I don’t get it. I’m an avid people-watcher. But I’ve never been a Las Vegas fan. Seems contradictory, right? So when a friend of mine announced a birthday weekend in Vegas, I decided to give …
January 4, 2012
Travel Editor Picks
On The Strip: Las Vegas, Nevada
Iquitos, Peru: Gateway to the Amazon
“Can you carry the backpack on your chest instead?” Gino asked me as we were about to enter Belén Market in Iquitos, Peru. I nodded, turning it around. He winked. “That's a gringa inteligente,” he …
January 2, 2012
Whitefish, Montana
The train screeched and jerked to a stop. I awoke in an unknown yard in pitch darkness. I hopped on this train back in Everett, Washington, where the day before I was napping in a …
November 10, 2011
Bangkok is Drowning
About four months ago, in the hot, laboring days of summer, I decided I needed something to work for – something to get me through the weeks. A trip. I set my sights on Southeast …
November 4, 2011
A Week in Madrid, Spain
I was at the end of adjuncting three college courses, and hadn’t traveled internationally since 2006 when my husband and I went to Taipei to visit family. I had some money and time to go …
October 26, 2011
Chihuahua Desert, Mexico: Dancing with El Diablo
A good friend of mine was doing her doctoral research in the middle of nowhere in the Mexican desert, and she invited me down for a visit. I couldn’t say no, because I love the …
October 20, 2011
On the Road to Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Today was more than 14 hours on the road to travel what would normally take 5 hours. Anywhere else but Mexico, and this would have been a hellish day. It all started in Barra Vieja, …
October 11, 2011
Varanasi, India: On the Holy Ganges
When I arrived in Varanasi, I was clueless. The first thing I did was walk down to the river – the fabled River Ganges, the holiest waters of India. As a novice solo traveler, I …
September 23, 2011
Siem Reap, Cambodia: Beyond the Angkor Temples
If you’re in Siem Reap, Cambodia, you’re most likely there to see the magnificent Angkor temples. But if you get “templed out” or have additional time, Siem Reap has more to offer. Many of the …
September 20, 2011
Camping in Big Sur, California
Last New Year’s Eve we patiently waited online at www.parks.ca.gov, ready to book a campsite for the summer of 2011. We didn’t want to miss our opportunity to reserve a spot in one of Big …
September 13, 2011
Busan: South Korea's Second City
It’s been seven years now since I staggered off the plane and stepped into the sticky summer air of Busan, the south’s largest seaport. I remember that first bus ride, white-knuckling it as we careened …
September 13, 2011