I love Colorado. I also love hiking. I’d like to share two of my favorite hikes in Colorado. MAROON BELLS (Aspen, CO) Aspen is gorgeous, so of course, hiking in Aspen is spectacular. The views while hiking the Maroon Bells are simply breathtaking. I took the 6 mile round trip to the pristine Crater Lake. The hike began with ease. However, it quickly became an uphill, rocky climb and proved to be quite difficult. It is not impossible, as … [Read more...]
MGM National Harbor—Local Flavors, International Appeal
It may sound like a crock of balderdash to start out a review of a luxury resort with a statement about how happy the employees seem. Or that the property has transformed an area by emphasizing local hiring and local artists. But cross my heart, the service people weren’t smiling at Maryland’s MGM National Harbor resort because they were Westworld robots. And the place has such regional roots that the very clay from the property … [Read more...]
4 Classic San Francisco photos and where to shoot them
Point your camera in any direction in San Francisco and you will capture the city’s iconic beauty, distinctive architecture and diverse people. Golden Gate Bridge, the city skyline, Alcatraz Island and the Palace of Fine arts are four among many that immediately say “San Francisco”. There are many places where you can capture these four icons with a camera but these suggested spots offer unobstructed views and a minimum of people. They're … [Read more...]
Puebla – City of Angels
Mexico City. Acapulco. Puerta Vallarta. Cancun. If you're like most people, these are the Mexican cities you are familiar with. However, Puebla, or La Puebla de los Angeles (“the city of the angels,”) is the most beautiful Mexican city that you've likely never heard of. Only a couple of hours from Mexico City, I first visited it during a backpacking trip in 2005, more by coincidence than by design, and was astounded by one of the most remarkable … [Read more...]
Florida’s Oldest and Largest Flea Market
The Market, as we kids called it, has been in existence as long as I can remember. Looking through the eyes of youth, it seemed huge, with lots of sheds and tables and vendors. To us, it was the perfect playground, especially during the long hot days of summer. As I grew into adulthood, I began to realize what an important role the Market played in the lives of so many, especially the farmers who were its mainstays. The Need to Survive In … [Read more...]
A Most Unusual Walk in Panama City
It’s tough to walk a mile in the shoes of someone who’s been shot. But it’s worth the walk anyway, to learn about how people gone bad can find their way to good. In the Central American country of Panama, Panama City’s Casco Viejo neighborhood is a great place to do it. I’m walking with former bad boy Samuel Palacio through Casco Viejo, a historic district in Panama City that has long been riddled with crime, much of it gang related. Samuel … [Read more...]
A Family Discovery of the Natural Beauty of Jasper and Its Environs
Packing up the van as we loaded up the children and luggage from our hotel in Edmonton, we embarked on the Jasper area of the Canadian Rockies adventure hoping to find snow-capped mountains, turquoise lakes, raging waterfalls and animals of the area. My daughter Muna and I were travelling with my eldest grandson Laith, Maria his wife and their two inquisitive sons, Bilal and Tamer. As we left the city anxious to visit Alberta’s natural wonders … [Read more...]
Hot Springs, Arkansas – A CouchSurfer’s Slant on Immersion
A smile of contentment warms the crisp evening breeze, as my Big-Easy reality eases back to its default setting: A humbled existence devoted to saving lives, amidst the controlled chaos of a stressful clinical environment. Just a few days back, the dullness of my royal blue nursing scrubs surrendered to the brightness of my candy pink hiking suit. The travel bug took an awful bite! It is nudging this brown-eyed, fun-size wanderlust to defy … [Read more...]
Indianapolis is for Vonnegut Lovers
Books and authors have an incredible ability to direct travel trends. UK based tours around Harry Potter are the most obvious example, but less ambitious tomes often speak to readers. I can remember when I first encountered Kurt Vonnegut. My high school American literature seminar required reading from a selected list of contemporary writers. Where others reached for The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, I ended up with Cat's Cradle. It was … [Read more...]
The Best Santa Cruz Beaches
California is well known for its awesome weather, beloved beaches, and monster waves. Originally known as the Grizzly Bear State but the bear population went extinct due to hunting and human activity, the state is now commonly known as the Golden State. The sun is what makes California so epic and especially the beaches of Santa Cruz. There is a stunning array of beaches in Santa Cruz, you would be hard pressed to visit them all in one day … [Read more...]
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