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,...
Before visiting Jordan, I’d only seen pictures of desert and the ancient archeological site of Petra. Did any vegetables grow there? As a vegetarian, what would I eat? Turns out, through the wonders of irrigation and greenhouses, Jordan has tons of fresh food. Here...
For a small Middle Eastern country dominated by desert, Jordan sure has a lot to do. Bordered by Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Palestine, visitors can expect Holy Land sites, archeological digs, and basically a lot of really old history. I spent a memorable...