attractions
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.
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.
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.
Wildlife of Coastal California: The Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas
Just a few miles north of Hearst Castle along the Pacific Coast Highway–if you’re driving with the windows open–you may catch a bit of a strong, “organic” scent on the wind. I’m not talking about the salty, seaweed-y aroma of the ocean. The smell I’m describing is worse. Much worse.
Finding Yourself Through Solo Travel
It’s those moments when I’m away from everything and everyone I know, out of my comfort zone and neck deep in the unfamiliar, that show me who I really am as a person and train me how to listen to my own voice.
Cairn Gorm: The Mountain That (Almost) Ate My Memories
After chickening out of a driving tour of the Scottish Highlands, I’d missed my chance at climbing Ben Nevis, Scotland’s tallest peak. In Inverness on my last day in Scotland, I decided that climbing the nearby Cairn Gorm would have to do. The experience didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped.
Livin’ La Vida Local at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market
It’s a sunny Sunday morning in Los Angeles and I can’t help smiling. I’m strolling along Ivar Avenue in Hollywood, browsing the stalls of the Hollywood Farmers’ Market. The canopy-covered farmstands are overflowing with color: robust pepper reds, golden Valencia oranges, deep green bunches of kale, and potent eggplant purple. There are many other colors too among the market’s offerings, a… [Keep reading...]
