Six hundred miles west of continental Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, the Galápagos Islands contain birds, fish, reptiles and mammals not found anywhere else in the world. One in four animal species is endemic – …
October 12, 2011
Travel Stories
The Galápagos: Wildlife Aplenty
Grand Canyon, Arizona: An RV Experience
Like all red-blooded Americans, our family decided to visit the Grand Canyon. In an RV. Big mistake. 1. The a/c didn’t work. It was 107 in Phoenix. 2. We hit a sign (or two) and …
October 11, 2011
On the Road to Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Today was more than 14 hours on the road to travel what would normally take 5 hours. Anywhere else but Mexico, and this would have been a hellish day. It all started in Barra Vieja, …
October 11, 2011
Delphi, Greece: In Search of Sibyls
I have a confession: I’m crazed about the ancient fortune-telling sibyls. So crazed that I’ve raced through the Vatican to see Michelangelo’s depiction of the sibyls on the Sistine Chapel and I’ve even flown to …
October 4, 2011
Khao Sok National Park, Thailand: World’s Oldest Evergreen Rainforest
Many travelers to Thailand head from Bangkok to one or more of the beautiful beaches and islands in the southern part of the country. Just a few kilometers inland from these beaches is Khao Sok …
October 3, 2011
Basilica of Sacre Coeur, Paris
After a few days in Paris, I was ready to explore something out of the ordinary with my family. We'd done the Eiffel Tower (so over it). Stared at the stern statues on the Notre …
Area 51 in Rachel, Nevada
Though the city of Las Vegas is full of odd characters and bizarre scenarios, none compare with what exists just outside of town, off Interstate 15: Area 51. Area 51 is the stuff of legends …
September 27, 2011
The Ghost Fleet of Suisun Bay, California
They are a floating museum, revered by some, reviled by others. But no trip to the Bay Area is complete without viewing the huddled battalion of old military ships that haunts its northern reaches, where …
September 27, 2011
Parlez-Vous Canadian? Montréal
Who would have thought they speak French in Canada? I sure as hell didn’t. I also never imagined it’s so hard to get to – at least for the frugal foreigner. Making arrangements in advance …
Varanasi, India: On the Holy Ganges
When I arrived in Varanasi, I was clueless. The first thing I did was walk down to the river – the fabled River Ganges, the holiest waters of India. As a novice solo traveler, I …
September 23, 2011
Kayaking Elkhorn Slough, California
Elkhorn Slough is one of the last coastal wetlands in California and one of 27 estuaries in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, set up to study and protect estuaries and coastal watersheds across the …
September 22, 2011