Texas may be known for its barbecue but you’re missing a lot of its others eats if that’s all you have while visiting. On a recent trip to Houston, which skirts the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, I was surprised by the variety of cuisines offered within the city and its surrounding areas.

That’s right, Houston is a foodie town.

Sure, I expected plenty of Tex-Mex joints and barbecue dives, but what I didn’t plan on is a world of flavors tucked around nearly every corner.

The large island of Chiloé is a wonderful place. We are in Castro, which was founded in 1576, and it is Chile’s third oldest city in continued existence. 1000 km south of Santiago, this place brims with culture, from the wool weavings of local artisans to the wooden purple and yellow church of Castro. We pass by the front of this remarkable church on our way to eat lunch.

I've seen fursuits and other animal costumes around before, especially at our annual Unschoolers Waterpark Gathering. But when we were at the BlackRock Medieval Festival this summer, I was completely amazed by one gryphon - Taruk, created by Michigander Rebecca Sharpe.

If you have ever been to Thailand, you have probably seen, heard, or eaten a variety of wacky things. Hopefully fruit was one of them. If you haven't tried any Thai fruits, you are simply missing out. Thailand has some of the best tropical fruits in the world…seriously, this is not debatable. They are cheap, delicioious, and fun to eat. 

From Arizona to the Yucatan in Mexico, there are numerous gorgeous places that you can stay worldwide - for FREE - in return for some caretaking, housesitting, pet sitting, lawnmowing, and/or other duties. As a caretaker/housesitter, you can easily travel and live (or work) in many exotic places: mountain, lake, city, rural… and live like a local for anything from a few days to a couple of years.