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We asked an exercise scientist what the best basic exercise routine is to see results

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exercise fitness home workout yoga mat

OK, so you want to get off your butt and get into shape, but where do you start?

A lot of people jump into an exercise regimen they create themselves without really knowing how to design a productive, well-rounded routine.

That can often lead to developing only certain parts of your body and not concentrating on all areas of fitness.

So when we recently talked with Shawn Arent, an exercise scientist at Rutgers University, we asked him what makes a solid, basic routine for someone just starting out.

He said to focus on mixing it up and to ease up on the single-minded dedication to cardiovascular exercise.

Here's what he told us:

"What a lot of people don’t know is to take a balanced approach including cardiovascular conditioning along with strengthening. People tend to pick one or the other or they heavily rely on just the cardio side at the expenses of others. I think when it comes to exercise programming it's important to pay attention to your weaknesses. A lot of guys go to the beach and all they train is their beach muscles — it's bench press and curls. Well, you've got a back and some legs you've got to deal with too.

"The best exercises when it comes to lifting weights are the ones that require multiple joint movements: Squats, dead lifts, bench presses, shoulder presses, kettle bell swings ... there's all kinds of fun stuff you can do.

"It depends on what [your] goals are [in starting a program], but I think if you had to try to boil it down, it would be: 1. Lift weights. Split it up so that you do upper body one day, lower body the next, and rotate through that in a week. You know — upper, lower, upper, lower — lift four days a week.

"The second part then is: Do cardiovascular exercise at an intensity that makes it difficult to carry on a conversation. We use the 'talk test.' If somebody doesn’t have a heart-rate monitor, and they want to know, 'How hard should I work out?' [The answer is] hard enough that you could still probably talk to somebody but it would be a broken conversation, in other words you couldn't just talk leisurely while you're doing it. You'd have to take a breath every once in a while to catch your breath. So it should be a difficult conversation, but maybe not so hard that you can't talk at all.

"Unless you want to start doing intervals. I would probably save that for ... when somebody really gets going with a program. But if [you] just want to get started and [you're] looking for the two simplest solutions: Lift weights, rotate between upper body and lower body, and do some cardio that makes you sweat, that makes it a little challenging to talk, but something that you can do for 20, 30 minutes at a time."

SEE ALSO: We asked an exercise scientist what you should drink right after a workout

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NOW WATCH: Build power and speed with this explosive exercise









I had a rare chance to tour the Metropolitan Museum of Art without anyone else around, and it was surreal

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museum mile metropolitan museum of art new york

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is one of the biggest and most beautiful places to see art in America. It's also insanely popular; tens of thousands of people visit it each day and over 5 million people go to the Met each year.

So when a former editor of mine emailed me a few weeks ago asking if I wanted to go on a private tour of the Met, how could I say no?

After some research, I learned that this was a small program the Met has been doing. You can actually go on social media and see others also alone in the met using the hashtag #EmptyMet. Sounded great to me.

So, early Wednesday morning, I made my way over to the Upper East Side and took in some of the most cherished and well-known art in the world, virtually alone.

Here are some of the highlights of what it's like to see a usually-packed museum with scant a person in sight.

This is the outside of the Met at 8:20AM. Usually, it is bustling with tourists and locals alike, but at this time, there was hardly anyone there.



The front foyer was completely empty. I've been to the Met more times than I can count and I've never seen it with this few people. You could hear a pin drop. It was actually quite eerie.



Seriously, it was really empty.



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These Chipotle paper cups just got into Yale — and we're not talking about the cafeteria

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Here's something you might not believe: A collection of Chipotle cups and paper bags is being showcased in a Yale University library that houses literary gems such as five extremely rare first editions of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass."

Part of Chipotle's "Cultivating Thought" Author Series, the illustrated cups and bags feature original stories and essays written by the likes of comedian Aziz Ansari, poet and novelist Julia Alvarez, and screenwriter Neil Gaiman. 

How did this happen? Like anyone trying to get into Yale, the fast-food chain had to "apply" before it was accepted.

chipotle cups

Once the Ivy League school gave the nod, Chipotle donated a complete series of the cups and bags to the Yale Collection of American Literature — which archives all forms of media, even bumper stickers — at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. 

The backstory on the series is actually kind of cool. New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Safran Foer emailed Chipotle founder and co-CEO Steve Ells and pitched him the idea. Foer came up with the concept for "Cultivating Thought" while he was sitting in Chipotle eating a burrito with nothing to read. 

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Ells loved the idea and tasked Foer with curating the eclectic group of writers who would contribute the exclusive two-minute reads emblazoned on Chipotle's cups and bags. 

The series launched in May of last year and a second installment was added this January. We're guessing there will be many more installments to come, especially after this recent coup. 

SEE ALSO: The 9 best summer reads under 400 pages

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7 ways to make extra cash selling your old clothes online

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women clothing

Reselling your old clothing is one of the easiest ways to make money, fast.

In fact, clothing resale is now a $16 billion industry.

And there are more ways to do it than ever.

In the past, sellers had two choices: either lug your stuff down to the nearest consignment store, or list it on eBay alongside 20,000 other identical items.

These days, you have several apps and websites to choose from.

For social shoppers:

Poshmark, an app which looks and feels like Instagram, allows you to buy and sell clothing just like you would on eBay. The app has an enthusiastic community of shoppers and sellers who "follow" each other, comment on photos, and star their favorite items.

It has over 800,000 sellers who maintain "closets" on the site, and 1 million shoppers.

Brands like Tory Burch and Michael Kors tend to be the most popular, but you can also find lower-priced items from Forever 21 and H&M, as well as high-end labels like Chanel and Balenciaga.

For Alexandra Marquez, a 23-year old living in Arkansas, reselling thrift store finds on the app has become a full-time job.

"I look at my phone from the time that I wake up until the time that I go to bed … and sometimes also when I get up in the middle of the night," she told Business Insider.

It's paid off: She earns $5,000 a month and was able to quit her corporate marketing job.

Business Insider's Caroline Moss tried using Poshmark, and made $700 in less than two months.

Many of the app's users are on the younger side, like Marquez, but co-founder Tracy Sun told Business Insider she sees people of all ages reselling their preowned clothes. "Everyone from teens, college students, professionals, celebrities, stay-at-home moms and even grandmothers are using the app," she says.

behind_the_scenesFor people who want everything taken care of:

With Twice, all you have to do is put your unwanted clothing and accessories in the mail.

The company provides you with a shipping bag and label, and will make you an offer after it receives and sorts your items.

Typically, items sell for 70%-90% off the retail price, and brands like Gap, Banana Republic, J. Crew and Ann Taylor are popular.

While many resale sites are exclusively dedicated to women's clothing, Twice also has a men's section, which features brands like Polo Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers. Over one million people currently use the site.

Business Insider's Libby Kane tried it out and was impressed by how easy it was to clean out her closet and earn a little money on the side. Although she only earned $28.50 for one bag of clothes, she concluded, "Sure, selling clothing through the mail isn't going to make me rich. But it's so little effort that it doesn't matter. Compared to lugging stacks of clothing down the street to be potentially rejected at a thrift store or to miss the hours of operation at Goodwill, throwing a prepaid bag in the mail is a breeze."

thredUP

For busy parents:

ThredUP works the same way.

Originally for kids' clothes, it's expanded its mail-in resale service to include women's clothing and accessories.

Many of the site's two million users are busy moms who can't keep up with how quickly their kids are outgrowing their clothes, and don't have time to take photos, place listings on sites like eBay, and make extra trips to the post office themselves.

Anthropologie, J. Crew, and Free People are big sellers, and Moxie, Merrell, and Jacadi are popular for kids. However, the site will also accept items from less expensive stores like Old Navy. On average, items are listed for 70% of their original retail price, and anything that can't be sold gets donated to charity.

Laurie Palau, who runs the organizing business SimplyBOrganized, says she gives ThredUP's shipping bags to clients who need help decluttering their homes.

"I deal with a lot of clients who feel guilty donating high-end clothes that they have spent a lot of money on," she explains." Taking time to go to a consignment store isn't always realistic for them."

To streamline her own life, she always keeps one of the bags in her closet. "Last time I checked, I had over $700 in my thredUP account."

For label fanatics:

snobswapOn the high end of the resale spectrum, there's SnobSwap, where clothing and accessories from brands like Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Tory Burch, and Coach typically sell for $250 to $370.

(You can also skip the waitlist and get a Hermès Birkin bag for $90,000.)

Co-founder Emily Dang describes the average user as a professional woman between the ages of 20 and 45 years old who is fashionable but budget conscious, and loves a good deal.

Lydia, a seller who didn't want her last name used, fits that definition: She's made over $4,000 selling gently used pieces from her wardrobe, like Louis Vuitton and Prada bags.

SnobSquad authenticates every single item that it sells, which builds trust with buyers and makes it easier to get high prices for previously owned luxury goods. As Lydia puts it, "No one wants to spend $2,500 on a handbag that was actually a $25 replica from China."

realreal Spring LaydownFor people who only wear designer duds:

TheRealReal has a similar model: mail in clothing and accessories from luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, or Cartier, and the site will make sure they're authentic and list them for consignment.

TheRealReal keeps all of its four million members anonymous, but says that on average, sellers make $8,500 a year.

Items on the site typically sell from $150 to as much as $20,000.

For stylish guys:

Though most clothing resale options cater to women, a new site exclusively for men, Grailed, is growing quickly.

Grailed"It's possible to list a piece, receive an offer on it, and sell it in under 30 minutes," Dave Nacianceno, who has become the site's top seller, explains.

Most of the clothing for sale is on the casual side, like hoodies, t-shirts and sneakers, which appeals to the site's core base of users in their mid-to-late 20s.

However, that doesn't mean it's inexpensive.

Designer labels like Alexander Wang, Allan Edmonds, and Helmut Lang sell for an average price of $140, and Nacianceno cleared over $25,000 in revenue last year.

For Instaholics:

All resale companies take a cut of the money that you make by reselling your clothes, which is why some people are running their own sales on Instagram instead. Using the hashtag #shopmycloset, which has over one million posts, they post photos of clothing and accessories that they don't want anymore, and take bids in the comments.

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Susanna Hindman, who blogs at Revisionary Life, hosts #shopmycloset sales on a dedicated Instagram account, @shopsuzyscloset. "Your following tends to already like your personal style," she tells Business Insider. "That's often why they follow you, so marketing exclusively to an audience that enjoys your personal taste seems to produce a higher return and more competitive bids." Her last sale earned her around $100 on previously owned children's clothes.

Although doing business through Instagram isn't a violation of the app's policies, it's not encouraged, either. There's no "Buy" button and no built-in way to pay a seller, so users have to find workarounds.

In a guide posted on her blog, Hindman explains that she asks the winning bidder to leave an email address so she can send them a money request through Paypal. The rest of the transaction takes place on Paypal, which gives the buyer security.

No matter how you choose to do it, one thing is clear: Reselling your clothes is big business. So if there's anything you don't love currently hanging in your closet, you may want to cash in.

SEE ALSO: After Selling My Clothes Through The Mail, I Think Online Consignment Is Brilliant

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NOW WATCH: Forget the Apple Watch — here's the new watch everyone on Wall Street wants








Alibaba billionaire Jack Ma just dropped $23 million on a 28,100-acre property in upstate New York

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jack ma

Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba, has just purchased a 28,120-acre property in the Adirondacks, The Wall Street Journal reports

Ma, whose net worth is estimated to be as much as $23.9 billion, reportedly spent $23 million on the property, known as Brandon Park

Ma's main motivation for the purchase was for conservation reasons, but he reportedly also plans to use it as a vacation home from time to time. 

The park comprises more than nine miles of the St. Regis River, several lakes, streams, and a great deal of forestland. It sits in an area of the Adirondacks that is protected by the state of New York; heavy logging and mining work in the late 20th century depleted much of its natural timber and water resources. 

Ma has made many donations to conservation efforts in his home country of China, helping to create the Sichuan Nature Conservation Foundation and the Laohegou Nature Reserve in Sichuan. 

In 2014, Ma created a charitable trust that now has an endowment of $3 billion. 

"Protecting the environment in China will always be Jack’s first and foremost priority, and he will continue his strong efforts here,” Alibaba spokesman Jim Wilkinson told The Wall Street Journal. "This international land purchase reflects Jack’s belief that we all inhabit the same planet and we all breathe the same air, so we are dependent on each other for our collective future."

brandon park jack ma

Brandon Park previously belonged to heiress Wilhelmina du Pont Ross, but it was transferred to a private LLC in 1999. Several homes stand on the property, and there's a barn and several sheds. 

brandon park jack ma

Ma became a billionaire after Alibaba's $25-billion IPO in September 2014. 

However, he has often spoken about the burden of wealth, saying during a luncheon at the Economics Club of New York: "The money I have today is a responsibility. It's the trust of people on me."

SEE ALSO: Jack Ma, China's richest man, was happier earning $12 a month than he is as a billionaire

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NOW WATCH: Here's Everything Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer Just Said About Alibaba








A wall in Bolivia is covered in thousands of dinosaur footprints, and it's becoming a major tourist attraction

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Cal Orcko, located 3 miles south of downtown Sucre in Bolivia, is home to the world's largest and most diverse collection of dinosaur footprints from the Cretaceous Period.

cal orckoThe limestone cliff hosts about 5,000 dinosaur footprints, with many dating back 68 million years.

Discovered on the grounds of the local cement company Fancesa in 1985, the cliff was closed off to tourists after mining conditions and erosion began damaging the area.

After eight years of closures, tours started last year to allow visitors the opportunity to marvel at these footprints.

cal orckoFrom the Parque Cretacico, which hosts a museum and dinosaur models, fossils, and paleontological information, you can take a one-hour guided tour to select areas of the wondrous paleontological site.

Cal OrckoThe tour starts in the Parque Cretacico, where you're given a helmet as a safety requirement from the cement factory before going to the south part of the cliff, which hosts footprints of Theropods (carnivorous dinosaurs).

Then you're taken through the cliff with your guide, who explains the history behind the Sauropod (long-neck herbivores) footprints you'll see. There are tracks from entire herds of Sauropods, ranging from 26 feet long to an impressive 65 feet.

Cal OrckoYou'll also get to peak at "under footprints," the oldest layer of prints, which date back 70 million years.

The site contains the footprints of at least eight different species and stands as an ever-changing record of history in the Cretaceous era.

Cal OrckoAs parts become eroded, new prints are continuously being found in the area, which is why the park has submitted Cal Orcko to the Unesco World Heritage list in an effort to continue preserving the footprints.

Guided tours are offered Monday through Saturday at noon and at 1 p.m. Tours cost $4.35.

SEE ALSO: 26 ancient ruins you should visit in your lifetime

FOLLOW US!  Business Insider Travel is on Twitter

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NOW WATCH: This is how big dinosaurs actually were in real life








These are the 20 most stylish men on the planet

How to know if you're actually depressed

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Depression is a debilitating medical disorder that affects more than 350 million people worldwide. However, some studies show that people are being prescribed antidepressant medication without a accurate diagnosis of clinical depression.

Psychotherapist and author M. Gary Neuman talks about the difference between clinical depression and sadness, which Neuman says is actually a healthy part of the emotional spectrum.

Business Insider readers get a 20% discount on Neuman's products for a limited time by using the promo code "businessinsider." Click here to visit his website.

Produced by Graham Flanagan

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There are 8 important men's style trends in this single photo from Italy

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Pitti Uomo is a big menswear trade show that's held annually in Florence, Italy. It's become legendary because of how exquisitely and trendily stylish the attire of the gents attending the proceedings has become. It's where you look to see what the most fashionable guys will be wearing for the next six months.

Check out the photo below — it contains no less than eight distinctive menswear trends. (Hint: The hats aren't one of them.)

pitti uomo_Updated numbers

1. Round sunglasses. A very throwback style, supplanting the classic Wayfarers and aviator designs that have ben popular of late. Totally Jazz Age.

2. Super bright colors. This guy's red suit is actually pretty conservative, as Pitti Uomo 2015 goes. The whole scene was a riot of pastels.

3. Striped knit tie. Knit ties have been a thing for a few seasons. The trend is now being revved up with stripes.

4. NO BELT! Because you don't need one if your pants fit.

5. Something in the boutonniere. It could be some kind of pin, fob, or as in this case, the classic flower.

6. Double-breasted jackets. The DB — freshened up with snazzy colors, fitted, and lighter weight for summer — is huge now. 

7. Notch lapels on a double-breasted jacket. Tones down the overly dramatic impact of the usual wing-like peak lapels.

8. Popped jacket collars. Back to the 1980s. but perfectly OK is there's a bit of a chill in the air.

SEE ALSO: There's a simple way you can tell whether a man is wearing a bad suit

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NOW WATCH: 7 outdated fashion rules that men can now ignore








This millionaire real-estate developer's disdain for Wall Street has gotten too obvious to ignore

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Kanye West, Aby Rose

It's become clear that Aby Rosen does not like Wall Street.

The first clue was his disdain for a beloved Picasso wall hanging inside The Four Seasons Restaurant.

The second was his fierce disdain for The Four Seasons Restaurant in its entirety — which he is kicking out of his midtown Manhattan building.

The third clue, his decision to close down Brasserie, the restaurant below The Four Seasons, made his dislike for Wall Street obvious.

Fine, then.

Poor suits

Aby Rosen is the millionaire real-estate developer who owns The Seagram Building. Inside that building is Wall Street's most prized power-lunch spot, The Four Seasons Restaurant. It's been open since 1959.

It will, however, be forced to move elsewhere before its lease is up in 2016. Rosen is ratcheting up the sweetheart $20-per-square-foot deal Four Seasons owners Julian Niccolini and Alex von Bidder have been getting for decades, raising it to $105 per square foot.

Regulars are shocked. Yes, bankers understand why one would want tenants to pay market price for space — but ... it's their space.

Besides, once the restaurant and its owners are gone, it seems clear Rosen wants to change the very air of the place.

“You want to have the guy coming to The Four Seasons who has the ripped jeans and a T-shirt equally as much as you want the guy with the Tom Ford suit,” Rosen told The New Yorker recently.“Because the guy with the jeans, I promise you, has a lot more money.”

Who's the guy in T-shirt? Well, that's unclear.

The guy in the Tom Ford suit, though? Well, that's obvious. That's you, Wall Street.

On any given afternoon or evening you'll find Wall Street's titans dining there. It was a favorite of late legendary dealmaker Jimmy Lee of JP Morgan. You'll also see his former boss, CEO Jamie Dimon, there every once in a while. Roger Altman, CEO of Evercore; Pete Peterson, a founder of Blackstone — the list could go on forever. 

And they don't really do ripped jeans and T-shirts.

The Four Seasons Restaurant

Modern versus Contemporary

Wall Street should've seen it coming. In 2014 Rosen took down "Le Tricorne," a Picasso wall hanging that had been hanging in the Four Seasons for 55 years. Art experts told the contemporary collector that if it was taken down it might break. 

So Rosen took it down and gave it to the New York Historical Society so it could hang next to watercolors of ducks by John Audubon.

Rosen then claimed the work wasn't real anyway.

“It was supposed to go somewhere else. It ended up there because nobody wanted to piss away the $50,000 they paid for it,” he told the New York Post.

More likely, though — much like a Tom Ford suit — it was simply not his taste. He likes things a bit edgier.

Remember, this is the man who angered his Long Island neighbors by placing 33-foot-tall Damien Hirst statue called "The Virgin Mother" in his front yard. It depicts a pregnant woman with her stomach skin peeled back to expose the fetus inside her.

First the hanging, then the hangout

Then, last year, rumors started leaking that The Four Seasons Restaurant might have trouble renewing its lease. For months von Bidder and Niccolini refused to comment on the matter. Moving seemed unthinkable. The restaurant's interior has been landmarked since 1989. At that time, the City of New York had only bestowed that honor on one other establishment.

Picasso Le TricorneRosen tried to upend that situation by asking the landmarks commission to allow him to make changes to the space. Last month, they handed him a resounding "absolutely not."

From The New York Times:

Phyllis Lambert, 88 — a daughter of Samuel Bronfman, the founder of the Seagram Company, who died in 1971 and helped create the building — said RFR’s proposed changes would “do irreparable damage to the two great rooms.”

Edgar Bronfman Jr., 60, a former chief executive at the Seagram Company, called the Seagram Building “one the greatest Modernist buildings ever built” and said the restaurant was “central to the greatness.”

Right after that, Rosen announced that The Four Seasons would have to find a new home. The Four Seasons, for its part, announced that it would be moving downtown to a location as yet unknown.

It will have company — familiar company at that. Brasserie, another business-set power-breakfast/lunch spot located under The Four Seasons is also getting the boot from Rosen, according to the New York Post.

“It’s not like Aby’s doing an Indian or a Chinese restaurant," Rosen told The New Yorker. (Yes, he speaks in the third person.)

Rosen has not responded to requests for comment for this story.

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NOW WATCH: How one simple mistake cost 'Real Housewives' superstar Bethenny Frankel millions








This couple sold all their possessions to fund a sailboat journey around the world

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MJ SailingIt takes guts to sell everything you own and begin sailing around the world.

But that's exactly what Matt and Jessica Johnson did when they realized they were spending too much time in front of the TV, reports the Daily Mail.

Instead of taking up yoga or going on a run, the change they opted for was radical. They sold their house, learned to sail, and began an epic adventure at sea. 

Their blog, MJSailing.com, documents every step of their journey. As the banner on the blog reads, the young couple is "exploring the world while it's still large."

SEE ALSO: This National Geographic photographer has one of the most breathtaking Instagram accounts you'll ever see

Before beginning their adventure, neither Matt nor Jessica had ever set foot on a sailboat.



Matt was a successful sales manager at a car dealership and Jessica was a billing specialist for an auto insurance company, the Daily Mail reports.



After spending three years learning how to sail, they sold their house and left everything they knew.



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Here are the most fascinating innovations in underwater travel

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Two-thirds of our world is made up of water, which is why travel operators are starting to integrate underwater attractions into travel. It's the next frontier in the travel industry, as the area underneath our oceans has largely yet to be explored.

There is already an array of underwater restaurants, resorts, tours, and transportation available around the world today  — and that's bound to grow even more in the future.

Here are some of the most fascinating innovations in underwater travel.

Underwater transportation

Mile Low Club Exterior Olivers TravelsOne of the biggest underwater tour operators is Atlantis Adventures, which hosts Submarine Cruises where tourists can explore the waters of destinations like Hawaii, Barbados, Aruba, and Catalina Island through recreational submarines that dive through sea life. 

But besides submarine tours, there's a new market for privatized submarine experiences. British travel company Oliver's Travels created a specially adapted submarine in St. Lucia known as Lovers Deep, an underwater vessel where couples can spend the night in a private accommodation. The submarine, which is already available for use, is staffed by a crew of three, a captain, chef, and butler, and can be taken to locations chosen by the customer.

It's not cheap, at £175,000 per night ($274,694), but each interior of the private submarine room is set to be designed and manufactured to your specifications and includes a two-person bathroom and double bedroom with ocean views. Speedboat transfers come with the package, but you can also request helicopter transfer with a beach landing through the company's Concierge Service. 

Scientists are also working on creating a high-speed supersonic submarine as a means of passenger transport. A group of Chinese scientists have been developing a technology to create a submarine that can travel from Shanghai to San Francisco in less than two hours, according to the South China Morning Post. However, before the technology can be completed an underwater rocket engine will need to be created to allow for the long range needed for the vessel, according to the International Business Times. 

Underwater resorts

stay in the underwater room at the manta resort on pemba island off the coast of tanzaniaThere are a variety of underwater accommodations that are already out there for travelers. Most of the accommodations are set only partially underwater, allowing them to continue to use normal electricity and plumbing, and maintain a normalized pressure so guests aren't uncomfortable when adjusting to changes in water pressure. However, they offer guests the unique opportunity to sleep under the sea.

The Underwater Room in the Manta Resort in Pemba Island, Zanzibar, is only accessible by boarding a wooden boat that takes you to the hotel floating in the sea. The deck is located above water, but your bedroom is sunken to give you views of the schools of fish. If you're feeling hungry, you can request catered meals from the hotel's main location on the island to be delivered to you by boat. Rates start at $1,500 per night. 

The Underwater Suites at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai offers luxurious underwater accommodations with large windows that feature up-close views of marine life. To access the underwater suites, guests enter the ground floor, located above water and descend three floors. The rooms come with one aquarium wall for viewing. Rooms start at around $5,000 per night.

underwater hotels

There's also the Utter Inn in Västerås, Sweden, where guests reach their room by boat and climb down a ladder to a small but cozy underwater room, and Jules' Undersea Lodge in Florida's Key Largo, where guest scuba dive 19 meters (62 feet) down to their rooms.  

The oldest underwater accommodation is Jules’ Undersea Lodge, in Key Largo, Florida, which sits 21 feet underwater and is accessible by scuba diving to an opening on the bottom. This is why the hotel requires that you be certified in scuba diving to stay here. If you’re not, they offer a program on the premises for training. Rates start at $800 per night for a double room, which includes a scuba diving pizza delivery dinner, secured in a water-tight briefcase that's brought to you by a hotel diver. 

In addition, there are several hotels set to open in the future. 

The Poseidon Undersea Resorts, set to open in Fiji, will feature 25 suites, an underwater restaurant and bar, a library, conference, room, wedding chapel, and a spa. Guests will be transported to their underwater accommodations by an elevator located at the end of the pier. They also plan to have a three-passenger submersible submarine which guests can use to explore the ocean. 

The Water Discus hotel in Dubai, designed by Deep Ocean Technology, has a design plan which will include 21 luxury suites located in two main discs, with one being above water where guests will enter, and the other below. 

Underwater restaurants 

Ithaa Undersea RestaurantThe exclusive underwater dining experience is another area that's growing in popularity. In these restaurants, the food is prepared on an upper-level kitchen located above water, before being brought down by the staff for your meal.

The first to open was Ithaa, located in the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in the Maldives. The restaurant opened its doors in 2005, allowing guests to have their meals in a clear acrylic tube 5 meters (16 ft.) under the Indian Ocean. The restaurant is surrounded with 180-degree views of fish, sharks, and coral reefs. 

Others include SEA, in the Anantara Kihavah Villas at Kihavah Huravalhi Island, Maldives, where the mirrored designs reflect the surrounding ocean for stunning views, and the Cargo Hold Restaurant, housed within the stern of the Phantom Ship in Durban, South Africa, where diners get views of surrounding sharks.

Underwater entertainment

SubsixSubsix, located in the Niyama resort in Dhaalu Atoll in the Maldives, is the world's first underwater nightclub. You can get views of the sea life in the Indian Ocean while partying.

The structure was constructed on land before being submerged and includes a coral regeneration program where broken bits of live coral are attached to the frames and lowered underwater to grow. 

While hotels once used to offer seaside massages, the Huvagen Fushi resort in Kaagu Atoll, Maldives, takes its spa treatments directly underwater with its Lime Spa, the world's first oceanic massage center. 

LIME spaThere is also the Clear Lounge, in Cozumel, Mexico, which offers a half-hour experience where guests can enter a 13,000 gallon underwater lounge with oxygen helmets and play Jenga, have photos taken in the photo booth, and shoot bubble guns. You have to be over the age of eight to enter, and tickets cost $38 per person. 

clear lounge underwater oxygen bar walkingVanuatu's Underwater Post Office, situated within the Hideaway Island marine sanctuary near Port Vila, has a Post Office that sits 9 feet underwater. Snorkelers and divers can send waterproof postcards both locally and internationally at a starting rate of $3. Opening hours for the Post Office are posted on the beach at Hideaway Island, with a flag raised on a float above the site to indicate when there are postal workers in the water.  

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Finally, in Dubai, Polish architect, Krzysztof Kotala has completed the initial designs for the world’s first underwater tennis complex, which would have seven arenas built with clear roof structures where visitors could view marine creatures surrounding them. The designer revealed that the project could take around five years to complete, and he is still waiting on investors to pick up the project. 

Underwater museums

There are underwater museums all over the world, some of which were built intentionally, while others were landmarks that sunk and have been turned into attractions. 

The Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park in Molinere Bay, Grenada, and the Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA), located off the coast of Isla Mujeres in Mexico's Riviera Maya, were created by artists to promote the continued growth of coral and underwater life by using marine-grade cement. MUSA is home to as many as 500 submerged whimsical sculptures

underwater museumHerod’s Harbor underwater museum is an 18,580-square-foot archaeological park located in Caesarea, Israel, that dates back to 10 BC and includes historical remnants from the Roman Empire like sunken ships, anchors, harbor foundations, and columns. Today, the park has trails marked by underwater sign-posts and water-proof maps to allow you to explore the sunken sites. 

The Baiheliang Underwater Museum in Chongqing, China, houses the Baiheliang stone tablet, an ancient water calculation structure that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tablet was submerged during the Three Gorges Dam Project but you can walk along closed corridors of the museum and view its inscriptions through portholes 122 feet below the Yangtze River.  

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Take a helicopter tour of the cushiest parts of the Hamptons

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Georgica Hamptons FlyoverBeyond its beautiful beaches, bays, and lagoons, there's another type of eye candy that's native to the Hamptons: gorgeous, hidden real estate.

Tucked at the end of snaking driveways, with huge shrubs blocking any chance of a roadside view, some of the East End's most breathtaking homes are rarely seen — at least, until now.

Aerial photographer Jeff Cully of EEFAS captures the area's most exclusive enclaves, and the mansions hidden within.

SEE ALSO: The 70 coolest new buildings in the world, according to architecture fans and experts

Our tour of the Hamptons starts in Southampton Village, at the western edge of the South Fork of Long Island.



One of the most prestigious communities on Long Island, Southampton is also the most residential, with tons of bars, restaurants, and luxury boutiques. Tree cover is dense, hiding the celebrity summer homes of celebrities like Rachael Ray, Howard Stern, George Soros, Kelly Ripa, and Tory Burch.



To the east of Southhampton is Bridgehampton, a smaller hamlet. It's a bit more low-key, but no less ritzy. The Hampton Classic horse show is held here every year.



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I biked through Tuscany and it was one of the hardest trips I’ve ever taken — but it was totally worth it

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I should have known better, but when my boyfriend suggested a multi-day bike tour through Tuscany, across the Chianti Hills specifically, I was more focused on visions of myself sipping Chianti than slogging up hills on a bike.

Big mistake.

On day one, only a few hours into our ride, a kind of sob escaped me.

I had turned a corner, my heart filled with the hope that the road was finally going to straighten out, when more uphill revealed itself. Unbeknownst to me at that point, the endless seeming climb was, in fact, pretty endless. It was a 11km (6+ mile) stretch of pure uphill (one of three lengthy climbs), and while it may not have been super steep, the fact that it didn't abate once for 6.83508 miles was exhausting.

When I caught myself making the guttural noise of a wounded bear, a lightbulb went off. My boyfriend had chosen the "hardcore" route without telling me. And since the tour was self-guided, aka just the two of us, I had no one to commiserate with.

We had started the day in Florence, picking up our rented gear at a massive bike shop after a sleepless night in the mosquito and school-trip infested Hotel Donatello in Florence. Mark, a 60-something American expat, met us at the shop to lead us out of the city, with only a quick photo break at the Piazzale Michelangelo, a beautiful square with insane views of Florence (which, unsurprisingly, is at the top of a hill). After biking across fields of olive oil groves, we stopped at a small café in a little town famous for its Terracotta called Impruneta. There, as the piazza's clock tower rang 11am, we embraced the culture, fueling up on espressos and little salami sandwiches.

From here on out, we were on our own, "self-guided" if you will.

We had booked our tour through Bike Tours Direct (at around $800, it was the cheapest bike tour we could find by literally thousands of dollars), who organized our hotels, mapped out an itinerary, and made sure that our luggage was waiting for us at each stop. Mark was only there to outline the route, make sure we got out of the city in one piece, and send us on our way. As he explained the easy, medium and "hardcore" (their description, not mine) options, my eyes glazed over at the many maps, numbers, and stats (plus I was busy with my sandwich), but my boyfriend — a CrossFit-loving, paleo-eating sports and health nut, to paint a picture — was drinking it in.

We parted ways and the adventure began: we had more than 40 miles of road to cover until reaching our hotel (the much nicer and mosquito-less Palazzo San Niccolòin Radda in Chianti, with a lunch break in Greve. BikeAs we pedaled towards Greve, I realized my second mistake. We were road biking. Duh, I knew that before of course, but clearly I was having issues recognizing the obvious and understanding the meaning of words. As I was biking along what I would consider a highway, basically floundering through the brush trying to stay as far from the buses and trucks thundering past as possible, I wondered why the term road biking hadn't rung the alarm bells for me that we were, in fact, biking on roads, not through vineyards and fields like I had been fantasizing about.

I was exhausted and miserable, but, a lunch of pizza and spaghetti aglio e olio while overlooking Greve's main square, as dozens of old timer cars inexpicably drove by, made me forget the pain.

Hours later, arriving in Radda,a town on top of a hill, I barely had the energy to take in the beautiful, ancient village (apparently first mentioned in documents in 1002), and how it was enclosed in its original defensive walls. I was sweaty, sore, and covered in about an inch of dust and dirt. But a hot shower and a quick limp to a big bottle of Chianti (obviously) and a plate of homemade spaghetti Carbonara at La Botte di Bacco later (spaghetti twice in one day, I earned it!), I was appeased.

I slept like a rock that night.

The next morning was cloudier than my mood had been during the previous day's uphill slogs. It started raining. I was not happy.

I eyed my bike like the torture device it had felt like yesterday, not sure how my sore calves and butt would be convinced to get back on that thing. Somehow though, they were, and despite a constant pain in my right knee — injured skiing years ago — the day turned out to be amazing.bike

Unlike the first day, which can only be described as a commute of sorts, today was the bike tour I had imagined: all empty dirt roads, lush green valleys and scenic vineyards. We passed through beautiful, clearly ancient towns like Lecchi, Monti and San Sano, each so small, and so authentic that driving through their tiny, windy streets would have been impossible any other way.

As I stood in San Sano, which was completely, eerily deserted at 2pm, filling up my water bottle from the faucet of a frog shaped fountain, I realized that biking was really the only way to see, and to fully experience, a place like this, hills be damned.

In the wise words of Ernest Hemingway "It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle." He's right. I definitely remember every single hill. But I also remember that frog shaped fountain, and how San Sano might just be one of the most insanely beautiful villages I have ever seen, and how it felt like we had time traveled into the Middle Ages.

I stopped complaining, stopped seeing the cars fly by, and began seeing the beautiful orange poppies growing on the side of the road, the many other cyclists cheerfully yelling ciao! when they whizzed past, realizing how fortunate I was to be able to take a trip like this (and I only briefly forgot again when I could barely move my sore body the next day).

The trip had its ups and downs — metaphorically and physically — but in the end, the ups won out (also metaphorically and physically).

Want to book your own trip?
1. Figure out your budget

Bike tours are surprisingly expensive, so deciding on a budget will narrow down the options a whole lot. We chose Bike Tours Direct because it was the only thing within our budget, and had shorter trips.

2. Decide on a duration
Bike tours are generally a minimum of three days long, but are generally either five or seven. I suggest a longer trip, because this means that you can do fewer miles each day, even take a day off for sightseeing, but still cover more ground. The first and the last day will otherwise mostly feel like a commute.

3. Choose whether to go it alone
Self-guided tours are great if you want the flexibility of seeing what you want when you want. That said, they're not great if you can't follow instructions or read maps or are afraid to make a fool of yourself in a foreign language. Group tours are obviously a great way to meet people, as well as to just shut off and let someone else do the thinking.

4. Pick the terrain/difficulty level
Don't get tricked into a hardcore route like I did. Challenge yourself (it makes the pasta taste better, I swear), but don't overdo it and injure yourself on the first day.

5. Get the right gear
I felt like a bit of an idiot in my full-body spandex, but I can't stress enough how important it is to have the right gear. The padded shorts literally saved my butt, the cushioned gloves kept my hands blister-free, and the spandex, which I sweat through every day, was easily washed in the sink and dry by the next morning. Plus it had an awesome pocket on the lower back from which I could easily access my phone.

SEE ALSO: Here's why I think everyone should bring a selfie stick on vacation

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The notorious ‘King of Instagram' threw a raunchy presidential campaign launch party and I had a front row seat

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The last time we heard of a party thrown by Dan Bilzerian, it included giraffes, mermaids, and cameo appearances from Vin Diesel and Ludacris.

So when we found out Bilzerian was visiting New York City to host a party in support of his 2016 presidential campaign, we snapped up a ticket immediately. 

Known as the "King of Instagram," the controversial Bilzerian has 10 million followers on the platform. His photos, full of guns, money, and models, have earned the professional poker player online infamy and even a profile in GQ.

Now, the Rand Paul poker pal says he's running for president. The party held last night at the Marquee is the first stop on a multi-city campaign tour. Bilzerian is hitting Boston tonight.

But as it turned out, the event wasn't all that different from a typical night at the club. Aside from the American flag-themed decor, of course.

Scroll through to see what his party last night was like.

SEE ALSO: The notorious 'King of Instagram' got in trouble with the law and struck a plea deal to make this crazy PSA

Guys in button-down shirts and suits started lining up outside Marquee at 11:15 p.m.



Inside, the bro fest continued. I asked one guy if he thought some girls might arrive later. "Hopefully," he said.



I finally found a big group of women in the corner. They told me they came in with a promoter.



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APPLY NOW: Business Insider is hiring a paid intern to write about architecture and design

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Do you believe that good design can change the world? 
 
Business Insider is hiring a paid intern to cover the world of design innovation. It will be your job to find the most interesting angles on what's happening in the worlds of architecture, design for the developing world, product design, urban design, and everything in between. 
 
The ideal candidate will have:
 
-- Experience writing for a news outlet or a degree in journalism or related concentration.
 
-- An interest in the design trends that will shape how we live and work in the future.
 
-- An understanding of how to write about design for a broad audience.
 
Apply here if interested.Please include your resume and a cover letter telling us what excites you about architecture and design.
 
This position is based out of Business Insider's San Francisco office. 

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Fashion designers are trying to get you to wear high-end fanny packs

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You wanna know what's all the rage in Paris right now? Fanny packs.

fanny packs valentino mainOn the first day of the spring 2016 men's collections in the City of Light, no less esteemed or trendsetting a fashion house than Valentino sent a handful of fanny packs down the runway. These came in the traditional shape (that flat-topped ellipse that's pinched at both ends), but they also proved pretty interesting boiled down to the spare form of leather envelopes on belts.

But Valentino wasn't an isolated incident. A fanny pack, slung across the chest instead of around the waist, was included as an accessory in the Lemaire show, below left. (It's important to note that the designer, Christophe Lemaire, used to be the artistic director at Hermès, a company that knows how to sell a bag.) It also showed up in a slightly newer form—with the actual bag portion folded over the strap—at the Carven presentation.

fanny packs 2

And if you're not keen on the idea of carrying around your keys and other essentials in a fanny pack just yet, give it time. These things won't be in stores until next spring, so you have a while to warm up to the idea.

More from Details: 

Read the original article on Details.com. Copyright 1969. Follow Details on Twitter.

SEE ALSO: Guys are no longer ashamed to down a bottle of rosé with their bros

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This $11 million log cabin has all the amenities of a luxury resort

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WA Ranch Floated

You've never seen a ranch like this before.

Though it neighbors Idaho travel spots like Schweitzer Mountain Resort and Lake Pend Oreille, Buck Quarter Ranch is a vacation destination in itself. In fact, if you're not in the market for another home, you could easily turn it into a luxury resort. 

Even better, the ranch is a turnkey property mith multiple furnished homes and recreation perks like a spa pavilion and a rifle range. 

Cindy Bond of Tomlinson Sotheby's International Realty holds the $11 million listing

SEE ALSO: This $36 million Idaho ranch is the secluded getaway of your dreams

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Welcome to the 918-acre Buck Quarter Ranch in Cusick, Washington.



Built in 2004, this 12,017-square-foot, custom-built log home has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and one partial bath.



The exposed logs in the home's interior create a warm ambiance.



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The hidden costs of owning a home in 15 major US cities

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Your mortgage payments are just the beginning.

An analysis by real estate marketplace Zillow and service marketplace Thumbtack broke down the costs any homebuyer should be prepared to float in 15 major US metro areas, calculating how much homeowners should expect to pay on top of their mortgages — and how those costs compare to a median-priced home in each area.

The analysis took into account commonly outsourced maintenance costs such as yard work and carpet cleaning, as well as "hidden" costs like taxes, insurance, and utilities. 

It adds up. As a rule of thumb, someone buying a home should intend to factor in an extra $9,500 annually, or 5.31% of the median house value (the number determined for the general US).

Below, see how much a typical homeowner should expect to pay in hidden and maintenance costs in the listed metro areas over the course of a year:

hidden housing costs and maintenance

Then check out how those numbers translate to a percentage of median house value:

hidden costs and maintenance as percent of mhv

See the full data.

SEE ALSO: Here's the salary you have to earn to buy a home in 15 major US cities

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This guy built his own air conditioner with a cooler and PVC pipe for less than $50

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Now that summer is in full swing, air conditioners are a necessity — and one YouTuber is showing the world how to build one that operates using solar energy for under $50.

A video from YouTuber desertsun02, a DIY solar power projects channel, is making the rounds on Facebook this morning and has been viewed nearly 3 million times, first spotted on How To Instructions

 

 

In the video, desertsun02 shows viewers how to make a home-made AC Air Cooling unit that can get the air as cold as 42 degrees Fahrenheit using only a PVC pipe, small fan, cooler, and some ice.

 

homemade air conditioner

 

The entire project would easily cost less than $50 according to our own estimates — not including the power tools that desertsun02 uses to cut holes in the top of the cooler — and would take roughly 15 minutes.

First, desertsun02 made two holes in the top of the cooler with a power saw. He measured the holes to fit the PVC pipe as well as a small fan.

 

holes! homemade air conditioner

 

He then filled the cooler with ice — he recommended using two big jugs of frozen water so when they melt, there’s no clean up involved — and positioned the fan facing down towards the ice.

Here's the final result:

 

homemade air conditioner

 

The fan was connected to a battery pack that desertsun02 said would last seven hours with the ice melting after roughly five hours. It could also be solar-powered.

Though it may not look pretty, the entire project would be $100 to $200 cheaper than most air conditioning units found in stores. 

 

super cold gif homemade air conditioner

 

A few of the commenters tried it out, and said it was really easy to make.

I had a small air conditioner but it made my room feel too moist and I didn't like it,” one YouTube commenter wrote. “This is perfect, I have it in a cooler that has wheels [and is] very easy to move. What a great idea.”

This is not the first solar powered air conditioning unit that desertsun02 has built on his channel. He’s also built a “11 gallon bucket” air cooler, a “copper coil” air cooler, and an “evaporative air cooler.”

You can follow his YouTube channel here for more DIY inspiration.

SEE ALSO: 62 things you can do with your old mismatched socks

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