As a former musician myself, I shake my head sadly at musicians who think they’re getting the folk zeitgeist of a given genre just by listening to records. You learn folk music by listening to …
November 11, 2014
Travel Editor Picks
Finding the roots of American music in North Louisiana
The "real" Havana
I was sitting on the sea wall with my friend Ben, watching the sun set over Havana Harbor, when I smoked my first cigar. And my second. And my ninth. During our sunset routine on …
October 3, 2014
Campout in the Sahara
Hassi Labied (population: 2,000) is one of the places you go in Morocco if you want to sleep in the Sahara. It's about 30 miles from the Algerian border; and its dunes (Erg Cheggi) are …
September 29, 2014
Finding friendly Ukraine
“Get over the [lack of] smiles, the harsh tones of voice, the unemotional stares.” Well maybe I shouldn’t put this in quotes – it’s only been a recurring thought in my head walking around Kiev, …
September 21, 2014
Liftoff on the Central Coast
We older folks who remember the moon landing or seeing the space shuttle land at Edwards can check one more item off our bucket list – and do it just five hours north of San …
August 19, 2014
Venice has grit
A shirtless hippie with long, flowing hair and an orange tan gives me a wink as he floats by on his bicycle. After a few minutes, a large man carrying a CD player and headphones …
August 3, 2014
Why Ukraine: nighttime Kiev and protests
June 6, 2014 - Ok, so my first 12 hours here in Kiev were, umm... interesting. I remember looking up at a sign in the airport reading “Red Zone” and thinking it was a USSR …
July 15, 2014
Modern times in one of the world's hot spots: Israel
I was in Israel when three teenagers in yeshiva – Jewish seminary – had just been kidnapped. As I left the country, they were discovered to have been killed, which touched off a firestorm between …
July 12, 2014
Cole Valley, San Francisco
Several months ago Kay and I enjoyed several days in Haight-Ashbury – prior to my fortuitous discovery of nearby Cole Valley. We had been kicking back at the no-frills, creaky Red Victorian Hotel on bustling …
July 8, 2014
Kafka's Prague: surreal moments in Old Europe
Prague is a strikingly beautiful baroque city and the prime gateway for Americans into Eastern Europe. The city has intrigued me ever since I became enamored with Franz Kafka’s books as a teenager. An Old …
June 8, 2014
Digital detox in Julian
A digital detox vacation is one where you can’t get cellphone, satellite or internet service of any kind. Ok, I might've just sent you into a panic attack with this thought – so take a …
April 18, 2014