Back in 2019, I had just started to run more regularly when I heard about the San Juan Island Half Marathon. The pictures looked gorgeous—running along slightly rolling hills with awesome sea views on an island off the coast of Washington. I signed up for the race,...
The San Diego Zoo has two new habitats—Komodo Kingdom houses Komodo dragons and Hummingbird Habitat features colorful birds. Here is what's new at the San Diego Zoo. Standing in a light-filled aviary full of tropical plants at the San Diego Zoo feels a world away from...
Lewisburg, West Virginia is one of those places that pops up on the best small towns lists for its surprisingly high cuteness quotient. Boutiques, antiques, good restaurants, historic architecture—you’ll find it all in downtown Lewisburg. So if you’re on a West...
I was only a few feet off the ground when I looked at the rock face stretching blankly and bleakly above me. My rock climbing instructor in West Virginia's New River Gorge National Park encouraged me to reach way overhead and stick my hand in a dark crevice. What...
As somebody who is fanatical about baths and bathtubs, I had long wanted to visit Hot Springs, Arkansas. The town, also known as Spa City, began when people sought out its healing waters. I was originally going to visit in April 2020. But then Covid struck. I had...
Everybody has heard of Seattle. But even though I live only a few hours south in Portland, Oregon, I was unfamiliar with some of the towns just south of that famous Washington city. There’s a Des Moines in Washington? SeaTac is the name of a town, not just the...
When people think of visiting Jamaica, resorts, beaches, and pools are usually top of mind. But the capital city of Kingston makes for a fascinating urban stopover. If you want to learn about life in a modern Caribbean country outside the resorts, tack on a couple of...
In Door County, summer is short and sweet. So short that chain hotels don’t want to build here, so the “Cape Cod of the Midwest” remains delightfully full of Mom and Pop businesses. So sweet that this Wisconsin peninsula sticking out into Lake Michigan like an injured...
A summer afternoon in the Texas highland lakes region: cicadas buzzing, sun burning, even the snakes hiding out in bushes. People inside hugging the A/C, swigging sweet tea. But it doesn’t have to be like that. On my trip to Burnet County, Texas—58 miles northwest of...
You have already read about 10 amazing experience and 5 wow culinary moments from my visit to Jordan. Now here are a few of my favorite Jordan hotels from a recent trip. From five-star hotels to desert camps to local B&Bs, the country of Jordan has excellent,...