The hardest part about visiting Phantom Ranch isn’t getting there, but getting back. There are no welcome signs, no strategically placed words of encouragement. In fact, just the opposite. The one and only sign we …
May 14, 2011
Travel off the Beaten Path
The Grand Canyon: Phantom Ranch
Finding Magic: Chapada dos Veadeiros, Brazil
When I was a young San Diego grom, long weekenders meant the following: My dad piled me, my brothers and some friends into our VW van and we camped and surfed in San Clemente. Despite …
May 8, 2011
Jiaoxi: Off the Beaten Path in Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan, is slightly reminiscent of Hong Kong, but to really discover this island country, I suggest you travel along the east coast. To start your tour of Taiwan's natural beauty, take a three-hour train …
February 11, 2011
Tofo, Mozambique
I was lying on Tofo Beach in Mozambique with my shirt shielding my face from the sun when I heard the distinct plop of a human sitting down next to me. I peeked from underneath …
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
Ojai, California: Searching for the Pink Moment in Shangri-La
In 1937 Frank Capra used a long shot of Ojai Valley to represent the mythical paradise of Shangri-La in the classic film Lost Horizon. Ojai (pronounced O-hi) is a small, artsy community nestled serenely near …
January 7, 2011
From the Moon to the Stones: Chicago's West Side
It’s around 2am, and I’ve taken the “L” train in the wrong direction. There are two “Western” stops on the blue line. I could have sworn that I knew which was which – one located …
November 9, 2010
Knowth, County Meath, Ireland
"All of these mounds have a hole straight down into them. When you go up top, you'll see," says the guide at Knowth. County Meath, Ireland, is one of the earliest known developments – older …
November 4, 2010
Serenity (at Last) in San Gil, Colombia
The seven-hour bus ride through the sticky night to a city called San Gil, Colombia, made the Matterhorn at Disneyland seem like training wheels: roller-coaster-like turns followed by potholes in the road the size of …
September 17, 2010
Mellow Tecate, Mexico
I heard the word “Tecate.” My buddy wasn’t speaking of the next beer, but rather a border town located only 45 minutes away from downtown San Diego. Follow the 94-east freeway signs until it becomes …
August 15, 2010
Tranquil Pacifica, California
Another quick jaunt north is the scenic town of Pacifica, California. As a student at San Francisco State University, I once lived here eons ago, but it is still as quaintly scenic and tranquil a …
July 29, 2010