You can play, too. Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories #NGTRadar to help us find the crème de la crème on the web.

Here’s this week’s:

• If you’ve never heard of Whakaari (White Island), join the club. Find out what happens when you visit the only active marine volcano in New Zealand. @wanderlustersUK
• Chances are, you associate Pittsburgh with sports or steel — but Pennsylvania’s second biggest metropolis has a lot more to offer. Here’s one blogger’s ode to the City of Bridges. @dangerousbiz 
• “You say yes, I say no. You say stop, and I say go, go, go…” Here’s one gallivanting couple’s guide to making two completely different travel styles work. @BootsnAll
• If you haven’t been to Bologna, in Northern Italy yet, here are seven appealing reasons to book your ticket today. @20sTravel
• Lured by cheap fares and the prospect of alone time in iconic haunts? Check out this personal essay about the joys — and perils — of off-season travel first. @HeckticTravels

Know Before You Go: Paris

>> When to go:

The metro is a way of life in Paris. Embrace it. (Photograph by Simon Gilberg, Your Shot)

Spring: As Audrey Hepburn famously remarked, “Paris is always a good idea.” But spring — the time when cafés start dismantling their tented patios and the cobbled banks of the Seine transform into a canvas of picnickers, joggers, and bookworms — is the time when the city snaps awake. It’s no wonder why; after a cold and dreary winter, Parisians are drawn to the sun like flowers. Summers can be pleasant too, save for long lines and les vacances, when locals shut up shop en masse in favor of more temperate climes. Can’t make it in the spring? Fall’s your next best bet.

>> Getting there:

Two airports lie just beyond the Périphérique. International passengers touch down at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to the northeast, while Orly (ORY) to the south typically plays host to a more regional stream of traffic. Be warned that while some sites advertise Beauvais Tillé Airport (BVA) as an alternative aeronautical gateway to Paris, the airstrip lies more than an hour away in the Picardy countryside. Though buses and trains serve all three, only an impossibly cheap fare warrants the pilgrimage to or from Beauvais.

Speaking of trains, France boasts one of the best rail networks in the world, with the renowned TGV as its centerpiece. Six major stations (seven if you count the Bercy annex at Gare de Lyon), facilitate travel in and out of Paris to and from neighboring cities and countries, including the U.K. (yes, the train goes underwater). Show up early to listen to the unmistakable clack of the departure board, then grab an all-appeasing pain au chocolat once on board. You’re already there.

>> Getting around once you’re there:

A view of Rive Gauche and Rive Droite from above. (Photograph by Ivete Basso, My Shot)

Go underground. Locals use the phrase “métro, boulot, dodo” – subway, work, sleep – to describe their daily routine, and for good reason. The metro is an integral part of Parisian life. Though trains are often rickety and unkempt, the system’s convenience is unrivaled. Nearly 150 miles of track snake through subterranean Paris, linking hundreds of stations across town. Hours vary, so consult the RATP site before you ride. (For a glimpse at the Paris metro of the future, take a ride on Line 1.)

The RER, Paris’s commuter rail service, is also hard at work underground. After chugging along through les banlieues (outskirts), trains dip below street level for stops at major points like Châtelet, Port Royal, and Musée D’Orsay. Because the RER skips smaller stops, it’s considered an express. Gritty trains and labyrinthine stations can make for an unpleasant voyage, but the RER definitely has its perks.

Hit the ground. Lace up your shoes, because long walks seem a lot shorter when there are street markets, an eternal waft of doughy air, and the gentle bonjours of the bouquinistes to enjoy along the way. In many areas – Rue des Rosiers, Mouffetard, Buci, Montorgueil, and Ile Saint Louis, to name a few — sidewalk and street become indistinguishable with cafés and shops spilling out onto the blacktop. Plus, Paris pioneered bike sharing. The Vélib’ network is one of the largest in the world. Unfortunately for Americans, there’s a snag: the automated kiosks often reject U.S. credit cards (cards with embedded chips are preferred throughout the city).

Taxi? Non. The Parisian taxi business is as beleaguered as Napoleon was at Waterloo. A perpetual bureaucratic licensing battle caps the number of cabs at 16,000. In a city with more than two million residents (with eight million more in the metro area) and a continual influx of tourists, the math just doesn’t add up. As coveted drivers have no problem refusing service for want of a better fare, it’s best to save taxi-queue stress for the times when it’s absolutely necessary. Otherwise, you can always follow the lead of students and young professionals who know how to beat the system by reveling until the metro reopens in the morning.

Three essential tips >>

The Sacre Coeur is in the 18th arrondissement. (Photograph by Rebecca Taylor, My Shot)

Choose a side. The Seine splits Paris, leaving two distinct districts — Rive Droite and Rive Gauche — in its wake. As the city evolves, the disparities become less evident. Historically, the Right Bank is the Paris of wide avenues, imposing monuments, luxe hotels, and Haussmann-inspired facades, while the Left Bank exudes a quaint bohemian confidence derived from the artists and students who frequent it. Here you’ll find many of Hemingway’s haunts, as well as the Sorbonne and Sciences Po. More than anything, Rive Gauche and Rive Droite endure as a mindset. Remember this when choosing where to stay.

Rendezvous with the arrondissements. The 20 administrative subdivisions that form the Parisian quilt are a product of city hall politicking, but they’ve taken on a life of their own. Locals treat them like mini municipalities with a parlance to match. For instance: “I live in the fifth but work in the seventh.” New visitors, fear not. Just look up. Street signs throughout Paris will tell you which arrondissement you’re in at any given moment. Zip codes are also useful indicators. The last two digits correspond with the arrondissement number (from 75001 to 75020). Though arrondissements 1-8 spiral out in succession to form the city’s inner circle, each district has its charms. Find your favorite.

Français, s’il vous plaît. To put it gently, the French love French, and in Paris, life revolves around the language. Simple interactions carry a heavier weight in Paris than they do in other parts of the world. Salutations are nearly sacrosanct. Never walk into a shop without saying bonjour and always offer an au revoir when leaving. It’s more than a matter of linguistics. From imperial conquests to a modern immigration debate, language has long been the Republic’s preoccupation of choice. Look no further than the Académie Française, a governing body that quite literally legislates the language. Respect the tradition and learn a few key phrases before you go, d’accord? 

Alex Markoff, an editorial intern on National Geographic Traveler‘s digital team, provided reporting for Know Before You Go: Paris. 

Do you have Know Before You Go tips for Paris (or any city for that matter)? Share them in the comment section below or use the #B4UGO hashtag and shout out @NatGeoTraveler on Twitter.

Mole poblano’s disputed origins may date to either a 17th-century nun at the city’s famed Convent of Santa Rosa de Lima or to the pre-Columbian Aztecs, whose Nahuatl word for sauce is molli.

The purest experience of this classic fare is the most traditional: in an abuela’s kitchen, ladled over a roasted turkey drumstick.

But for those without a poblana grandmother, the best alternative is the no-frills Fonda La Mexicana, a 56-year-old institution in Puebla’s downtown, where a single chicken leg is served with rice, radishes, and a lake of dark mole poblano sprinkled with sesame seeds. On weekends, families sit beneath paper flags as waiters deliver cold cervezas and extra tortillas for sopping up the sauce.

Contemporary chefs are showcasing mole poblano in the country’s inventive haute cuisine. Try the four-course tasting menu at El Mural de los Poblanos, which has one of Puebla’s best mescal liquor selections. Better yet, let the restaurant’s chef, Liz Galicia, teach you to make your own mole poblano.

For a deeper education, take Eat Mexico’s mole tour, which includes a trip to the market.

This piece, written by Freda Moon, appeared in the May 2013 issue of  Traveler magazine — but there’s a lot you can’t get online. To see all we have to offer, subscribe to the print edition for just $12 a year. 

You can play, too. Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories #NGTRadar to help us find the crème de la crème on the web.

Here’s this week’s:

• One afternoon ritual is an all-day affair in this part of South Asia. Check out one blogger’s odyssey into the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia’s tea mecca. @RunawayJuno
• Though Jordan is smaller than Kentucky, the country is big on hospitality — perhaps more so than anywhere else in the world. Why? Its people. @SeattlesTravels
• Just outside Manila, the Tagaytay Ridge provides respite from the clamorous city below. From its food to its views, this day trip is one worth taking. @WanderlandAlex
• Grasslands National Park isn’t the most popular park in the world. Only 10,000 people make the trek each year (Banff sees five million!), but for those who do, the Saskatchewan prairie surprises. @hikebiketravel
• Mogadishu isn’t exactly a beacon of tourism — but it does have some pretty good espresso. Here’s a glimpse at the Somali capital, and its rebounding, coffee-crazed culture. @MatadorNetwork

Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the web #NGTRadar. Then check back on Wednesdays for our Travel Lately roundup.

Some of the advice Davids gives is basic but bears repeating:

1. When evaluating coffee, first smell it. Begin by sniffing the coffee after it is freshly ground, then smell the brewed coffee to compare the two aromas.
2. Next, taste the coffee. To get the fullest flavor, slurp it, taking the liquid into your mouth so that it spreads evenly over the surface of your tongue and reaches all of your taste buds at once.
3. Take your time, and enjoy the process. The more you taste, the better you get at it.

Every coffee has particular characteristics, but there are taste generalizations for the three major coffee-growing regions that can be helpful to keep in mind:

• Latin American coffees are known for their clean “mouth feel” and slightly sweet, lively acidity. In some coffees, the acidity sparkles clearly above the other flavor components; in others, it provides a subtle but crisp accent.
• African and Arabian coffees often have sweet flavors reminiscent of the aroma of a bowl of fresh fruit. Flavors from these regions range from mellow and winelike to zesty and citrusy.
• Coffees from the Pacific region are generally rich and full-bodied, with nutty and earthy flavors. Most can be described as smooth in acidity with a slightly dry finish.

Here’s a drill-down on some of the different coffees that can be found around the world and the characteristics that give them their unique flavor:

A coffee farmer dries his arabica beans in Nicaragua. (Photograph by Neil Palmer, CIAT/Flickr)

Jamaican Blue Mountain

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee has long been considered one of the rarest and most expensive of all coffees. Grown in fog-shrouded mountains at relatively modest elevations, the bean is dense, producing a rich taste and a very distinct aroma.

East African

Remarkable. Distinctive. Delicious. These adjectives apply to a plethora of coffees grown along a north-south axis that stretches from East Africa down to Zimbabwe. Coffees from Kenya exhibit berry tones, those from Ethiopia have citrus and floral tones, and those from Zambia are medium-bodied and wine-toned.

Arabian

The celebrated Arabian Mocha bean grows in mountains of the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Cultivated and processed in the same fashion for more than 500 years, the Arabian bean produces a coffee that is acidic, fruity, and highly fragrant.

Central America

Grown along the spine of mountains that runs from southern Mexico to Panama, coffee from Central America is widely diverse in nature. The highest-elevation coffees of Guatemala and Costa Rica tend to be bold and full-bodied. Lower-elevation coffees are softer and have a more rounded flavor. Nicaraguan coffees are truly hearty.

Traditional coffee served with rue, a powerful herb, in Choche, Ethiopia. (Photograph by Counterculturecoffee, Flickr)

Hawaiian Kona

Hawaii’s Big Island possesses that rare combination of ideal growing conditions: high elevation, volcanic soils, cool mornings, warm afternoons, and natural shading. The result is a superior, rich-tasting coffee. The Kona bean grows on the lower slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa. A typical Kona cup is gently acidic, fragrant, and wine- or fruit-toned. Not to be missed!

Pacific Rim

The best-known and most distinctive Pacific coffees are grown in the Malay Archipelago, a chain of islands that include the nations of Indonesia, Timor, and Papua New Guinea. Deep-toned, traditionally processed coffees from Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Timor exhibit complex fruity, earthy, and musty notes. The wet-processed coffees of Sumatra, Java, and Papua New Guinea are bright and floral. The Indian subcontinent produces Arabica coffees that are sweet, floral, and low in acidity.

South American

South American coffees grow in a mountainous region that stretches from the north — Colombia and Ecuador — down to the high plateaus of Brazil. Robust and flavorful, the classic South American cup is the product of wet processing. Brazil produces the heralded Brazil Santos coffee.

This guide originally appeared in The 10 Best of Everything: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers (National Geographic Books) by Nathaniel Lande and Andrew Lande.

The plaza has drawn crowds since it was a 1400s shantytown. Russians know the square as the front yard of rulers from Ivan the Terrible to Vladimir Putin. Westerners are apt to recall the Cold War’s lock-stepping armies. Along with Moscow’s great architectural jewels, including the crenellated Kremlin walls and St. Basil’s onion domes, Red Square remains the beating heart of Russia.

Here are some more fascinating facts about the architectural icon:

Accidental Tourist: In 1987, Mathias Rust penetrated Soviet airspace in an attempt to land his Cessna on the square using only a street map to navigate. He landed on a nearby bridge to avoid hitting tourists gathered at the landmark.

Intentional Terrorist: In December 2003 a suicide bomber (and widow of a Chechen rebel) blew herself up at the entrance to the square, killing five other people.

Architectural Redo: Two of the square’s masterpieces are just 20 years old. The Kazan Cathedral, blown up by Joseph Stalin in 1936, was rebuilt from old blueprints after the collapse of the Soviet state. The Resurrection Gates, removed in 1931 so tanks could enter, were restored in 1994.

Rest In Peace: The body of Vladimir Lenin, the Soviet Union’s first dictator who died in 1924, has been on display since 1930 in the granite tomb that flanks the square. His mummy is swabbed weekly with bleach to fight discoloring and mold.

I Spy:  Perched atop the Kremlin walls, the brick Tsar’s Tower may look like the top of a fairytale castle, but it has ominous origins. Five centuries ago, Ivan the Terrible spied on his subjects from the tower (formerly a wooden turret).

Red Tag Sale: The square’s Victorian Gosudarstvenny Universalny Magazin (GUM) opened in 1893 with more than 1,000 shops. Today it’s an outlet for luxury goods.

Back in the U.S.S.R.: Many Soviet leaders are buried in a Kremlin cemetery. Lesser mortals who share that resting place include John Reed (1887-1920), an American journalist who documented the Soviet Union’s birth and died there, and 238 Bolshevik soldiers buried in a mass grave.

Statue of Limitations: Despite being the country’s symbolic center, the square has only one statue. It depicts Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, two patriots who defeated invading Poles in 1612.

You can play, too. Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories #NGTRadar to help us find the crème de la crème on the web.

Here’s this week’s:

• Sure, there’s the Louvre in Paris, the Reina Sofia in Madrid, and the Guggenheim in Manhattan, but for a dose of outdoor expression, check out these street art havens. @Gadling
• It’s somewhere between New York and Los Angeles — geographically, at least — but Chicago is no flyover city. To get a true sense of Chi-Town, you’ve got to head for the water. @DangerousBiz
  
• Avid travelers know that the Middle East boasts as many entrancing destinations as it does trouble spots. One blogger travels to a locale in the middle of the fray – and leaves wanting more. @WanderingEarl
• Compared to Rome and Milan, Florence seems like a small town, but the Tuscan capital is big on charm. In fact, the birthplace of the Renaissance just might be the “perfect Italian city.” @AsWeTravel
• If ease is your idea of paradise, you might want to stick to the mainland in Oz. But for those in search of a tranquil refuge way off the beaten path, the Whitsunday Islands are calling. @yTravelBlog

Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the web #NGTRadar. Then check back on Wednesdays for our Travel Lately roundup.

We learned a lot from the feedback, but one thing is clear: Whether it’s backyard brisket or a five-star ordeal, Americans are serious about their barbecue!

Before our stomachs start growling too loudly, here’s a recap of recommendations from our ever-enlightening Intelligent Travel community: 

Bryce recommends Woodyard BBQ in Kansas City (Photograph by Tamera Clark, Flickr)

Not surprisingly, much of the debate centered around Kansas City. According to Daniel, “the best BBQ in the world is in K.C. hands down.” Ian, another native Kansas Citian, likened having his hometown make the top ten list only twice to “calling our baby ugly.” A bevy of readers touted Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue and LCs, while Joe, Craig, and Jenny put their money on Rosedales. Don’t forget about Woodyard BBQ, adds Bryce.

Kansas City may have more BBQ restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the U.S., but Memphis is giving them a run for their money when it comes to being America’s barbecue capital. Dylon and Erica alerted us to Charlie Vergo’s Rendezvous, as did John in Kansas City…yes, Kansas City. A Memphian named Joe gave us the inside scoop on Payne’s BBQ, while another local said Central BBQ offered the best “Q” in the city, “with a close follow-up being the Germantown Commissary.” And a reader named Amy rounded out the list of noteworthy Memphis establishments with A&R Bar-B-Que.

But Bill in nearby Knoxville claims that “the best BBQ you could ever eat is at a hole-in-the-wall-diner in Bluff City, Tennessee…named Ridgewood Restaurant. It is like no other.”

Farther south, in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, The Shed in boasts quite the loyal following (thanks, Jared, Jeanne, and Deb!). Jeanne puts it simply: “I love this place.”

At Ridgewood Restaurant in Tennessee, take home your own jar of the Bluff City joint’s famous BBQ sauce (Photograph by Amy C. Evans, Southern Foodways Alliance/Flickr)

Next door in Alabama, you’ll find Dreamland BBQ, a “definite top ten joint” — at least in one reader’s eyes. Kathy in Tennessee agrees, but “if they’d offer cornbread instead [of white bread] it would be fab!”

Florida might be outside the barbecue belt, but the Sunshine State can still hold its own. Chayna, a Texan in Orlando, praises the ribs at Taste Bud Bliss. If the name is any indication, others will, too. Outside Tampa, David Sexton recommends Johnson Barbecue, a nondescript outpost in the middle of “Plant City.”

The trend continues across the country, with people who live in places that aren’t exactly synonymous with BBQ giving good reports. “Oakland, California’s B-Side BBQ is amazing!” notes Letitia Johnson, and there’s always Phil’s BBQ for delicious down home-eats in San Marcos according to Chris in L.A.

If you’re in the Midwest, it’s come to our attention that Black Dog Smoke and Ale House in Urbana, Illinois and Slows in Motor City are also not to miss with two votes each.

For carnivorous Yankees, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que always hits the spot in Syracuse, New York – or so says Joshua G. The same goes for Blue Ribbon BBQ in Arlington, Massachusetts (thanks for the tip, Sebastian!).

Let’s not forget about the Mid-Atlantic. Chuck Jenkins recommends Chubby’s, just a hop, skip and a jump over the Mason-Dixon line in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and Norma in Virginia suggests Prince George Family Barbecue in tiny Disputanta.

Slow’s BBQ in Motor City (Photograph by Michigan Municipal League, Flickr)

Down in Tar Heel territory, you have to make the impossible choice: Lexington or Eastern style BBQ? Shannon Nicholson raves about Asheville’s 12 Bones Smokehouse and the “grass-roots, wood-smoked, pulled pork plates” at Hubba Hubba Smokehouse in Flat Rock. If that’s not enough, Jackie in Raleigh reveals her local favorite: Pit Authentic Barbecue. Don’t miss Lexington Barbecue in its namesake town either, she adds.

You’ll have to keep heading south for the country’s best ribs though, at least according to Barry in St. Louis. “I am from South Carolina and have tried BBQ in the famous Memphis, K.C., and St. Louis spots,” he notes, but “my favorite ribs are from a placed called Circle M BBQ in Liberty, South Carolina”

If you wind up in the Lone Star state and just can’t quite make it to Luling, Tony suggests Big Boys BBQ in Sweetwater. Hard Eight BBQ in Stephenville is on Jared’s radar. And Jon warns that “without Goode & Co. in Houston, your list is without even a micro-measure of credibility!” Point taken, Jon. And if you’re passing through Merkel, a stop at the Mesquite Bean is in order according to Brad.

So there you have it, folks. Nothing screams “America!” quite like barbecue. Like a summer night at a baseball game or a dollop of ice-cream on grandma’s apple pie, barbecue is more than food. It’s a bite into America’s cultural core — a taste of the ties that bind.

So hit the road, break out the bib, and get going.

Share your favorite BBQ spot by leaving a comment below!

But then, somewhere—maybe on the 7.4-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive or while rolling down the pile of sand called Dune Climb (dubbed “the sacrificial dune” because it’s the sole heap of sand visitors are allowed to trample)—the kids stop, realize this is landlocked Michigan, and ask, “How did the ocean get here?”

It didn’t. This is Lake Michigan. It’s a lake—albeit a great one—and the water is fresh, not salty, says Lisa Myers, chief of interpretation and visitor services at Sleeping Bear Dunes.

“When my family comes here from New England, they all have to taste the water,” she says. “The area looks like Cape Cod. You can’t believe this isn’t the coast.”

Well, maybe not the Atlantic, Pacific, or Gulf coast, but this national lakeshore was created in 1970 by the federal government to preserve a scenic chunk of this extensive coast—the U.S. shores of the eight-state Great Lakes coastline.

“Playing on the sacrificial dune is like being in a big, huge sandbox,” says Myers, but there’s so much more to the shore. Help kids view the park through a wider lens by walking along one of the 35 miles of sandy Lake Michigan beach.

“With their feet on the sand and in the water, kids can see that there are waves,” says Myers, “but that there are no tides. They can spot swimming otters and beavers, and see the high cliffs with the perched dunes way up top.”

“In winter, they can walk the beaches to see all the ice formations and crashing waves,” she says. “We offer ranger-led snowshoe walks in January and February, where kids can look for animal tracks. And, when it’s windy, they can stand on the Dune Climb and feel the forces of nature. It’s almost geology in motion with the smaller grains of sand moving faster than the bigger ones. The kids can run or roll down the hill, too, which is a lesson in gravity and a whole lot of fun.”

This piece was adapted from 100 Places That Can Change Your Child’s Life by Traveler magazine’s editor in chief, Keith Bellows 

You can play, too. Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories #NGTRadar to help us find the crème de la crème on the web.

Here’s this week’s:

• Happy National Park Week! From Acadia to Zion, America’s national parks are as diverse as the country itself. Celebrate their beauty with a (free) visit to a park near you. Or take a trip to one of these lesser known gems. @spencerspellman
• We all know the feeling of insatiable hunger in a foreign land, without a clue about what to eat or where to get it. For travelers in Japan, fear not. With this guide to Japanese cuisine, you’ll be refueled and on the road in no time. @CuriousLanguage
• So you’ve seen Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, but just can’t get enough of Cambodia? For those of you who are looking for a more laid-back, local experience, try Battambang, “a sleepy little city” in the northeast that’s well worth the trek. @BackPackingTB
• Say it once and you’ll probably burst into the chorus of that oh-so-catchy Beach Boys tune. But there are other reasons to go to Bermuda – or 42 according to this blogger. @LandLopers
• Between Australia and Fiji lies a magical realm called Melanesia. This collection of islands, which includes Papua New Guinea and the Solomons, has many secrets waiting to be discovered – including perfectly surf-able waves. @MatadorNetwork 

Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the web #NGTRadar. Then check back on Wednesdays for our Travel Lately roundup.