A serene sojourn on San Juan Island
I sat motionless in my kayak, quietly gazing at the subdued land and seascape. The sky was grey, the water was flat, the wind was absent. Heaven. The heavy skies and occasional drizzle didn’t bother me. It was all just part of the moody ambience of the Pacific Northwest. I was midway through a three-day visit to San Juan Island in Washington State. The San Juan Islands — which... READ MORE
A visit to Cairo and cruise down the Nile
My first impression on the ride from the Cairo airport to my hotel was: Big city. Cars and motorcycles battled for space in the traffic, their horns raising a constant din. Lighted signs for McDonald’s, Burger King and other familiar fast-food restaurants vied for attention with billboards touting trendy women’s fashions. Gradually, more anticipated touches of the destination... READ MORE
Visit little-known conservation museum
As Congress considers a bill to create a Civilian Climate Corps, legislators might visit a little-known Richmond-area museum to study a much-lauded 1930s model. Nestled in the woods in Pocahontas State Park, 20 miles from downtown Richmond, is a museum dedicated to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a New Deal initiative that employed Americans from 1933 to 1942. The one-story,... READ MORE
Your airport lounge options just grew
If you know you’ll be stuck in an airport for a few hours on your next trip, why not make your layover more comfortable? Plaza Premium is selling a new Americas Pass that offers two visits to a set of airport lounges in North and South America during a year for $59. Participating lounges are located at Dallas-Ft. Worth, Newark, San Francisco and Washington Dulles in America, at... READ MORE
Hawaii’s green island soothes the mind
There is a saying that Hawaii is not a state of mind but a state of grace. I found that to be true during five perfect days in Kauai (Ka-wai’-ee, rhymes with Hawaii) last winter. People often tell you about their favorite vacation spot, describing it as heavenly. But none of the typical descriptors fulfill their promise as does Hawaii. It’s not just sun, beaches and surf. The... READ MORE
Stay off the beaten path for summer deals
Many Americans are looking to travel this summer. Most hope to find a good deal. Unfortunately, that’s not how the law of supply and demand usually works. Air travel has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels. Hotels are filling up, and vacation rentals are booming. “Demand across the board for summer 2022 travel is up 20% to 25% relative to 2019,” said Jamie Lane, vice... READ MORE
Volcanic park shows off nature’s power
In the northeast corner of California, the Earth’s innards spurt, spit, squirt, gurgle and boil from seen and unseen orifices. Sulphur Works belches. Steam whirls out of Devil’s Kitchen. And occasionally a volcano erupts (most recently in 1915). This is Lassen Volcanic National Park, where Earth’s ever-changing nature has been on display in this volcanically active region for three ... READ MORE
Don’t get taken doing foreign exchange
With COVID-19 restrictions falling, chances are that many of you are considering a trip to Europe or Asia this summer. That means paying in euros, francs, yen or whatever when you’re at your destination. Unless you’re a currency speculator, you’ll almost always lose something in exchanging your dollars for another currency, but there are ways to keep those losses to no more than... READ MORE
An intergenerational Southwest road trip
“It’s crazy,” my grand-nephew exclaimed as we approached the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I heard Aaron say that often over the next several days as the two of us explored the national parks and monuments of northern Arizona and southern Utah. Aaron, 23, has spent most of his life in Florida, so for him the canyons, cliffs and mountains of the American Southwest were like... READ MORE
How technology is changing travel in 2022
For the athletes at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, travel entailed robots. Everywhere. These machines prepared and served noodles, rice and burgers, and roamed hallways to take the temperatures of passersby. They even passed the Olympic flame underwater. Even if you’re not an Olympian, your travels these days are far more likely to involve technology that you’ve never used... READ MORE
