Travels in the Riel World » North America

Christmas markets around the world

Twinkling lights. Christmas trees. Gingerbread houses. Hot chocholate and mulled wine. And, of course, a chilly night spent traipsing through a city square. What could be more festive than a visit to a Christmas market?

December 23, 2011 'Best of' lists, how we live 0 Comments

Riel World photo – Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

Balloons take to the sky at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

November 19, 2011 Photos - Travel Sites 0 Comments

Photo essay – Images of Monument Valley

If you had to choose one iconic image of the American West it may very well be Monument Valley. This photo essay takes a look at the red buttes and mesas of this dramatic landscape.

September 3, 2011 Photo Essays 1 Comment

Birth of Democracy road trip

A road trip that explores the birth of democracy in the U.S. From Massachusetts to Virginia, this journey will take you to historic sites that played a key role in the country’s founding and in the formation of a new American government.

July 3, 2011 Road Trip Itineraries 1 Comment

Seven space-themed museums

If you’re fascinated by space travel, then it may be time for you to explore some of these intriguing space-related destinations that are scattered across the United States.

May 21, 2011 7 Spectacular Places 0 Comments

Riel World photo – Snow in the desert

Snow in the Sonoran Desert – from a February 2011 storm near Tucson, Arizona.

March 30, 2011 Photos - Landscapes 0 Comments

Road Trip through the Literary Midwest

Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut and Laura Ingalls Wilder are just some of the writers who hail from the American heartland. If you love literature, you could do a lot worse than to craft a literary road trip through the Midwest.

January 30, 2011 Road Trip Itineraries 4 Comments

The rise of the Arctic north

We don’t usually think of the Arctic region in terms of geopolitics or economic development. But a new book – “The World in 2050″ -posits that the Arctic will become a global force in the decades ahead, driven both by its untapped natural resources and its impact on climate change.

November 20, 2010 countries & regions 0 Comments

Obama and democracy in Asia

If you go behind the headlines of President Obama’s current trip to Asia, you can see that much of the agenda has been devoted to engaging with other democratic nations and promoting shared values. Here is a snapshot of the trip from that perspective.

November 12, 2010 politics/law 0 Comments

Seven travel-worthy independent bookstores

Do you love bookstores? Do you enjoy wandering the aisles, fingering the titles that line the shelves, breathing in the scent of new books, and looking for unfamiliar treasures? Then you’ll enjoy this look at some of America’s most interesting independent bookstores.

November 8, 2010 7 Spectacular Places 2 Comments