An Ode to San Francisco Street Art
When I think of murals and street art, I think automatically of San Francisco. Partly because it's one of the first cities in which...
Visting Windy, Beautiful Castlepoint in New Zealand
The day was sunny, but cool. A strong wind was buffeting sand into our faces, so that it crunched when we closed our teeth...
Relaxing at Iceland’s Blue Lagoon
It was like being in some sort of late-night-food-induced dream. You know, the kind where you're walking on the ceiling and people are climbing...
Postcards from New Zealand
It's been nearly a year since my last trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud. And yet there's not a day that...
Fire and Ice in Iceland
After my unexpected near-death experience on a snow-covered Icelandic mountain, I really didn't know what to expect from the second half of the “Essential...
The Time I Almost Died in Iceland
It's no secret that writers often exaggerate events in order to make them seem more interesting or exciting. You know, like writing about “a...
The Hidden People (Elves) of Iceland
Myths, legends, folk tales — I love them all, especially as they relate to new places I travel to. They are a great insight...
The Sights of Iceland’s South Shore
When I went to Iceland for the first time (way back in 2012, before the country became an Instagram darling), I arrived with very...
The Horses of Iceland
I've always had a bit of a soft spot for horses. There's just something about these gentle giants that melts my heart — their...
Amanda vs. Food – The Iceland Edition
I'm not a very adventurous eater. I like the IDEA of being an adventurous eater, though, and so even if my stomach doesn't always...
What You’ll See in Iceland’s Golden Circle
The Golden Circle. The bread and butter of tourism in Iceland. This popular 300 km loop from Reykjavik into central Iceland is the single...
15 Fun Facts About Iceland
The Land of Fire and Ice has become a tourism darling in the past couple of years – and for good reason: Iceland is...
What to Pack for a Trip to Iceland (in Winter)
In the past few years, Iceland has suddenly shot to the top of many travel bucket lists. The little island country is unlike any...
DOs and DON’Ts on a Great American Road Trip
I think just about every American teenager (and probably plenty from abroad, as well) has dreamt about driving across the country in an epic...
Striking it Rich in New Zealand – Panning for Gold in Ross
Just as Alaska and the American West experienced gold rushes in the mid-1800s, so, too, did New Zealand, literally on the other side of...
Up Close With Dinosaurs in the Everglades
There's a place I know of where you can get up close and personal with dinosaurs. Yes. I said DINOSAURS. No, no, no, not THAT kind...
Don’t Be a Scaredy Cat – Just Travel
People make all sorts of excuses for why they can't travel — they don't have the time, they don't have the money, they don't...