Macedonia, a small southeastern European country of roughly two million inhabitants and formerly part of Yugoslavia, is a fairly exotic destination sure to impress art, nature and history lovers. Located on the beautiful Sar Mountain …
March 1, 2010
History
A Visit to Macedonia
International New York: Ellis Island and the United Nations
Is New York City the center of the universe? Perhaps at least the multicultural capital of the world? There’s no lack of people who believe this, and you may be one of them after visiting …
Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts
“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” This thought was expressed by Henry David Thoreau over 160 years ago while living in the one-room cabin he built overlooking Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau conducted …
February 16, 2010
Escape to Puerto Rico
When I think of Puerto Rico, I remember pulsing Latin and reggae music, sunsets that look poured from an artist’s palette, inviting stretches of beaches and colorful towns bustling with shops, art and tantalizing eateries. …
January 19, 2010
Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens
The jewel of San Marino, California, Huntington Library is not your typical lending and borrowing library. Its collection contains over five million books, volumes, manuscripts, photographs and other works mostly related to American and British …
January 15, 2010
Time-traveling in Caribbean Guatemala
Caribbean Guatemala with Mayan ruins? You bet. Situated between Belize and Honduras, the short Caribbean coast of Guatemala displays a panoply of history and beauty. Starting from our cruise ship stop at Santo Tomas de …
January 14, 2010
The Balkans by Bus
"Just fly," my friends told me. "Or rent a car. The bus will take forever." The Balkan bus system is a confounding web of coaches and stations. Unlike in the U.S., there’s no equivalent to …
January 12, 2010
Finding Honesty (and Irony) on Wall Street
Not much is currently popular about Wall Street, but pre- recessions and depressions, America’s financial institutions reveled in a period of immense prosperity. From politics to architecture, Greek and Roman civilizations heavily influenced much of …
Black Gold: Oil City, Pennsylvania
Nestled in the Allegheny Mountains, Oil City might just be the most relevant small town in the world today. Here lie the remnants of the world's first commercially successful oil wells, dating from the 1860s. …
December 30, 2009
Historic Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is one of those American towns with a truly unique flavor. Artists have long embraced this historic community. Adobe architecture and a well-preserved nature contribute to its status as a hub of culture …
December 23, 2009