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When considering the most capricious of industries you’d probably think first of Hollywood or fashion, but the travel world can be cruel too. Consider that  destination where everybody wants to go— until suddenly—the problem is that everybody is going. This week Tim Johnson announces that as far as being a cool destination, Iceland is over. Yes, it’s still incredible and beautiful and very much worth the trip. But, he argues, you’re not going to impress anybody by saying you’re going there. Instead, the new ticket sure to impress is further north–in Greenland.

We also have our latest Eat Sheet, where Katie Lockhart takes us to her former home of Hội An in Vietnam. Just reading through has left me famished!

I must confess, it was hard for me to agree to the headline suggested for our latest post for It’s Still a Big World, but Brandon Withrow assured me that “Spokane Doesn’t Suck” really is a slogan shared with him by a local while on the ground. I think you will enjoy his dispatch from this charming city.

Enjoy!

–William O’Connor, Travel Editor

Why Greenland Is Now So Much Cooler Than Iceland

Don’t get me wrong: Iceland is a really super nice place. It just isn’t Iceland cool anymore.

Eat Sheet: Our Tips on Where to Dine in Hội An, Vietnam

This historic port isn’t just charming old buildings—it’s also a diner’s paradise.

Spokane Doesn’t Suck, Really

It’s an unofficial slogan adopted by many locals but it’s very much an understatement, as this is a city with a multitude of options.

Did Photography Fuel Our Obsession With What Lies Beneath the Waves?

Early underwater filmmakers had to convince the public that what they were seeing was truly under the sea—but it didn’t stop a growing fascination with the aquatic world.

“Archaeologists excavating in Cordóba, Spain, have uncovered what may be one of the largest ancient phalluses on record. The sculpted carving, which measures almost half a meter in length, was discovered at a fortified enclosure at the archaeological site of El Higuerón.” 

—after yet another phallic discovery from Ancient Rome, Candida Moss asks the pressing question if Romans were obsessed with the equivalent of the dick pic. 

Invisible House, Joshua Tree, CA (Vrbo): Only ten minutes from the town of Joshua Tree is a 5,500-square-foot home that both embraces the desert and is inspired by big city living. On a clear day, on a stormy day—on any day really—it can be hard to distinguish between this one-of-a-kind vacation home and its surroundings. Inspired by the look of the glass used in skyscrapers, this might just be the closest we’re going to get to an invisibility-cloaked home until that magical tech is actually invented.

Reflecting the desert back on itself, the house is also inspired by the materials and design of the big city. It’s hard to find a one-of-a-kind place that’s also in an utterly unique location, but here, you’ve done it.  

Book Your Stay: Invisible House, Joshua Tree, CA: $4,300/night via Vrbo

Don’t miss previous OMG, I Want to Rent This House posts, which spotlight the most spectacular and unique homes that you can actually stay in.  Check out the full archives. 

In part due to Instagram, architectural tourism has never been bigger. Few cities anywhere in the world can compete with Chicago for architectural splendor and variety. It’s river architecture tour is considered a must-do—even by travel snobs. Wright, Burnham, Sullivan, Gang, van der Rohe, S.O.M, Gehry, and Bofill—all have iconic buildings here. But for us, the most visually alluring period of skyscrapers is Art Deco.

So, this week’s highlight for Just Booked  is Robert Bruegmann’s Art Deco Chicago: Designing Modern America published by Yale University Press.

 It’s a deep dive into not just the explosion in Art Deco architecture, but also its effects in fashion and industrial design. Some pages will leave you wistful for masterpieces that have been destroyed, while other hidden gems highlighted in it will have you adding them to your architecture bucket list.

Don’t miss our other selections for our series on gorgeous travel-related coffee table books, Just Booked.

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