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
When the topic of Prague comes up, (and even by travel writer standards, it comes up relatively often for me, having spent four months studying abroad there) someone will inevitably make the comment that being in Prague is like walking through a quaint medieval town that’s right out of a … Read more
Maine’s coast, lakes, woods, and mountains have inspired countless American artists including year-round residents like Winslow Homer and three generations of Wyeths. Even the list of artists who visited Maine or summered there reads like a Who’s Who: Frederic Church and Thomas Cole, Childe Hassam, John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, … Read more
Before there were hot stone massages and oxygen facials, Vichy showers and seaweed wraps, there were hot springs. For centuries, cultures around the globe turned to bubbling, mineral-rich natural springs to help heal a wide array of ailments, from joint pains to skin conditions. The ancient Romans in particular cultivated … Read more
In many ways, Italy is a boot that fits all feet. From top to bottom it’s possible to ski the Dolomites, take in Florence’s finest art, roam the ruins of Pompeii, and island hop the Amalfi Coast. Despite its troubled economy, Italy remains a top destination and is teeming with … Read more
Forget Tribeca and Aspen. When it comes to film, Karlovy Vary, the largest and most visited of the Czech Republic’s famous spa towns, is the place to be. Besides being one of the oldest film festivals in the world (it was inaugurated in 1946) it’s one of the most important … Read more
J.J. Johnson once said “Jazz is restless. It won’t stay put and it never will.” That’s a quality jazz has in common with travelers, so why not combine the two and travel for jazz? Though the U.S. is the place for great jazz, there is nothing like the Bohemia Jazz … Read more
Starting August 17th and lasting until September 2nd, the city of Prague will be home to the International Festival of Contemporary Circus. Ladies and gents, this is not just any circus so don’t expect fearless lion tamers or beautiful women doing handstands on the backs of elephants. The world-renowned multinational … Read more
“Where would you go to hear great classical music and opera that is different from the usual, preferably in a city where the music was written?” That is the question I’m asked more times than I can count, by people who know I spend much of my time in the … Read more