Making my way through thick crowds of people slowly walking, talking on cell phones and holding shopping bags, I found the mounds of spices in the marketplace in Istanbul, Turkey. I'd arrived to buy various …
March 19, 2013
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Stories by M'Liss Hinshaw
Istanbul Spice Market
Cologne, Germany's Love-Locked Bridge
Trains rumbled over the bridge and thousands of padlocks chattered in unison as I walked across the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne, Germany, looking at messages of love. Row after row of various shaped and sized …
February 14, 2012
Salem, Massachusetts
The woman bumped into me and the first thing I noticed was the five-pointed pentagram on her necklace. I was in Salem, Massachusetts, home of the famous witch trials, and now I was face to …
June 28, 2011
Filoli Gardens, California
With the fragrance of wisteria in the air, one million daffodils in full bloom stand brightly in meadows near the Santa Cruz Mountains. At Filoli Gardens, forty-eight varieties of daffodils – including 65,000 golden dawns …
May 22, 2011
Avocados in Kona, Hawaii
An avocado festival – in Hawaii? Yes, and I just had to give it a try. While waiting for my plane to land on the Big Island, I’d almost finished reading the airline magazine when …
March 26, 2011
Budapest, Hungary: An Old World City
Arriving on the tarmac at the Budapest airport, I walk down the steps of the airplane to an awaiting bus. It’s a grey, wintry day, and people are wearing heavy long coats and big fur …
February 22, 2011
Kebler Pass, Colorado
Vibrant gold and amber leaves shimmered in the sunlight as I drove through the Colorado mountains on “Colorado Color Sunday.” Passing working coal mines in Bowie, Colorado, with stacks of dark black coal piled high, …
Tombstone, Arizona
October 26, 1881, gunshots rang out, men lay dead and the O.K. Corral was forever known as the famous Old West shootout. Today, gunslinging characters slowly swagger down the boot-worn wooden sidewalks of Tombstone, Arizona. …
November 4, 2010
Murals and Mosaics in Philly
Bits of blue, red and yellow colored glass cuts into odd shapes and formations, as creatively painted murals liven up murky walls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The usually boring, nondescript walls lining Philly’s alleyways reflect years …
October 7, 2010
Ushuaia, Argentina: the End of the World
Paddling and swimming in the cool waters, the white tuxedoed chests of the Gentoo and Magellan penguins are at home near the southernmost part of the world, Ushuaia, Argentina. The capital of Argentina’s Tierra del …
April 5, 2010
Puerto Montt, Chile: Fresh Seafood
Flapping fish tails, coiled seaweed, barnacles and octopus fresh from the Chilean coastal town of Puerto Montt will soon become part of our gastronomical lunch. At the southern end of the Pan American Highway – …
February 23, 2010
Modena, Italy: Balsamic Vinegar Heaven
A foodie just learning balsamic’s tasty lineage, I visited one of the many countryside balsamic vinegar producers while in Modena, Italy, home to multiple UNESCO World Heritage sites. In the nearby village of Sorbara, as …
January 26, 2010
Undiscovered Piran, Slovenia
Majestic blue waters of the Adriatic Sea splash into the unassuming, picturesque coastal town of Piran, Slovenia. This aged European town on Slovenia’s small stretch of coastline has its own seaside, Mediterranean-like character – quiet …
January 6, 2010
Phil's Fish Market, Moss Landing, California
Catch this! If you’re on a constant search like I am for tasty cioppino, head to Phil’s Fish Market in Moss Landing, Monterey County, for delicious seafood using old-world family recipes. Phil’s Fish Market, in …
December 13, 2009
Zagarolo, Italy
Zagarolo, Italy, an authentic Italian village nestled in a wine region just above Rome, is yet to be discovered by tourists. Leaving the historic city of Rome was difficult, but once I ventured east by …