A cosmopolitan blend of Europe and Asia, Istanbul is a more exotic, less-pricey alternative to Paris or London, especially during the off-season winter months of January, February and March. The city is compact and walkable, …
September 10, 2012
Travel Stories
Istanbul is Cheap(er)
Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
For those looking for an off-the-beaten-path excursion in New Zealand, I’d recommend visiting Lake Tekapo, in the center of the country's South Island. The small town is a cluster of homes and motels at the …
September 8, 2012
Thirsting for Knowledge in Macau
In the former Portuguese colony of Macau, the tourist office pamphlet promoting the wine museum offered an incredible enticement. Admission with wine tasting costs 15 Macau patacas (U.S. $2), and “of the new wines, about …
September 7, 2012
Mittel Europe in Middle America: Cleveland, OH
You can immerse yourself in the culture of Central Europe without ever leaving the States by heading to Cleveland. Between the food, music and neighborhoods, there are lots of exotic pockets in the city that …
September 6, 2012
Gila, Geronimo and More in New Mexico
Along the Gila River built into five interconnected caves high in a canyon wall, in the 2.7-million-acre Gila National Forest and Wilderness Area, is a 700-year-old Mogollon pueblo designated as the Gila Cliff Dwellings National …
September 6, 2012
Chicago... a Midwest Mirage
The Cubs. The Bears. The Sears Tower (actually, it's now the Willis Tower), Wrigley Field, elevated trains, deep dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, the Midwest, the beach....wait...what? The beach? This is Chicago we're talking about, …
Deep into Denali
With six million acres of wilderness, Denali National Park in Alaska is one of the largest national parks in the country. If you enjoy seeing wildlife in their native habitat, your time here can be …
September 3, 2012
A Week on a New Hampshire Lake
Summer is a great time to visit New Hampshire. In the spring, there are a lot of biting flies and it rains all the time. But once the warm, dry months of July and August …
August 30, 2012
Cairo, Post-Revolution
Cairo, Egypt, is a riveting blend of ancient and modern. I was apprehensive traveling here, though, because of reports of lingering unrest in Cairo after the country’s recent revolution. Yet I found the Egyptian people …
Spectacular Mono Lake
Highway 89 south out of Lake Tahoe to Route 395 has got to be one of THE most pleasurable rides in a stick shift. It’s definitely a road reserved for the unfettered. The steep switchbacks …
August 28, 2012
Singapore: A "Fine" City
The city-state of Singapore is known for being a "fine city," a title imbued with two very different meanings: one is that it's a fine city to live in, while the second refers to its …