I travel because I like to shake up my routine. A college professor convinced me years ago that experimentation with different ways of doing things and breaking routines is exercise for the brain. It makes people more alert, healthier and helps to stave off Alzheimer’s disease. I figure reading a map and navigating a new city or deciphering a menu … Read More

I travel because it makes for good stories, even the bad experiences. Especially the bad experiences. How could I ever forget being on a converted fishing boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with seven people I couldn’t stand and mice that ate through everyone’s luggage? Or camping in Africa where the only possibility for dinner one night was … Read More

I travel because deep within me burns an insatiable hunger to try new things. I’m an experience junkie. When traveling it’s impossible to know exactly what will happen, who I’ll strike up a conversation with, what I’ll learn, what trouble I’ll get into. New places often surprise and delight me in unpredictable ways. In Barcelona, my hotel was right on … Read More

Thirty years ago, I spent a few days in Kuala Lumpur before leaving for an extended trip through Indonesia. At the time the city hadn’t raised the towering skyscrapers for which it is now known. It was an eclectic mix of British influences, Asian traditions, Malay and Islamic sensibilities. I walked from a street market packed with local foods, to … Read More

A good friend told me before I traveled to India ten years ago, “You’ll see some of the most beautiful sights and some of the ugliest, and they’re often right next to each other. Focus on the beauty.” She was correct. One constant was the expressive and lovely faces of the people I met. Camel tenders, actors, tradespeople, shaman and … Read More

On this day 20 years ago, I stayed with friends in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Close by is a large valley populated primarily by Amish and Mennonites. We spent the day taking in the beauty of the area and its unique culture. The valley is long and deep. Prosperous looking farms dot the landscape; along back roads were horse-drawn buggies, one room … Read More

When I last visited the Museum of Pop Culture, it was called the Experience Music Project. Since being established by Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 it’s been evolving, changing exhibition focus, programs and its name. The one constant is its striking, strange home designed by Frank Gehry. Gehry is known for unusual buildings—among them the Guggenheim Bilbao and LA’s … Read More

In 1993 I traveled several times to Australia on business. Each trip I took a few extra days to explore. Sometimes I had plans, other destinations were set by whim or the recommendations of Australians I worked with. I decided to go to Tasmania while in Melbourne. One of the admin assistants arranged for flights, rental car, and hotels. For … Read More

I traveled to Boise several times for meetings with Idaho’s iconic company – Ore-Ida Potatoes. On one trip I took extra time, rented a car and traveled around the state. Craters of the Moon national monument was an unexpected delight. I’d anticipated lava flows similar to what I’d seen at volcanic sites in Hawaii, the Galapagos, Indonesia and Costa Rica. … Read More

I’ve told many travelers to New Zealand that Abel Tasman National Park is a must-see destination. It’s difficult to get to, but well worth the effort. A boat ride is needed to get inside the park. Once there, there are pristine hiking trails, empty beaches and ferns and foliage that defy imagination. Just outside the park, where these photos were … Read More