Chile sure has a lot of laid back and beautiful rural cities. And of all of these, Pucon has to be my favorite so far. The town lies on the shores of sprawling and beautiful Lago Villarrica, at an elevation of 227 meters, and surrounded in all directions by dramatic peaks covered in lush, green forests. Above all towers the glacier of the great volcano. Like the eye of Sauron, but perhaps less sinister, it keeps constant vigil over the valley … [Read more...]
About Abdul Rastagar
“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Hi, I’m Abdul, a father, husband, and all-around curious guy. I unwittingly became a frequent traveler as a baby and have chosen to never stop. Traveling the world, exploring diverse cultures, meeting different people and growing as a person with each new trip are at the core of my identity. I feel most refreshed when I’m randomly pointing at a menu written in a language I do not speak, having no clue what I just ordered.
I aim to use my travels and my writing to help bring our planet closer together. I left Twitter but you can still find me on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/rastagar).
From Los Angeles to Bogota – a Day Trip
Yup, you read the headline right. I made a day trip to Bogota, Colombia from Los Angeles, USA. I'm probably not the first one to do it, but I bet not many people have done it before. So how'd it happen? Mostly through my opportunism: I managed to squeeze in a stop in Bogota while on my way to Santiago, Chile. It wasn't really on my original plans but I had a choice of two flights - one with a 4-hour layover in Lima, Peru and one with a 16-hour … [Read more...]
The Inn at Newport Ranch: Northern California’s Premier Adventure Lodge
The Inn at Newport Ranch, located on the craggy Pacific coastline near Fort Bragg, CA in Mendocino County is perhaps the ideal location to explore California's wild northern coast. Simultaneously remote and accessible, this unique boutique adventure lodge boasts miles of uninterrupted oceanfront vistas, upscale dining, as well as an abundance of nature and adventure tours. The Inn was recognized on the 2018 Andrew Harper Grand Award Winner list, … [Read more...]
A Remarkable Stay at Brewery Gulch Inn
Nestled among groves of pines and redwoods along the rugged northern California coast, one finds the Brewery Gulch Inn, a remarkable hotel with an equally remarkable story. On multiple occasions, it has been voted one of the top hotels in both the US and in the world by Travel & Leisure Magazine as well as by Conde Naste. It is situated off California’s Highway 1, just south of the town of Mendocino, where the clear waters of the Pacific … [Read more...]
Yet Another Reason to Visit Boston
History, charm, architecture, food, theatre, culture, arts, sports teams, universities, marathons, regattas and so much else. There are more reasons to visit Boston than I can count. As if it needed any more reasons for a visit... But after my recent trip to Boston, my first one in four long years, I've found yet another one. The Seaport district, just east of Downtown Crossing and across the Bass River, has been reborn from a rusty junkyard to a … [Read more...]
The Greatest Spot in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is like few cities in the world. The mere name instantly conjures up more world-famous sights than I can name - the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame, the Getty Center and Museum, the California Science Center, Malibu, Pacific Coast Highway, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica and its pier, the boardwalk at Venice Beach, Universal Studios, Rodeo Drive, the Griffith Observatory, the Disney Concert Hall, Huntington Library and Gardens, and on … [Read more...]
Franconia Notch – an easy day trip from Boston
One of my favorite things to do when I used to live in Boston was to spend the weekend in one of the adjoining states. I'd load my car with my dog, grab a backpack and head out to either the Green Mountains in New Hampshire or the White Mountains in Vermont. Because the states in the US northeast are so small, getting there was all too easy. So when I visited Boston recently for a conference, I decided to extend my stay through the weekend and … [Read more...]
A Drive through the Avenue of the Giants
Few trees are as magnificent as the California coast redwoods - living behemoths whose size and height seem to make a mockery of other trees nearby. And while there are a handful of scattered locations around the state to see them, my absolute favorite place is the "Avenue of the Giants," an incredible 27 km (17 mile) drive through northern California's ancient redwood forest. The road is lined by some of the largest trees in the world. It … [Read more...]
How I Twice Failed in Saint Augustine (and still won)
Nope, it's not Jamestown. Nor is it Plymouth. And neither is it the lost colony of Roanoke. Bet you didn't know, the oldest permanent European settlement in the US was founded in St. Augustine, Florida by Spanish conquistadors as early as 1565. It predates the next oldest European city (Santa Fe, New Mexico) by more than 4 decades. As of the time of this writing, the city has been continuously inhabited for 453 years. By North American standards, … [Read more...]
Three California Roads Less Traveled
It's easy to argue that California is the land freeways and automobiles. And with its massive scale and incredible geographic diversity, there are plenty of scenic routes to explore. We've all heard of the world-famous drives, like the section of the Pacific Coast Highway through Big Sur or Mulholland Drive through the Hollywood Hills. While I have plenty of favorites, I'd like to share three lesser-known routes. There are, of course, many more … [Read more...]