The whole crazy experience began one summer day in 2003 when my wife and I were returning to San Diego from Vancouver, British Columbia. We had driven all the way to Vancouver from San Diego, …
July 13, 2009
North America
Washington Waterworks
Grand Canyon Secret: North Rim
Show your kids the Grand Canyon without the traffic and crowds...in high summer season? Yes, it's possible! Travel to the less-visited North Rim of the Grand Canyon and enjoy views that will hush even the …
July 13, 2009
Red Rock Canyon: The Outdoors Near Vegas?
After you've exhausted all of your desires to gamble and eat at the buffet, it's a nice day trip out to Red Rock Canyon State Park (about 15 miles outside of Las Vegas, Nevada). Once …
July 10, 2009
Bugaboo Range Heli-Hiking, Canadian Rockies
While on a "heli-hiking" trip in the Canadian Rockies (more specifically the Bugaboo Range), we were hit suddenly with a heavy snowstorm, which was unusual for July. Heli-hiking involves a small group, with a guide …
July 8, 2009
Dream Senses, New York Minute
Hello, Matthew: What exactly is your brain doing when you use one of the five senses in a dream? I always figured it was just some outside influence that your brain incorporated into your dream, …
July 8, 2009
Spectacular Yosemite
I expected to spend a peaceful weekend wandering through natural wonders, and boy, were my expectations too low. I was blown away by the enormity, the splendor, the incredible beauty of Yosemite National Park. The …
July 7, 2009
Iao Valley, Maui, Hawaii
Iao Valley is a must-see when visiting Maui. Located in central Maui, it's only a 45-minute drive from Kaanapali. It was there that King Kamehameha I defeated the Maui Army in 1790 and united the …
Driving on Highway 395, near Mono Lake
A summer morning drive on Highway 395 offers a breathtaking view of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The endless array of mountains, trees, lakes and geological wonders on the way to Lake Tahoe is …
June 29, 2009
Cruisin' in the Caribbean
Our seven-day Caribbean cruise started out in Miami on a hot summer day in 2006. Standing near the southernmost tip of the country, you can gaze toward the horizon across the Florida Keys. With a …
Sent to Sea Level
‘You sit there with a machine that pumps an Albuturol mist into your lungs.” I ask, “Did you have a mask on?” “No. It’s like a pipe.” Speaking is a woman I’ll call Margaret, an …
June 24, 2009
Caribbean Tide, Killer Words
Dear Matt: My parents and aunt and uncle just got back from the Caribbean on vacation. We all got together to look at their pictures, and in the middle of everything, my uncle pipes up …
June 24, 2009
Las Vegas’s Chinatown
It is a cool 60 degrees outside and the crowd is watching in amazement at what can only be the strangest site in our modern universe, Las Vegas’s Chinatown. Though much smaller then San Francisco’s …
June 23, 2009
California Academy of Science Museum, San Francisco
Nowadays, more and more people – and businesses – are becoming eco-conscious. Adding to this trend is the world’s greenest museum, the California Academy of Science Museum. Located in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, this …
June 18, 2009
Islas Coronados, Mexico
A short trip out from our beautiful Pacific Coast is a vast world of nature; yes, nature does exist and you do not need to visit the San Diego Zoo to see it. Darwin’s islands …
June 16, 2009
Wintergreen Dogsled Resort, Ely, Minnesota
I was invited to the Wintergreen Dogsled Resort in Ely, Minnesota, by a friend of mine. I chose the lodge-to-lodge trip, four days of dog sledding between lodges. The food at the lodges was wonderful, …