On my third run I am getting the hang of things, taking cues from the pig next to me to see how far he leans into the turns while ducking in time to avoid the …
January 18, 2016
Travel Editor Picks
Travel Editor Picks
Take a ride on Cambodia's Bamboo Train
From Russia, with love
When traveling abroad, it's often our first distinct taste of the foreign that uniquely heightens our senses. For me, it was entering the hustle and bustle of a Moscow subway station and hearing the alien …
November 19, 2015
The real Hollywood
Written on an open Word document on my computer in a $30 Budget Inn motel room in Glendale, CA. The walls are lavender, and the money saved from not spending the night in Hollywood is …
August 15, 2015
After the Wave: Sumatra, Indonesia
While living in Asia I decided to travel a bit. My first stop was the island of Sumatra, Indonesia – devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed over 230,000 people in 14 different …
May 21, 2015
Adventures in Tawi-Tawi
Editor's note: The author visited Tawi Tawi in 2007. There are a few more accommodations there now, it looks like. A few years ago, ignoring the advice of our horrified Filipino friends, my wife and …
March 26, 2015
Destination: Kinmen
In Kinmen you don’t have to worry about getting blown up anymore. I kept reminding myself of this as I wandered alone on a deserted beach. It was a sunny day with few clouds. Across …
March 5, 2015
Wrong in Playa Flamingo
Never in my life had I imagined myself on a catamaran. Every time I pictured one, I thought of shirtless fraternity brothers and blonde girls in bikinis. I imagined a boozy spring break in Florida. …
February 16, 2015
Journey to ground zero: Hiroshima, Japan
Stepping off the bullet train into a cold Hiroshima morning, we could sense the past. My wife Irene and I became immersed in its history by chance. A journey through New Mexico took us to …
February 3, 2015
Matera: no longer the "shame of Italy"
In what is the instep of Italy’s boot, the first forays into Italy from North Africa came to settle in Matera 10,000 years ago. Living quarters were fashioned in both the limestone caves and built …
January 20, 2015
Saginaw, MI: first American home of my ancestors
Most people only know the town of Saginaw, Michigan, from the song made popular in the 1960s by country singer Lefty Frizzel. Some hipsters might know another song, “If I Ever Get to Saginaw” by …
December 12, 2014
Luck and fate in Mexico's Tepotzotlán
Hidden in Mexico City's northern outskirts is the town of Tepotzotlán. Despite how close they are to one another, Tepotzotlán is about a two-hour drive from Mexico City due to havoc traffic. When I arrived, …
November 22, 2014