Squeezing into the oyster can of LAX and 19 hours of flying coach later, Bangkok hits me like a freight train: Heavy air and loud noise bounce off paved streets and temporarily blind a few …
Asia: travel reviews
Thailand and back again
The next Koh Phi Phi: Koh Rong, Cambodia
Editor's note: this article was originally written in 2013, after the author returned from a trip to Asia. As Cambodia continues its surge in developing mass tourism, there are several places where the change will …
Beer cans on the beach A-OK...in South Korea
In June, Rancho Bernardo's Abnormal Beer Co. opened its first offsite location: in Busan, South Korea. Abnormal Taphouse + Cantina opened in the popular beach community Haeundae, where it serves street tacos in addition to …
July 27, 2017
Vietnam War, remembered
Morale Seemed So High Mark said he’d had some bitter experiences with black sailors on the ship. When a group of recruits came on board, he lined them up to get some paperwork information. “Hey, …
May 29, 2017
Myanmar on the move
Last year I visited Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), a country which only opened its doors to tourism in the past 5-10 years. Prior to this, the country was under strict military rule. Many travelers …
May 21, 2017
I heart Hong Kong
You lazily open your eyes. Life is fuzzed by sleep, and the glare from the snow-white sheets adds to your blindness. A delicious stretch and yawn to get your blood flowing, and you swing your …
April 11, 2017
Adventures in Tokyo
Japan had been on our vacation destination list for decades, but it always seemed too far away and too expensive. This year, noticing a substantial drop in airfare prices and the introduction of an 11½ …
Lesser-visited China: Suzhou & Tongli
Shanghai is the most populous city in the world, and it can become a bit overwhelming for both visitors and locals. If you’re living or visiting here for any length of time, you’ll welcome a …
August 1, 2016
Memorializing the Vietnam War
Camp without Joy Vietnamese have been brought to Camp Pendleton. The Camp Pendleton that sent Marines to Danang in the first place, just 10 years ago. With little imagination, you could think it's sort of …
May 30, 2016
Vietnam veterans honored in Logan Heights
Fifty years ago, many American servicemen who fought in Vietnam returned home to a country of discontent; some were spat at, others tormented, and many advised not to wear their uniforms in public. Unlike World …
May 3, 2016
Take a ride on Cambodia's Bamboo Train
On my third run I am getting the hang of things, taking cues from the pig next to me to see how far he leans into the turns while ducking in time to avoid the …
January 18, 2016
Shanghai: city in motion
Floating down the Huangpu River on a late spring afternoon as the last gleam of daylight faded away, I watched as the skyscrapers of Shanghai gradually transformed into a multitude of flashing lights. Locals and …
Southern Indiana: the way vacations used to be
How often have you come home from a vacation only to need another vacation? Some places are just plain stressful: white-knuckling your smartphone, camera and cash from would-be criminals on the street. As it turns …
September 10, 2015
Wave of the baton creates political intrigue
Politics in classical music is not new. Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Shostakovich, and countless other composers were politically active and, at times, censored. Almost every mid-20th-century conductor, singer, and instrumental soloist was politicized by World War …
August 30, 2015
A glimpse of old Burma on Yangon's Circle Train
Nyein Sanda works in an office not much larger than a closet in the central train station in Yangon, Myanmar. His ticket booth on platform 7 hosts a constant stream of tourists looking to ride …
August 22, 2015