10 University Art Classes You Can Take for Free Online

The world of MOOCs (short for “massive open online courses”) is a booming one, featuring more than 10,000 online courses listed by 800 different universities. Many are free, and even more are self-paced—allowing you to take classes at your own convenience—meaning it’s never been easier to go back to school. And there are plenty of enticing offerings when it comes to the visual arts.

Interested in mastering a new, hands-on creative skill? You can learn to draw your own comics or capture artful digital photographs. Wish you could brush up on Art History 101? There are courses exploring the art and archaeology of ancient Egypt and the development of the artistic avant-garde. Below, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite art and design classes offered by colleges and universities across the globe.  Click Here

 A new book with new ideas for travel!

Lonely Planet Magazine

Designed exclusively with North American readers in mind, Lonely Planet offers fresh travel ideas, practical tips and advice, essential information and stunning photography. Every issue will contain travel news and discoveries, inspiring photography and the stories behind them, trip ideas and recommendations, and more.

Popular Travel Books

USA's Best Trips
Whether exploring your own backyard or somewhere new, discover the freedom of USA's open roads with Lonely Planet's USA's Best Trips, your passport to unique experiences waiting along American highways. Featuring 52 amazing road trips, from 2-day escapes to 2-week adventures, you can journey through the Rockies' spectacular parks or follow scenic Appalachian byways, all with your trusted travel companion. Jump in the car, turn up the tunes, and hit the road!

The New York Times 36 hours: 150 weekends in the USA & Canada
The New York Times has been offering up dream weekends with practical itineraries in its popular weekly "36 Hours" column since 2002. The many expert contributors, experienced travelers, and accomplished writers have brought careful research, insider’s knowledge, and a sense of fun to hundreds of cities and destinations, always with an eye to getting the most out of a short trip. Want to read what Sam Sifton suggests in his beloved borough of Brooklyn, or David Carr in Minneapolis, Mark Bittman in Death Valley, or Ariel Kaminer in lower Manhattan? Here is where to do it, with full-color photographs to entice you and handy maps to guide you.

Long Island Summer 2016

Summer is here! Come on out and discover Long Island.
For more information visit
www.DISCOVERLONGISLAND.com

The natural world of Winnie-the-Pooh : a walk through the forest that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood / Kathryn Aalto.

Delve into the home of the world’s most beloved bear! Few people know that the Hundred Acre Wood—the setting for Winnie-the-Pooh’s adventures—was inspired by Ashdown Forest, a wildlife haven that spans more than 6,000 acres in southeast England.The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh explores the enchanting landscapes where Pooh, Christopher Robin, and their friends live and play. You will discover how Milne's childhood connection with nature and his role as a father influenced his famous stories, and how his close collaboration with illustrator E. H. Shepard brought those stories to life. This charming book also serves as a guide to the plants, animals, and places of the remarkable Ashdown Forest, whether you are visiting in person or from the comfort of your favorite armchair. In a delightful narrative, enriched with E. H. Shepard’s original illustrations, hundreds of color photographs, and Milne’s own words, you will rediscover your favorite characters and the magical place they called home.

How to Decode a Travel Brochure

Travel expert Rick Steves shares insider tips on cutting through the clutter of travel brochures.

By 

• Kathleen Squires

• Be skeptical when reading travel brochures, because they are designed to help you spend money. They're propaganda—paid advertising—for a business.
• Look for a straightforward, up-front price. (It's better than having the tour company trying to pry money out of you over the course of your vacation through various sales gimmicks.)
• Keep in mind that a brochure is designed to make the place look really good. If it's not showing me a wide shot of a hotel, I assume that the wide shot is ugly. If it's just showing me the garden in the back, that means the front is ugly.
• With hotels, words like "deluxe," "luxury," and "Superior" (along with a checklist of facilities, like a shoe-shine machine in your hallway) do nothing to quantify the character, ambiance, friendliness, and convenience of the place.
• The word "area" should send a red flag: If the brochure says your hotel is in the "Florence area," right away you know it's halfway to Bologna in the middle of nowhere.
• If you're taking a tour of some kind, keep in mind that the more sights that are packed into a short tour, the more time you're spending on a bus and the less time you're spending seeing them.
• Bragging that a place is a member of the local tourist board may mean only that it paid to be included. Similarly, if a place points out that it is  on UNESCO's World Heritage List, they have nothing else to talk about