Jonathan - The Royal Tour
@theroyaltour.bsky.social
Traveler, Jew, liberal, dual citizen, Dodgers fan.
He/Him/His
Building a community of travelers and history lovers; say hi if that’s you!
The site: www.theroyaltourblog.com
He/Him/His
Building a community of travelers and history lovers; say hi if that’s you!
The site: www.theroyaltourblog.com
Pinned
Reintroducing myself.
I’m a travel writer from California. I am here for the politics and current events, but also looking to build community around travel, history, books, and more!
Let’s build the Bluesky of our dreams.
Connect and say hi!
I’m a travel writer from California. I am here for the politics and current events, but also looking to build community around travel, history, books, and more!
Let’s build the Bluesky of our dreams.
Connect and say hi!
Calling all those who love travel, work in travel, write about travel, wish they could travel more… LET’S CONNECT!!
Say hi, introduce yourself, help build this community with me.
Say hi, introduce yourself, help build this community with me.
November 22, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Calling all those who love travel, work in travel, write about travel, wish they could travel more… LET’S CONNECT!!
Say hi, introduce yourself, help build this community with me.
Say hi, introduce yourself, help build this community with me.
Jewish New Yorkers who are worried that @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social doesn’t care for their safety have another piece of evidence after this. Do better, Mr Mayor Elect!
www.city-journal.org/article/new-...
www.city-journal.org/article/new-...
Park East Synagogue Protest: What Does Mamdani’s Response Mean for Jewish New Yorkers?
Is moving to Israel now a crime in New York City?
www.city-journal.org
November 22, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Jewish New Yorkers who are worried that @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social doesn’t care for their safety have another piece of evidence after this. Do better, Mr Mayor Elect!
www.city-journal.org/article/new-...
www.city-journal.org/article/new-...
Just wrote 1500 words on Kentucky bourbon.
Question for all of you. Do you like whiskey? Any favorite types?
Question for all of you. Do you like whiskey? Any favorite types?
November 21, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Just wrote 1500 words on Kentucky bourbon.
Question for all of you. Do you like whiskey? Any favorite types?
Question for all of you. Do you like whiskey? Any favorite types?
NEW TODAY!!
Today we cross the Charles Bridge and explore the West Bank of Prague, with its beautiful “new” town and Prague Castle. Check it out!
#Czechia #TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/21/p...
Today we cross the Charles Bridge and explore the West Bank of Prague, with its beautiful “new” town and Prague Castle. Check it out!
#Czechia #TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/21/p...
Prague’s West Bank and Charles Bridge - The Royal Tour
Editor’s note: like Sam, I preferred the east bank of Prague to the west, but found value on both sides. Make sure to click here to visit Sam’s article on the eastern part of the city, and when you fa...
theroyaltourblog.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:08 PM
NEW TODAY!!
Today we cross the Charles Bridge and explore the West Bank of Prague, with its beautiful “new” town and Prague Castle. Check it out!
#Czechia #TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/21/p...
Today we cross the Charles Bridge and explore the West Bank of Prague, with its beautiful “new” town and Prague Castle. Check it out!
#Czechia #TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/21/p...
I have to think this is a violation of some state law, or at least I’d hope so. States need to start prosecuting federal agents who break state and local laws.
November 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I have to think this is a violation of some state law, or at least I’d hope so. States need to start prosecuting federal agents who break state and local laws.
NEW TODAY!!
Did you know that Boise - yes, Boise, Idaho - has the largest Basque population in the US? Well it does, and experiencing it is awesome! Check this out!!
#TravelAddicts #Basque #Idaho
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/19/b...
Did you know that Boise - yes, Boise, Idaho - has the largest Basque population in the US? Well it does, and experiencing it is awesome! Check this out!!
#TravelAddicts #Basque #Idaho
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/19/b...
Basque Boise - The Royal Tour
As the saying goes, “Before God was God and boulders were boulders, Basques were already Basques.” The Basque people, from an area along the border between France and Spain, have been around a long ti...
theroyaltourblog.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:26 PM
NEW TODAY!!
Did you know that Boise - yes, Boise, Idaho - has the largest Basque population in the US? Well it does, and experiencing it is awesome! Check this out!!
#TravelAddicts #Basque #Idaho
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/19/b...
Did you know that Boise - yes, Boise, Idaho - has the largest Basque population in the US? Well it does, and experiencing it is awesome! Check this out!!
#TravelAddicts #Basque #Idaho
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/19/b...
I have never monetized my site, but the drop in traffic (upwards of 75%) coming from Google has been really rough.
Please, people. Click through on the stuff you care about. Give them ad revenue, or at least a view they can take to potential marketing partners.
Please, people. Click through on the stuff you care about. Give them ad revenue, or at least a view they can take to potential marketing partners.
So this ad revenue metric is indicative of such a fascinating and weird set of business decisions by Google to inexplicably kill of SEO-- and I honestly don't get how they think this is going to pay off for them in the long run.
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Stereogum says Google's switch to AI Overviews reduced its ad revenue by *70 percent* www.theverge.com/entertainmen...
November 18, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I have never monetized my site, but the drop in traffic (upwards of 75%) coming from Google has been really rough.
Please, people. Click through on the stuff you care about. Give them ad revenue, or at least a view they can take to potential marketing partners.
Please, people. Click through on the stuff you care about. Give them ad revenue, or at least a view they can take to potential marketing partners.
So it’s been ruled a racial gerrymander, which is only a valid reason to overturn the maps until SCOTUS gets rid of that portion of the VRA. If the “justices” do somehow keep what’s left of the VRA, the map is probably out, which is great!
ALERT: Judge blocks Texas from using new congressional map for 2026 elections
www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-c...
www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-c...
Judge blocks Texas from using new congressional map for 2026 elections
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown ordered Texas to use House district lines adopted in 2021 for next year's congressional elections.
www.cbsnews.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:56 PM
So it’s been ruled a racial gerrymander, which is only a valid reason to overturn the maps until SCOTUS gets rid of that portion of the VRA. If the “justices” do somehow keep what’s left of the VRA, the map is probably out, which is great!
Spending some time today learning and writing about the life and presidency of Zachary Taylor, the third shortest serving US president. (I’ve already written about the first and second shortest terms, William Henry Harrison and James Garfield.) Useless trivia is a fun benefit of travel!
November 17, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Spending some time today learning and writing about the life and presidency of Zachary Taylor, the third shortest serving US president. (I’ve already written about the first and second shortest terms, William Henry Harrison and James Garfield.) Useless trivia is a fun benefit of travel!
NEW TODAY!!
Few places have affected the collective delusion of national symbols quite like Fort McHenry, birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner. But there is also a power to those symbols, and this place. Check it out!
#TravelAddicts #Maryland
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/17/f...
Few places have affected the collective delusion of national symbols quite like Fort McHenry, birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner. But there is also a power to those symbols, and this place. Check it out!
#TravelAddicts #Maryland
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/17/f...
Fort McHenry and the Power (and Delusion) of National Symbols - The Royal Tour
On the morning of September 14, 1814, a 35 year old Francis Scott Key stood on the British warship HMS Tonnant. He was there to negotiate for the release of an American prisoner captured during this, ...
theroyaltourblog.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:34 PM
NEW TODAY!!
Few places have affected the collective delusion of national symbols quite like Fort McHenry, birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner. But there is also a power to those symbols, and this place. Check it out!
#TravelAddicts #Maryland
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/17/f...
Few places have affected the collective delusion of national symbols quite like Fort McHenry, birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner. But there is also a power to those symbols, and this place. Check it out!
#TravelAddicts #Maryland
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/17/f...
It’s November, 2025. US politics sucks, and many of us (myself included) spend too much time on here focused on that.
Please comment on here with an account you love that has a focus on something OTHER than politics, and let’s all brighten our feeds!
I’ll start. I love @jollyhobos.bsky.social!
Please comment on here with an account you love that has a focus on something OTHER than politics, and let’s all brighten our feeds!
I’ll start. I love @jollyhobos.bsky.social!
November 16, 2025 at 5:18 PM
It’s November, 2025. US politics sucks, and many of us (myself included) spend too much time on here focused on that.
Please comment on here with an account you love that has a focus on something OTHER than politics, and let’s all brighten our feeds!
I’ll start. I love @jollyhobos.bsky.social!
Please comment on here with an account you love that has a focus on something OTHER than politics, and let’s all brighten our feeds!
I’ll start. I love @jollyhobos.bsky.social!
Had to get up super early to move my car since a film production is using my entire block. Reward: Cuban coffee and pastries. I’m tired, but life could be worse.
November 16, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Had to get up super early to move my car since a film production is using my entire block. Reward: Cuban coffee and pastries. I’m tired, but life could be worse.
Is any feeling worse than dealing with US health insurance companies and medical providers? Geez, it makes me furious.
November 14, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Is any feeling worse than dealing with US health insurance companies and medical providers? Geez, it makes me furious.
NEW TODAY!!
Ever wanted to take a Rhine River cruise? Here is what you need to know about the experience and the likely ports of call. Check it out, and then contact @explorervacations.bsky.social to book!
#TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/14/a...
Ever wanted to take a Rhine River cruise? Here is what you need to know about the experience and the likely ports of call. Check it out, and then contact @explorervacations.bsky.social to book!
#TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/14/a...
A River Cruise on the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam - The Royal Tour
Editor’s note: while I haven’t done a cruise on the Rhine, regular readers of The Royal Tour will probably remember time I spent in the region, based in Bonn. You can visit my guide to the amazing cit...
theroyaltourblog.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:08 PM
NEW TODAY!!
Ever wanted to take a Rhine River cruise? Here is what you need to know about the experience and the likely ports of call. Check it out, and then contact @explorervacations.bsky.social to book!
#TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/14/a...
Ever wanted to take a Rhine River cruise? Here is what you need to know about the experience and the likely ports of call. Check it out, and then contact @explorervacations.bsky.social to book!
#TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/14/a...
And it will continue to grow. This administration has poisoned the US-Canada relationship, and it will take years to recover.
www.cbc.ca/news/busines...
www.cbc.ca/news/busines...
U.S. tourism faces $5.7B US loss as Canadians continue to stay home | CBC News
Many Canadians continue to boycott travel to the United States, and the U.S. economy is paying the price. A U.S. Travel Association report forecasts a 3.2 per cent decline in international tourism spe...
www.cbc.ca
November 13, 2025 at 11:24 PM
And it will continue to grow. This administration has poisoned the US-Canada relationship, and it will take years to recover.
www.cbc.ca/news/busines...
www.cbc.ca/news/busines...
Major atmospheric river coming to Southern California. Be safe out there, everyone.
November 13, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Major atmospheric river coming to Southern California. Be safe out there, everyone.
Back in California through the end of the year, my longest stretch in 2025. It’s been a fun whirlwind of a year, and next year looks whirlwindier, with between 6 and 7 months of travel.
November 13, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Back in California through the end of the year, my longest stretch in 2025. It’s been a fun whirlwind of a year, and next year looks whirlwindier, with between 6 and 7 months of travel.
NEW TODAY!!
A mandatory experience when in Baltimore is going to a crab deck. Messy, a bit of a sensory overload… and perfect. Check this out, including instructions on how to get to the meat!
#TravelAddicts #Maryland #Food
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/12/m...
A mandatory experience when in Baltimore is going to a crab deck. Messy, a bit of a sensory overload… and perfect. Check this out, including instructions on how to get to the meat!
#TravelAddicts #Maryland #Food
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/12/m...
Maryland Crabs - The Royal Tour
Summer in Baltimore means a lot of things. It means baseball at Camden Yards. It means weekend trips to the beach. And most importantly, it means crabbing. If you are lucky enough to experience summer...
theroyaltourblog.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:15 PM
NEW TODAY!!
A mandatory experience when in Baltimore is going to a crab deck. Messy, a bit of a sensory overload… and perfect. Check this out, including instructions on how to get to the meat!
#TravelAddicts #Maryland #Food
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/12/m...
A mandatory experience when in Baltimore is going to a crab deck. Messy, a bit of a sensory overload… and perfect. Check this out, including instructions on how to get to the meat!
#TravelAddicts #Maryland #Food
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/12/m...
Visited Zachary Taylor National Cemetery briefly this morning, to write about that president and to pay homage on this Veterans Day.
November 11, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Visited Zachary Taylor National Cemetery briefly this morning, to write about that president and to pay homage on this Veterans Day.
Cincinnati’s Union Station is an art deco masterpiece. While Amtrak still comes through, the majority is now home to several museums, a great use of a 1930s rail hub!
November 11, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Cincinnati’s Union Station is an art deco masterpiece. While Amtrak still comes through, the majority is now home to several museums, a great use of a 1930s rail hub!
Did you really visit Cincinnati if you didn’t eat traditional Cincy chili? I had my Skyline last night! #TravelAddicts #Food
theroyaltourblog.com/2023/05/10/c...
theroyaltourblog.com/2023/05/10/c...
Cincinnati Chili - The Royal Tour
It is, without a doubt, one of the weirdest local variations on a classic I’ve ever tried. A slightly sweet chili (no beans) served on top of spaghetti with a mound of cheese the size of your fist, th...
theroyaltourblog.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Did you really visit Cincinnati if you didn’t eat traditional Cincy chili? I had my Skyline last night! #TravelAddicts #Food
theroyaltourblog.com/2023/05/10/c...
theroyaltourblog.com/2023/05/10/c...
This California kid isn’t used to such weather. But it sure is pretty.
November 10, 2025 at 8:11 PM
This California kid isn’t used to such weather. But it sure is pretty.
Cincinnati has some stunning architecture, with the Plum Street synagogue being chief among those. Seriously, friends, how beautiful is this?
November 10, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Cincinnati has some stunning architecture, with the Plum Street synagogue being chief among those. Seriously, friends, how beautiful is this?
NEW TODAY!!
When I struggle - which is often these days - I look back on Abraham Lincoln and what the country dealt with during his time. And I know we will get through this too. Anyway, here is a tribute piece to him from DC.
#TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/10/f...
When I struggle - which is often these days - I look back on Abraham Lincoln and what the country dealt with during his time. And I know we will get through this too. Anyway, here is a tribute piece to him from DC.
#TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/10/f...
Ford’s Theatre and the Legacy of Abraham Lincoln - The Royal Tour
Few events have so shaken up the country than the one that took place here at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC on April 14, 1865. Sitting in a box overlooking the stage, President Abraham Lincoln was ...
theroyaltourblog.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:49 PM
NEW TODAY!!
When I struggle - which is often these days - I look back on Abraham Lincoln and what the country dealt with during his time. And I know we will get through this too. Anyway, here is a tribute piece to him from DC.
#TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/10/f...
When I struggle - which is often these days - I look back on Abraham Lincoln and what the country dealt with during his time. And I know we will get through this too. Anyway, here is a tribute piece to him from DC.
#TravelAddicts
theroyaltourblog.com/2025/11/10/f...
Louisville has a shockingly awesome downtown. Well, an awesome Main Street, as once you get a block or so off it, it’s a bit dead. But still, cool place!
November 9, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Louisville has a shockingly awesome downtown. Well, an awesome Main Street, as once you get a block or so off it, it’s a bit dead. But still, cool place!