It’s August, the peak of the traditional summer vacation season, and Santa wants to know: Have you taken your vacation time? If not, you’re typical for an American, but not typical in a way you want to be. Let others live boring lives. You don’t have to. Earlier in the…

Heading out to see autumn’s arrival on the landscape is not a popular pastime in Catalonia, Spain, despite the fact that there is plenty to see on the trees come November. During the fall, seasonal tourism has more to do with searching out delectable mushrooms in northern forests and hunting…

“I believe in the transformative power of travel,” Andrew Zimmern began when he got up on stage. He had just finished showing a clip from a recent episode of Bizarre Foods, the hit Travel Channel show that made Zimmern the travel celebrity he now is. People were eager to hear…

As the chef proudly leans across the counter to hand me my lunch, a few pieces of chopped tomato plop onto the floor. He smiles sympathetically, knowing that by the end of the meal, I’ll be a mess. There’ll be sauce on my shirt, avocado on my jeans, and a…

Seattle is a prime spot for Pacific Northwest and Alaska cruises. Many voyages begin and end in one of the city’s two cruise ports. Norwegian and Oceania cruise lines use Bell Street Terminal at Pier 66. Smith Cove Terminal at Pier 91 houses Princess, Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, and Royal…

1. Secure bib. 2. Strip off charred skin revealing white meat. 3.Dunk generously in romesco sauce. 4. Tilt head back and bite sweet onion in half. 5. Savor. 6. Repeat 19 more times. These are the basic steps to eating calçots, a seasonal Catalan food that is something between a…

It’s been five years since the federal government announced that it would require REAL IDs for travelers over 18. But in just a year from now, the regulation actually is likely to take effect. Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act was the result of a recommendation by…

Situated at the very heart of Western Europe is a small country named Luxembourg, which is 80km long and 68km wide. Luxembourg City, the Grand Duchy’s capital, founded in 963, has maintained an atmosphere of contemplative tranquillity, and at its historic core (declared a World Heritage), it reveals a blend…

When we think of river cruises, we often think of couples drinking wine and gazing off their balconies, wandering through the cobblestone streets of Europe, sitting in the lounge for performances and eating meals in a communal dining room. Those are the things that keep me river cruising, but sometimes…

The story of Glass Beach begins in the early 20th century when, even more so than now, environmental consciousness was far from the forefront of public concern. Located in Fort Bragg, approximately 170 miles north of San Francisco, Glass Beach is a unique spot along the coast.   In 1906, following…

With 38 states now allowing some form of medical marijuana, and recreational marijuana legal in 24 states and Washington, DC, you may assume traveling with medical marijuana is easy. However, the difference between the various state and federal governments increases the risk and could lead to an arrest or other…

Tianzi Mountain and Yuanjiajie  in Hunan Province, China, offer visitors a surreal landscape that served as inspiration for the floating mountains in James Cameron’s blockbuster movie “Avatar.” The enormous limestone pinnacles, draped in vegetation and often veiled in mist, create an otherworldly atmosphere. The unique landscape of towering sandstone pillars,…