My husband doesn’t care for anything too fancy or too hip, especially not a hotel. Give him a Residence Inn, and he’s happy. So when a friend of mine recommended we stay at the Modern …
December 5, 2011
Travel Stories
Hip Boise, Idaho: The Modern Hotel
Backpacking in Europe, the Hard Way
This was the trip of a lifetime. Traveling to Budapest, Hungary, I experienced the time of my life while trekking simultaneously through the hardships of a stolen passport, wallet and train pass. I was studying …
December 2, 2011
Annecy: Beauty in the French Alps
Upon his visit to a town in France, Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote, “Now I have been happy, now I have lived.” No, he was not writing of Paris, but praising the beauty of Annecy. We decided …
Westport, Washington: Untamed Coast
I parked and walked into John’s River Lodge. It’s populated by the graying, the retired and plump. I’d just surfed Westport, and wanted a place to wet my whistle. I ordered a PBR and sat …
December 1, 2011
Do's and Don'ts in Bangkok
Bangkok is the introductory city to Asia for many Americans, and the hectic pace and traffic may remind New Yorkers and Angelenos of home. A city of eleven million, Bangkok can be a slow crawl …
Gramado, Brazil: A South American Anomaly
Below the heat and subtropical savannas that spread out across millions of acres of the sub-Amazonian Brazilian interior is the Serra Gaúcha. "Serra" is a Latin American subtropical forest. The Gaúcho is the Latin American …
Oklahoma City: Who Knew?
The last time I'd been in Oklahoma City was as a 6 year-old child. My family was passing through on our annual road trip from California to Indiana to visit aging relatives. What I remember …
November 25, 2011
Looking for Bears in Juneau, Alaska
It had been a long, rainy week aboard our Celebrity cruise ship when we pulled into the port of Juneau on the morning of September 24, 2011. The weather was a brisk 48 degrees and …
Surf Trip to Jalama Beach, CA
We left at 12:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 25, 2011, en route to Jalama Beach County Park from San Diego for a surf trip. Research told us that campers have to arrive at the park's flag …
November 22, 2011
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A Study in Contrasts
Kuala Lumpur is, above all, a city of contrasts. The capital of Malaysia is an interesting mix of the historic, traditional Asia and the modern, hip Asia. Its ethnically diverse population of Malays, Chinese and …
November 22, 2011
Missoula, Montana
“Hey! It’s a red light!” I screamed as Sarah drove into the intersection. “Sorry, I really can’t drive and talk at the same time,” she said, “I’m on antidepressants.” At the next light I gestured …
November 22, 2011