Road Trip Day 4 – Onward Through Oklahoma
After an overnight stay at the ultra-modern, somewhat-swanky Aloft Tulsa, we headed out into Oklahoma (where, yes, the wind really DOES come sweeping down...
Road Trip Day 3 – Exploring Caves and Remembering Joplin
After bidding farewell to St. Louis, we headed west on I-44 on Day 3, taking short jaunts on old Route 66 just for fun...
Road Trip Day 2 – Melting in St. Louis
Very little of Day 2 of our road trip was actually spent on the road. In fact, most of it was spent OFF the...
Road Trip Day 1 – Racetracks and Santa Claus
Road Trip 2011 started off with a bang! Day One took us across multiple state borders (5 states in all — Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois...
Road Trip ’11 – So It Begins
It's August 1st, and that can only mean one thing — it's time for my great American road trip to begin! Check back here...
A Day in Yellow Springs – Ohio’s Hippie Enclave
The counterculture movement is alive and well in Yellow Springs, Ohio. This hippie-minded village in Southwest Ohio has always sort of fascinated me, ever since...
Cultures Converging at Rangiatea Church
I'm not necessarily a very religious person. Yes, I was raised as a Catholic, and yes, I have been to the Vatican. But my religiosity...
Life Is Short. Travel Now.
We've all heard the saying “Life is short.” And, sometimes, it is. But life is also unpredictable. Even though we all probably have dreams...
Conservation on Kapiti Island
“What’s even on the Kapiti Coast? Don’t go there. You’ll be so bored.” It was a common warning I heard as I traveled through...
Doubtful Sound: Milford Sound’s Underrated Little Brother
There’s no doubt about it — Doubtful Sound can give Milford Sound a run for its money. Doubtful Sound, a misnamed fjord located on...
Shotover Jet – A Thrilling Jetboat Ride
Picture this: A twisting, turning, terrifyingly narrow canyon looms in front of you. You’re shooting toward it in a large red boat, going more...
Why Guided Tours are Not the Devil
I know not everyone is a fan of guided tours. In fact, among the travel community, many people look down upon those who would...
Ohio Adventure: A Long Weekend in and Around Sandusky, Ohio
Ohio may not be at the top of many people's U.S. travel plans. In fact, I know it probably isn’t. We don't have the...
The Ultimate Travel Guide to Queenstown, New Zealand
I always say that Wellington is my favorite New Zealand city. But then I get to Queenstown, and almost start second-guessing myself. Because Queenstown...
Adventure on New Zealand’s Franz Josef Glacier
It’s not every day that the average person has the opportunity to frolic around on a slab of ice that’s thousands of years old....
What the Hell is There to do in Greymouth, Anyway?
Not all travel days are going to be good travel days. No matter how much we try to ignore it, the fact is that,...
Riding the Rails in NZ – The TranzAlpine
The wind in my hair. Sunshine on my face. Stunning scenery slipping by… Okay, so it was actually more like wind strong enough to...