The Blog

 Looks like someone’s got a birthday coming up! And not to gossip or anything, but she’s getting pretty up there in years. Break out the party hats and start singing because it’s America’s bday! She’ll be 244 this year. Doesn’t look a day over her bicentennial. And her slightly younger upstairs neighbor, Canada, will be hitting the big 1-5-3 on July 1st. These gals have seen a lot over the decades with all the proud moments and growing pains you’d expect. This year, the party might look a little different but you can still RSVP. And with a little creativity, tech savvy, and spirit it’s guaranteed to be a celebration that’ll go down in history.   It's a Celebration Independence Day might look a little different this year but she’s still going strong!     Los Angeles’s Grand Park is moving its annual block party online with all the comedy, live musical, cooking demos, and fun a patriot could dream of!   @grandpark_la #blockparty     You can (still) dance if you want to! Catch Chicago SummerDance’s special Independence Day SummerDance in Place broadcast to learn some new salsa moves and bust ‘em from the privacy of your living room.   @chicagodcase #chicago4th     Do sandwiches exist in cyberspace? The Wawa Welcome America Festival says yes! The longstanding Philadelphia festival and founding father of Hoagie Day is doing it all virtually!   @july4thphilly #celebratephilly    Oh, Canada Quiz   What do you know about the US Neighbor to the North?   YYZ is not just the name of a famous classic rock jam but an airport in which Canadian city? Poutine is a delish dish that comes from Quebec and is made up of french fries, gravy, and what other ingredient? The red and white Canadian flag features what symbol front and center? What nickname was given to Canada’s one dollar coin? Hint: Think bird with a real case of the giggles. You oughta know the name of this famous Canadian singer-songwriter whose music recently inspired a Broadway musical. Answers:  Toronto/cheese curds/maple leaf/Loonie/Alanis Morissette   Stay Cool in these American Art Museums The Metropolitan Museum of Art  New York, NY   The Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL   High Museum of Art Atlanta, GA   San Francisco Museum of Modern Art San Francisco, CA   National Gallery of Art Washington, DC   The Museum of Fine Arts  Boston, MA   Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles, CA   Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia, PA   Rhode Island School of Design Museum Providence, RI     Guggenheim Museum New York, NY  

More often than not, the most amazing cities in the world boast the most amazing art museums. And while you can learn a great deal about the history of important movements and iconic artists within those hallowed halls, there's something so raw, real, and "right now" about the art you find when you're just walking down the street! Take a look at this shortlist of cities around the world that are home to some of the best street art to simply stumble upon.       São Paulo, Brazil Beco do Batman is a hidden treasure in  São Paulo and the place to go for vibrant street art. Located in the neighborhood of Vila Madalena, Beco do Batman does, in fact, translate to Batman Alley and yes, you will find some walls dedicated to the comic book character. It all started with a single Batman drawing back in the 80s and the street art never stopped!                  Source: Nana Marques    Berlin, Germany   Nearly a mile long, the East Side Gallery in Berlin, Germany is not only the longest open air gallery in the world but features the longest intact section of the Berlin wall in existence today. Artists from all over the world flocked to the scene when the wall came down and the gallery officially opened in 1990. Must-see murals include  Birgit Kinder’s "Trabant" (which features this common East German car "bursting through" the wall) and Dmitri Vrubel’s notorious " My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love," more widely known as "Fraternal Kiss."                     Source: GetYourGuide   Toronto, Canada   Perhaps the most Instagram-able part of the Canadian city, Graffiti Alley is a 3 block stretch of street art running parallel to Queen Street West. And it's all city-sanctioned. After some spats over the difference between murals and vandalism, the  Queen Street West Business Improvement Association succeeded in their fight to keep art alive. Since 2011 StreetARToronto, or StART work to secure funding and approval for public works like these.    Source: PlanetWare   Melbourne, Australia   At the edge of the Melbourne's East End, an area brimming with galleries and creative types, lies Hosier Lane. The cobblestone laneway is a little dead end street with a lot of personality. Massive masterpieces occupy every square inch of the block and give insight into the culture and politics of its daring artists.    Source: Wikipedia Buenos Aires, Argentina   Breathtaking street art runs rampant throughout Buenos Aires, in areas like Plaza Matienzo, near the Mercado de las Pulgas fleamarket, and in the off-the-beaten-path neighborhood of Villa Urquiza just to name a few! What is definitely worth a look is the world's biggest mural completed by a single artist! The massive masterpiece was completed in phases by artist Alfredo Segatori over the course of about a year and a half. It covers three buildings and is entitled "The Return of Quinquela" in reference to the famous Argentinian landscape artist,  Benito Quinquela Martin, who is featured at the center of the mural.    Source: BA Street Art   Rishikesh, India    The so-called "Yoga Capital of the World" is chock-a-block with ashrams and temples for spiritual studies including the Beatles Ashram. And therein lies some pretty special street art throughout its abandoned grounds. Built in 1968, the  Ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi hosted the Beatles during their stays where they wrote hit songs and maybe even honed their yogi practice. After its abandonment just a few years later, artists gave the empty space a creative makeover where art and nature live in harmony.     Source: Jessica Beavon   Brooklyn, NY   Located in the outer-borough of Brooklyn, New York, the Bushwick Collective is an outdoor street gallery featuring artists from all over the world. Founded by Bushwick native Jospeh Ficalora in 2012, the gallery began as an effort to celebrate and beautify the neighborhood and has since become a major destination for street art admirers and tourists.    Source: Mad Hatters NYC   Bristol, England   What better place to see anonymous England street artist, Banksy's work in its natural environment than Bristol, England? Here you can get a glimpse of Banksy's cheeky " Well Hung Lover" painted on the side of a health clinic as well as the modern-day parody of Vermeer's masterwork, known here as " Girl with a Pierced Ear Drum." The streets of Bristol are all adorned with other well-known artists in addition to hosting "Upfest," the largest annual street art festival in Europe.    Source: Independent  

JSC is what you might call “detail-oriented.” Maybe that’s an understatement. We’re all about the little things you see when you pick up a charm and the even littler things you see after you’ve been wearing it for months! While you probably can spot the Eiffel Tower or New York City skyline a mile away, there are tons of other obscure signs and symbols just waiting to be discovered that tell the inside story of destinations near and far. Get up close and personal with some of our favorite not-so-obvious features you’ll find on JSC Luggage Tags   1. SIGHTSEEING  The must-see stops and landmarks you see on your insider bus or walking tour.   At nearly 40 feet high, it’s hard to miss Koh Samui’s golden Big Buddha shrine IRL. Widely known as the “Portland Oregon Sign," this bright beacon of the White Stag Building illuminates the downtown area. The Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga keeps people connected! It’s one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world. Siem Reap's Angkor Wat means the “City of Temples” and it’s not just a catchy name! Over 400 acres and 9 centuries old. Wow! Love the LOVE statue in Philly’s LOVE Park? We  love it, too!   2. LOREThe myths, legends, and folktales that makes everything so much more magical.   Ever heard a thunder clap so loud it could be a dragon’s roar? So goes the Bhutanese myth that gave birth to the Thunder Dragon known as a “Thunder Druk.” Your entrée might just save your life one day. A popular Portuguese folk tale tells the story of a wrongly accused man proven innocent when a roasted rooster begins to crow. It’s canary like Canariae as in dogs not birds. It’s said that early inhabitants of the Canary Islands once worshipped dogs which were pretty massive and pretty much everywhere.   3. OFFICIAL LANGUAGEYou can talk the talk when you know the local language.   The official language of Cambodia is Khmer spoken by 16 million people and named after an empire of yesteryear. Spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, Sinhala is a 58 letter language that sounds as beautiful as it looks. Maka Goemcho mog asa! That means “I love Goa" in the Indian state’s official language, Konkani.    4. THE ARTS Give props to the creative things these destinations are famous for.    It should come as no surprise that New Orleans, Louisiana is the birthplace of both jazz and trumpet-player extraordinaire, Louis Armstrong himself! Cinephiles flock to the French Riviera each year for the Cannes Film Festival--one of the top film festivals on the planet. Luggage tags, but make it fashion! This pair of pumps gives a nod to Milan's claim to fame as the global capital of fashion and design. One charm to rule them all! True Tolkien fans know the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed right here in Auckland, New Zealand.   5. NATURE Be one with nature and all the unique plants and animals it has to offer.   There’s only one place in the whole wide world where you can find lemurs in the wild and that’s the island of Madagascar.  The Coconut Palm is found everywhere and in everything in the Maldives including food, medicine, fashion, furniture, art, and more. Talk about multipurpose! The five petaled hibiscus is the state flower for Hawaii and says a lot more than you may think according to local tradition! When you wear the flower behind the left ear, it  means you’re taken. Behind the right means you're looking for love. Another super exclusive, the silver fern is found only in New Zealand. For the Māori people, the fern stands for strength, peace, and always finding your way back home.     6. SYMBOLS Those little things are everywhere but what do they really mean?   The Giglio of Florence is, you guessed it, a stylized iris flower and it’s become pretty much synonymous with the city itself. Knot all Irish symbols are the same! The Celtic love knot is a series of interlaced links and is exchanged between couples. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the German Bundesadler. Known as the Federal Eagle, it’s the centerpiece of the oldest coat of arms in Europe going back to the time of the Holy Roman Empire. 

While jetsetters are lying low for a minute, it’s easy to travel with our minds. It’s even more fun to travel with our stomachs. And as temperatures rise, who wouldn’t want to indulge in a frosty treat that feels like an instant vacay to a far off destination? Take a little food tour with these frozen treat possibilities from around the globe.   Enjoying some mastic-style ice cream. Piragua All heads turn when the unmistakeable piragua cart comes rolling down the street, especially on those days that feel like you're standing on the surface of the sun. From the island of Puerto Rico comes this simple yet essential frozen treat. Made of shaved ice stacked high like a pyramid, the piragua is flavored with an array of  tropical syrups like coconut, guava, tamarind, pineapple, and sugar cane.  Make your own with this recipe                 Source: Discover Puerto Rico    Kulfi   Popular throughout India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar this conical treat is essentially ice cream but way more dense and creamy. It's a real labor of love, made by evaporating sweet, flavored milks by slow cooking. Then the mixture is sealed up tight and submerged in ice and salt for fast freezing. You'll find kulfi in flavors like pistachio, cardamon, saffron, rose, and mango. Make your own with this recipe                     Source: Relish the Bite    Spaghetti-Eis   What could be more appealing than cold spaghetti? Don't let the optics fool you, this German novelty dessert is just vanilla ice cream pushed through a  Spätzle press for that distinctive pasta shape. Strawberry sauce plays the part of marinara sauce and white chocolate shavings look all too much like sprinkles of parmesan. We promise it's delicious! Make your own with this recipe   Source: Oktoberfest for Teens   Mochi Ice Cream   Little pockets of joy, mochi ice cream combines chewy Japanese rice dough and undeniably delicious ice cream in one-to-two bite morsels. Though mochi has long been a part of New Years traditions throughout Japan, the ice cream component only gained popularity and global distribution in the 1990s. While the Neapolitan trio of flavors are quite common, be sure to try green tea, plum wine, and red bean.  Make your own with this recipe   Source: Taste of Home Ais Kacang   Well known throughout Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, the name translates to rice bean and, this time, what you see is what you get! S ometimes referred to as Air Batu Campur (or ABC for short), the ingredients can range but the result will always be colorful and always feature shaved ice and beans ever since its emergence in the 1950s. A typical Ais Kacang is topped with its namesake cooked red beans, seeds, nuts, milk, jelly syrup, and creamed sweet corn. Eclectic is an understatement!   Make your own with this recipe   Source: Sayang Malaysia   Frozen Bananas   The ingredients are straight forward and the result is so satisfying! A few bananas, some melted Mexican chocolate, a handful of wooden sticks, and you've got yourself a fruit-forward alternative to ice cream! Roll the choco-coated banana in coconut flakes, crushed nuts, or sprinkles to liven things up!  Make your own with this recipe    Source: Que Rica Vida   Patbingsu   Patbingsu is a go-to summer favorite in Korea and has been since the days of the Joseon Dynasty in fact. That's going back to 1392! A mountain of shaved ice gets doused in condensed milk and covered with adzuki beans (yep, there's more beans in store!), bits of rice cake, fruit, and jelly. The beans are boiled, mashed, and sweetened to perfection. More variations on the theme seem to pop up everyday so don't be surprised if you see Oreos or mango in the mix.                                                        Make your own with this recipe    Source: Food Network   Dondurma   Ever have your ice cream mastic? It's fantastic! Dondurma originates from Turkey and is a mastic ice cream meaning it's is chewier, has a harder texture, and is less likely to melt before you finish. Perfect for the slow, thoughtful ice cream eaters among us! Vendors in store fronts and streets have to keep the ice cream churning on paddles so it doesn't become too unmalleable before serving. But because of the ice cream's sturdy nature, it's a common site to see vendors having a little fun  playing hard to get before letting customers take their cones to go.   Make your own with this recipe   Source: SBS

Summertime is in the air! The days are getting longer, the shorts are getting shorter, and that itch, that urge, that desire to explore is getting stronger! We’re missing travel big time right now but we’re powering through by reminiscing about all of those meals, museums, summits, shopping, flights and festivals we’ve been lucky enough to experience. All those adventures and, admittedly, misadventures we’ve had along the way. But those just make for funny stories later, right? And while travel may be on pause for the moment, summer is not cancelled. Neither is our imagination. We’re walking down memory lane and getting a little creative to serve up some virtual vacay recommendations that remind us that life is sweet. TRAVEL MEMORIES: A Weekend Getaway to Santo Domingo   The sun! The surf! The not being in my living room! Get in on this armchair travel to the cultural capital (and actual capital) of the Dominican Republic. It may be the off-season, but that just means more "me time" on the beach! Get the full scoop on what to eat, drink, see, and experience during your trip to Santo Domingo HERE. Cheers to Vacay!   Can't get enough of those Caribbean vibes? Try this! The Dominican favorite translates to "to die while dreaming" and is certainly to die for...or dream about for that matter. A surprisingly delicious combination of milk and orange juice, this drink pairs perfectly with dinner or some mid-day relaxation.  Ingredients 4 cups of evaporated milk 2 ½ cups of orange juice (ideally fresh) ¾ cup of sugar 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2 cups of ice (may be cubed or crushed) Directions Chill the evaporated milk Add sugar to your taste Stir in vanilla Add ice while stirring Pour in the OJ and stir to perfection. Sit back, sip, and enjoy!   Recipe and image courtesy of dominicancooking.com Summer Staycation Snapshots     New Yorkers get their Vinyasa on with virtual yoga classes hosted by Bryant Park. You can join in on the downwards dogs Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM or Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM EST right on their IG. Stay tuned for park reopening in the future!   @bryantpark #ParksAtHome     Pandemic, but make it fashion!  This Parisian gallery is opening its doors but not without mandatory distancing hats for visitors. Brainchild of French artist, Dominique Pouzol, the hats are not only meant to protect museum-goers from COVID-19 but also act as a big, bold way to prompt questions about protection from intolerance, violence, and other societal ills will persist post lockdown.    @59rivoli #parisart     You can still enjoy a walk in the park in San Francisco, just stay in your safety circle, that's all. Parks across the land of the Golden Gate including Dolores Park, Washington Square Park, Little Marina Green, and the green near Jackson Playground are adding a little geometry for the sake of social distancing and to avoid full on park closure.    @sfgate #socialdistancingEXPLORE

They say not all heroes wear capes or, these days, even pants. We're talking about the at-home heroes who have stepped up and managed to make the most of life despite the unprecedented circumstances. Our innovation knows no bounds and in exploring its limits, we've brought joy, healing, and helping to ourselves and the people in our home, our communities, and beyond. It's the mother who hosts an at-home prom for her teenage daughter, the yoga instructor posting free classes so you can get your daily vinyasa on, the BFF who texts you a corny joke every morning, the DJ hosting a virtual dance party, the partner who plans movie nights complete with the best chips and guac on the planet. We've endured more than we ever imagined and came out still (relatively) sane and smiling. Pat yourself on the back. You are the reason why life is still sweet! 1. Flower Power   New York City is known as many things but the city that never smells isn’t one of them. Until now. Designer Lewis Miller has been freshening up trash cans around the city with grand, vivid floral arrangements that he calls “floral flash" as a way to exercise his creative muscle and brighten the day of essential workers passing by.   Read more here: ABC: Coronavirus News: Designer's 'flower flash' brighten up Manhattan streets 2. Gone to the Birds Museums have been a bit lonely these days and penguins need their enrichment, too. There’s only one solution. Three Humboldt penguins from the Kansas City Zoo were let loose to explore the collection at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. An afternoon contemplating Baroque paintings just might make up for decreased  interaction with keepers and zoo goers. Watch here: Time: While Most Museums Remain Closed, 3 Kansas City Penguins Enjoyed a Day of Experiencing Great Works of Art 3. Fairy Tale    It should come as no surprise that the Tooth Fairy is an essential worker. At least in the eyes of 7-year-old Evolette who lost a tooth this month. She was deeply concerned for the Tooth Fairy’s safety and insisted her Mom sew a mask to leave out during the late night visit. With that, Mom, Kayla, sewed her 178th mask (the teeny, tiniest by far) and did her part to keep the citizens of Fairy Land safe from harm.     Read more here: ET Online: 7-Year-Old Girl Loses Tooth in Quarantine, Asks Mom to Make a Mask for Tooth Fairy   4. Movie Night Put on your poodle skirt and hop in your Buick--the 1950s are back! At least the drive-in theater part. Yankee Stadium is reinventing itself for the summer as a venue for live music and movies from the comfort of your car just like the good ol’ days. And you can expect raffles, games, local eats, and we can only imagine “let’s all go to the lobby" on repeat. Watch here: Travel and Leisure: Yankee Stadium Is Being Turned Into a Drive-in Concert and Movie Venue This Summer 5. A Tip of the Hat   A cafe in Schwerin, Germany is enforcing a very strict dress code. Pool noodles. After re-opening its doors, Cafe Rothe is providing its patrons with hats topped with two colorful pool noodles to enforce social distancing rules. It’s fashionable and functional. Oh, and foam. Read more here:  CNN: German cafe tells customers to wear pool noodles to enforce social distancing EXPLORE