The trolley car bell rings as it glides along Ringstrasse, Vienna’s grand boulevard winding around the city center in the shape of a ring. The trolley stops before Volksgarten, and I disembark to enter the majestic garden grounds. The grounds remind me of New York City’s Central Park except this … Read more
If you’re like me—or the countless others hailing from the Northern U.S.—you grew up taking winter trips to Florida. It was always exciting, that voyage down south to visit grandparents in Miami or Mickey Mouse in Orlando. However, here’s the thing: Florida is a big state with a little secret; … Read more
There’s a dramatic coastline to the west and rolling hills to the east, but it’s the scent of pines that announces your arrival in Cambria. Ensconced in a forest of evergreens, this California village—deemed “one of America’s prettiest towns”—sneaks up on motorists traversing Highway One, the state’s scenic roadway. Situated … Read more
Yeah, … “there’s nothing wrong with a good grilled cheese every now and again”, chimed our server Christi as she raced around busing tables after taking my order. It was nearly midnight and Déjà Vu was still cranking out the daily special. After ordering a beer and checking out the … Read more
Nicknamed “the golden city of one hundred spires,” Prague looks like something out of a fairy tale and is absolutely one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Given Prague’s unique history and memorable architecture, it’s no wonder that it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, drawing over four million visitors each year. … Read more
If Italy did not exist, surely we would have to conjure her. It’s a land of rustic wines, hearty food, undulating hills, art-filled churches and medieval walled towns populated by some of the most vivacious people on Earth. It’s also a place offering an infinite variety of experiences, destinations waiting … Read more
Like pilgrims flocking to the Holy Land, Smiths fans travel for days to be here. No distance is too great for true devotees, who cross oceans and time zones to reach this temple of popular culture. I’m at the Salford Lads Club in Greater Manchester, a Victorian youth centre immortalized … Read more
Standing on a downtown Nashville street corner waiting for the “walk” signal, my toes began to tap. I heard music. It wasn’t coming from a restaurant, bar or nightclub, of which there are many—it was playing from the metal box controlling the traffic light. Music is everywhere in this city. … Read more
There’s a surprisingly potent cultural thread weaving its way through Houston, Texas, a city of sprawling freeways and more mansions than you can imagine in an urban setting. Perhaps it has something to do with all that money from oil and energy and as it’s the 4th largest city in … Read more
Maine and lobster go together like wine and cheese or bread and butter. You really can’t have one without the other. The state and its signature crustacean are practically inseparable. Just as you can’t have New York City without hot dogs, Boston without baked beans or New Orleans without gumbo, … Read more
Often compared with Tokyo, Kyoto is Japan’s most manageable city, one of the world’s greatest walking cities, and perfect for biking, too. It’s laid out on a grid so getting lost is a choice rather than the inevitability like in Tokyo. Walk, rent bicycles, or even take public transportation which … Read more
Shades of turquoise water and azure sky meet pearly white sand, soft and sugar-fine, the kind you sink your feet into and sigh. From the vantage point of my beach chair, I watched a dad and his young son building a sand castle near the shore. I smiled at a … Read more
The naturalist and writer Henry David Thoreau explored the Maine woods three times between 1846 and 1857. Strictly speaking, he visited the North Woods where his adventures included canoeing Moosehead Lake, Maine’s largest, and climbing 5,268-foot-high Mt. Katahdin, the state’s highest peak and the centerpiece of Baxter State Park. Thoreau’s … Read more
Since the 10th century, the Jewish community of Prague has not only survived, but also thrived. Enduring early prejudice and pogroms, Prague’s Jewish Town was at the center of a dazzling 16th century renaissance. The community attracted some of Europe’s most famous rabbis, scholars and mystics as well as mathematicians, … Read more
What do former President Lyndon B. Johnson, a celebrated brewpub, and a volcano outcrop have in common? Fredericksburg, Texas. This Texas Hill Country town, located about an hour from San Antonio and 1-1/2 hours from Austin, was founded in 1846 by German immigrants. Those early citizens maintained close ties with … Read more