Behind the Postcards

Retail expert Mike Hauser talks about the history of dazzling downtown lights and where to find the best ones this season in the United States, including New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago,  San Francisco and more!

Some of Mike's favorite places include:

New York City

• Macy's Herald Square*
  • Stella 34 restaurant
• Sak's 5th Avenue Light Show
• Bloomingdales
• Rockefeller Center

Philadelphia

• Macy's* Center City with Christmas Light Show accompanied by its Wanamaker Organ

Chicago

• Macy's* on State
  • Walnut Room restaurant

San Francisco

• Union Center

*To learn more about Macy's events throughout the country and make Santaland reservations, visit here. 

Detroit-based documentary photographer Amy Sacka discusses how her passion for travel led to a major project with National Geographic and a whole new perspective on her home state. She shares how to use a traveler's mindset and a photographer's mindset to explore our own backyards.

View Amy's work at www.AmySackaPhotography.com and follow her on Instagram.

Cartographer Neil Greenberg shares his passion for maps and explains why print maps are still relevant in 2021. He discusses how to look at maps in new ways to search them for clues about the history of a city, breaking down the streets of Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Phoenix, Tucson, Seattle, Detroit, LA and more!

Learn more about Neil's work here. 

American painter Caitlin Cartwright discusses how her world travels - especially three years spent in Africa - have inspired her art.

Learn more about Caitlin, and check out her work at www.caitlincartwright.com. 

Gloria and Erica met in India in November of 2011 and this week celebrate their "friendiversary" by sharing their story and their favorite parts of India.

Find more travel stories about India and other places in Asia and beyond in Erica's travel blog: www.EricaInWonderland.com. 

Global paranormal investigator Stephanie Dourgarian discusses some of the most haunted places on the planet and shares her most memorable ghost experiences.

Those interested in learning more about the paranormal can contact her at [email protected]. Check out her haunted tours at Brentwood Historic Ghost Tours or Spooky Foodies!

Stephanie's haunted recommendations for the United States:

• Waverly Hills Sanitarium, KY
• Eastern State Penitentiary, PA
• Crescent Hotel, AK
• Washoe Club, NV
• Jerome Grand Hotel, AZ
• Gettysburg Battlefield, PA
• Myrtles Plantation, LA
• Goldfield Hotel, NV
• Ohio State Reformatory, OH
• Trans-Allegheny Asylum, WV
• USS Hornet, CA

American photographer Cory Goldberg discusses how he accidentally became the face of a major Indian tourism campaign in 2009, starring in a major global commercial, "Incredible India."

Watch the video here.

Check out behind-the-scenes footage of getting into the wrestling outfit.  

The Van Gelder family discusses how they paused their lives to work and travel throughout the country for a year through a program called Workaway.

Follow their travels on at VGWalkabout on YouTube.

Learn about Workaway here.

Erica discusses her recent trip to Salem, Massachusetts, one of the world's most popular Halloween destinations. Joined by Salem resident and expert Alyssa Jackson, they share recommendations and insider tips on how to make the most of a visit to Salem.

Links to Noted Sites and Recommendations

• Salem Witch Museum
• Witch House
• Witch History Museum
• Witch Dungeon Museum
• Wynott Wands Shop
• Salem Maritime National Historic Site
• Salem Willows Park
• Charter Street Cemetery
• Pioneer Village
• Salem Trolley
• Bewitched Statue

Traveler Tim Hinkle discusses his recent trip to The Netherlands and Paris, sharing his favorite parts, surprises and recommendations. See photos on our Facebook page.

Tim’s Netherlands Itinerary and Recommendations

 Amsterdam:

• Stay: 
  • Lloyd Hotel (Eastern Docklands) – Originally a hotel for Eastern European migrants that turned into a political prison during Nazi occupation and then into a juvenile detention center. It was restored back into a hotel in 2004.
• Sights and Attractions
  • Rijksmuseum 
  • Anne Frank House 
  • Van Gogh Museum
  • Canal tours 
  • Vondelpark – a great example of the Amsterdam tree canopy. 
  • Het Schip – building  complex that is the pinnacle example of the architectural style of the Amsterdam School. 
  • Noord Neighborhood
    • Nieuwendammerdijk - quaint standalone village before urbanization made it part of the city of Amsterdam
    •  Eye Film Museum 
• Eating and Drinking: 
  • Lab 111 Strangelove 
  • Foodhallen 
  • De Kas 
  • Coffee and Coconuts 
  • De Verbroederij 
  • Cafe bij Paul 

 Day trips from Amsterdam:

• Leiden - a medieval city on the Rhine, home to the oldest university in the Netherlands and played a major role in the independence of the Netherlands from Spain in the 17th century. 
• Groningen -  Called the “Metropolis of the North,"  has fabulous bicycle infrastructure, a bustling pedestrian and bike-oriented city center, and the striking Martini Tower.
• Eindhoven - the birthplace of Philips Electronics and a former industrial powerhouse, which now has lots of renovated historic manufacturing buildings. The Strijp-S district, formerly Philips industrial buildings, today is a hip and buzzing center of mixed-use activity with shops, bars, restaurants, and of course, all reachable by bike. 
• Rotterdam - Europe’s largest port city, re-built with modern architecture following the obliteration of its historic city center by German bombers in the 1940s. The Lijnbaan in the center of the city was one of the world’s first pedestrian-only outdoor shopping malls when it opened in 1953 and is still thriving today. The monumental Rotterdam Centraal station opened in 2014.
• Haarlem - a smaller Dutch city that offers a nice break from the bustle of Amsterdam. It’s also the capital of the province of North Holland.