Sophie Dunne

3 weeks ago | islands.com | Sophie Dunne

Italy is home to beautiful mountainous settlements that go unnoticed by tourists, like the Medieval town, Vipiteno, hidden in the Italian Alps or Castelluccio's glorious alpine valley with spring and summer wildflowers. But one region stands above the rest — literally. Nestled in the Alps of northwest Italy, Aosta Valley is the country's smallest but highest region.

1 month ago | islands.com | Sophie Dunne

California has many stunning hiking trails through mountains, valleys, and forests, but some cliffside hikes boast breathtaking coastal views next to the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. Harmony Headlands State Park is located between Los Angeles and San Francisco near the historical city of Morro Bay, and was once home to ancient Chumash and Salinan tribes who were pushed from their lands during Spain's Mission System in 1769.

1 month ago | islands.com | Sophie Dunne

The American passport is one of the most powerful in the world, coming 10th in the 2025 VisaIndex ranking. For American citizens, it's more than just a travel document, but a key to the world, granting visa-free travel to almost 200 countries. This makes spontaneous getaways and long-term travel possible for its passport holders.

1 month ago | thelist.com | Sophie Dunne

As the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem is expected to know the correct terminology related to border control and immigration. However, during a Senate committee hearing on May 20, 2025, Noem demonstrated her ignorance. When Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan asked Noem to state the definition of habeas corpus — a legal requirement for a government to justify a person's imprisonment and allowing them the opportunity to argue their case — Noem gave a troubling answer.

1 month ago | islands.com | Sophie Dunne

From A.D. 800 to 1450, a Native American community lived, worshipped, and traded on a wide stretch of land next to the Arkansas River. Today, the remains of this erstwhile community, in modern-day Oklahoma, are still visible. Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, once home to the Indigenous Mississippians, is the state's only publicly accessible Native American site, located in Le Flore County just seven miles from the small town of Spiro, Oklahoma.