Helen Hatzis Profile Overview

Helen Hatzis

Helen Hatzis

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.
 · 3 min read

Washington DC Fourth of July: Road Closures and Travel Planning

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

 · 2 min read

Florida Parks Open Free for America’s 250th

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

 · 3 min read

Salvador's Colonial Streets Pulse with Afro-Brazilian Music and Flavor

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

 · 8 min read

The Car-Free Islands of the Great Lakes Offering Ultimate Peace

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

 · 9 min read

How Local Artisans Are Keeping Historic Building Traditions Alive in Taos

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

 · 9 min read

Walking in the Footsteps of America's Greatest Authors in Concord

There are few places in America where literary history feels this close to the surface. In Concord, Massachusetts, you don’t just read about the past – you walk through it. The houses are still standing. The woods still smell of pine and cold water. The graves are right where they’ve always been. In the 19th

 · 2 min read

The Hidden Cost of Award Optimization

Travel rewards programs once promised simpler access to meaningful journeys. Yet the pursuit of optimal redemptions has grown into an elaborate exercise that often consumes more time than the trips themselves. This shift matters now because loyalty programs have layered on restrictions, dynamic pricing, and intricate rules that reward constant vigilance over spontaneous discovery. Travelers