One of the best things about being a young person is the lack of responsibility like a family and even a serious job. This means that you have the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, travel and see the world. One of the most important parts of traveling to a new city is making sure you get out and see everything the city has to offer. In order to do this, you will have to be comfortable making your way through the streets. If you are trying to travel on a budget, this will mean becoming knowledgeable of the public transportation system. One city that many young people have recently chosen to travel to is Buenos Aires. Luckily for all of those budget travelers, there are many public transportation options and plenty to see!

When trying to figure out the transportation system in the city, the first thing you will want to have is a map. When taking a cab, you will probably be expected to know the closest intersection to your destination rather than only the number and street. Also, having a map with you all the time will help you be aware of where you are so that a cab driver (taxista) will not try to drive you around aimlessly in order to run the meter. (Don’t worry – this isn’t standard practice, but it is something to look out for.) You will also want to have taken some Spanish classes in Buenos Aires in order to better communicate with your cab driver.

Another way to get around the city is by using the colectivo (bus). While walking around the city, you will notice many different kinds of buses with many different numbers. Some buses even have neon lights and velvet curtains on the inside! In order to try to figure out the bus system, you will want to purchase a Guia T. The Guia T is a guide to the bus system with maps that tell you where each bus line goes. Though it is a guide, it is confusing in and of itself. If you learn Spanish in Buenos Aires, you will have a better chance of finding someone who will be able to explain the guide to you so you can use the bus system with success.  There are a lot of things to see in Buenos Aires – the Recoleta cemetery, the San Telmo market and more. Using the public transportation system successfully will help you really enjoy everything the city has to offer!

When a family decides to take a vacation to the beach they are more times than not trying to find what will be the perfect beach for them. After all, this may be the first family vacation that they are taking or perhaps they just want to make sure that everything is perfect. But how does a family come to the conclusion to go to what they consider to be the perfect beach?

There are many things that the person needs to consider when they are trying to find the perfect beach for them. First off, do they want to go to a beach that is considered to be very popular or would they prefer something low key? When answering this the person needs to realize that with popular beaches come more crowds, however, there are many other things to do around the area besides going to the beach if they are wanting to have a time full of activities. Many of the more popular beaches are going to offer many water spots to participate in that is going to tons of fun. However, the more low key beaches may be more relaxed and are definitely not going to be as crowded. The person must decide which sounds more appealing and go from there.

Now that this is decided, they have a list of beaches that qualify. In order to choose the beach, they are going to want to consider the distance that they are traveling to get there. Are they going to fly or drive? This could be a major influencing factor as to which they choose, especially if they do not want to travel over a few hours. The price of the lodging in the area should also factor into this question.

The person should also consider what they plan to once they get to the beach. For example, those that are wanting to surf are going to want to find the beaches that have tons of waves in order to fully enjoy participating in this sport. For those that are just wanting to sun bathe in their swimwear, then they are going to have more choices since it doesn’t really matter. Those with kids may want to go to those beaches that have playground equipment on the beach so that the kids can have some entertainment while on the beach. Also, consider whether you want to go to a beach that is termed for families, for those with pets, romantic getaways and so on. Knowing what you want is the only way to find what you are going to believe is the perfect beach for you.

The Chicago Adler Planetarium is home to instruments, telescopes, books, models and more. Some of the artifacts in the collection date back hundreds of years, giving guests a look at how science has progressed over time.

Here are just a few examples of what you’ll find in this awe-inspiring collection:

Navigational Instruments

The Adler has a large collection of navigational instruments, dating from the sixteenth century to the twentieth century. The collection includes octants, sextants, quadrants and more. Be sure to check out the Museum’s unique collection of astrolabes, classical navigational instruments that were used in the past to measure the altitude of stars.

The collection also includes many surveying instruments, including compasses and theolodites. These tools are used to measure angles and elevations. “Mathematical instruments” include drawing instruments, sectors, and rules.

Armillary Spheres & Celestial Globes

Used to teach astronomy, armillary spheres show the Earth, horizons, equator, tropics and more. They can also demonstrate motion and patterns of the sun and other planets throughout the year.

Celestial globes show the positions of stars in the sky. They’re a great way to see the configurations of different constellations!

Sundials & Planetaria

Forget digital watches – the most accurate and reliable way to tell time is by reading a sundial. In addition to the 13-foot bronze sundial outside of the Museum, there are many inside the exhibits.

Also known as orreries, the fascinating models known as planetaria show how planets move around the sun, how the moon moves around the Earth, or both.

Telescopes

The Adler Planetarium boasts several authentic telescopes from the seventeenth century, but its most impressive is the Dearborn Telescope. Once the largest telescope in the world, it has recently been updated, refinished and returned to its home at the Adler.

Rare Books Collection

With over 3,000 volumes, the Rare Book Collection at the Adler is an amazing collection of astronomical and scientific literature. Here, you’ll find celestial atlases, books on comets and planets, early encyclopedias and more.

With so much to do and see at the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, you won’t want to miss it. Visit anytime with a Go Chicago Card and get ready for an out-of-this-world experience!

The sleepy coastal town of Myrtos on the island of Crete in Greece may not have a great cultural heritage as some other areas do, but it does have a great past that catches your attention as does its setting. The earliest records of the Myrtos history dates back to the Minoan period when this area served as a little settlement before it was used as a trading port.

It was a marketplace where settlers could go and trade their goods they produced locally, usually shipping it off to Ierapetra. The area was not considered safe to settle in part due to the pirates who were very active along the coast of Crete.

People began living in the village after the pirates’ menace lessened over time. The present village is a much more recent development that came about in the first half of the 20th century.

During WWII, during the Nazis reign, Myrtos faced their savagery and saw 18 of its residents die in fights with Hitler’s army. Nearly the entire village was set on fire. Myrtos rebuilt and today, there is a monument at the Central Square to remember that horrible event 67 years ago.

40 years ago, Myrtos began to start encouraging tourists to come. Early patrons were Hippies and they became regular summer visitors. Soon, a more culturally diverse set of tourists began to camp at Myrtos.

Today, Myrtos ends up with a nice group of tourists who visit for the rustic areas as well as for the beaches and for its “floating idea of time” that it represents so beautifully. You can visit here and feel like you have gone back in time to a more peaceful place. You can walk the beaches and admire the stars at night, and you will find a peace in your life that comes with vacationing at Myrtos.