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Amazon Spheres Guide: How to Visit, Hours, Tours, and More!

Did you know that there’s a tropical oasis in the middle of downtown Seattle?  Thanks to Amazon’s dedication to providing spaces that inspire creativity in their employees, Seattle has one of its most gorgeous pieces of architecture.  It’s a set of three conjoining glass spheres, and if you think the outside is a sight to behold, you should see it from the inside!  Twice a month, Amazon opens the building to the public and you can do just that.

Let’s dive into everything you need to know about visiting the Amazon Spheres. They have hours available for tours every other week, but if your trip to downtown Seattle doesn’t line up we’ll reveal how best to get a view of this beautiful oasis in the city.

The Background on the Amazon Spheres

The Amazon Spheres (also called the Seattle Spheres) began development in 2012. Until 2010, Amazon’s headquarters were in an old healthcare facility in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, but the company decided to build an urban campus sprawling across several blocks of downtown.

At the center of this campus, then-CEO Jeff Bezos wanted an eye-catching landmark. The main theme he landed on was a collaborative indoor garden. The Spheres would not only be an icon in downtown Seattle , but would also be a space for Amazon employees to connect with nature and spur innovation at its headquarters. After several design iterations, the Spheres design was approved in late 2013 and construction began in June 2015.

By December 2016, all glass panels had been installed on the Sphere ( there are 2,643 panes of glass! ), and work shifted to filling its interiors with plant life. Highlights of plant life include a 49-foot tree nicknamed “Rubi,” and a 4,000 square-foot “Living Wall” filled with a variety of plant life.

Where Are the Amazon Spheres Located?

The Amazon Spheres are located in a part of downtown Seattle known as the Denny Triangle. Their address is 2111 7th Ave, Seattle WA 98121. Near the Spheres, you’ll find several other office buildings that are part of Amazon’s downtown campus. If you’re looking for activities after visiting the Spheres, the surrounding blocks are filled with restaurants, coffee shops, and bars.

The Amazon Spheres are a 12-minute walk from Pike Place Market that should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

What’s Inside the Amazon Spheres

Inside, you will enjoy a balmy 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 60% humidity year-round.  Tropical plants from South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia fill various themed spaces.  Enjoy them while wandering pathways, from the many sitting areas, or staring up at the jaw-dropping four-story high plant wall.  My personal favorites were the wide variety of orchids, the interesting shapes of the pitcher plants, and the impressive size of the infamous corpse flower.  What you find can change from one visit to another, however.  Amazon has enormous greenhouses in the Seattle suburb of Woodinville, from which they regularly switch out the plants of the Spheres. 

The Amazon Spheres Tour and Hours of You Can Visit

Planning ahead for a visit to the Spheres is a must as space is limited and highly in demand.  The days reserved for general public visits are the first and third Saturdays of each month.  While free, tickets must be reserved in advance by visiting seattlespheres.com .   Reservations open 15 days prior to the day of your visit so mark your calendar because they go quickly!   

Now if you’re reading this and realized you’ve missed your window to get tickets during your visit to Seattle, not all is lost!  Amazon has their Understory Exhibit waiting for you.  It sits literally under the Amazon Spheres, requires no tickets or reservations, is free, and is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 am-6 pm.  This exhibit is about the concept on which the Spheres were created; bringing nature together with design, art, and technology.  Part art exhibit and part science exhibit, it’s both educational and interactive.  It’s worth a visit on its own or it’s a great addition to your day at the spheres.

Parking and Getting to the Amazon Spheres

The day of your visit, you can find parking conveniently located next to the spheres at 2021 7th Ave or use nearby public transportation.  The closest light rail station is Westlake Station, which is about an 8-minute walk from the Amazon Spheres. The Spheres are also located near the Westlake and 7th stop of the South Lake Union Streetcar.

Adults, remember your photo ID and leave pets and big bags at home; no bags over 12”x12” are allowed.

Foods in the Amazon Spheres

Do bring your appetite!  Inside the Spheres, you will find coffee and donuts courtesy of General Porpoise.  Operated by the same folks as Ballard favorite The Walrus and The Carpenter, these are not your typical donuts and are worth a trip all on their own.  They’re a filled donut similar in style to a Hawaiian Malasada and the flavor list is ever-changing.  There will be a rotating variety of local, in-season favorites such as Rainier cherry jam or huckleberry cream.  As well as year-round favorites like honey yogurt and vanilla custard. 

Restaurants Near the Amazon Spheres

If you’re looking to dine or grab a drink near the spheres, there are some fantastic options for taking in a view and enjoying top-notch food. A few of our favorites include:

• 2120: Features entrees ranging from sweet potato coconut curry to standards like prime New York steaks. 2120 sits on the corner of Amazon’s Day 1 building, which gives its outdoor patio a sweeping view of the Amazon Spheres.
• Willmott’s Ghost: A full-fledged restaurant inside the Spheres. The space inside Willmott’s Ghost is optimized for views of the plant life inside the Spheres. It’s cozy, with 49 seats total that include both tables and a curved bar with seating for 8. The food is Italian, with a mix of pizza, salads, and panini (for lunch). The dinner menu adds entrees that are generally between $30 to $50.
• Deep Dive: Would you believe that the Amazon Spheres have a speakeasy-style bar inside them? If that sounds like your idea of fun, make sure to check out Deep Dive. It’s styled after an upscale European bar and has drinks cocktails that change daily and an expansive wine menu. Foods are mostly lighter fare that includes Jamon Iberico, rockfish pave, and a hot dog with salmon caviar and cream cheese ( yes, seriously ).

One Last Tip: Our Favorite Place to Take a Photo

Make sure to travel all the way to the top floor or you’ll miss two favorite spots in the building.  There’s a great photo background with the Amazon Spheres logo on a wall of greens.  Plus, my favorite place in the whole building, the lounge chairs at the top of the dome.  As long as some sun is peeking through, it’s a great, warm spot to gather some vitamin D during the long Seattle winter!

Hi, I'm Ashleigh! Welcome to Seattle Travel, my little piece of beautiful PNW. This is home and I'm here to share all my experiences so visitors and locals alike can find the best experiences this part of the country has to offer. I started Seattle Travel in 2012 as a way to journal my experiences and over the years have been encouraged by family and friends to open up my adventures to everyone. I actively seek out the best food, activities, and day trips and give you a local perspective.  The Pacific Northwest is one of the most beautiful areas in the world and my goal is to let you explore it to the fullest. 

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The Spheres

You’re now standing at the base of The Amazon Spheres. This iconic building, which opened in 2018, is an intentional example of thinking big about the workplace and reconnecting people to nature through architectural and landscape design.

Many guests ask Why when they see The Spheres. Amazonians will tell you that The Spheres provide a space to think and work differently surrounded by 40,000 plants from over 30 countries, as well as fish from the Amazon rainforest! At Amazon, we have 16 leadership principles that we use to guide our day to day business. One of them is “Think Big”. We believe thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Many Amazonians feel that getting outside of their day to day office and into a space like The Spheres allows them to think bigger.

The concept of a unique and iconic working space began in February of 2013, starting as a single curved glass building filled with plants and trees. During the early planning, design team members began gravitating towards several sphere-like conservatories, and eventually agreed on three unique sphere-shaped buildings.

In April of 2014, The Spheres hadn’t yet broken ground, but the plants that would become their collection were already being selected. The first plant in the collection was a mountain cacao specimen with Ecuadorean roots, used to make an intensely flavored, bitter chocolate.

A pod hangs from a Theobroma cacao tree in The Spheres

Construction on The Spheres began in 2015, an engineering marvel of steel and glass that withstands gravity, winds, and seismic forces. The trick to construction was a 400,000-point ring beam, a structural element which supports the roof and absorbs and transfers any shock into the 2.5 million pounds of rebar and 12 million pounds of concrete below.

The Spheres contains 2,643 panes of glass. The last pane was put in place in December of 2016, but the first plants wouldn’t go in until May of 2017. The first plant installed in The Spheres was the Australian tree fern. It was the first plant donated from our collaborative partnership with the University of Washington Botany Greenhouse. In June 2017 a 36,000-pound, 49-foot tall, 22 foot-wide Ficus rubiginosa nicknamed “Rubi” became the largest specimen in The Spheres. The tree was craned through the top of the 7th Avenue side of The Spheres.

The Spheres’ largest resident, ‘Rubi’ ( Ficus rubiginosa )

In October 2017, Amazon horticulturalist, Ben Eiben, installed a 4,000 square foot living wall of his own design. This wall is a centerpiece to The Spheres and holds over 25,000 plants. The team installed this whole wall in only two weeks!

Almost five years on from the initial idea, in January 2018, The Spheres opened with Amazon Executive Chairman and Founder Jeff Bezos using an Alexa voice command. Today, The Spheres are an iconic piece of Seattle’s architecture and a truly unique place for employees. We have hosted three public viewings of the flowering of our rare corpse flower. This corpse flower only blooms every five to seven years and the line to see our beautiful flowers can stretch around The Spheres multiple times.

A 4,000 square foot living wall designed by Ben Eiben holds over 25,000 plants

Assembling a world-class collection of plants is no small feat. Amazon’s horticulturalist partnered with botanical gardens, specialty nurseries, and private plant collectors, many of whom are involved in plant conservation efforts. Visit seattlespheres.com for more information on our plants and programs.

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Amazon Spheres: Your Guide to How to Get Inside & What to See

After two-and-a-half years of construction, Jeff Bezos dedicated The Spheres at Amazon’s downtown Seattle campus in late January. And Seattleites were excited with the news that they would finally be able to tour the uber-cool glass domes and virtual rain forest. However, due to some miscommunication and information about The Understory, a free exhibit that is housed underneath the giant terrarium, many anxious visitors have come only to be disappointed. But don’t fret, Seattle parents. We recently visited The Spheres and have the inside scoop on how you and your family can get inside. Read on!

Two Ways to Get Inside In order to visit The Spheres, it will take some planning and patience and one of two options. The first option is to sign up for a 90-minute guided tour of Amazon’s Seattle headquarters. Tours take place on most Wednesdays from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and include a visit to a few buildings such as the Doppler and Day 1 (two of the main Amazon office buildings), a trip through Amazon Go (a new partially automated grocery store that allows customers to make purchases without the need of a cashier) and some time in The Spheres. Tours are available for anyone ages six and older, however you must register online ahead of time. Psst…at the time of this writing, tours are filled up for the next month. Note: Amazon does offer a variation of its headquarters tour, one that is self-guided and can be done any time, but it does not offer access to the inside of The Spheres.

The second option is to visit during the special Open House  days. Two Saturdays per month, Amazon arranges unguided visits to The Spheres between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Again, you’ll have to register in advance and reservations open 30 days in advance of each date. There are no age restrictions for the Open House events, but all minors (ages 18 and under) must be accompanied by an adult at all times, and anyone age 18 and older must present a valid government issued identification card to the reception desk in order to enter.

First Things First While not the star of the event, The Understory does serve well as fairly decent pre-show. The 360-degree exhibit features some interactive displays, including a super-cool miniature model of the building, a sample of the “living walls” made from a variety of plants and a grouping of floor-to-ceiling video monitors showing incredible footage of the things you’ll see up above. The Understory is open Mon.-Sat. from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. and Sun. from 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

What You’ll Find Inside The Spheres The 90-foot-tall biosphere, which looks like three large soap bubbles, contains 2,643 rounded glass panels and is home to over 40,000 plants from over 30 countries. Here, you’ll find grouping of tables and chairs in various nooks and out in the open. Psst…it’s estimated that the complex can seat 800 people at one time!

There are wonderful sights around every corner inside the four-level building. As you walk around, you’ll find cascading waterfalls, a fernery and short pathways through the foliage. The lower level contains an Old World Garden with plants from Africa and Asia and a New World Garden that features plants from the Americas including the crown jewel, Rubi, a 36,000-pound fichus tree. The 49-year old tree was transplanted from California where it had lived since 1969. Above that, you’ll find the “birdcage,” a seating area that sits alongside a wraparound wooden walkway and gives the sensation that you are walking on a rope bridge.

On the 6 th  Ave. side of The Spheres is where you’ll find the Living Wall. The 60-foot wall contains 200 plant species and can be seen on all four levels. The wall also includes a ventilation system and several misters that spray the plants every so often.

Where to Nosh For those needing a snack, doughnuts and coffee can be found on Open House days on the second level at The Spheres’ resident cafe,  General Porpoise . The doughnut shop, created by James Beard award-winning chef Renee Erickson in 2016, serves delish doughnuts filled with seasonal jams, jellies, curds, custards and creams as well as top quality coffees from multiple roasters and house-made gelato.

Before You Go As to be expected, Amazon has a few rules when visiting The Spheres. You’ll be asked to remain on the walkways at all times and not touch the plant life. No outside food or drink, strollers or weapons of any kind are allowed inside The Spheres and all bags must not be larger than 12”x12”. Our best advice? Put your babe in his front pack carrier and leave your bulky diaper bag in the car. And don’t bundle up either. The inside temperature hovers right around 72 degrees, with 60 percent humidity.

The Spheres 2111 7 th Ave. Seattle, Wa 98121 Online: seattlespheres.com

Have you seen the inside of The Spheres? Planning to go soon?  Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

—Jeffrey Totey (all photos courtesy of the writer)

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Imagine spinning the globe and finding yourself in many wonderful places around the world. A family is making plans for a summer trip. A young boy grabs his globe and gives it a spin. He realizes this is not just an ordinary globe. As it spins and glows, he is whisked away to many fun and exciting places. He is on a journey to find ideas for summer vacation.

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Amazon launches a virtual tours and experience platform, Amazon Explore

Amazon today is launching a new service called Amazon Explore that allows customers to book live, virtual experiences led by local experts. The experiences may be focused on creativity, learning DIY skills, taking virtual tours of far-off places or cultural landmarks or, in some cases, shopping local boutiques from around the world.

For example, you could book a virtual wine tasting experience in Argentina, learn how to make smoked fish tacos in Mexico, take a virtual tour of Kyoto’s Nanzenji Temple, tour a 500-year-old mansion in Peru, learn about coffee creation in Costa Rica, learn how to make sushi from a home kitchen in Tokyo and more.

Though the tours and experiences offer the ability to virtually travel the globe, the ability to sign up for an Amazon Explore session is currently offered on an invite-only basis for customers in the U.S. only.

The virtual experiences themselves will be guided by local experts who are trained and supported by Amazon, the company says. While there are other ways to virtually tour the world — like watching YouTube videos or perhaps taking guided tours via Google Earth — the Amazon Explore experience is different because it’s a one-on-one session between the host and the viewer, enabled by one-way video and two-way audio for real-time communication. This is meant to give the viewer more of the feeling of really “being there,” compared with experiences where you more passively watch the video on the screen.

The sessions themselves range 30 to 60 minutes in length and can be canceled or rescheduled with up to 24 hours’ notice. When it’s time to begin your tour, you’ll just sign into your Amazon account online, then click in to Your Session page from the “Your Orders” section to get started.

Anyone can now create maps and stories on Google Earth

The sessions will require you have a laptop or desktop, as they’re not mobile-friendly at this time. You’ll also need to have a Chrome, Edge or Safari web browser, functional microphone (the built-in one is fine) and a set of headphones or speakers, as well as an internet connection of 5 mbps or higher.

During the session, you can ask questions or further direct the experience by asking the host to spend more time on one aspect of the experience or skipping another. You can also use the camera icon at the bottom of the live stream to take photos.

Some, but not all, experiences are also shopping-enabled. In these cases, customers are able to visit local stores and markets, browse items and ask questions of the shop owner as if they were there in person. They can then choose to make a purchase and receive the items they bought as if they had been shopping on Amazon.com directly. When they make a purchase, the payments are handled within Amazon’s secure payment system using the payment method associated with the customer’s account. It then will reimburse the host for the item purchased, accordingly.

In these shopping-enabled experiences, Amazon is somewhat tapping into the live-stream shopping trend, but instead of having an influencer talk about and demo a product — as is often the case on Amazon Live, for example — you can actually ask the shop owner questions or have them zoom into the product or turn it over and around for a better look.

Though Amazon has built live-streaming tools for its Live platform, the company says the Amazon Explore experience uses unique technology.

‘Amazon Live’ is the retailer’s latest effort to take on QVC with live-streamed video

Amazon says the new platform enables more opportunities for small business owners looking to generate additional income, including shop owners, local guides, chefs, stylists, artists and artisans, for example. Many of these businesses have been impacted by the pandemic, of course, which may prompt their participation.

Pricing for the sessions is variable. At launch, there’s a virtual styling session being offered for just $10, for example. Meanwhile, a virtual tour of NYC’s Central Park is going for $150. Amazon says the hosts set their own prices and hours, without having to abide by any set minimum or maximum price. However, the company declined to detail any revenue-sharing agreements.

At launch, many of the experiences on the site offered are being offered by local tour operators, though any business that has a tour idea is invited to apply. Others who could host experiences include historians, artists, musicians, master craftsmen, chefs, personal shoppers or anyone with a skill or adventure to share, says Amazon.

There are currently 86 total experiences available across 16 countries, with the plan to grow the selection in time.

The feature is now being offered in public beta to users in the U.S. on an invite-only basis.

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• Adventure Travel

9 Best (and Life-Affirming) Amazon Tours and Excursions

Jessica grew up in California, where she learned to love the beach and sunny weather...and then s...

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Visiting the Amazon Rainforest is hugely popular, and for good reason. It’s one of the most bio-diverse areas in the entire world. From sloths to monkeys, one of every ten known species lives in the Amazon. That’s worth a visit! But surely you’re now wondering how to visit the Amazon rainforest.

The best Amazon tours will leave you feeling stunned.

Amazon Rainforest tours in Brazil are typically the first thing people think of as Amazon destinations, but you can (and should!) visit the Amazon in Peru or Ecuador as well. The Amazon isn’t the only place to see rainforests, either! There are tons of other rainforest adventure travel tours you can consider.

Can you visit the Amazon Rainforest?

Yes, but since the Amazon is such a popular and amazing destination, it’s important to visit in an ethical way. This means going with a tour or a well-trained guide. The best Amazon tours have local guides to help you navigate the forest so you don’t get lost. Plus, they know a ton about the wildlife and fauna! They can also take you to visit indigenous tribes that they have pre-existing relationships with, so you’re not just barging in on a tribe that may not be interested in contact with tourists.

So, can you go to the Amazon Rainforest? Absolutely, but make sure you go with a tour and have a guide with you. Guides will help your visit and experience in the Amazon Rainforest reach its fullest potential while still ensuring that your visit is ethical and not damaging to the area or the wildlife.

[Related: Brazil Adventure Travel: 9 Things to Know Before You Go ]

How to visit the amazon rainforest.

Editor’s note: This information on visiting the Amazon Rainforest was accurate at the time of publishing. Please refer to each individual program for current data.

1. AFS Brazil Global Prep: Amazon River Odyssey — Leave the first review!

This isn’t any regular Amazon tour; it’s an incredible river odyssey in the Amazon Rainforest. This trip includes a stay in the capital of the Amazonas region, Manaus. You’ll see the sights and dance with the locals! You’ll also stop by the Terra de Cachoeiras or Land of Waterfalls. After that, it’s a six-day river odyssey down the Amazon River. Accommodation includes hammocks in the jungle (how cool is that?!). You might even spot some wildlife like alligators or piranhas.

• Where? Brazil
• Duration? 10 days
• Read AFS USA reviews

2. Amazon Jungle Survival — Leave the first review!

Are you tough enough to survive in the Amazon jungle by yourself? This survival excursion spends over a week teaching participants essential skills like how to locate a clean water source, construct traps to catch food, and even hunt with a bow and arrow!

You’ll also learn skills like starting a fire without a match or lighter, building a shelter, and finding your way out of the jungle. Then, you’ll have the chance to prove yourself during the Isolation Phase — two days where you’re completely on your own! You’ll come away from this incredible tour with new skills and new self-confidence to top it all.

• Where? Guyana
• When? Year-round
• Duration? Two weeks
• Read Fronteering reviews

3. Amazon Rainforest Wildlife Rescue in Ecuador — 10

Are you especially excited about the wildlife in the Amazon forest? This tour features the rehabilitation of wild animals that went through abuse and trafficking. Participants will stay at a beautiful property located deep within the forest and interact with animals such as parrots, monkeys, turtles, and even wild cats! What better way to tour the Amazon than to care for its residents? You’ll have a blast working with wildlife rescue on this Amazon forest tour.

• Where? Ecuador
• Duration? 2-12 weeks
• Read Kaya Responsible Travel reviews

4. South America Semester: Andes & Amazon — 9.33

Looking for Amazon Rainforest tour packages that are longer than just a couple weeks? Look no further. This “gap year” tour lasts about 3 months! Participants will spend at least 2 weeks trekking through the Amazon forest, learning about conservationism and rubber-tapping along the way. The program also includes a visit to Mt. Tunupa, a multi-colored volcano that overlooks the Salt Flats in Bolivia, and even a hike up Machu Picchu! Well-rounded and packed with incredible experiences, this gap-year will transform you as a traveler and person.

• Where? Peru and Bolivia
• Duration? 3 months
• Read Where There Be Dragons reviews

5. South America Gap Year Semester | Pacific Discovery — 10

Speaking of programs that allow you to explore a little bit longer, this gap year helps participants to travel around South America, especially Peru and Ecuador. You’ll have incredible opportunities like snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands, biking Machu Picchu, and helping with service projects for local villages. Once you make it to the Amazon portion of the trip, you’ll be rafting down the Jatunyacu River in the Amazon Basin. As if that wasn’t cool enough, you’ll also see tons of wildlife and maybe even learn about how chocolate is made. Yum!

• Where? Ecuador and Peru
• When? Fall or Spring
• Duration? 9-12 weeks
• Read Pacific Discovery reviews

6. 15 Day Spanish Language + Amazon Experience Tour — Leave the first review!

This program has a heavy focus on the Spanish language, a huge plus for travelers looking to become bi- or even trilingual. You’ll get incredible language immersion and opportunities to practice Spanish with the locals while you explore Ecuador. This trip features an Amazon excursion for three days — enough time for you to experience the incredible natural beauty, but short enough that you’ll have plenty of time for other Ecuadorian adventures such as a coffee tour, South American cooking class, and salsa dancing!

• Duration? 15 days
• Read Worldaway Learning Tours reviews

7. Volunteer: Amazonas Explored — 9

This Amazon tour combines the best of both worlds: volunteer work that will make a difference and amazing adventures in the Amazon forest! One week of this program is spent in local villages (that are occupied by “a playful troop of monkeys”), helping residents to build bathrooms and other necessary structures as well as teaching children English. The other week(s) are spent exploring the Amazon jungle further by hiking, canoeing, tubing, visiting an Amazonian animal refuge, and meeting with a shaman. If you stay an extra week, your tour can also include hiking two active volcanoes, visiting the ocean, swimming with whales and dolphins, and finishing off at the "Center of the World", the equator line!

• Duration? 1-4 weeks
• Read Volunteer Eco Students Abroad reviews

8. 8-Day Indigenous Cultures & Amazon Rain Forest Tour — Leave the first review!

If you’re interested in visiting the Amazon Rainforest, chances are you’ll love touring the Cloud Forest in Ecuador. This tour gives you both in one trip! Plus, you’ll spend time with indigenous tribes of Ecuador like the Otavalos People of Imamabura, a Pre-Incan Tribe in the Cloud Forest, and an original Amazonian Tribe. You’ll experience both incredible forests firsthand and connect further by getting to know the people and culture. Plus, you’ll probably get to try some common local foods, such as a rainforest tree slug (we’re not kidding!).

• Duration? 8 days

9. Traditional Plant Medicine, Herbalism, and Ethnobotany — 9

This is a great Amazon tour for our travelers with a knack for or interest in natural medicine and herbalism. Participants are housed with a local family who practices herbalism. You’ll get to see firsthand what practices and plants are used! You won’t just see the Amazon forest; you’ll also learn how to use its resources to help people who are sick. You can fulfill your lifelong dream of touring the Amazon while simultaneously helping people. It’s a win-win! 

• When? Summer
• Read Amazon Learning reviews

Can’t pick? Compare These Programs Side-by-Side for FREE with MyGoAbroad

Visit the amazon rainforest and meet our planet’s lungs.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime event — enjoy every moment of responsibly visiting the Amazon Rainforest.

There are tons of awesome ways to visit the Amazon Rainforest! You can go on a tour with a local guide who can help you get the most out of your trip. You can amp things up and make it a river tour where you cruise down the Amazon river in style. There’s tons of volunteer tours where you can see the forest and make a difference in conservation efforts. You can even help rehabilitate the wildlife! The best Amazon tours all have amazing pros, so you really can’t go wrong.

Whatever ethical way of traveling you choose, you’ll love the Amazon! From lush forests to big woven roots, elephants to poison dart frogs, you’ll see amazing things. Basically, touring the Amazon guarantees that you’ll have an incredible and life-changing experience.

Look for the Perfect Adventure Travel Program Now

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Welcome to Understory

Understory is an ever-changing destination where visitors are invited to learn and be curious about the connections between biophilic art, technology, engineering, and design.

Stop by Understory to view the current works of the artists in residence, ask the artists questions, and learn about their art and process.

Sunday–Monday: Closed Tuesday–Saturday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Hours of operation are subject to change.

2101 7th Avenue Seattle, WA 98121

TRANSPORTATION:

We encourage visitors to use public transit options or rideshare. Paid parking is available at 2021 7th Avenue, 2121 7th Avenue, or on neighboring streets.

• Is photography allowed at Understory? While personal photography is allowed and encouraged, please refrain from using flash, tripods, or other distracting equipment. For distributional or commercial photography, please submit an inquiry to [email protected] .
• How long does it take to experience Understory? Visitors can fully experience the exhibit in 20-40 minutes.
• How do I access The Spheres? The public can access The Spheres on the first and third Saturday of the month month by making a reservation here .
• Are there any age restrictions? The Spheres Discovery at Understory is an immersive experience for everyone. However, minors must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
• Who can I contact if I have questions or concerns? Please contact [email protected] with any questions or concerns. If you are a member of the media, please direct inquiries to [email protected].
• Are pets allowed? Pets are not permitted in Understory, The Spheres, or the AWS Skills Center, with the exception of service animals.

What is Amazon Explore?

How much is amazon explore, how is amazon explore different from other virtual experiences, my experience with amazon explore, some of the best amazon explore experiences to try, prime members can try amazon's new virtual travel experiences for free — here's what the platform is like to use and some of the best tours to try.

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• Amazon Explore was recently launched to offer interactive, one-on-one virtual travel experiences.
• Hosts are located around the world and for some, you can even shop for local items in real time.
• Amazon Explore experiences range from $10 to $99, but Prime members can try it for free.

The other night I walked through the streets of Tokyo, stopping in at small shops, exploring handmade ceramics, saying hi to a local shopkeeper, and filling a basket with new treasures to display in my home — all while sitting in my living room in New Jersey. This was possible thanks to one of the new virtual tours from Amazon Explore . 

For the last long year, I've been trying to scratch my travel itch with virtual experiences, with mixed success. I tried online cooking classes, virtually toured museums and historical sites around the globe, and even bought my son and his cousin a small group online tea ceremony with EF Tours. And I've followed along as Airbnb added online interactive tours with guides. 

After all of that, I was surprised to hear that Amazon was jumping into the game. After a year of online experiences, why now? And how would this be different? 

To find out, I bought a virtual ticket for a first-hand Amazon Explore review to see exactly what they were offering. 

Amazon Explore is a series of live, virtual one-on-one experiences with hosts located around the world. You can access the program on the Amazon website. However, as a brand new offering that is technically still in beta, it's a little hard to spot tucked away as the very last entry on the "Programs and Features" tab.

Perusing Amazon Explore you'll find experiences ranging from hands-on cooking to tours of Paris and Berlin to virtual trips to the beach. Before I jumped in and booked my own tour, I was given an opportunity to do a short media "sampling" of Amazon Explore for review purposes. Highlights included two cooking experiences (salsa in Mexico , $28, and pasta making in Italy , $52) and two shopping and culture tours (one in Tokyo for only $9 and Quebec City at a pricey $62). They were all fun and exciting enough that I was eager to sign up for a full experience myself after. 

Other available options range from learning about the legends of alchemy in Prague ($56) to getting up close with sloths in Costa Rica ($27). No matter your travel interests, it's easy enough to find an experience catered to it. You can also filter by place, price, ratings, experience duration, and more to help narrow down the options. 

Everything takes place within the unique Amazon platform, and on the shopping experiences, you have the added benefit of being able to pick items out in real time to be sent to you later. 

Prices run the gamut from $10 to $99. Sometimes you'll find multiple prices for similar experiences (individual guides set their own prices, according to Amazon). Those who have Amazon Prime can try their first experience up to $50 completely free using the code FREEFUN . If you're not already a Prime member, you can sign up here . 

Before you get started, shop around to make sure you're not overpaying, just like you would if you were actually in the destination. 

Like purchasing any other item on Amazon, you can use your preferred stored payment method, add a new card, or use gift cards.

One additional way you can pay is with travel points — which is especially great since many of us have been sitting on a pile of unused points due to the pandemic. Hilton Honors has expanded its collaboration with Amazon so you can now use your Hilton points to book experiences. You just need to link your Hilton account with your Amazon one before you book. 

I noticed that the charge for my session wasn't processed until I had successfully completed my experience, and I also had the option to cancel right up until the time slot began. If there are tech difficulties that force a cancellation, you'll automatically be refunded. 

There are a few things that make Amazon stand out from other online virtual tours and experiences. First, every tour with Amazon Explore is a one-on-one experience. If you're hoping to sit back with your microphone turned off, this isn't going to be your cup of tea. However, if you miss chatting with someone new, asking questions about what you're looking at, or trying out a few words of a new language, this is a great option. 

Another difference you'll notice right away is the high production value. While other experiences use a regular Zoom log-in, Amazon has created its own unique platform. This high-tech option has integrated graphics, including maps and labels; the ability to touch an item on your screen and have your guide see what you're pointing to; and one-touch buttons for taking screenshots and to use a "megaphone" to talk to locals (for example, a shopkeeper) near your guide.

One thing to note: Currently, there's no dual camera. Amazon's platform allows you to see your guide, but they can't see you. However, you can still easily converse in real time.

Another intersection where Amazon Explore detours from Airbnb and other virtual tours is with the shopping experiences. Your guide will shop for you if your experience is marked with an "In-Session Shopping" tag. 

On a shopping itinerary I tried, this was a revelation and an entirely new way of interacting with the destination. The guide entered a local store, held up items, and after we chose one, brought it to the register, photographed it, and purchased it for me. The itemized charges appeared in my Amazon orders immediately. Genius. 

However, shipping is extra, so don't assume you'll have free Amazon Prime delivery for this program. 

Additionally, for one of the cooking experiences, I was able to have all of my fresh ingredients delivered from Amazon Fresh. Although this service isn't fully integrated into the program yet (it's not a one-click option), it's easy enough to copy and paste the ingredient list into your Whole Foods or Fresh shopping basket. 

While you're at it, you can also order any suggested kitchen equipment for your recipe from the Amazon site (if you're wondering, like I was, why Amazon is getting into experiences, this was an "Aha" moment).

I was interested in trying Amazon Explore 's live shopping options, and my son, who was joining me for this experience, is interested in Japanese culture, so it was an easy jump to choose a Tokyo shopping experience. There were three options that worked for us timing-wise (we had to choose a late-night time slot on the East Coast to coincide with stores opening in Japan in the morning) for $10, $20, and $39 price points, all 45 minutes long. I chose the mid-level option: Shop Like a Chef . It was a tour of Kappabashi, an area of Tokyo that specializes in cookery and kitchenware, and $20 for a 45-minute private session seemed like a good value.  

Our session started out strong. Explore has an interface that can only be accessed via Amazon on a laptop or desktop computer. The graphics were great, and the short intro of technicolor experiences around the world created Disney-level excitement. This was definitely not a Zoom chat. 

Our guide Giulia (a friendly, trilingual Italian, Japanese speaker), jumped right in with introductions and gave us a quick intro to the cooking district complete with a map of the area displayed across our screen and crisp graphics that showed four shop choices available to tour — Chopsticks, Ceramics, Fake Food, and Knives. Giulia said we'd have time for two, and we chose Ceramics and Fake Food, because plastic ramen was something we needed to see.

One note I quickly realized is that you need to be decisive on these tours. It helps to be able to pull the trigger quickly on a purchase since time is quite literally ticking while you shop. After I (finally) committed to a lovely hand-painted teapot and two teacups halfway through the session, Giulia brought them to the register and photographed them so she could return after the tour to process payment. 

We then tagged along on a quick walk through Kappabashi, listening to the sounds of shoppers and background store music on our way to an "only in Japan" shop filled with hand-painted food replicas. 

Several magnets and key chains shaped like raw fish later, our 45-minute tour was over and it was time to say sayonara . All around, it was a really fun, truly unusual, and rewarding virtual experience.

My receipt arrived immediately, and although shipping can take as long as four weeks, my package arrived in just five days. However, be aware that prices can quickly add up on top of the initial experience price. I ended up spending $80 while shopping and the shipping was an additional $25. 

"Souvenirs are memories," enthused guide Mizuki in Japan at the end of our tour, which seemed to perfectly sum up why these experiences seem so special. Staying at home this year I have neither new memories nor new souvenirs, and I was happy for an opportunity to get both. 

Overall, I found the Amazon virtual experiences I tried to be superior to other online travel options I've tried. From the unique interactive platform to the personal, one-on-one interactions to the real-time shopping options, these virtual offerings truly stand out in a crowded field.  I'm guessing that when Amazon Explore comes out of beta there will be a dual video option, which would be very helpful. 

Still, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of the Amazon Explore programming and the tech which delivered it to my home. 

Ready to try out Amazon Explore and take a virtual vacation yourself? Consider some of these top Amazon Explore experiences. And don't forget, if you have Amazon Prime you can try your first experience up to $50 for free using the code FREEFUN at checkout.

• Explore Florence, Italy's historic city center, including Piazza del Duomo, San Lorenzo Church, and more ($10)
• Visit Costa Rica's Las Pumas Rescue Center and meet jaguars, monkeys, sloths, and more ($27.30)
• Cook authentic Manchmanteles Mole with a Mexican chef ($28)
• Tour a foodie's paradise and visit one of Singapore's famed hawker centers ($24)
• Take an iPhone photography class with an award-winning photographer and filmmaker ($45)
• Sip on Malbecs and wine taste your way across Argentina ($20.30)
• Get up close with cuddly kangaroos and koalas at a Sydney wildlife park ($59)
• Learn to make delicious French macarons from The Lincoln Apartment Bakery in Montreal ($69)

• Main content

NYS Fair world food tour: 12 ways to eat around the globe, here on the fairgrounds

• Updated: Aug. 28, 2024, 8:29 a.m.
• | Published: Aug. 28, 2024, 7:30 a.m.

Beef Sweet Bop from Ji-Woo's Korean Seoul Food at the NYS Fair. Jacob Pucci

• Jacob Pucci

Geddes, N.Y. — For some, a trip to the New York State Fair is one of nostalgia, where the checklist of must-have items, like Italian sausage sandwiches, fried dough and other carnival classics, changes little year after year.

For others, the fair is an opportunity to explore something new. As the variety and diversity of cuisines have increased in recent years, so has the opportunity for fairgoers to explore new foods and cultures — and in the case of some, find a familiar taste of home in a place where it hadn’t existed before.

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A psychologist explains the ‘it ends with us’ press-tour drama.

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Here’s why the “It Ends With Us” cast has sparked so much controversy.

Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively play Ryle Kincaid and Lily Bloom in It Ends With Us , a new movie based on Colleen Hoover’s book of the same name.

From the very start, there was backlash over the casting of Lively and Baldoni, who are significantly older than their characters in the book. Many fans also disapproved of Lively’s outfits from the initial set photos, claiming that she didn’t look like “their Lily” from the book.

Then, at the film’s New York premiere, fans grew suspicious when Baldoni wasn’t photographed with any of the cast members—especially his lead co-star, Lively—and mostly walked the red carpet with his wife, Emily. Baldoni and the rest of the cast have been attending the remaining leg of the press tour separately, and his co-stars do not follow him on Instagram.

Similar to the Don’t Worry Darling on-set and off-set drama involving Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh, fans have been speculating on why the It Ends With Us cast has seemingly sidelined Baldoni.

Additionally, Blake Lively is facing criticism for her promotional approach, with many fans finding it tone-deaf, particularly when she mentioned her new haircare line, her sparkling beverage company and encouraged fans to “wear their florals” to screenings in homage to Lily’s character, who is a florist.

New Password Hacking Warning For Gmail, Facebook And Amazon Users

Trump vs. harris 2024 polls: harris leads trump in latest post-dnc surveys, today’s nyt mini crossword clues and answers for wednesday, august 28th.

Fans found this insensitive given the film’s heavy themes of domestic violence and are accusing Lively of misrepresenting the film as a more light-hearted romance. Many believe she, unlike Baldoni, is minimizing the themes of abuse.

Some moviegoers have also reported being unprepared for the film’s intense subject matter and having no idea what they were really walking in to watch.

Many fans are also praising Baldoni for being vocal about the true nature of the film, while spreading awareness about intimate partner violence. On the other hand, there is speculation that Baldoni may have been a difficult director to work with on-set, adding to the unverified rumor mill.

Here are two reasons why fans are deeply invested in the behind-the-scenes drama of the film.

1. They Form Strong Parasocial Relationships With The Cast

Parasocial relationships are one-sided connections that fans develop with celebrities or public figures. According to a 2020 study , people form strong parasocial relationships with those they can relate to, contributing to their sense of community and connection .

When a beloved celebrity like Blake Lively or Justin Baldoni is involved in a project, fans likely feel personally connected to their successes, struggles and conflicts. This emotional investment makes them more likely to follow every detail of the production.

Another psychological element at play is the human desire for transparency and authenticity. When rumors of behind-the-scenes conflicts surface, it disrupts the idealized image that fans have of their favorite stars. This can lead to increased scrutiny, as fans want to know the “truth” behind the polished public images they see. They may also feel a sense of entitlement to this information because of the emotional investment they’ve made in these celebrities’ careers.

Additionally, research shows that readers can become strongly attached to fictional characters and stories. Readers often see themselves represented in the characters, particularly in the protagonist, Lily Bloom. So, their investment can also stem from deep emotional connections to the story, a protective instinct over the source material and a desire for accurate, respectful representation.

2. They Expect Celebrities To Meet Their Moral Standards

A 2019 study published in the Journal of Marketing Management suggests that celebrities exert widespread influence, as they are worshiped, admired and envied for their lives, their looks and their talents.

This can lead to idealizing them and expecting only the best behavior from them. Celebrities are also held to higher standards because they are viewed as role models. Fans expect them to embody the qualities they admire, both in their professional work and personal lives.

When something goes awry, such as rumors of tension between Lively and Baldoni or perceived insensitivity in promotional activities, fans may feel disappointed, disillusioned or even betrayed.

Viewers also reasonably expect public figures to use their platforms responsibly, particularly when dealing with sensitive topics like domestic violence, as is central to the movie. They want it to be addressed and highlighted with the sensitivity it deserves.

When celebrities fall short of these expectations, fans demand accountability as the right thing to do, and in part, because they see it as a breach of the “trust” that has been built through years of media interaction.

This controversy is a reminder of the growing demand for authenticity and sensitivity from public figures. Fans’ passionate reactions are not merely about casting choices or promotional missteps; they are rooted in the knowledge that storytelling holds transformative power, and that with great visibility comes great responsibility.

Curious about your own parasocial connection to celebrities? Take this test to learn more: Celebrity Attitude Scale

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‘You guys look mad. I better get some food in you.’ What it’s like to take the Politically Incorrect North End Food Tour.

He swears. He smokes. He gossips. He bad-mouths the competition. He certainly doesn’t dress to impress. And he shows up late for his own tour.

We’re talking about Anthony Gesualdi, owner and guide of the Politically Incorrect North End Food Tour .

We’d heard some good things about his North End tour and decided to check it out. That day, our train into the city was late and we ran to the tour’s meeting point. There was no need to worry or hurry. We were about eight minutes late, but Tony hadn’t arrived yet, and wouldn’t for another half hour or so.

“He’s always late,” one participant in our group said. “He’ll show up.”

“Yep,” another tour go-er agreed. “He was late the last time we took the tour.”

They obviously forgave his tardiness and liked the tour enough to return and do it again.

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He strolled up with apologies. “I’m usually running late, but not this late. I had plumbing problems,” he said. He quickly began the tour with a few rules. Among them: Don’t be a pain in the neck. (He considers people with special diets to be pains in the neck, and to be clear, he didn’t say “neck.”) And don’t be a know-it-all. (He considers New Yorkers to be know-it-alls.)

“You guys look mad,” he said. “I better get some food in you.” We were a little irate. We’d been waiting for him in the scorching heat and humidity for far too long.

We followed him around the corner to our first stop, Galleria Umberto, a cash-only, lunch-only joint with a line out the door.

“Tourists walk right by this place, but the locals and workers know,” he said. “And the prices are 10 years behind the times.”

We love Umbertos and consider it part of the Holy Trinity of pizza places (Santarpios, Regina Pizzeria, and Galleria Umberto). We enjoyed slices of thick, Sicilian-style pizza and balls of arancini. Our moods improved.

Gesualdi grew up in the North End and still has the three-family house his father bought for $21,000. “It was tenement-style living back then. We were all poor; we just didn’t know it,” he said. “The nice part was that everyone knew everybody. We were part of a community.”

Gesualdi railed a bit about gentrification of the North End, and the absence of the old mom-and-pop stores. Our next stop was Polcari’s Coffee, a place that’s managed to hang on. “I hung out with Ralph,” Gesualdi said, pointing to a photo of Ralph behind the counter, a cigar sticking out of his mouth. “That’s what it was like, Ralph in here puffing away.”

Anthony Polcari started Polcari’s Coffee in 1932, and he passed it on to his son Ralph. Today, it’s owned by Bobby Eustace, who worked at the store for more than 20 years before taking it over. It’s an old-fashioned shop, filled with coffees, teas, and spices.

Gesualdi recalled coming in the store for Italian slushes. “Everyone in the neighborhood came in for Ralph’s slushes,” he said, handing out small paper cups filled with lemon slush. It was tart and sweet and perfect on a hot day.

“OK, no one’s going to get shot. Pat’s away,” Gesualdi joked as we stood outside Monica’s Mercato & Salumeria. He proceeded to inform the group about a 2023 altercation involving Patrick Mendoza, one of the owners of Monica’s. Mendoza r ecently pleaded guilty to shooting at a man outside of Modern Pastry, a popular North End Bakery. “What was he thinking?” Gesualdi said. “Obviously, it was a bad decision.”

Well, yes — obviously. Still, Monica’s is busy. “And you will never have a better Italian sub than you’ll get at this place,” he said.

The sub was fabulous with thickly sliced cold cuts, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, hots, and pickles, piled between slices of fresh, baked bread.

Gesualdi talked a lot about Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and the Mafia. “We protected them,” he said, stopping in front of 98 Prince St. “I don’t know why the FBI didn’t know where the mob’s headquarters were. I was 9 years old, and I knew. Right here. . . . We used to call it the dog house; you didn’t want to get called to the dog house,” he said.

L’Osteria Ristorante was our next stop where we enjoyed cheese ravioli with a simple tomato sauce, before popping into the well-regarded 1906 V. Cirace & Son wine and spirits store.

Later, we’d pass Modern Pastry. “What do you think of Modern versus Mike’s Pastry,” one tour-goer asked, referring to two popular bakeries in the North End. “Locals don’t go to Mike’s,” he said. “A peanut butter cannoli? What is that [expletive]?”

Instead, we tried flaky sfogliatelle pastries at Bricco Panetteria, a small bakery tucked in a tight alley, off Hanover Street.

We ended the tour at Dolce, a small café, where we tried vanilla gelato drizzled with espresso.

“Hey, Tony!” Someone on the street shouted to Gesualdi. “Remember when we got arrested here?”

Sounds like another story for another time.

Tours available weekdays 11-2; Saturdays, 11-2 and 2:30-5:30; Sundays, 11:30-2:30, $89. Private tours also available, 617-763-0806; www.bostonnorthendtours.com .

Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at [email protected]

Next-Level Breast Reconstruction After Cancer

Collaborative Team Develops Custom Molds with $2.7M NIH Grant

By Laurie Fickman — 713-743-8454

• Science, Energy and Innovation
• Health and Medicine

Professor Fatima Merchant, department chair of engineering technology at the University of Houston, is part of a multi-institutional research team designing patient-specific molds for breast cancer patients who undergo reconstructive surgery after cancer surgery.   

The project, supported by a $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, is set to make breast reconstruction more efficient, promoting psychosocial adjustment to cancer survivorship and reducing time in care.  

“ Breast reconstruction can help women retain or regain quality of life by mitigating the impacts of body image disruption due to appearance changes arising from mastectomy,” said Merchant.

“While a few studies have demonstrated the feasibility of using patient-specific molds to shape tissue into a breast form, a critical barrier to progress in the field is that no one has rigorously evaluated their impact. In contrast, our study includes a randomized controlled clinical trial for evaluation,” Merchant said.  

In the grim world of cancer statistics, 1-in-8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, and of those who have surgery, more than 40 percent will have additional breast reconstruction surgery.

During the commonly performed autologous reconstruction, the surgeon uses skin, fat, blood vessels and muscle from another part of the patient’s body to rebuild the breast. This method is widely recognized as effective, with long-term advantages over other techniques.    

However, autologous reconstruction procedures are complex, lengthy operations requiring substantial skill and experience. Plus, a revision procedure is typically required to adequately restore the patient’s bodily form; in some cases, multiple revisions are needed.   

The team will develop clinical decision-support algorithms for designing patient-specific breast molds for tissue shaping.  

Here’s how the process will work:

In practice, the new algorithm-driven breast molds should reduce the cost of reconstruction and the pain and risk associated with reconstruction by reducing the number of procedures a patient undergoes.  

Prior work investigated simple molds that merely copied the preoperative shape and size of the patient's breasts, or a mirrored version of the contralateral breast in the case of unilateral breast reconstruction. But many patients desire or require a different breast form after mastectomy and so simply copying the preoperative breast form is inadequate.

“Our approach in developing the clinical decision-support algorithms is informed by our experience in image perception, machine learning, image processing, and shape modeling, and conducting a thorough evaluation in a randomized controlled clinical trial,” said Merchant.  

The research team includes multiple principal investigators, Ashleigh M. Francis at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Mia K. Markey at The University of Texas at Austin. The team is part of the Multidisciplinary Breast Reconstruction Research Program.   Investigators at UT include Haoqi Wang, doctoral student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the MD Anderson team includes Deepti Chopra, Z-Hye Lee, Christopher Parham, Gregory P. Reece, Margaret Roubaud, Mark Schaverien, and John Shuck.  

Merchant is supported in this work by UH investigators, Ann Chen, research associate professor, HEALTH Research Institute, Weihang Zhu, professor, Department of Engineering Technology, and Elizabeth Rodwell, assistant professor, Department of Information Systems Technology.  

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Cycling the Western Balkans: A Wild, Yet Welcoming, Mountain Tour

High temperatures and higher mountains were no match for our author and her companion as they biked the Trans Dinarica, a new cycling route that winds through eight countries in the remote Dinaric Alps.

By Sophie Stuber

“Hey mate!” a cyclist called to us in an Australian accent as he pedaled by on the rocky dirt road that serves as the main street of the village of Theth deep in Albania’s Dinaric Alps. Along with my friend and travel companion, Dave, I had not seen another bikepacker in four days.

In June, Dave and I rode a section of the new 2,500-mile Trans Dinarica cycling route that connects Albania and the other countries in the Western Balkans through the Dinaric Alps, known as the “Accursed Mountains.” The route starts in Slovenia, crossing through remote parts of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia on public roads with a mix of gravel, dirt and asphalt. By covering so much terrain, the Trans Dinarica is able to offer something for different types of cyclists, regardless of experience and skill.

As we quickly learned, biking the Trans Dinarica is not like cycling in the French Alps or the Italian Dolomites, although with limestone and steep rock faces, some of the terrain looks strikingly similar. In France and Italy, there are cyclists on every switchback of popular climbs, bike repair shops in most towns and a decades-old cycling culture. In Albania and Montenegro, Dave and I went days without seeing a single bike shop and long stretches without even a grocery store. But the scenery is breathtaking, the roads are calm, and this rural zone is eagerly transforming into a tourist destination.

“The idea is to present the Balkans positively and to inspire people to see the Balkans from a different perspective and in a sustainable way,” said Jan Klavora, a Slovenian and one of the creators of the Trans Dinarica. “It is an economical route because it brings business to an area that needs it. It is also cultural because it brings together areas that were divided by war and connects them all.”

The Western Balkan region experienced significant political, social and cultural upheaval in the 20th century, particularly following World War II. After the disintegration of Yugoslavia into six separate states, the Yugoslav Wars, a series of ethnically driven conflicts from 1991 to 2001, caused the deaths of 140,000 people.

Slowly, the region’s economy is improving, and tourism is considered a key aspect. Crowds are already flocking to Croatia and spreading down the Adriatic coast to Albania and Montenegro. But the Trans Dinarica route heads deep into the mountains, an area that is still much less visited.

“Cyclists are good customers. We eat a lot, stop for lunch and dinner, and sleep somewhere different every night. It’s a huge economical engine,” Mr. Klavora said.

Podgorica, Montenegro to Tamarë, Albania

With limited time, Dave and I headed into the heart of the Dinaric Alps in Montenegro. We had packed a water filter, repair kit and GPS, and both of us had gravel bikes with 38-millimeter tires. We planned to pedal a 200-mile loop with lots of elevation gain and cross through mountains from Montenegro to Albania. We picked a route that offered breathtaking climbs into the high mountains, with quiet roads and a balance of asphalt and gravel so that we could cover a lot of ground every day but still enjoy car-free, empty sections.

We bought food along the way, stopping whenever we came across a grocery store, and booked our hotels and guesthouses in advance, using the accommodations listed on the Trans Dinarica website and paying for our rooms in cash. (I don’t love cycling with hundreds of euros, but very few places take credit cards, and A.T.M.s were not to be found after we left Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital.)

Our loop started from Podgorica, with a climb above the Morača canyon and views of the Mala Rijeka viaduct, the highest railway bridge in Europe. We left early, enduring a hot sun, but we met cooler temperatures after 7,200 feet of climbing higher into the mountains. After a short descent into a high elevation valley, we stopped at Restaurant Ribnak, a log cabin where the river flows directly beneath the deck, and the waiters catch the fish served for lunch next to your feet. It was too early in the day for lunch, but we had fried potatoes and baklava before continuing on.

Andrijevica

herzEgovina

Mala Rijeka Bridge

Writer’s bike route

Detail area

The day’s 56-mile route was mainly on paved roads but we saw very little traffic. (It’s possible to split the ride into two days, staying in Kolašin, a small village on the banks of the Tara River.) After our baklava stop, we ascended another six miles of switchbacks to Štavna, a collection of mountain hut outposts surrounded by peaks. We were greeted at Kobil Do Guesthouse with a shot glass of rakia (or rakija), a traditional distilled plum liquor popular in the Balkans.

“The grandest climbs of the Balkans are no match for the power of plum brandy,” Dave said as we slowly sipped the 40-percent A.B.V. — or 80-proof — liquor. The guesthouse serves dinner and breakfast, and rooms are in individual cottages with single beds and showers.

The next day started with a long, steep, chunky gravel descent to the town of Andrijevica and the valley along the Lim River below. (A nearby paved road is an alternative option, but to us, the panoramic views were worth the slightly spicy descent.) I took my only fall of the trip when I bailed into a bush to avoid skidding out of a switchback. I was fine. Wildflowers were blooming, and even with smoke from wildfires in Greece, the view of Kučki Kom, the highest peak of the Komovi massif, was spectacular.

After rejoining the asphalt nine miles later, we rode through the valley for a gentle climb then a descent into the village of Gusinje. Once at the intersection of the Ottoman trade routes between northern Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo, today Gusinje is transforming, with a renovation of its central bazaar and a push to become a sporting event hub — hosting triathlons and the Skyrunning European Championships , in which runners navigate steep ridges, all above 6,600 feet.

It’s a four-mile ride from Gusinje to the Albanian border, where we had our passports stamped in a small wooden building by a border agent who seemed surprised to see anyone at all, let alone two cyclists. Over the border, we dunked ourselves in the clean waters of the Vermosh River, a reprieve from the afternoon heat. Our day’s last climb had views of the Tamara Gorge on the Cem River, one of Europe’s last free-flowing rivers.

With the temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the descent felt like riding through a blow dryer, but we were greeted by a friendly host and excellent air conditioning at Guesthouse Rireyiana in the village of Tamarë. Across the town square, the staff at the newly opened Ujëvara restaurant were more than happy to serve us an excellent and early 4:45 p.m. dinner of local trout and Greek salad.

Tamarë to Shkodër

From Tamarë to Theth would be another big day of climbing, with nearly 7,000 feet of elevation gain over 50 miles, and after the previous afternoon’s heat, we decided to leave early. Waking at 5 a.m. for a breakfast of cookies, bananas and peach juice — grocery store options were, shall we say, limited — we ascended some very beautiful switchbacks and then a more gradual climb to Bogë, the last outpost before Theth. Not so much a town, Bogë does offer accommodation options and small rest stops with cold water and other beverages. It was only 9:30 a.m., but with temperatures rising, we paused only briefly before the last long ascent, which brings you into Theth National Park , which has most of Albania’s peaks above 6,500 feet.

Before the trip, I imagined rugged mountains, small villages and long, empty stretches of road, but I was still surprised by how few cyclists we saw, especially on roads and gravel trails that were perfect for cycling. The sheer remoteness also surprised me.

“Albania feels like the Italian Dolomites, but with less pasta and more wilderness,” Dave said at the top of a climb, where we stumbled across a stone memorial for Baron Franz Nopcsa, a Hungarian geologist, paleontologist and specialist in Albanian studies who died in 1933.

A long descent found us at Theth, a small village mainly composed of guesthouses and several restaurants. We were done riding that day, and celebrated with a three-hour lunch of lamb, Fërgesë (a traditional Albanian dish with roasted red peppers, tomatoes and cottage cheese), cornbread, Greek salad and local beer at Bar Restaurant Jezerca . We shared a table with a couple who were hitchhiking and backpacking from Austria to Greece. Theth is a popular hiking destination with a 400-year-old “ lock-in tower ,” which historically offered shelter to people engaged in blood feuds.

After a night at Kompleksi Zorgji, a family home transformed into a guesthouse, we started our final day climbing back up the same descent and headed down toward Shkodër, an important city in northern Albania with nearly 2,200 years of recorded history that sits between Lake Skadar (known also as Lake Scutari, Lake Shkodër and other names) and the foothills of the Albanian Alps. Completing the loop, we took a taxi back across the border to Podgorica for 60 euros ($65) with a driver who had spent 40 years in the Albanian police before retiring. We stopped at his house on the way to unload 15 three-gallon water jugs for his family. I wished I spoke Albanian, because he seemed to have excellent stories.

“They said it’s the wildest part of Europe, and it never once disappointed,” Dave said as we loaded our bikes into the taxi.

Practical tips

Accommodation options, restaurants, water refills and scenic stops are all marked in the Trans Dinarica route data, available for download . The organizers recommend using a gravel bike with 38- to 42-milimeter tires. Wider tires will offer more stability on the gravel sections, but you lose speed and efficiency on the paved sections. Bring enough cash for food, lodging and emergencies for the entirety of the trip. Expect to pay about 50 euros per night for two-person accommodations, and anywhere from 10 to 30 euros per person for meals, depending on what you ordered. We got pizzas for 7 euros, but splurged for a multicourse lunch in Theth that ended up being about 30 euros each with drinks. Most places do not have a credit card reader and everyone accepts euros, sometimes even Swiss francs and U.S. dollars, but will typically make change in local currency.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Cycling Around the Globe

The cycling world can be intimidating. but with the right mind-set and gear you can make the most of human-powered transportation..

Are you new to urban biking? These tips  will help you make sure you are ready to get on the saddle .

Whether you’re mountain biking down a forested path or hitting the local rail trail, you’ll need the right gear . Wirecutter has plenty of recommendations , from which bike to buy  to the best bike locks .

Do you get nervous at the thought of cycling in the city? Here are some ways to get comfortable with traffic .

Learn how to store your bike properly and give it the maintenance it needs  in the colder weather.

  Not ready for mountain biking just yet? Try gravel biking instead . Here are five places in the United States  to explore on two wheels.

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Amazon is expanding its free in-person tours at fulfillment centers worldwide

Customers and employees can schedule a free in-person tour today.

October 09, 2023

Benson Boone, RAYE Set for 2024 Global Citizen Fest

T he newly formed official lineup, including Benson Boone & RAYE, is noted for the Global Citizen Festival 2024 and has been set up atop. This event will be filled with a plethora of performing artists, one of which is New York’s Central Park.

Their inclusion in the all-star roster creates more excitement on hedging with Post Malone, Doja Cat, Jelly Roll, and Rauw Alejandro. As he shared his statement, Benson Boone did not hide his desire: "Ending extreme poverty is a responsibility we all share," he said. "I'm grateful to be involved in Global Citizen's mission by helping those who are living in extreme poverty.I hope we can all come together to take action and make a real difference in the world." Once the festival is live-streamed from the National Mall in Paris by Global Citizen Ambassador Hugh Jackman, it will include special guests like Dr.

Jane Goodall and Chris Martin of Coldplay. The most prominent feature that increases the metrics of this event is that it is one of the very first of those lined up in the United States to run on hybrid energy entirely. The stage in Central Park will be using a SmartGrid battery system that will be used for all audit, video, and stage production systems, similar to the one used in the Cold Plays Music of the Spheres world tour.

The festival is also looking to cut its carbon footprint by phasing out diesel generators in favor of collaborating with Showpower Global B.V. and CES Power. The festival, which will take place on the Great Lawn on 28 September, guarantees to attract notable speakers such as Antoni Porowski, Bill Nye, Rachel Brosnahan, and others.

Global Citizen is reportedly obligated to give away free tickets via activism, which is active on their app or website .

Activism and Environment Focus

Michael Sheldrick, co-founder of Global Citizen, explained that this year’s festival was two-fold: focused on the environment and civil rights activism.

"Global Citizen Festival has always been about using the power of music and activism to drive real, tangible change. This year, we're taking bold steps to protect our planet, from powering our stage with clean energy to advocating for Indigenous-led projects that preserve the Amazon and calling for a global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty," he said.

As part of the series of Climate Week events, a beach clean-up is planned for September 21 in collaboration with the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy. Participants in this clean-up can win festival tickets by helping to collect plastic trash and assisting in the year-long recording of the furthest this year's ‘Dirty Dozen’ Plastics Campaign.

Linked with the occasion, Global Citizen has launched 2024 official clothes. The lines have partnered with many artists, Doja Cat and Rauw Alejandro, and an apparel brand, Aviator Nation, and are eco-friendly and sold online.

The festival globalizes impactful efforts such as advocating for G7 states to ensure more action to push back poverty and asking for the Amazon rain forest funding. Furthermore, the movement calls for global financing for nutritious foods, healthy healthcare systems, and nutritious foods, among others, for the least equitable people, verified knee-jerk pledge of at least 5 billion dollars.

Such initiatives align with Global Citizen’s vision of promoting social and environmental sustainability to all women and men.

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