Denver is famously the mile-high country. And now, with the legalization of marijuana (only one of three states to do so), Colorado is more popular than ever. Denver holds the best of both worlds in her two hands: world-class mountains just an hour west of downtown and a thriving urban downtown home to five major...

Have you ever read a book that transported you to a new destination? Where the words infused the story's setting and brought it to life so vividly that you were this close to booking a cheap ticket there? I've had this happen many times. My must-visit list of destinations grows in leaps from watching movies...

The 5th of December marks a year ago that we left New York for the west coast. Thinking we’d stick it out for three months of a warmer winter, it’s now been a year and we’ve yet to return permanently. Trading scarves and gloves for flip-flops and endless Vitamin D was a fabulous decision for...

I was reminded recently of an odd quirk in our human nature. When most of us travel, our senses are hyper-attuned to our surroundings. This is partially a conscious decision; the adventure of discovery is exhilarating. But part of it is an unconscious function. When we are in a new and unfamiliar environment, seldom-used neural...

Whenever anyone asks me why I still travel on a shoestring at the ripe old age of 38, I usually tell them about the time I learned how to play the bagpipes in Havana. Granted, I could probably relate a more typical story about the joys of budget travel - some tidy parable of money...

My dad returning to Yosemite Valley, a place he knew well as a teenager in the 60's. While not everyone grew up in a traditional family structure, this article can apply to anyone who has a loving relationship with a family member who was part of your upbringing. For me, that was my parents, but...

(morning rituals - photo credit: icultist on Flickr) The fluidity of travel is a double-edged blade. It's one of the things I love most about it - that each day is different and you don't know what to expect. It pulls you into the present, encouraging you to pay attention to everything going on around...

(photo credit: ocarchives on Flickr) I book my bigger trips a up to a year in advance. This way I know they're set and I won't succumb to "I'm too busy, I can't do this now" syndrome. Last year I put a deposit down on a trip to Peru. Not just any trip - this...

As magical as the Grand Canyon is from the top, peering down into red and purple shades of rock so far down your eyes lose an ability to judge the distance, it is yet more magical from the very bottom peering up. Perhaps because of the feeling of accomplishment that comes from a journey down,...

Catnip to adventure travellers in search of an authentic Hawaiian escape, Molokai is often referred to as ‘The most Hawaiian island’. With little other than true Aloha on offer, those who board a tiny turboprop plane in Honolulu should expect to step back in time when they land in Ho'olehua. Unlike its neighbours Molokai does...

(Lost in a Crowd - photo by Keoni Cabral) This week I'm in San Francisco, after riding my motorcycle from Washington. First, I have to say - the ride down the PCH was in-damn-credible! Thanks to a friend's suggestions, I got off the PCH near Fortuna and took the Avenue of the Giants scenic route....

(Riding past the Guadalupe Mountains) I was planning to write about learning to throw axes during my last trip to Toronto. About how it reminded me to get out of my head and flow in the moment. That the moment I started laughing, that's exactly what would happen and my throws became more accurate. I'll...

(Working on this article in Austin - Vintage Heart Cafe) My last couple of articles have been a bit higher-level ( How lessons I learned while traveling have helped me through family tragedy and Becoming a better person via the kindness of strangers ). Today, though, I've decided to post something much more tactical -...

A few weeks ago I had the chance to shoot a wedding in Hawaii, and since the flight there is so long, not the mention the fact that Hawaii is my most favorite place ever, I decided to make a week long camping trip out of it. I hadn't been to the big island (Hawaii)...

Starting from Minneapolis, Minnesota, I spent 30 days exploring the United States (traveling to 37 states) and documenting the faces and places I saw on the Greyhound Bus system with photographs and short stories. I showered rarely, slept infrequently, ate poorly, and I loved every uncomfortable minute of it. My fascination with the culture of...

In the past few months, I have complained several times about the current status of travel writing and how it does not satisfy my needs. In this sense, it would have been too easy to just sit there and complain without actually doing something about it. And that's exactly what I did by joining forces...

Cost/day: $40/day What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately? Our family of seven is camping in Mexico beneath a full moon and enjoying a tranquil evening after crossing the border into this 'dangerous' country. Just the day before, we were warned that we were 'risking our children's lives' by taking them to such a lawless...

We all know that most cities are desperate for tourism money in this lousy economy. Some are going to great lengths to generate interest. Now a PR man (or woman) has looked at a map and cooked up the tourism industry’s latest publicity stunt: Two towns, separated by an ocean and thousands of miles, plan...

Cost/day: $50-70 a day What's the strangest thing you've seen lately? The collective depression of San Francisco’s denizens after their beloved 49’ers lost a thrilling Superbowl against the Baltimore Raven’s was a strange and unfortunate phenomenon to witness. Red-clad, boozed and bleary eyed folk sat in the few bars that bothered to stay open, mumbling...

Having recently been in Memphis over Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday weekend, I realized once again that few things make you feel connected to history like being near a historic landmark on a significant anniversary. In this case, it’s the thought-provoking National Civil Rights Museum on the birthday of the great icon of the movement....