In the middle of a never-ending, steep, dismal scree slope, I paused to catch my breath. Just a few hundred feet more, I thought. That wouldn’t get me to the top. That would just get me to a collection of rocks where I hoped I could actually get some footing. I was burning tons of [...]
Posts under ‘travel planning’
Going to Costa Rica? 9 Tips to Help
Costa Rica is not showing any signs of slowing as a popular destination for Americans. And for good reason. The place is flat-out fun, with beautiful rainforests, rampant wildlife and
genuinely wonderful people (even those who don’t work in the tourism industry). It’s been a few years since my visit, but I still have some tips [...]
5 Things to Do in 48 Hours – San Diego Edition
There’s no shortage of stuff to do in Southern California. Any visit will keep you occupied. But there’s more to San Diego than a zoo and Sea World. I didn’t get too far off the beaten path on my recent visit, but I dug up a few fun things with a minimum of repetition from [...]
Thoughts on the Demise of National Geo Adventure
After more than 10 years, National Geographic Adventure is going to stop publishing.
As an adventurous sort of cat, how should I feel about this? The truth is, aside for the people losing their jobs, I just don’t really care. I picked up many editions of the magazine whenever I’d spy something interesting on the cover. [...]
Hotel Review – InnSuites Tucson Foothills
Living in Phoenix in the fall and winter is pretty sweet. I’m just now starting to forget four months of scorching, unrelenting summer heat. I can go outside without fear of dehydration!
But still, I needed a change of scenery. That lead Sarah and me to Tucson to hike a bit and check out the Arizona-Sonoran [...]
Air Travel Smackdown – OneWorld Versus Star Alliance!
Because I fly out of Phoenix Sky Harbor, I’ve collected the majority of my air miles on US Airways. I’ve also scooped up decent amounts from Continental and American. All of these are members of either oneworld or Star Alliance – you know, those associations of various airlines that seem to have no real benefit aside from making [...]
5 Places to See the Northern Lights
I’ve just made a decision: I need to see the Northern Lights. You know … the aurora borealis. Can you imagine how cool it must be to see that dark sky above you light up with multicolored swirls of electrons? The jury is still out and whether you can actually hear the aurora; it occurs [...]
5 Places That Will Make You Happy to Be Alive
A friend of mine recently got back from Hawaii. I commented in his blog that Hawaii has a vibe that makes you feel lighter. It’s like the drag of gravity abates. You breathe easier. Your shoulders relax, moving away from your ears. The air smells better, and food tastes better.
“It makes you happy to be [...]
Localyte.com – Local Know-how, or Just Pushing Products?
There’s nothing like expert advice from a friendly person in the know who lives at your destination. The guys at Localyte.com seem to have created their site intending to connect travelers with exactly that sort of local expert.
I’d never heard of the site until one of its creators contacted me, hoping I’d put a widget [...]
American Hotels are a Rip-Off
I was somewhat excited about an upcoming trip to Boston. Then I started researching hotel prices.
Check this out:
1 night in a generic hotel in Boston = $210
Now contrast that to these (bear in mind that I generally travel just slightly off the peak seasons, but not much):
1 night in a British Bristol freighter airplane turned [...]
