More destinations for 2010

On Wednesday, we looked at some hot destinations for 2010, courtesy of the NY Times. Today, we cover the same topic, only from a slightly different and perhaps more interesting angle. That is, why not forget the travel publications and ask some travel writers themselves – where do they want to travel in 2010? The folks at [...]

Destinations for 2010

It’s that time of year, when travel publications release lists of supposed hot spots for the coming year. The NY Times recently came out with their list of 31 places to go in 2010, which includes such destinations as these:
Damascus, Syria- The next Marrakesh? Perhaps mindful of the way that renovations of historic riads have [...]

Take a presidential road trip through Virginia

There has been a lot of politics in the news lately, and President Obama’s State of the Union speech is scheduled for Wednesday. So if you’ve got politics on your mind, or even if you’re just a fan of history, you might consider taking a presidential road trip through Virginia. That’s the topic of may [...]

Are Costa Ricans the happiest people in the world?

That’s the opinion of a number of studies, all recently quoted by NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof in an interesting piece that explores some of the possible reasons for why Costa Ricans are generally pretty content with their lives.
One reason, of course, may be the luck of their geography.
Maybe Costa Rican contentment has something to do with the chance to [...]

How Twitter (and technology) can change a culture

There is no doubt that Twitter has its fans and its detractors. There is also no doubt that this social networking phenomenon is affecting the way that millions of people interact online, as well as the means by which information is distributed. But can Twitter also be having an impact on a culture’s communication styles? [...]

Civil rights and African American history sites for MLK Day

Today is a holiday in the United States – Martin Luther King Day, which celebrates the life and legacy of the great civil rights leader, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and was assassinated in 1968. It’s a good time to explore some of the historic sites that were key to King’s life, to this country’s civil [...]

The food temptations of Syria

Do you enjoy food? Are you a traveler who likes to experience a culture through its cuisine? If so, then Syria should perhaps be on your list of future countries to visit. Yes, Syria. There was a great piece recently on NPR about the rise of Aleppo, Syria, as a destination for food lovers.
Aleppo, in [...]

Best bike destinations arond the world

So there are 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, not to mention places to see before they disappear, festivals to experience, destinations for food and wine lovers, and much, much more. But what about places to ride your bike before you die? It’s not a new book, but it is the fun title of a quite [...]

Bringing stand-up comedy to the Arab world

Do Arabs appreciate stand-up comedy? They do. At least, that seems to be the consensus of some North American comedians who recently appeared in Jordan. Interestingly, stand-up comedy is not common to all cultures. How can it be, when such comedy often involves insulting groups of people, and in particular governments and politicians? Such freedom of speech is [...]

Getting to know North Korea

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel to North Korea, one of the world’s most isolated and closed-off countries? If you’d like a glimpse into North Korean life, you should read the story that Dean Owen wrote for the LA Times about his recent experiences traveling in that country.
Visiting North Korea [...]

Bookstores, foliage drives and urban walking trails

What do all of the above have in common? They were all the subject of articles I wrote during the past year on travel destinations and experiences in North America. I put some of the best of these stories into a review article for Examiner.com.

 
Great urban walking trails – There is no shortage of great hiking [...]

Travel experiences for 2010

Welcome to a new year (and a new decade)! If you’re looking for not only a travel destination but also a travel experience for 2010, then this article from Lonely Planet is a good place to begin. It gives you nine great things to do in 2010, from Olympics to eclipses. Here is an excerpt:
Total eclipse [...]