Every thirty seconds, a twenty-second countdown excites the crew, patiently waiting for our class’s race to start. We hear on the radio, “10-9-8…” At 1, “Time!” We synchronize our watches and the race has started. …
April 30, 2011
Travel Stories
Sailing Newport to Ensenada
Oak Alley Plantation, Louisiana
The thing about bayous is that they are humid, wet places. Very wet places. The trees that grow there know it. The things that live there know it. I knew it, too. Know it still. …
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
This year is an especially good time to visit Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the home of the National Civil War Museum, with interactive exhibits that let you intensely and personally experience the 150th anniversary of the war. …
April 29, 2011
San Diego's Inland Sea: Salton Sea, California
I rolled my Celica up to the Border Patrol guards stopping traffic along Route 111 north of El Centro. When asked where I was headed, I explained that I was here to see “their” sea. …
April 29, 2011
Spring Break in New Orleans
I’m not a student anymore, but I still like to take a break in the spring to travel. My favorite place in the world to take a spring break trip is New Orleans. Who needs …
April 28, 2011
Spring in Napa
Visiting Napa Valley in the spring brings some unexpected surprises. The off-season in Napa means fewer cars on the road, giving you more time to enjoy the scenery and the tasting rooms — crowd-free. Wine …
April 24, 2011
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina
Originally set on 125,000 (now a mere 8,000) acres in the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia, Biltmore Estate was built by George Vanderbilt along the French Broad River in North Carolina. With its original …
April 24, 2011
Majestic Prague, Czech Republic
This is an amazing town. It’s an open-air museum best explored on foot; every turn offers an architectural feast for the eyes. I spent a week in Prague and it remains one of the highlights …
April 23, 2011
Boulder Park, Jacumba, California
Out on Route 8 east of San Diego stands the 70-foot Desert View Tower above Boulder Park in Jacumba. For three dollars I was allowed to climb the three-story stone tower that houses a museum …
Historic Toledo, Spain
Escape the busy streets of Madrid for the quiet walkways of Toledo. Forty-five miles away from Madrid, Toledo makes a great day trip for just about any traveler. Transportation is easy, with high-speed trains that …
Smithfield, Virginia
Paula Deen has shined a spotlight on Smithfield, the tiny Southern river town off the Chesapeake Bay. Yes, this is a real place — like the head of their visitors' bureau says, “It’s not like …
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River surfer on the Eisbach.
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Just a typical night on Nola's Frenchmen Street.