and earthquakes across the state. What are the different types of information that HVO provides and how do we ensure its accuracy?
Tropical Gardening: Celebrate a merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah
This is the perfect weekend with Christmas and Hanukkah right around the corner along with Boxing Day.
Cooking the 12 gifts of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree.
Let’s Talk Food: Holiday gatherings
As we gather with family and friends, we often need to think about a dish to bring with us. It is such a local tradition not to go to someone’s home without taking a little something with us.
CN Traveler’s top travel destinations for 2025 include Vietnam, Nicaragua, Tunisia
It’s that time of year again. No, no, not jingle bell season. It’s “irresistible destinations for the new year” season, when every travel site offers up a where-to-go list. This week, Conde Nast Traveler is throwing its Santa hat in the ring with “The 25 Best Places to Go in 2025.”
Rick Steves: Andorra: Not Lost in the Pyrenees
High in the mountains where France and Spain come together, I drove and drove. My goal: to stand atop a ridge looking into a rugged mountain-ringed basin where nature cradles an ancient tribe. There was an age when these pint-sized kingdoms were commonplace. But today, only a few survive. I finally reached my destination, deep in the rugged Pyrenees Mountains. Before me stretched the principality of Andorra.
Let’s Talk Food: Soup dumpling
Din Tai Fung Restaurant is a Taiwanese restaurant with 16 locations in the United States (but not in Hawaii). That is only a fraction of its 165 locations around the world, which include Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
California bans ‘sell by’ dates: What you need to know about food labels
There you are, reaching on your tiptoes in the grocery store to grab the milk on the highest shelf marked with the latest date. It’s worth it, you think, to get milk that will stay fresher longer.
3 recipes to help you through the busy holiday season
The holidays loom large. Parties, gift-shopping, school programs, recitals, family gatherings — there’s really no time to cook.
Gretchen’s table: Chicken and apple sausage with cheesy grits comes together in 10 minutes
Weeknight meals are often a test of planning and simplicity.
Christmas in three European countries
In Europe, “Christmas” (or the local word for it) refers not to the day but the whole season, which stretches well over a month — not to extend the shopping season, but to fit in the many holy days and festivities.
Volcano Watch: How have eruptions shaped Hawaii? Volcano Awareness Month 2025, with a twist
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitors the six currently active volcanoes in Hawaii, but past eruptions have shaped all of the Hawaiian Islands. Join us in January 2025 for Volcano Awareness Month, an opportunity to learn about volcanic activity in Hawaii over the past year and beyond, or — new for this upcoming edition — submit art or poetry recognizing Hawaii’s volcanic history.
Tropical Gardening: Tropical pines sometimes hard to find
Christmas is less than three weeks away, but it seems like most folks are a bit slow in getting their trees up this year. Don’t delay any longer since trees that are shipped in early are best.
Plant of the Month: Hawaiian Sweet Potato
You might want to consider planting a Hawaiian heritage plant that can add an attractive ground cover that is good for your garden while providing an edible staple that is good for you. Known in Hawaii as ‘uala, Hawaiian sweet potatoes were such an important part of a healthy diet that early Polynesians brought them with them when they first settled here in the 6th century.
Public invited to Waimea Christmas parade
The 64th Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade is this Saturday from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
Let’s Talk Food: Foods of Australia
My son Reid had to work in Sydney, Australia so at the end of his work week, he had planned to take a few days off so he could show me around and meet up with some of his fellow workers.
Steves: Turkey has plenty to explore beyond Istanbul
Turkey is changing fast. And it’s modernizing fast. For a recent vacation, I hit the road in Turkey, with romantic memories (from my backpacker days) of horse-drawn carriages and villages with economies powered by hay, dung, and ducks. While that rustic old world is tougher to find, the deep traditions and warm hospitality of the region are as endearing as ever, especially if you venture past the predictable sights and tourist zones.
Tropical Gardening: Nature heralds glad tidings of Christmas
Short cool days make conditions ideal for colorful poinsettias and its close relative Euphorbia leucocephala sometimes called Snow on the Mountain. Our holiday season usually begins with Halloween and extends to Easter, but it is also the time for colds, flu bugs, pneumonia, and even variants of Covid. This means we need to be a little careful of large crowds like wild parties around New Year’s Eve. Perhaps a safer endeavor would be to focus on enjoying the fresh air of our gardens!
