Helen Hatzis, is the Chief Exploration Office and Co-Founder of Trip Jaunt.
Helen is a recipient of the Governor-General Award, has been honoured as one of Canada's Nicest People! A true xenophile at heart, she finds joy in traveling and delights in sharing her experiences through Trip Jaunt (formerly Weekend Jaunt), an online travel community and hub she established in 2010. Her aspiration is to inspire others to explore the world as she does!
Helen is an esteemed advisory member of the North American Travel Journalists Association.
Most travelers assume that booking a holiday abroad is, in itself, an act of generosity toward the destination. The truth is considerably more complicated. The money you spend can move through a community like water through a sieve, funneled upward and outward to international corporations, foreign-owned platforms, and imported goods long before it reaches anyone
Most Americans have heard of the Outer Banks, Cape Cod, or the Florida Keys. Very few have heard of Cumberland Island. That’s exactly the point. Tucked against the southernmost edge of Georgia’s coastline, this barrier island sits just a ferry ride from the small town of St. Marys, and yet it feels like a different
There’s a small town tucked into the western edge of the Flathead Indian Reservation in Sanders County, Montana, that’s been quietly drawing people in for well over a century. It doesn’t make the cover of glossy travel magazines, and you won’t find it competing for Instagram attention with Glacier National Park or the resort towns
Misamis Occidental has long remained a quieter presence in Northern Mindanao, its landscapes and communities known mainly to those who live nearby or pass through on the way to more publicized spots. Recent efforts by the provincial government, including the Asenso Turismo campaign and a high-profile familiarization tour hosted for the Philippine Tour Operators Association,
Recent reports indicate that Prince Harry’s request for taxpayer-funded police protection during a planned visit to the United Kingdom this summer was not approved by authorities. The development comes as the Duke of Sussex explores options for bringing his family along on the trip. For American travelers with their own plans to visit Britain, the
Washington, D.C. – Independence Day draws crowds from across the country to the nation’s capital, where parades, fireworks, and large public gatherings transform the city into a living celebration of American history. This year’s events require coordinated road closures and transit adjustments to keep participants and spectators safe while preserving access for residents and essential
Florida is marking a significant national milestone by waiving admission fees at its state parks over the Fourth of July weekend. The gesture coincides with the 250th anniversary of the United States and invites residents and visitors alike to spend time in some of the state’s most distinctive natural landscapes. In a year when many
John F. Kennedy International Airport handled its usual flow of arrivals and departures on June 30, 2026, when a JetBlue aircraft made contact with a drone in the final moments before touchdown. The same day brought a separate report from a helicopter pilot describing a near miss with a remote-controlled plane in the same airspace.
Salvador sits on Brazil’s northeastern coast as a city where history and daily life intertwine in vivid detail. Its colonial architecture, painted in bright hues, frames neighborhoods that have long served as centers of Afro-Brazilian culture. Music drifts from doorways and plazas, while kitchens turn out dishes that reflect centuries of tradition and exchange. Travelers
There is something quietly radical about arriving somewhere and realizing your car keys are completely useless. No engine noise, no exhaust, no rush-hour tension. Just the sound of water lapping against a dock, the faint clip-clop of hooves on a gravel path, or the creak of a bicycle wheel turning slowly through the trees. This
There’s a particular quality to the light in Taos, New Mexico, late in the afternoon. It falls across walls of sand-colored earth with an almost amber warmth, making centuries-old buildings look freshly shaped. That quality of light isn’t an accident. It’s partly a function of the material itself: adobe, a mix of earth, straw, and
There are very few places in the world where the ocean itself appears to glow. Step into the water, trail your fingers through the darkness, and tiny sparks of blue fire flicker around your hands. It feels like something invented. It isn’t. This phenomenon, known as bioluminescence, has captivated scientists, sailors, and travelers for centuries.
