Though the reasons for WWI are murky to most Americans – something about the assassination of an Archduke, as well as the unification of feudal-era principalities into modern nation-states – the war brought our country …
August 13, 2013
History
Honoring the fallen at Ypres
Small-town Italy: Urbino
Urbino, a former center of culture during the Renaissance, has largely been forgotten by tourists due to its location in the Marche region of Italy. But, despite having far fewer visitors than its more glamorous …
August 6, 2013
Rhode Island: little state, big history
Rhode Island is America’s smallest state by area and its eighth-least populated. Despite this, it’s one of America’s most historic states, having been settled in 1636. Rhode Island was established as a colony by Roger …
July 29, 2013
Decadence in Bruges
In the Middle Ages, back when canals were the super-highways of Europe, Bruges experienced a surge of wealth and culture. Before the canals started silting, there was a direct route to the sea from the …
July 25, 2013
No worries in Potsdam
“You’re American? What are you doing here? Usually Americans just visit Berlin.” This was the response I received after a vendor asked me a question in German. Apparently, most American tourists forego 1,000-year-old Potsdam, Berlin's …
Locke – CA's last Chinese town
The houses slant sideways and the opium dens are gone, but Locke, California, takes visitors back more than 90 years to a unique Chinese farming community. Thanks to the work of a few locals with …
July 16, 2013
History-rich Mechelen, Belgium
In Mechelen – pronounced with a guttural "ch" – religion has played a tremendous role for over 800 years. The city's provided shelter, freedom for women, even beer...and it’s also served as a dark double-edged …
July 9, 2013
Tour the melting pot of Singapore
Singapore is known as one of Asia’s tigers for its robust, fast-growing economy. One of the secrets of its success is its diversity. Although set on an island off the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is an …
July 1, 2013
Manzanar National Historic Site, CA
When I arrived in Lone Pine, that sweet little town at the foot of the Sierra Nevadas, I planned to make a documentary about mountain climbing. I would try to climb Mt. Whitney, and I …
June 25, 2013
Providencia, Colombia
Below us, the island came into view, encircled by a brittle ring of coral reefs made distinguishable by whitewater ripping at the edges. A turquoise iris skirted the white sandy edges of the Caribbean island …
June 18, 2013