High above the bustling lake town of Lucerne, Switzerland, lies the rugged cliffs and steep mountain terrain of Mount Pilatus. It’s here where the legendary dragons of yore resided – in particular, a winged dragon …
February 4, 2013
Travel Editor Picks
Here Be Dragons: Ascending Switzerland's Mt. Pilatus
Don't Pet the Sharks in Oahu
If you're in Oahu and seen enough scary people in panda suits waiting for you to give them money so they can lunge at your face, why not try a shark cage tour? There is …
January 29, 2013
Zürich: Switzerland’s Secret to Success
The Economist ranks Switzerland the best country “to be born in 2013.” Zürich, the largest Swiss metropolis with 380,000 residents, has been voted the planet’s best city by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Monocle and others. …
January 10, 2013
Bushwick – Brooklyn's Hip Haven
Directions scribbled on the back of a napkin or coaster usually lead you to unforgettable locations. It was no different on this Sunday afternoon. As I sat and enjoyed a very good East Coast brew …
January 3, 2013
A Visit to Assisi
St. Francis and I are kindred spirits. I was traveling through Europe with my dog Maya, her kennel, and an old-fashioned trunk. Visiting Assisi was a must. It was a chilly November evening. A lone …
December 29, 2012
Leonard Knight and His Mountain
Mahatma Gandhi believed that we should not let the idea of seeing individual actions as insignificant deter us from contributing to and participating in the changes we wish to see. Apparently, he isn’t alone in …
December 23, 2012
Humorous Humanitarian Dispatches from a Ukrainian Border Town
In the thick of night, you can almost always hear the tree branches rattling in a rhythmic chorus of nighttime symphonies. A tap starts at your window; a breath of air shakes a group of …
December 20, 2012
Copalis Beach
There’s only one place to drink in Copalis Beach. The river winds through a short slough to the ocean and, just south (as "just south" as it could be), sits Green Lantern Tavern. The nondescript …
December 17, 2012
Bulgaria in Translation
“Wind of Change” by the Scorpions was on Bulgarian radio again. I listened while staring out the window at Sofia’s graffiti-speckled buildings on the taxi ride back to my downtown apartment. The next song sounded …
December 14, 2012
Balaklava, Ukraine's Golden Beach
The coast was stark and abandoned. We'd discovered a natural wonder with no foot traffic – a landscape of vibrant colors and fluid sunsets that belonged in a watercolor. Before my eyes, the Black Sea …
December 7, 2012
Why My Daughter's Middle Name is Vienna
When people find out that my daughter’s middle name is Vienna, the first question is inevitably some variation of, “Oooh, you didn’t name her after that mean chick from the Bachelor, did you??” So, no. …
November 30, 2012