Hurricane Katrina Devastated New Orleans. Some of It Came Back Better.
Hurricane Katrina was a chapter in the history of man's struggle both to control nature and to accept what he cannot control.
August/September 2025
Losing My Religion, Finding My Humanity at an Ayahuasca Retreat
As I learned with ayahuasca, the greatest healing often comes from the most challenging experiences.
Features
The U.K.'s Roundabouts Free Drivers From the Tyranny of Traffic Lights
Roundabouts are more efficient because they let drivers rely on themselves, not an inert piece of infrastructure.
Photo: A Tiny Monument to Eminent Domain Resistance in New York City
The roughly 25-inch plot has a mosaic reading, "Property of the Hess estate which has never been dedicated for public purposes."
Tracking a Unicorn in Adam Smith's Edinburgh
Edinburgh was the Scottish economist's home and a place for anyone interested in a rich, varied, and liberal life.
Religious Dissenters Fled Holland (The Netherlands) and Established Holland (Michigan)
In response to disagreements within the Dutch Reformed Church, some believers packed up and left.
Notre-Dame Was Built—and Rebuilt—Through Private Donations
Donors have given nearly $900 million to the reconstruction project since a 2019 fire nearly destroyed the Paris cathedral.
Georgia: The Possible Birthplace of Wine and Definite Birthplace of Stalin
If geography really is destiny, then the Georgian situation has understandably necessitated a stiff, perpetual drink.
An 11-Day Middle-earth Fantasy in New Zealand
New Zealand's geography feels magically pulled straight from J.R.R. Tolkien's stories.
Wild Animals Are Thriving on South Africa's Private Reserves and Game Farms
Land safeguarded by private industry in South Africa is almost three times greater than land under government protection.
Why Are Immigrants From Tropical Countries Coming to This Arctic Outpost?
"Why not here?" says the owner of a Lebanese restaurant in Canada's semiautonomous Nunavut Territory.
The Final Vacation Frontier
For just $55 million, you can book a weeklong vacation on the International Space Station. It's not exactly an all-inclusive beach resort.
Capitalism in the Cracks: How Japan's Microspaces Unleash Economic Experimentation
These spaces are so small that most cities would ignore them. Tokyo doesn't.
The Glories of Mexican Dentistry
"I needed some extensive and expensive dental work, and so I crossed borders."
Europe's Highest Bridge Was Built Without Government Subsidies
France's Millau Viaduct is an engineering marvel funded by tolls.
Digital Nomads Are Getting Caught in the War on Tourism
Countries are welcoming remote workers with digital nomad visas—while cracking down on the very lifestyle that makes nomadism possible.
How Trump's Travel Crackdown Is Hurting Americans at Home and Abroad
From trade wars to visa restrictions, policies aimed at foreigners are backfiring on U.S. travelers—raising costs, shrinking freedoms, and souring global goodwill.
Conflicts and Contrasts Make Jerusalem Endlessly Fascinating
The City of Peace has been a locus of conflict for a very long time—a story that continues to this day.
The Nearly Free Markets of Guatemala
Guatemalans don't wait for the government's permission. They build their own markets through voluntary exchange.
How Airline Miles Turned Into a Multibillion Dollar Currency
How a fringe marketing idea became the backbone of airline profits—and a gateway to global luxury travel
A Libertarian Travel Guide to Javier Milei's Argentina
Downtown Buenos Aires is a living testimony to the country's history of freedom and prosperity.
Fragneto Monforte, Italy
The best sort of travel is that which confounds our expectations rather than confirms our prejudices
How Portuguese Culture Makes It Easier To Parent
The Portuguese recognize that having children shouldn't relegate people to explicitly kid-friendly spaces.
6 U.S. Travel Destinations in the Middle of Nowhere
From under the sea to the Rocky Mountains
Cincinnati's Beer-Loving Germans Endured Anti-Immigrant and Anti-Alcohol Resistance
The city's German immigrant experience suggests that immediate assimilation isn't necessary to eventual assimilation.
In Defense of the Tourist Trap: Why Following the Crowd Might Be the Smartest Way To Travel
Tourist traps aren't failures of imagination—they’re optimized cultural hubs built for your enjoyment.
The Decentralized Master Planning of Seaside, Florida
The city where The Truman Show was filmed balances communal norms with private preferences.
Interview
Chris Arnade on China, Wall Street, and Walking Around the World
"I walked the entire length of the New York subway system above ground. I've always been into walking," says the author of the Chris Arnade Walks the World newsletter.
Editor's Note
Why Free Movement Is Essential to a Free Society
Reason's 2025 travel issue takes seriously the idea that the right to roam is inseparable from the right to speak, to work, to love, and to associate freely.
Books
Mark Twain's Travel Log From the Holy Land
Christianity would be wonderful, Twain suggests in The Innocents Abroad, if it weren't for Christians.
Tiny Nations in the Crack of the Map
You could travel to a foreign country, or you could create your own.
A Beatnik Tourist in Ayahuasca Country
William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg's trip reports form one of the most entertaining books in the Beat canon.
Reviews
Review: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Sets Players Loose in a World of Wonder
If you're looking to see the sights and understand the culture of a foreign land, the easiest way to do it might be from the comfort of your couch.
Review: What Would Happen If the Modern-Day British Government Discovered Time Travel?
The Ministry of Time offers a world of romance, murder, blue sci-fi lasers, and lots of paperwork.
Review: Denmark's Viking Ship Museum Offers a Glimpse Into Life at Sea
On display are five real Viking ships, intentionally sunk in Roskilde Fjord around 1,000 years ago to form a defensive barrier.
Review: The Endless Summer Chases the Perfect Surf Conditions Around the Globe
A documentary from 1966 offers a taste of summer, no matter the season.
Review: Coastal Is a Culinary Love Letter to California's Central Coast
The cookbook offers everyday inspiration to get creative and elevate the ordinary.
Review: Detroit's Ford Rouge Factory Reveals Just How Far American Industry Has Come
The factory has changed a lot, from making Model T parts to making Mustangs to assembling electric Ford F-150s.
Review: Knossos Presents Dueling Ideas of Greek History
The world's most glorious monument to fakery is Knossos, the Greek site containing the legendary Palace of Minos.
Crossword
ETC.
Brickbats: August/September 2025
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world
