Nestled about halfway between Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, Page, Arizona, has some knock-your-eyes-out-jaw-dropping natural phenomena of its own. A small, nondescript town in northern Arizona, Page highlights its proximity to Antelope Canyon …
Travel: Must-See
Antelope Canyon, #nofilter
Intrepidly visiting hotspot Israel
Just as I last left Israel, the bodies of three missing young men had turned up. The week before I was to return, there were two young men murdered in front of Old Jerusalem’s Jaffa …
January 28, 2017
Downtown L.A.: trashy to trendy
In the 90s and early 00s, despite its impressively tall high-rise skyline, downtown Los Angeles was generally NOT somewhere you would go by choice. Maybe once in awhile for a museum or a convention. Or …
January 15, 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 …
Night's song in Mexico City
I woke up this morning feeling like there was something in my head — knocking, asking me to let it spill out. There was a rhythm and a beat and a step. I was being …
December 1, 2016
Camp Colorado
The Centennial State is drowning in natural beauty, and the best way to see it is to pitch a tent right in the heart of it all. Given the opportunity, most Coloradans (or are they …
September 24, 2016
Latin America's "Gringo Trail"
The "Gringo Trail" refers to the well-trodden backpacker route within Latin America, encompassing Mexico and Central & South America. In 2015 I spent 3 months on "the trail." This region of the world is so …
September 7, 2016
Papa Hem's Havana
“Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk.” ~ Ernest Hemingway And so we did. At least that's how I remember we ended up in Havana, Cuba. Okay, well maybe there's a bit more …
August 21, 2016
Mexico City: beyond the border and beaches
San Diego is unique in that just minutes away, literally, is an entire other country. The contrast is stark: neighboring Tijuana isn't the most beautiful and prosperous city, and contrasts greatly with a city like …
May 15, 2016
I don't like to hike — so how do I love Denver?
When you tell people you’re headed to Denver, they assume you have something green on the mind. Maybe it’s the emerald leaves of Boulder’s sprawling landscape, or perhaps it’s a plant of the recently legalized …
April 26, 2016
San Sebastian, Spain, and its sidrerías
Being a San Diego local, I've said before that I would never be able to live in a rainy place. I take that statement back after visiting San Sebastian. You can find San Sebastian nestled …
April 17, 2016