On December 8, 1854, Papa Pío IX established the dogma of the immaculate conception of Mary. Granted, the publication of a dogma is not very sexy, but for Colombians, the doctrine represents the kindling of …
December 23, 2010
Travel Stories
An Illumination in Quimbaya, Colombia
Four Wheelin' in Palm Springs
I've driven past the funky Offroad Rentals place for over 20 years. Their office is in an old, brightly painted railroad boxcar, right on Hwy. 111 as you come off the 10 freeway heading into …
December 23, 2010
Pontassieve, Italy: Where Wine Lovers Go
Bombed into near oblivion during World War II by Allied planes because of its importance as a railway junction, the Tuscan town of Pontassieve is back on the radar again, this time for its fantastic …
December 16, 2010
Teotihuacan: City of the Gods
Located roughly 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, Teotihuacan is an essential day trip if you’re visiting Mexico City. Considered Mexico’s most important archaeological site, Teotihuacan thrived as a civilization roughly between 100 and 700 …
December 16, 2010
Doing Europe: Pompeii, Italy
After spending significant time in Prague, Czech Republic in 2000, Jesse and I were itching to go south to the Italian beaches, and decided to take a grueling 26-hour bus ride from Prague to Naples. …
December 2, 2010
Bush International Airport, Houston, Texas
A United States customs worker in the Bush Houston International Airport points to a white-countered window where a middle-aged woman, appearing to be of Asian descent, sits patiently behind a counter. One of the uniformed …
November 30, 2010
Lone Pine, California: Hollywood's Backlot
You can't miss Lone Pine along Hwy. 395. Just look for the one-stoplight Western-style town 10,772 feet directly below the continental U.S.'s tallest mountain, Mt. Whitney, at 14,505 feet tall. With a current population of …
November 28, 2010
Danish Days in Solvang, California
The rolling green hills in Santa Barbara County wine country provide little clue as to what awaits the visitor approaching the little town of Solvang. Also known as the "Copenhagen of the Pacific," Solvang is …
November 28, 2010
Life on the Rocks: Salvador, Brazil
“Thirty percent of Brazilians live in favelas,” says Michael David Lynch, proprietor of Albergue Pedras da Sereia in Salvador, speaking of neighborhoods like the one he moved to 25 years ago. Basically, favelas are built …
November 20, 2010
Ghent, Belgium
Ghent, a small Belgian city (pop. 240,000) in the Flemish part of Belgium, may not be first on your Belgium list – but it should at least be in the top 5. My friend who …
November 18, 2010
Underrated Seoul, South Korea
Seoul, South Korea, is one of the most underrated places to visit. I highly recommend you visit this vibrant, animated “city of the future.” Although I visited Seoul in November and froze the entirety of …
November 18, 2010
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Balcony view of a festival in Madrid's Plaza de Santa Ana.