I was originally attracted to Leif's website, Runaway Guide several years ago because of his unique adventures and the perspective he has gained from his travels on the cheap since the age of 16 - when he ran away from home. He has become an expert in extreme budget travel acquiring the skills and knowledge to survive on the road while spending as little money as possible. Oh and he makes cool in the moment, on the road travel videos to! Q. … [Read more...]
The Abominable Sumatran
"Get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty apes!" A shaggy American with a Yankees cap and soul patch spat out the words haltingly, photographing a rust-colored simpering simian with a winsome pout who looked vaguely human. Unfortunately, the American was me. It was a fair imitation of Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes. Except we weren't extras in a futuristic flick where evolution goes awry. (As you'll remember, in the film, … [Read more...]
The Olympics of Travel, 2014s Competitve Travel Adventure
Travelers are a competitive bunch, from "How many countries have you been to?" and "We've been there, did you do...?", to watching TV's The Amazing Race and saying, "I could do that!" A 2014 travel adventure competition is set to finally allow travelers to test their travel savvy and compete with other great travelers mano-a-mano for "The World's Greatest Traveler™" trophy and a free trip around the world. One former participant calls it … [Read more...]
Kutna Hora and the Chapel of Bones
John M. Edwards mispronounces the naughty-sounding destination “Kutna Hora” at a train station in Prague, a surreal stage set straight out of the Quentin Tarantino/Eli Roth shocker “HOSTEL,” set in Slovakia but filmed in the Czech Republic. . . . At Hlavni Nadrazi, Prague’s main train station, the large ugly lady in Aeroflot chic flinched when I ordered a roundtrip to the naughty-sounding “Kutna Hora,” mispronouncing my destination on purpose. … [Read more...]
The Newberry to Open Chicago’s Only Major Civil War Exhibition Duringthe War’s 150th Anniversary
NEWBERRY AND TERRA FOUNDATION TO MOUNT CHICAGOS ONLY MAJOR SESQUICENTENNIAL CIVIL WAR EXHIBITION Home Front: Daily Life in the Civil War North, September 27 through March 24 To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the US Civil War and in conjunction with the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Newberry Library will mount Home Front: Daily Life in the Civil War North, an exhibition of more than 100 items that focuses on the enormous, … [Read more...]
Southern Jordan, Fun in the Sun
We are watching the sun slowly drop below the Egyptian skyline here on the edge of the Red Sea merely 3 clicks from the Saudi border. It is so quiet from our mountain side desert perch. 6 minutes walking gets us to the beach. The air is warm and intoxicating. We are on the Jordanian side now. This arm of the Red Sea contains the world's most northerly coral reefs. The Red Sea is full of coral and brightly colored fish. Just got in from a 1 … [Read more...]
Deadline and Last Call for 2011 Around the World Travel Adventure Competition
SANTA MONICA, CA (5 January 2011) - Outside magazine calls it, "One of the 50 Most Amazing Trips in the World," Peter Greenberg says that, "Unlike The Amazing Race, this challenge is more about your ability to connect with cultures," while NationalGeographic.com says the travel competition is, "like Survivor, The Amazing Race and the Eco-Challenge all rolled into one except with much more cultural interaction." The 7th annual Global Scavenger … [Read more...]
Yosemite – Valley Floor
We heard someone once say that living in Mariposa County will turn you into a photographer. Perhaps just visiting Yosemite will do the trick. Picturesque locations await you from massive granite formations to amazing waterfalls, to sweeping mountain vistas to alpine lakes. 95% of the visitors to Yosemite National Park visit 5% of its total landmass - this 5% being the valley floor. As a result it is fairly easy to become immersed in Yosemite's … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Theme Parks
Disneyland Park is located at 1313 S Harbor Blvd off on the South West side of the 5 Freeway. You can take a free tram to the main park entrance from one of the parking garages. If you know where to look you can actually see parts of Disneyland peaking above the rest of the buildings as you zip down the 5 freeway. Everyone has heard of Disneyland with its theme rides, entertainment & attractions for all ages. This is the original Disneyland … [Read more...]
Market – La Paz (Bolivia)
"Son para dinero y trabajo," the plump little witch raises the talismans to eye level. "Con estos tu tendras buena suerte." Magic talismans for money and jobs? Do they work? Of course not, but I need all the luck I can get, so I purchase the talismans for five Bolivianos. Darn cheap if they'll do as claimed. Depositing the new toys in my leather shoulder bag I continue down the street, with my wife teasing me to the tune of "Raiders of the … [Read more...]