Cynthia Dial 
Having lived in the San Diego area for decades, I’ve traveled across Southern California’s Mexican border countless times. And on each occasion, it has been the same. Though less than an hour away, the minute you enter Mexico – you feel it. It’s diverse, exciting and so foreign that I’ve … Read more
All Photos Credit Cynthia Dial A land of lakes and streams, forests and wildlife, the Continental Divide and the Colorado River – meet Grand County, Colorado. Some back story: I’ve visited several of the Centennial State’s destinations over the years, but I kept missing Grand County. That changed. After landing … Read more
All Photos – Credit: Cynthia Dial When I received an invitation to participate in Run Barbados, my reaction was a resounding “yes” – until I remembered – I don’t run. So, how does one make the most of an organized run when you’re not ready for a relay? For on-the-go … Read more
“It’s easy,” I was told of the San Diego/Tijuana’s CBX (Cross Border Xpress). As a San Diego resident, what I remember was a long ago flight from this Mexican border town which was preceded by a search for the long-term dirt parking lot then a taxi to the neighboring country’s … Read more
Picture this. Ascending the Vienna State Opera House’s marble staircase beneath gilded gold embellishments to attend a performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni – mere days after toasting with a straight-from-the-barrel-drawn beer and sharing an oversized pretzel at Salzburg’s Augustiner Brӓu beer garden. Welcome to a week in the life of … Read more
As a repeat visitor to Glacier Country, I’m unashamedly enamored with the area. I almost envy its unabashed pride and recently learned that, here, seasonal changes aren’t month to month or even day to day, but minute to minute. On my most recent visit I happily spent 7,200 minutes (i.e. … Read more
Wrapped in cozy clothes and sitting atop a honed tree stump at the most welcoming of dinner-on-the-beach settings, I was definitively in what could only be called a travel trance. Positioned at a weathered wooden table with a blossom-filled pitcher at center, I sipped a glass of naturally chilled Arctic … Read more
If you haven’t heard of Door County, you’re not alone. On a map, it shows up as the finger of land extending from the city of Green Bay into Lake Michigan to the east and Green Bay to the west. Home to 300 miles of shoreline and a collection of … Read more
At 12:45 pm ET on May 28, 2023, the Indy 500’s green flag waved and with a roar of the engines, the 107th running of the world’s largest single-day sporting event, the Indy 500, began. Little more than 24 hours later, our family of six – three adults, three children, … Read more
If you’re planning on visiting Austria, think about venturing beyond Vienna and Salzburg. Sure, Vienna’s Opera House is a stunner. And the romance of the Danube and the majesty of the Habsburgs dangle a huge lure. Of course, Salzburg – identified with Mozart, the Sound of Music and a looming … Read more
Sitting like a chiseled diamond, the 44-room hotel, TOWER23, initially appears an anomaly in California’s laid-back, surfing town, Pacific Beach (PB to locals). While driving to the resort along Mission Boulevard one might assume the hospitality offerings in the town lean toward a level below luxury. The road parallels the … Read more
It’s different. It’s unexpected. It’s the Conejo Valley (pronounced “koh-neh-ho”). Translated to “rabbit” in Spanish, this SoCal region in LA’s backyard is situated along U.S. 101’s well-known route between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, though it isn’t an extension of either. By contrast, it’s a 180-degree escape from the hustle, … Read more
More than six decades ago, Southern California’s island of Catalina was memorialized in the Four Preps’ song, 26 Miles, in reference to its proximity to the populous region’s coastline. And though almost everything in the nation has changed in that expanse of time, Catalina remains unchanged. It’s been years since … Read more
“Look at this view,” said Scott Hillock, a local guide with the Tahoe Adventure Company, as we edged to the side of the path for a hiker to pass. “And it gets better,” he assured us as we continued along the trail. With my daughter, Kathryn, we three negotiated the … Read more
In June 2021 golfer Jon Rahm secured his first major career win – the U.S. Open Championship – at Torrey Pines Golf Course. No stranger to this La Jolla setting, it’s the site of this Spanish golfer’s first PGA win, And, it’s a short walk from where he proposed to … Read more