Category: travel
Other-worldly landscape
There are certain places in the world that look like they should be the setting for a Sci-Fi movie. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico is a bit like that. The unique landscape is punctuated with cone-shaped hoodoos of soft pumice and tuff, capped with pedestal rocks. The name Kasha-Katuwe, which means “white…
California’s deadliest beaches
The rugged beaches along Sonoma coastline are known for their pristine beauty, but danger lurks at the water’s edge. The sign at the end of the parking area at Goat Rock Beach says it all: “This is one of the most deadly beaches in California.” Strong rip currents, violent surf and sudden sleeper waves have…
Travel Inspiration: Palau
It doesn’t take much for an exotic destination to demand my attention, but seldom can I pinpoint the moment it starts to get under my skin enough to exacerbate my travel itch (an incurable chronic condition). Thanks to writer Jacqueline Detwiler, my bucket list has gotten even longer. The island of Palau started beckoning the…
Open season for aurora hunting
Aurora Borealis in September? “Absolutely,” says Alaska-based photographer Ronn Murray. “Based on my experience and other pretty hard evidence, the equinoxes produce some of the strongest auroras. We get great shows in late September and its a great time to visit Alaska, because the weather hasn’t gotten really cold yet.” Murray began chasing the Northern…
Mansfield to host ‘Shawshank’ reunion this weekend
The town that served as the backdrop for “The Shawshank Redemption” will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its filming this Labor Day weekend. Mansfield, Ohio, and its iconic Ohio State Reformatory, hosted Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, who starred in the 1994 film as convicted murderers. The reunion festivities include events and tours taking place…
Tips for getting by on less in Zürich
Swiss bank accounts, chocolate, timepieces and army knifes. I’m swooning at the quality goods and services that this small country produces. Somehow, within two hours of landing in Zürich, Switzerland, $100 (roughly 87 Swiss Francs) slips effortlessly out of my wallet, but it wasn’t because of a shopping spree. [dropshadowbox align=”left” effect=”lifted-both” width=”188px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff”…
Danube Rising
The normally bustling boat traffic on the Danube River has ground to a halt due to flooding throughout central Europe this week and it could be several more days before things return to normal. In the meantime, both public and private riverboat operations will remain on hold, causing big losses for cruise industry. The Danube…
Stay safe while traveling solo
It was a typical Sunday morning. My husband, Chris, and I sat down to read the newspaper and one headline screamed at us: “U.S. Tourist Killed in Istanbul.” In January, Sarai Sierra, a blossoming photographer, was killed by a blow to the head while traveling alone in Turkey. Her body, tucked into a hidden corner…
Historic documents destroyed by retreating insurgents in Mali
Gone forever are these 12th-century manuscripts from the Centre de Recherches Historiques Ahmed Baba in Timbuktu / Photo by Laura Watilo Blake These delicate pages of text survived for centuries in the dry desert air in Timbuktu, a remote outpost of the Sahara Desert in Mali, which was once a wealthy trading center. Today, the…