Imagine two weeks on a Russian polar research vessel cruising through a tropical paradise! It’s a tough life, but someone has to live it.
Cruising Through Paradise From Raja Ampat to Papua New Guinea
1
Swedish Road Tripping: The Journey Continues
After three and half days of rocky coastline, avant-garde sculpture, and oysters it was time to head south for vineyards, bizarre undergraduate rituals, and some of the best pastries I’ve ever eaten.
Continue reading
Swedish Road-Tripping, 50 Years Later
In 1969 I bought a new Volvo, picked it up at the factory in Gothenburg, Sweden and drove it around for a few weeks before returning it to be shipped home. That trip and that car changed my life.
Three Soggy Days in Amsterdam
Not from falling in the water, though I came close leaning out of the boat to take photos on our tour of the canals.
Bucolic and Bloody: WWII Reflections in Holland
Bucolic. Picturesque. Charming. Three of the most overused clichés in travel writing. What can I say? I’ve been few places where these clichés are more appropriate.
Continue reading
Heartwrenching History and Breathtaking Beauty in Northern Ireland
The story of Northern Ireland is a tale of breathtaking natural beauty and convivial people woven into a singularly dark and bloody history.
A Personal Epiphany on Route 66
As I sat in an alcohol-induced haze at the bar in the Mineshaft Tavern in Madrid NM, I realized that I had taken my own personal journey on the “highway of dreams” 44 years ago. 
On the “Mother Road” from Chicago to Oklahoma City
In his classic novel, “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck called Route 66 the “Mother Road.” From our first few days on the road it is clearly that ….and much more.
Getting My Kicks on Route 66
We are in Chicago to begin a 12 day drive in a caravan of seven vehicles along Rt 66 with Two Lane America, my host for this trip, to the Santa Monica Pier, just two miles from our home.
Antarctica: “Why?” or “Wow!”
When I tell someone I’m going to Antarctica, I get one of two possible reactions — an incredulous, “why are you going,” or an enthusiastic, “wow, I always wanted to go.”