I’ve lived in Santa Rosa since 2009, and for most of that time I’ve made a living installing till and ordering systems for restaurants and tasting rooms around Sonoma and Napa. It’s not a glamorous job. But it means I’ve stood behind more tasting bars than most sommeliers, usually holding a screwdriver instead of a glass, and I notice how a winery handles its bills long before I notice what’s in the bottle. Wine country is hard on a tab. A … [Read more...]
Lone Pine Before Whitney – What a PMS for Small Hotel Does
I pulled into Lone Pine just before seven on Friday, August 15, 2025, with a day-use permit for Mt. Whitney in my glovebox and a 38-liter pack on the passenger seat that I'd packed twice that morning. I'd booked two nights at a 16-room motel on Main Street, $148 a night, so I could sleep a few hours, start up the trail around two in the morning, and come back down to a bed. The lobby was full of people in trail runners. All of them wanted the … [Read more...]
Why I Went to Lamjung Instead of the Annapurna Circuit
We were at the junction in Besisahar where the road splits, and everyone else in the vehicle was going north, up the Marsyangdi, toward the Annapurna Circuit and the teahouses and the pass at 5,416 metres that people fly across the world to walk over. I asked to be let out at the turn for Hugdi. The driver repeated the name back to me twice. Then he shrugged in the way Nepali drivers shrug at foreigners and at locals who are behaving like … [Read more...]
A First-Timer’s Guide to Exploring the Liwa Desert, UAE
The first time you crest a dune in Liwa and see nothing but rolling sand stretching to the horizon, it genuinely stops you for a second. This is the edge of the Empty Quarter, the largest continuous sand desert on Earth, and it sits just a few hours from Abu Dhabi's skyscrapers. Most visitors go in expecting a quick photo stop and end up wishing they had planned for a full day, or an overnight stay, once they see how vast and quiet it really … [Read more...]
Minalungao National Park: A Scenic Nueva Ecija Escape for Nature Lovers
Nueva Ecija is often known for rice fields, peaceful towns, and wide provincial roads, but hidden within General Tinio is one of Central Luzon’s most photogenic nature destinations: Minalungao National Park. With its emerald river, towering limestone cliffs, bamboo rafts, hanging bridge, caves, and scenic hilltop views, Minalungao has become one of the most visited nature spots in Nueva Ecija. It is a favorite day-trip destination for travelers … [Read more...]
Flying Out of Kuala Lumpur? Smart Transit Routes from Singapore and Johor Bahru to KL & KLIA
Catching a flight out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport does not have to mean an expensive domestic flight or a stressful scramble the morning of. If you live in Singapore or Johor Bahru and you are chasing cheaper KLIA fares, going overland is usually the better call, and for a lot of travellers it starts with a JB to KL bus. It is not the only way in, but it is the one that turns a plain transfer into something worth doing. So which … [Read more...]
Surviving the World’s Most Dangerous Road: A Death Road Story
The fog rolled in before we'd even left La Cumbre, curling around the bikes stacked against the van like it was trying to talk us out of it. We were 4,650 metres up, the air thin enough that pulling on my gloves left me slightly out of breath, and somewhere below us, 61km of gravel, cliff edge and reputation was waiting. Bolivia's Yungas Road didn't earn the nickname "El Camino de la Muerte" for nothing. Carved through the Andes in the 1930s by … [Read more...]
Why Malapascua Island Is Still One of Cebu’s Most Rewarding Island Trips
Malapascua Island is one of the most memorable island destinations in Cebu, especially for travelers who want something more purposeful than a normal beach vacation. Many people know it because of thresher shark diving, but the island is also worth visiting for slow travel, snorkeling, quiet beach walks, local food, and simple island life. Located in Daanbantayan, Cebu, Malapascua sits off the northern tip of Cebu Island. It is not as easy to … [Read more...]
How active is tourism in Kyiv in 2026?
Before anything else, a disclaimer. Ukraine is at war. As of mid-2026 Russia is still hitting Kyiv with missiles and drones, including some of the deadliest strikes on the city since the full-scale invasion began. This is not a normal city break, and nothing below is a nudge to pretend otherwise. Most governments, including the United States and the United Kingdom, currently advise their citizens not to travel to Ukraine at all. Please read … [Read more...]
Oriental Mindoro: An Island of Wonders, Waves, and Living Traditions
Oriental Mindoro in the Philippines does not reveal itself gradually. The descent by propeller plane lays it bare all at once — emerald highlands, coastline, open water — a geography that is as direct as it is striking. First impressions here are rarely wrong. My journey began in Calapan City, the provincial capital, a bustling hub that serves as the perfect introduction to the region's unique character. Unlike the frenetic energy of Manila, … [Read more...]
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