A recent trip home to northern lower Michigan afforded me one of the greatest summertime pleasures a Michigander knows: a sunset swim in Lake Michigan. There’s nothing better than finding a secluded stretch of golden …
July 19, 2012
Travel off the Beaten Path
Solitude Is Bliss – Michigan's Northern Lakeshore
California's Active Volcanoes
There are more than 550 active volcanoes in the world, five of which are in California. It's to be expected from a state sitting on the eastern edge of the Ring of Fire. Between Barstow …
July 19, 2012
San Diego in Ronda, Spain?
The past few years, I’ve encountered a sweet picture of my wife’s parents’ wedding on the wall in their living room – a distinctly ‘70s vintage scene set in none other than the San Diego …
July 17, 2012
Bangalore – India's Silicon Valley
Popularly known as the “Silicon Valley” of India, Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, is the country's IT industry hub and one of the world’s preferred locations for startup companies. It's also India's third-most populous city. …
July 12, 2012
Searching for E.T.: Hat Creek Radio Observatory, CA
Far off the main road in northeastern California, follow the signs to Hat Creek Radio Observatory and you'll come to outer-space terrain, dotted with what my six-year-old calls "Dish Aliens." It's the Allen Telescope Array …
July 12, 2012
At the World’s End: Ballarat Ghost Town, Death Valley
Death Valley must be seen to be believed. From the turquoise flats rolling out beneath lofty Dante’s View to the salty vertigo of Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, it is a place …
July 7, 2012
Melbourne Street Art
Across the street diagonally from Federation Square – a celebrated architectural icon and Melbourne cultural center – is a hidden laneway named Hosier Lane. It’s here where I start my urban encounter with the street …
June 30, 2012
A City Divided: Nicosia, Cyprus
Dusk. Empty street. Barbed wire. Bombed-out buildings. These are my first memories of Nicosia, Cyprus. Cassie and I came to Cyprus for the week of Kurban Bayramı, a religious holiday. We were both English teachers …
June 14, 2012
Hyderabad: A Taste of Southern India
Hyderabad, India, located in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, is a juxtaposition of old and new unlike any other city in India and often overlooked as a tourism destination. The 400-year-old Cyberabad district with …
June 9, 2012
At the World’s End: Lake Tōya, Japan
Lake Tōya in Hokkaidō, Japan, is a small tourist resort nestled among mountains and active volcanoes. Known for its serene landscape and relaxing onsen spas, it also has a darker side; in 2000, the majestic …
June 5, 2012
Salt Point State Park: Hidden California Coast
From Moro Rock to the memorable Bixby Creek Bridge, beauty abounds along the Pacific Coastal Highway in the form of uninterrupted expansive views extending to the beryl-blue horizon. The road from Pismo Beach to Half …
June 3, 2012