United States
Chihuly Garden and Glass: A Clear Seattle Favorite
Opened in May 2012, Chihuly Garden and Glass is already a top tourist attraction, quickly eclipsing its more established neighbors like the iconic Space Needle as one of the most highly recommended things to do in Seattle.
Smith Tower, Secrets, and Seattle
During my time in Seattle last summer, I visited Smith Tower, intrigued by a single feature: a wishing chair, housed on the tower’s 35th floor as a gift from the Last Empress of China. As the legend goes, any single woman who sincerely wished to be married could sit in that chair and her wish would be fulfilled within a year. I hightailed it over to Smith Tower and sat in the wishing chair twice for good measure. Guess what? It worked.
Lone Cypress Letdown in Pebble Beach, California
If you don’t do your research and show up in search of the solitary Monterey Cypress standing sentinel on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Pacific Ocean, what sticks with you after your visit may not be the warm memories of a leisurely drive along a spectacular stretch of coastal California. Instead, you may be left reeling from sticker shock.
Highs and Lows of Hiking Half Dome
Hiking Half Dome isn’t for the faint of heart but it’s a trail you’ve got to try when visiting Yosemite National Park.
Big Sur: Natural Beauty on the California Coast
Rocky cliffs with long, luscious views of the Pacific Ocean, magnificent mountains cloaked in fog and covered in evergreens, and nature in perfect harmony with itself. I sincerely can’t think of a more visually captivating place than this stunning stretch of the California coast between San Simeon and Carmel.
Thoughts on Hurricanes, Home, and Not Knowing What You’ve Got ‘Til It’s Gone
The Sopranos? Jersey Shore? Boardwalk Empire? Fuhgeddaboutit! New Jersey is much, much more than that! Why did it have to take a hurricane to remind me New Jersey is an awesome travel destination, too?
Hearst Castle: Scenes from San Simeon’s Shangri-La
This is Hearst Castle: opulent, obsessive, and almost obscene. It’s a must-see stop in San Simeon along California’s Pacific Coast Highway.
