Mt. Rainier National Park - If you are in the great state of Washington, USA consider a visit to its most famous mountain, Mt. Rainier. This mountain is one of the tallest mountains in the lower 48 states, topping out at 14,410 feet under its huge jagged upper glacier covered slopes. If you plan on climbing to the top, having a guide is recommended unless you have prior roped up experience with glaciers, crevasses and rock falls. For the less … [Read more...]
The G.A.P Top 5: Travel Memories
This was enormously difficult for me. First of all, choosing a top five is never easy. Ranking was totally out of the question! And then condensing days and days of vivid and rich experiences into a little summarized blurb was near impossible. I could go on and on but here are 5 of my fondest travel experiences. Montezuma, Costa Rica Body-surfed for breakfast after having watched the spectacular sunrise through my tattered tent door then … [Read more...]
Choquequirao – the Real Lost City of the Inca
Machu Picchu is one of those things you can't miss, even if you hate crowds and band wagons. It is undoubtedly gorgeous and profound. However, all that 'lost city' stuff sounds like a cheap cliche these days. What is so lost about a shiny train, a bunch of new coaches, international cuisine, inflated tourist trap prices, tactical formations of retired Japanese and millions of North-American kids screaming for mommy? Machu Picchu is a Very Much … [Read more...]
A Brush with Africa
But it took more than two decades in England, a self-confessed dull career in manufacturing, before these youthful experiences found expression in a style of art that has captured the very essence of Africa. What strikes you first about Simon's paintings is the extraordinary colour: an earthy yellow that manages to be both intense and transparently delicate. This is the colour of Africa and Simon achieved it in an accidental and unorthodox way. … [Read more...]
The Ride of Our Lives
What was their son, Mike, thinking when he took a sabbatical from his job with NBC News so he could pile these two world-class originals along with three of his grown kids and a daughter-in-law into a pair of rented RVs and hit the road for a month? Mike was thinking that he wanted to give his parents the ultimate family reunion. And so, one February morning, three generations of Leonard's set out on their journey under the dazzling Arizona … [Read more...]
The Ben Franklin House, London – June 2006
Ben Franklin House - When in London consider visiting the Ben Franklin House located close to the popular Trafalgar Square at 36 Craven Street. This is the only "Franklin" house still in existence and it was opened to the public only in early 2006. This home was built in 1730 and Franklin lived there for almost 16 years from 1757 and 1775. This house was also the first de facto US Embassy. Franklin was a man of many talents and is credited … [Read more...]
Language Abroad: When Your French is Bad, An English-Speaking Stranger Can Become an Intimate Friend
It was five days into my research trip to Rennes-le-Chateau, a village in the French Pyrenean foothills, and I was lonely. Gathering details for my novel, I had hiked the hilly red dirt of the countryside dotted with helm oaks and dry broom, had walked the narrow roads of the village to the accompaniment of squawking roosters, and had admired the humble stucco houses. I stood in the rooms of the presbytery where my characters -- a priest and his … [Read more...]
BBQ Goat in Oaxaca: The Pomp, Ceremony and Tradition
Some say it's one of the oldest professions in Oaxaca, yet it garners little if any respect from most of the population notwithstanding the tradition and ceremony that has been its trademark for generations: the chivero, or slayer and preparer of goat, and its barbequing Some say it's one of the oldest professions in Oaxaca, yet it garners little if any respect in a clay, in-ground oven. There are a number of caprine cattle that are cooked in … [Read more...]
Leave Your Fondue Pot At Home: Travel To Switzerland
Switzerland, formally known as The Confederation Helvetica, is a landlocked mountainous haven in the heart of Europe. Partially due to the isolating geography, the Swiss people have maintained a strong commitment to tradition, independence and the preservation of their long-established way of life. Hence, it is very important for the traveler to note that Switzerland is not a member of the European Union and uses the Swiss Franc as their form of … [Read more...]
The Getty Villa, Malibu California – May 2006
Getty Villa Malibu California - The intimate Getty Villa is nestled in a canyon in Malibu just off of the Pacific Coast Highway. This museum houses over a thousand antiquities and other works of art from the Romans, Greeks and Etruscans. In addition to the unique works of art, be sure to visit the Outer Peristyle complete with a long reflecting pool, landscaped gardens and walkways. This museum is more intimate than its younger brother the … [Read more...]
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