Coastal Mississippi provides adventure and variety for the budget traveler

Photographer Robin Kerr says she was sitting on a beach in Cardiff, California in October 2018, watching the sunset after a brief rain shower, when she snapped this gorgeous photo of a surfer living her BEST LIFE. The photo features a gorgeous sunset with crashing waves, and a woman surfing a wave with her arms up to the sky and a look of pure joy. Kerr has begun searching for the subject of the photo in hopes of sharing the beautiful moment with her. She says "I am a member of Girls LOVE Travel on Facebook and remembered seeing posts where female photographers have taken epic photos of a stranger's engagement during their vacations and then search for them using the group on the off chance that they could locate the subject and give the photo to the engaged couple. During shelter in place, I was going through my photo archive and came across this shot I took in October of 2018. I put myself in her shoes. If a photographer took this photo of me surfing with that glorious sunset, I would want a copy! And so the search began!" If you think you know the subject in the image, reach out to Kerr at her Instagram @agirlwonder.

Summer typically initiates the music festival season with incredible line-ups, cool event spaces and dancing as if no one is watching. Many organizers have cancelled or postponed till later in the year due to this unprecedented time. However, three well-known festivals have decided to carry on by taking the events to a digital space. Participating in an online experience can’t quite be compared to an in-person event but going virtual has some benefits, such as expanding the opportunity to anyone in the world with access to an internet connection. Let’s be honest, festivals can be expensive to attend when you tally up the cost of a ticket, plus the cost of transportation, lodging, food and time off work. If you’ve been intrigued about attending one of these events but didn’t have time-off, funds or weren’t sure if it’s your kind of thing, now you’re only a screen away from uncovering what it’s all about. With these music gatherings going digital, more people from all over the globe can participate and discover the magic of coming together to enjoy these unique gatherings of music, creativity, and beauty. Tomorrowland Around the World Tomorrowland is an international electronic music festival that takes place in Boom, Belgium, which attracts some of the most important and renowned DJs and artists. Over the last few years, attendance has grown significantly reaching upwards of 400,000 fans from all over the world taking part over two weekends in July. 2020 marks the 16th anniversary of Tomorrowland and they’ve curated a festival titled Tomorrowland Around the World on a virtual magical island called Pāpiliōnem. They welcome all the “People of Tomorrow” to enjoy the incredible space filled with 3-D design technology, light and laser shows and an impressive techno, house and trance music line-up. Interacting with other festival goers attendees will be possible via games, webinars and workshops. There will be eight different stages with sets by Afrojack, Vini Vici, Steve Aoki, Martin Garrix,Yellow Claw, Charlotte de Witte, NGHTMRE, Nervo, San Holo, and Eptic, who are a sampling of over 60 artists who will perform during this two-day global event. Dates: July 25-26 between 7am-4pm PT Ticket prices: Day ticket: $14, (€12.50) Weekend ticket: $22.50 (€20.00), plus ticket packages Tickets available here.Lolla2020 Lollapalooza began in 1991 by the lead singer Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction, which initially was the farewell concert for the band. The concert was such an unexpected success it took on a life of its own touring cities throughout the United States each year until 1997. The event was revived in 2003 and since 2005 has been held in Grants Park, Chicago where fans have gathered to enjoy their favorite alternative bands, heavy metal and hip hop artists and hear up-and-coming musicians. Lollapalooza is now global with six international cities hosting a music festival, including Berlin, Germany, Santiago, Chile, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and São Paulo, Brazil. This year Chicago organizers will put on Lolla2020, a 4-day virtual festival that will include performances from different areas of Chicago, video footage from the early 1990’s debuting for the first time, along with past sets in Chicago and European and Latin American cities. The special line-up has not been announced yet so stay tuned by following their social media or subscribing to their newsletter. Dates: July 30- August 2, 2020 Ticket prices: To be announced More information here.Burning Man Burning Man, the iconic city created in Black Rock desert in Nevada each year, will be hosted online for 2020. Each year there is a theme for this participatory and collective event, which is aptly titled “Mulitiverse.” Burning man is based on the principles of self-sufficiency and “radical self-reliance” where you must bring all your food, water, clothing and shelter for the duration of your time on the playa and many would say it’s far more than just a festival. Burning Man began as a small gathering of 35 people on Baker Beach in San Francisco in 1986. In 1990, it moved to Black Rock desert where it has continued until this year with plenty of collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the local communities. Although participants won’t be in a physical landscape where they can explore on their bikes or hop on art cars, traversing the digital sphere will provide a new way to enjoy the essence and this distinct version of Burning Man. Being exposed to the natural elements is definitely a part of the experience but for those who are intimidated but curious because you’re not sure how you’ll fare with high daytime temperatures, chilly nights or sandstorms or haven’t been able to get a ticket because they sell out the moment they go on sale, going online may be a great opportunity to enter into this magical and surreal land. You can be sure there will be plenty of art, music, the unexpected, connection and an abundance of creativity. Dates: August 30- September 7, 2020 Ticket prices: TBD More information here. Lauren David is a freelance writer from the San Francisco Bay Area. She writes about food, gardening, travel, and lifestyle. When she’s not writing, she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, road trips, and spending time near the ocean. Her work has been featured in Allrecipes, Folks, Huffpost Personal, Greatist, Trivago Magazine and more. You can find a collection of her work on her website: www.laurendavid.net.

When Mee and Sean Gray pulled into the driveway of their Colorado Springs AirBnB, they were excited to see what their trip would hold. However, they quickly realized something was off. Despite staying in a cul-de-sac of a suburban neighborhood, they never saw their neighbors. In fact, they never saw anyone walking around the area at all. Although the town boasts of a population nearing half a million, very few cars were on the roads. Traffic seemed nonexistent. In search of clues to the culture of the place in which they found themselves, the Grays ventured out of the house and into the city. Yet leaving home base made the city feel more unnatural. Without open bars, restaurants, and shops, there was little to be surmised. Even the grocery store was strange because only half faces were visible. “It was just very eerie,” Said Mee. “You think that you will be able to feel the energy or the vibe of the place, but when we got to Colorado Springs that is what was so hard because there was nobody out and no one doing anything so you could not really feel the energy or the vibe of the city.“ For a majority of their stay, the only other human interaction was with essential workers. “Other people that are out working,” said Mee, “you know at the grocery stores. They were very nice, but that was a little weird too. Being so isolated. Everyone wearing a facemask.” Her husband Sean agreed, saying, “it definitely felt like all the typical characteristics of being human were taken away to some extent”. But what is culture without humans? Just as New York is not New York without the commuters, drag queens, and Deli workers, neither is Colorado Springs without its Air Force Cadets, Hippies, and Chaco wearers. Slowly as the city began opening up, more of the inhabitants emerged from their homes, but the couple was surprised by who the mystery inhabitants actually turned out to be. “Coming to a place where you couldn’t really meet people or see people” said Mee “and then not being able to ask anybody any questions because there was no one around really” allowed for them to make up a narrative about the town that was not entirely true. They were surprised by the conservative bend of the city. As the second largest town in a blue state, Mee and Sean assumed the town would be more progressive and diverse. During a time when many states are still in various forms of lock down, is it still possible to experience the culture of a town, city or countryside? Without experiencing local life, the culture of a place is vastly altered. AirBnB Experiences has been attempting to offset their inability to perform physical tours by replacing them with virtual ones for the time being. Other tour services, like Tours by Locals, are offering limited outings based on the guide’s discretion. Although the culture is difficult to access and many public areas are closed or severely limit the number of individuals allowed, exploring a new place might not be a fruitless pursuit. Instead of focusing on culture during the summer, Mee believes it might be more productive to venture out to a different environment and enjoy the contrast to your lifestyle. Substituting mountains for beaches, or the countryside for towns. Trips can still be used to discover a new place, reconnect with oneself, or take a break from the busy world. Alternately, Sean believes in going to a place that fits one’s personal culture. For example Colorado is the perfect escape for an outdoorswoman. Sean believes it is important to research the culture a traveler wants to experience, he said “If you’re going to go to a place, make sure they like the same things you like, they like to do what you enjoy doing. Otherwise you're going to get there and it's going to be even more challenging for you.” The last time the United States experienced a pandemic was 102 years ago in 1918 with the H1N1 virus. Anyone old enough to remember traveling during that period of time is likely dead. If you choose to travel during this time, remember that the fact that you are experiencing what it is like to travel during a pandemic is incredibly unique. And travel is all about new expereinces. “No matter where you go,” said Mee, “you will get a different perspective, and right now we need different perspectives to address this thing.” Grace Klaus is a Budget Travel intern for Summer 2020. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado.

Starting on June 24 through June 30, a huge cloud of dust from the Sahara desert called a Gorilla Dust Cloud will arrive from across the Atlantic ocean and mix in as particles in the air above the American Southeast. While this is expected to decrease air quality across the area, it's also expected to bring about some beautiful circumstances: the dust will make for extremely bright, vibrant sunsets. You can check out the sunset forecast in your area by going to https://sunsetwx.com/ Sunset in Shenandoah National Park, Photo by Laura Brown