“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” This thought was expressed by Henry David Thoreau over 160 years ago while living in the one-room cabin he built overlooking Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau conducted …
February 16, 2010
History
Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts
Escape to Puerto Rico
When I think of Puerto Rico, I remember pulsing Latin and reggae music, sunsets that look poured from an artist’s palette, inviting stretches of beaches and colorful towns bustling with shops, art and tantalizing eateries. …
January 19, 2010
Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens
The jewel of San Marino, California, Huntington Library is not your typical lending and borrowing library. Its collection contains over five million books, volumes, manuscripts, photographs and other works mostly related to American and British …
January 15, 2010
Time-traveling in Caribbean Guatemala
Caribbean Guatemala with Mayan ruins? You bet. Situated between Belize and Honduras, the short Caribbean coast of Guatemala displays a panoply of history and beauty. Starting from our cruise ship stop at Santo Tomas de …
January 14, 2010
The Balkans by Bus
"Just fly," my friends told me. "Or rent a car. The bus will take forever." The Balkan bus system is a confounding web of coaches and stations. Unlike in the U.S., there’s no equivalent to …
January 12, 2010
Finding Honesty (and Irony) on Wall Street
Not much is currently popular about Wall Street, but pre- recessions and depressions, America’s financial institutions reveled in a period of immense prosperity. From politics to architecture, Greek and Roman civilizations heavily influenced much of …
Black Gold: Oil City, Pennsylvania
Nestled in the Allegheny Mountains, Oil City might just be the most relevant small town in the world today. Here lie the remnants of the world's first commercially successful oil wells, dating from the 1860s. …
December 30, 2009
Historic Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is one of those American towns with a truly unique flavor. Artists have long embraced this historic community. Adobe architecture and a well-preserved nature contribute to its status as a hub of culture …
December 23, 2009
221B Baker Street: Mr. Holmes, I Presume?
Like so many bookish boys, I devoured Sherlock Holmes stories. Years later, visiting my girlfriend in London, I discovered that 221B Baker Street, the detective's fabled domicile, was a "real" place. The Sherlock Holmes Museum …
November 18, 2009
Strawberry Fields, Central Park, New York
He was one of four British teens who forever changed the face of rock & roll. An advocate for peace, politically outspoken and senselessly murdered — but his words continue to inspire. For these reasons, …
November 9, 2009