Holland celebrated their own King's birthday (Willem-Alexander) for the 3rd year in a row in April 2016. This fun event is known as "Koningsdag" or "King's Day" and is held on April 27, a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Two of the Netherland's largest brands, KLM and Heineken, joined forces to celebrate this special occasion in variety of ways including bringing a lavishly decorated bright orange boat to the canals of … [Read more...]
Travel back in Time with a History Tour of The Vinoy in St. Petersburg Florida
When we went to St. Petersburg, Florida last week, we were fortunate enough to receive a private tour of The Vinoy, located along the waterside. I truly felt as if we had stepped back in time to a golden age of Florida travel, long before Walt Disney World. If you're looking for an authentic Florida experience, I invite you to travel back in time with a history tour of The Vinoy hotel. No wayback machine, Deloreans, phone booths or hot tub … [Read more...]
Heli Ski Alaska? Heli Yes!
My penultimate bucket list ski experience has always been to heli ski in Alaska—miles of untouched powder and fresh lines for days. No lift lines, no resort creature comforts and nothing but badass skiing. As my blog will tell you, after a year of planning I was pretty stoked when my brother and I joined up with Dean Cummings’ H2O Guides to heli ski the 4,000 square-mile playground called the Chuggach Mountains near Valdez, Alaska. Whether … [Read more...]
The Hardest Place in the World to Visit
The covering has the disconcerting effect of obnubilating as well as illuminating the woman behind it. Shrouded in black niqab and ankle-length abaya, she floats towards me. Behind, her friends are firing salvos of cell-phone photos, as though we foreigners are exotic beasts in a zoo. She stops, and through her veil, in perfect English, asks, “Where are you from?” “California.” “What city?” “Los Angeles.” “What part?” … [Read more...]
My Climb of Mount Ararat
Climbing Mount Ararat was a dream of mine since childhood! I would stare at the picture posted above the chalkboard exactly in the center of the room at Armenian School and think, “Why are we just looking at? Why can’t we climb to the top?” I have been blessed that my life has taken me to nearly 60 countries where I connected with Armenian communities in South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Our language, food, and music … [Read more...]
Daytona Beach, Florida: Dining Delights
When you hear the words Daytona Beach, I’d bet money NASCAR, Spring Break and sandy stretches of the Atlantic Ocean come to mind. While these are some of its prized attributes, this down-to-earth Florida beach town is making unexpected waves in the culinary arena. It has blossomed into an emerging destination for travelers looking to combine a seaside holiday with delicious dining. Daytona Beach enjoys a throwback quality rich in … [Read more...]
Five Ways Travel Helps Your Writing
Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar There’s a plummy quote from Thoreau’s Walden that must open this discussion: “Not till we are lost ... not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves … Henry David was centering on getting lost in nature there, and thus freed of some of the day-to-day material constraints and pressures, but the message applies well to writers, and to the value of getting “lost” in travel. Value sometimes in getting … [Read more...]
A Surprise Weekend in Glorious Budapest
Everyone had just left. After celebrating my birthday and some basic tidying up we sat down for a moment. “Why don’t you check your email?” she asked. I took the hint. Taking out my iPhone I opened the email app. And there I saw confirmation I was flying to Budapest on Friday. Now that confused me - she was supposed to be attending a conference in Budapest the following month. She quickly filled me in on the details. She was … [Read more...]
The Knife Dallas
Texas has its stereotypes: everything is bigger, everyone wears cowboy hats, you gotta get a steak. The last time I went through Texas, I stopped at Amarillo tourist trap The Big Texan Steak Ranch, famous for serving up a 72-oz. steak free to anyone who can take down the whole thing in an hour. When once again in Texas—Dallas over the weekend for a quick work trip—I went for something a bit more sophisticated. You'll find The Knife, helmed by … [Read more...]
A Grape Grows in Myanmar
The vines of Burgundy, Tuscany and Napa Valley produce some of the world’s most polished pours. While you can use many superlatives to describe these oenophile’s Disneyland, it’s a stretch of the imagination to describe any of these famed wine-producing regions as undiscovered. While Myanmar is no threat to Bordeaux as the next global grape deity, I was surprised that any wine at all is being produced here. The pagoda-laden landscape may not … [Read more...]
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