Welcome to Hello, Weekend, our new guide to the best things to do, see, and pack for the best weekend every weekend.
We’ve got a taste for the tropical and the adventurous, but first…
What’s Going On
At Home…
So many immersive pop-up experiences can be reliably described as “big brand recreates settings from shows/movies people are already nostalgic for.” Which makes Nevermore Park that much more exciting. The 6,000-square-foot installation is the work of local Chicago artist Hebru Brantley, who brings to life the fictional neighborhood and origin for his original characters Flyboy and Lil Mama. Visitors can explore this total immersive environment that allows visitors to visit a colorful, fantastical, alternate reality.
And Abroad…
It’s the last weekend of Montréal en Lumière, an arts and culture festival that celebrates the best of what the city has to offer. Saturday also marks the final night of the festival. The Nuit Blanche (White Night) is the festival’s biggest night, with events held across three districts all through the night.
Where We Want to Go This Weekend
Belize is perhaps most famous as a spot for snorkeling and diving in impossibly blue water (not to mention the Blue Hole, a marine sinkhole at the center of an atoll). But if you head inland to San Ignacio, you’ll find yourself in this Central American country’s adventurous heart. This town acts as the perfect jumping-off point for exploring verdant jungles, incredible caves, and Mayan ruins.
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Stay: After a day of sweating and spelunking, reward yourself with a stay at The San Ignacio Resort Hotel and its offerings of luxurious amenities (what could be better after a hike through the jungle than an in-room massage?).
Top Picks for You
Recommended Fodor’s Video
Do: Really feel like an adventurer with some help from Mountain Equestrian Trails, which offers a variety of tours and horseback riding excursions
Eat: For a tasty, satisfying sampling of Belizean fare (and maybe a nice cold Belkin Regular), head to Cenaida’s.
What We’re Reading
If you’ve ever visited (or have just been intrigued by) Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum, a medical history museum famed for its collection of medical specimens and oddities, consider picking up Dr. Mütter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz. This immersive work of narrative non-fiction weaves a fascinating portrait of the 19th-century doctor who today is best known for amassing the collection that would become the basis for the museum that bears his name, but during his lifetime was a revolutionary surgeon and one of the first to use anesthesia during his operations.
What We’re Downloading
Considering the fact that Knives Out grossed nearly $300 million at the box office (an impressive feat for a non-superhero, non-franchise flick), there’s a good chance you’ve already seen director Rian Johnson’s modern take on the whodunit. But if this breakdown of all the details, composition, hidden gems, and movie trivia (did you know bad guys in movies aren’t allowed to have iPhones?) that go into a single scene is any indication, there’s still plenty of enjoyment to be had revisiting what appears to be just the first in a series of detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) movies even after the mystery of what happened the night Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) died has unraveled.
What’s in Our Weekend Bag
There’s a uniquely demoralizing feeling one feels after opening your suitcase and realizing your carefully selected wardrobe has been rendered wrinkled and now your options are either spending a chunk of your precious weekend ironing or trying to pass off your less-than-polished state as a sartorial choice. Or, you could come prepared with the Cirrus No. 2 Steamer, a sleek and compact alternative to wrestling with the unpredictable entity that is a hotel iron.