“Why don’t you come visit us? We’ll show you around Alexandria,” my cousins implored, inviting me to spend time with them in their historic hometown. I’d never thought much about Alexandria, Virginia, as a town …
North America
Alexandria, Virginia: DC’s Underrated Neighbor
The Emerald City: Seattle, Washington
Seattle is called the Emerald City, and that designation is not a misnomer. Greenery, trees, parks and flower gardens abound in this sophisticated Pacific Northwest city that seems perpetually drenched in a misty rain. Though …
March 15, 2011
Austin or Bust
Several San Diego bands will make the 22-hour drive to Austin, Texas mid-March for the annual South by Southwest music festival and conference. Over 2000 performers seeking labels, booking agents, and recognition will pack 90-plus …
March 9, 2011
Rehab: A Public Nightmare in Tijuana
They sell newspapers on street corners. They wander around swap meets selling candy. They offer pamphlets in restaurants, taco stands, supermarkets, parking lots, malls, and homes. They carry around little wooden penny banks and ask …
February 23, 2011
Virginia — for Wine Lovers?
Who knew that Virginia had vineyards? Certainly not me; however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that when researching what to do on my trip, my favorite two words appeared &mdash WINE TASTING! Some quick …
Can California Learn Anything from Minnesota?
The simplest and most effective solution to California’s economic slump is to create more jobs. When people have jobs, they spend more money on goods and services and they pay more in taxes. Jobs are …
February 17, 2011
The groom wore orange
Ball and Chain. On a Wednesday in early December, convicted murderer Justin Lopez wore an orange jumpsuit to his wedding. Lopez married his girlfriend, Mariah Mierya Cavazos, in a jail lobby in Alice. Though he …
January 26, 2011
Mexico City’s Templo Mayor: The Heart of Tenochtitlan
To one side of Mexico City’s enormous central plaza, the Zócalo, stands one of the most astonishing archaeological digs of the last 35 years. It was originally believed that the huge cathedral in the Zócalo …
January 13, 2011
Victoria, British Columbia
Next time you visit Seattle, it’s a quick hop over to the lovely garden city of Victoria in British Columbia. Make sure to bring your passport, and climb aboard the Victoria Clipper on the Seattle …
January 11, 2011
The Bob Marley Mausoleum in Nine Mile, Jamaica
Stashed high above the brilliant turquoise waters of the Caribbean lies the small village of Nine Mile. Protected from the majority of rum-swilling tourists by a seemly impossible narrow curving road, the hamlet is home …
January 7, 2011
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
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
Bees! of Jim Wells County
Bees! The Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Office locked down Ben Bolt Middle School in early October after a yard worker disturbed a large nest of bees across the street from the school. Ben Bolt Fire …
November 23, 2010
Tombstone, Arizona
October 26, 1881, gunshots rang out, men lay dead and the O.K. Corral was forever known as the famous Old West shootout. Today, gunslinging characters slowly swagger down the boot-worn wooden sidewalks of Tombstone, Arizona. …
November 4, 2010