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Jonathan - The Royal Tour

@theroyaltour.bsky.social

29K followers 8.6K following 5.5K posts

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

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · Jul 29

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!

Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 12h

Unlike *some* would have you believe, Chicago is awesome… and it is beautiful. It is also the birthplace of the skyscraper, and the city where that construction is an art form. Check this out!

#TravelAddicts #Architecture #Chicago #Illinois

theroyaltourblog.com/2021/09/20/d...

Daniel Burnham and the Evolution of the Chicago Skyscraper - The Royal Tour

Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood… Make big plans; aim high in hope and work.Daniel Burnham Daniel Burnham was 26 years old when he moved to Chicago and joined the architect...

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 13h

Coffee, editing a guest article about Terceira in the Azores, and making sure the last two articles from Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin are ready for this week. A solid Saturday morning.

Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 1d

As I get ready to head back to Mexico, here is a look from my first solo trip to Mexico City several years ago.

#TravelAddicts #Mexico

theroyaltourblog.com/2017/09/19/w...

Why I Went to Mexico - The Royal Tour

If you watch or read the news, no doubt you've seen headlines featuring our southern neighbor. The August 2 issue of USA Today read, "Violent Crime in Mexico Vacation Spots." On December 13 of last ye...

theroyaltourblog.com

Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 1d

Haha

Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 1d

Because CDMX will be so busy, def want at least a couple days in Cabo of just relaxation. But yeah, want to DO some stuff too

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 1d

NEW TODAY!!

After a few weeks back home in Los Angeles, it’s almost time to head out again. This time, I’m headed to one of my favorite countries, Mexico! Follow along!

#TravelAddicts #Mexico

theroyaltourblog.com/2025/10/10/t...

Trip Itinerary: Mexico - The Royal Tour

A couple years back, A and I were talking to her godparents. They have a couple timeshares in Mexico, and said their children (A’s “other” siblings) weren’t interested in going anymore. We jumped in t...

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 2d

LA Central Library looking good this evening! #LosAngeles

Looking from shade at the LA Central Library, a white building topped with a pyramid. Tall buildings are all around it.

Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 2d

An ugly win but a win nonetheless. On to the NLCS!

Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 3d

Just finished an intense therapy session. Finding the right therapist is so hard, but so important. To be supported AND pushed is key, and I’ve found that balance to be rare.

Especially now, keep up your mental health as best as you can.

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 3d

I truly believe that travel is a powerful force in the world. It leads to understanding, to empathy, and to deepening of ties between people we might otherwise see as “other”. Whether it is a neighboring town or a country in the other side of the world, travel is positive. Let’s do more.

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 3d

Sometimes it feels silly to post about travel when the country is descending into fascism. But I refuse to lose my humanity or my ability to find joy (and to share it).

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 3d

NEW TODAY!

Of all of the places I’ve traveled in my life, perhaps none has such wonderful people as Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin. This island deserves its nickname, the Friendly Island. Check it out!

#TravelAddicts @visitstmaarten.bsky.social

theroyaltourblog.com/2025/10/08/s...

Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin: The Friendly Island - The Royal Tour

The rain is just starting to fall as Clara Reyes and I begin meeting, so we duck into a covered cabana at Seaview Beach Hotel in Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side of Sint Maarten. Sitting on ...

theroyaltourblog.com

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you so much

Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 4d

A new friend was asking to understand my life a bit, so I sent her this.

Reminder: there is no right or wrong way to live life as long as you aren’t hurting others. Chase your happiness however it comes.

theroyaltourblog.com/2024/04/26/m...

My Crazy Travel Life (and the People Who Don’t Get It) - The Royal Tour

In 2018, my life was at a bit of a crossroads, to put it mildly. I had survived a 2016 suicide attempt, thrived in an intensive outpatient program and other subsequent therapy regimens, and flopped at...

theroyaltourblog.com

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 5d

I hope you all read my piece on the border between Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin today. In that theme, here is an article I wrote from the US-Mexico border back in 2022. Check it out!

#TravelAddicts #Mexico #Politics

theroyaltourblog.com/2022/07/05/l...

Life on the Border - The Royal Tour

Two children are born on the same day, and live two hundred feet from each other. They speak the same language, and are maybe even related going back a few generations. And yet, these two children wil...

theroyaltourblog.com

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 5d

And none of those have been death threats toward me!

Bluesky @bsky.app · 5d

we hit 2 billion posts today! 🥳

Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 5d

It was a long weekend driving to/from Las Vegas, but this moment made it worthwhile. No, his voice isn’t really there anymore, but nobody seemed to care.

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 5d

NEW TODAY!!

The island of St. Martin is the world’s smallest divided landmass, with the French Saint-Martin and the Dutch Sint Maarten sharing 37 square miles. How did this come to be and how will you experience it? @visitstmaarten.bsky.social #TravelAddicts

theroyaltourblog.com/2025/10/06/s...

Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin: The World’s Smallest Divided Landmass - The Royal Tour

In his 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding describes what happens when the worst of human nature comes to a tiny island paradise. Rather than work together, a group of people devolves into l...

theroyaltourblog.com

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 8d

With Bad Bunny being called a foreigner despite being from Puerto Rico, maybe today is a good day for a three year old refresher on Puerto Rican politics as seen through a tourist’s lens. Check it out!

#TravelAddicts #PuertoRico

theroyaltourblog.com/2022/03/14/a...

A Tourist’s Introduction to Puerto Rican Politics - The Royal Tour

“Gringo go home.” The writing across the sidewalk of Calle Loiza sort of smacks me in the face as I walk from the grocery store back to my rented apartment in San Juan. This isn’t my first encounter w...

theroyaltourblog.com

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 8d

These companies need to create a model that pays livable wages to drivers AND prices fairly for consumers. I cannot believe they can’t do those things with a viable business model in places where demand is so high. If they can’t, maybe they need to restructure.

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 8d

I understand that people are afraid this will make Uber/Lyft even more expensive. First, prices have already gone up uncontrollably here in Los Angeles. Second, drivers need to make living wages. Third, if the companies pull out of CA rather than pay living wages, screw them.

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Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 8d

I just signed legislation allowing the 800,000 rideshare workers in California to unionize.

California is determined to give working people a voice, to give them choice, give them dignity, and give them a say about their future.

Governor Newsom signs legislation allowing for rideshare workers in California to unionize.

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 8d

My ballot arrived today and I will be voting YES on California Prop 50. If you live in California, I urge you to do the same, and to MAKE SURE TO VOTE!

@governor.ca.gov #CAPol #Prop50

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 8d

Just finished writing about how a place as friendly as St. Maarten made me feel. It’s something rare.

Another amazing place that will make you feel some kind of way is California’s Calaveras County. Check this out!

#TravelAddicts #California

theroyaltourblog.com/2021/09/09/t...

The Soul of the Gold Rush - The Royal Tour

The Angels Camp Museum is no ordinary small town historical collection, a fact apparent from my first step inside. A fantastically curated exhibit on Mark Twain, the region’s most famous resident, giv...

theroyaltourblog.com

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 8d

NEW TODAY!!

People have often asked me about my processes as a writer, and I’ve resisted talking about them. Today I will. I hope you find this interesting.

#TravelAddicts #WriterSky #TravelBloggersCommunity

theroyaltourblog.com/2025/10/03/b...

Behind the Writing: Organizing Article Ideas - The Royal Tour

Welcome to the first of what will be a probably-irregular feature here on The Royal Tour. While I’ve written reasonably frequently about how I personally travel, I’ve given some push back to writing a...

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Jonathan - The Royal Tour @theroyaltour.bsky.social · 9d

Jew hatred is, sadly, one of the few things that has transcended politics, culture, time, and space.

To quote Tevya from Fiddler on the Roof, “God, I know we are the chosen people. But for once, could you choose someone else?”

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