I stare out at Mount Fuji: bright, clear, stately, basking in the morning sunshine. Cherry blossoms frame my view alongside the stunning Chureito Pagoda in the foreground. My timing was implausibly fortuitous. The previous day …

“Be still and the earth will speak to you." ~ Navajo saying Monument Valley. Just the name conjures up images of the majestic, iconic buttes and classic western landscape so often seen in movies and …

“Keep close to nature’s heart….and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” ~ John Muir The stretch of Canadian Rockies encompassing …

Looking for a hidden gem of a day trip from San Diego? The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, a private nonprofit organization located in tony San Marino near Pasadena, is one of the best possible …

Late afternoon in Havana: Local schoolboys are playing soccer in the central square of the recently renovated Plaza Vieja. Colorful, historic buildings ring the plaza. A warm tropical breeze wafts through the air and the …

Nestled about halfway between Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, Page, Arizona, has some knock-your-eyes-out-jaw-dropping natural phenomena of its own. A small, nondescript town in northern Arizona, Page highlights its proximity to Antelope Canyon …

Shanghai is the most populous city in the world, and it can become a bit overwhelming for both visitors and locals. If you’re living or visiting here for any length of time, you’ll welcome a …

A visit to Death Valley can be a wonderful opportunity to clear your mind of some of the mental clutter we accrue in our daily routines and enjoy a digital detox while soaking in some …

I paused on the winding Hall of Mosses Trail in Olympic National Park's verdant Hoh Rainforest. Gazing at the oddly shaped trees that seemed concocted out of an imagination meshing Tolkien and Tim Burton, I …

Floating down the Huangpu River on a late spring afternoon as the last gleam of daylight faded away, I watched as the skyscrapers of Shanghai gradually transformed into a multitude of flashing lights. Locals and …

"I have to stay up here all summer and look at this,” our guide mockingly bemoaned while guiding us across exquisite Two Medicine Lake on the eastern side of Glacier National Park. We surveyed the …

Check out Derek's e-book How to Travel On the Cheap (...and Even for Free!): Turn Your Travel Dreams Into Reality, available in the Amazon Kindle store. “We Chinese people eat everything. Everything in the sky …

I stood in Tiananmen Square (above) on a windswept, sunny morning, and gazed at the locals and tourists milling about under the watchful visage of Chairman Mao’s portrait. Having just arrived in China the previous …

If you tire of lounging about on Cancun's white, sandy beaches and yearn for a bit of Maya culture with your tropical escape, consider exploring the nearby sites of Tulum and Coba. They can both …

If you’re in L.A. and seek a respite from the traffic and stress, there's a place that just may restore – at least temporarily – a sense of tranquility to your being. The Self Realization …

Weary of going through another airport security line? Enchanted by an early morning train whistle hurtling to points unknown? With airline costs continuing to rise, I set out to try a new, more economical cross-country …

Despite being a large city, a worthwhile sampling of Montreal can be explored in one day. A clean and efficient metro system makes the city easy to navigate. Some advanced planning is recommended, however; not …

Palenque was the Maya site I most highly anticipated visiting, and it did not disappoint. The ruins and pyramids, surrounded by a verdant jungle of cedar, mahogany and sapodilla trees, have a mysterious and intoxicating …

Although less well known than Chichen Itza, Uxmal is often preferred by travelers to the Yucatan. Located in the center-west of the peninsula, Uxmal is about an hour and 15 minute drive from Merida – …

If you want to add some art to your summer, consider heading up to Laguna Beach. A July visit here brought me within walking distance of three major art festivals: the Sawdust Festival, Festival of …

For those seeking an off-the-beaten-path alternative to Cancún and Mérida, Campeche is a captivating, underrated baroque colonial town on the west coast of the Yucatan peninsula. Capital of the state with the same name, it's …

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 …

When I returned to San Diego from India, I felt a bit out of sorts. I had been profoundly moved by my experiences there – particularly seeing the numerous street kids and visiting the Salaam …

Few people know that San Diego County has more American Indian reservations than any other county in the nation. Native American tribes have lived in the area for over 12,000 years. Today, a majority of …

Sorrento is well positioned as the gateway to several locations of interest in southern Italy, including Pompeii, Capri, and the spectacular, meandering Amalfi Coast. But the town of 17,000 is also worth exploring in its …

When most people think of Encinitas, the beach is probably the first thing to come to mind. Moonlight and Swami’s are two of the best in the county. But the seaside community is also home …

Few people are aware that Budapest is actually two cities, Buda and Pest, situated along the banks of the Danube River. Most visitors stay in Pest – it's got more to offer in terms of …

As I walked near the mist-shrouded lakes beyond the ruins of the Glendalough monastery, it was easy to imagine there were magical creatures just beyond my field of vision. A misty morning stroll past the …

While visiting Florence, I took the opportunity to spend a few nights in a little town about 30 kilometers to the south called Greve in Chianti. The Chianti region, well known for its Chianti Classico …

For hundreds of years, Orvieto was a major stopping point along the road from Florence to Rome. It was so highly regarded through the centuries that it is only one of two cities outside of …

Life seems mellow and tranquil in the tiny, idyllic seaside town of Vernazza in Italy’s Cinque Terre. But the community suffered a traumatic experience in October 2011 when torrential rains led to a flash flood …

The Marche region of Italy is rarely included among travel itineraries to Italy. It’s also scarcely mentioned in most guidebooks – yet this may simply enhance its appeal among travelers who yearn to forge a …

Varenna is a stunning, yet underrated, jewel on Lake Como just north of the more well-known and widely visited Bellagio. If you’re looking for a tranquil atmosphere to accompany magnificent views of the lake, Varenna …

Urbino, a former center of culture during the Renaissance, has largely been forgotten by tourists due to its location in the Marche region of Italy. But, despite having far fewer visitors than its more glamorous …

If you’ve visited the major sites in Italy and yearn for something unique and different, consider Civitanova Marche, a pleasant seaside village with a distinctive local flavor. The little fishing town and seaside resort in …

Rome, Venice and Florence are all amazing experiences, but it’s also nice to just relax in a small Italian village with the locals and experience Italian culture in a different way. Few Americans have heard …

It was my second day in Anchorage and I was lost. Winding along side streets in a residential neighborhood, trying to find my way back to the main highway, I noticed a vehicle with a …

I’ve always loved riding trains: Pacific Surfliner, Starlight Express, Eurail, etc. The sound of the train whistle never fails to spark my wanderlust, and I find the combination of comfort and adventure when riding the …

Visiting Channel Islands National Park is like entering a time machine and being transported back a few hundred years to a wild and natural, pre-automobile, pre-industrial California. Located off the coast of Ventura, the Channel …

About 1.5 hours outside Athens, Mycenae is one of the essential stops for any visitor to Greece with an interest in ancient history. Arriving here, you're awed not just by the site and the ruins, …

I didn’t see the gorgeous rocks that surround Moab, Utah, when I drove into town on a chilly November evening. My mind was swirling with images of the enormous chasms I had viewed at Canyonlands …

A visit to India as an independent solo traveler is a unique challenge mentally, physically and logistically. I arrived in Delhi in the middle of the night, worked my way through the bustling crowd, and …

Just don’t get sidetracked in Vegas. That’s the key to arriving in Zion National Park from San Diego within a day with enough daylight left to explore the canyons. The park, located in the southwest …

In 1896, Homer Pennock arrived in a sleepy seaside hamlet in southern Alaska hoping to strike a fortune. He managed the Alaska Gold Mining Company, but his mining ventures ultimately failed. Pennock left the area …

I braved Carmageddon II on a September Saturday and visited L.A. to explore the individual creations of two iconoclastic L.A. visionaries. Located in vastly different sections of L.A., the Watts Towers and Eames House represent …

It takes little time after heading south from Anchorage to be exposed to some of the most stunning scenery Alaska has to offer. The Seward Highway, connecting Anchorage with the Kenai Peninsula, has been justly …

“Listen to the glacier talking to itself,” our guide urged us. I listened to what sounded like thunder in the distance, followed by cracks and pops as if someone was breaking a gigantic stick. A …

With six million acres of wilderness, Denali National Park in Alaska is one of the largest national parks in the country. If you enjoy seeing wildlife in their native habitat, your time here can be …

Just 61 miles north of San Diego up the 5 Freeway, San Juan Capistrano is one of the truly historic sites of Southern California. The town is probably best known for the swallows that return …

The Olympics in London are a celebration of the world’s greatest athletes, and the city will be hopping this summer with the sweat and excitement of the summer games. But if you yearn to indulge …