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...]
Amasya, a Gem in Turkey’s Black Sea Region
As so often happens, it all started with a story. “Have you ever heard the legend of Ferhat and Sirin?” my Turkish friend asked whilst we were discussing some pretty interesting Turkish folklore characters of which there are plenty. “No,” I replied, ear cocked and pen poised, ready to take note of another tale for my growing collection. “Ah, it’s so sad, sooo romantic,” she sighed being a consummate actress into the bargain. “You see, it all … [Read more...]
Basecamp Ortelius, Ushuaia to Antarctica Cruise with Oceanwide Expeditions
Oceanwide Expeditions is a pioneer in cruise-based exploration of both Antarctica and the Arctic regions. Based in the Netherlands and with an office in Houston - their focus is on small ship Antarctica & Arctic cruise adventures to parts of the world that see relatively few visitors. Many of the staff on board have been with the company for years. In an environment where there is an extremely thin line for survival, safety is paramount; in … [Read more...]
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