I know, I know- this looks like a ghastly choice for a photo challenge. It lacks any visual interest whatsoever. Frankly, it’s just plain boring. But not everything is so clear-cut black and white. This is a photo I took on Robben Island, off the coast of Cape Town in South Africa. I was in […]
The Best Place You Haven’t Yet Visited in L.A.
A bold assertion, I know. But in a city of 3.8 million, any place this inexcusably unexplored deserves a little ‘bold.’ And, like many good things, it was discovered by bike. Day #11, 547: One of the highlights of our new home is its location near The Strand, a pedestrian and bike path that hugs […]
Portlandia: Eating My Way Through PDX
My favorite ways to explore a new place are (1) to eat my way through it, and (2) to wander its streets in a rambling and intimate city tour… usually in search of more food. Day #11,532: When I lived in Manhattan, Stumptown Coffee Roasters had taken over the city, and New Yorkers were rapidly […]
Portlandia: A Solo Expedition
I rarely explore new cities alone. Not because I’m afraid or because I dislike being alone- frankly (shamefully perhaps), I find myself bloody entertaining- but because I don’t take pains to make it happen. Travel somehow ends up being a group sport. When I booked my flight into Portland a day ahead of Mr. M […]
A Different Point of View in the Catskills
Every once in a while, Mr. M & I used to feel Manhattan’s concrete jungle closing in on us. When we needed to break free, my favorite escape was the Catskill region in upstate New York. A ninety minute drive from this skyline… … is this one! Day #11,132: Despite getting mildly lost on the […]
To Rome, With Love
Day #10,356: Dear Rome, I really wanted to like you. You’re Rome, for goodness sake. The Eternal City! The seat of the Roman Empire! And you know how I have a soft spot for historical splendor. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to make of you at first. You came on a little strong. The honking, […]
On the Ice in New Zealand
I did not expect to find myself on top of a glacier. Glaciers are, universally speaking, fairly Epic. You really don’t need to be on top of one to appreciate it. Besides, doesn’t that sort of stunt require dangling precariously above frozen crevasses with ice picks for hands? Fox Glacier sits frozen on the west […]
Scouting for Zombies
If you’re at all surprised that Halloween Week’s post is a celebration of my favorite cemeteries across the U.S., we’re about to have that awkward talk that starts with: “I feel like you just don’t listen to me anymore.” I have a thing for cemeteries. Every time I return from a trip, there’s a random […]
The Coolest Thing I Never Thought I’d See: Kuala Lumpur
At the end of each trip we take, Mr. M & I play a question game with each other… what would you most recommend to a friend? What was the yummiest thing you ate? What one thing did you find most surprising? But my favorite question, both to ask and answer, is: What was the […]
An Autumn Weekend in Vermont
It’s impossible to complain about the weather in California. Well… it’s certainly possible to complain about the weather, but you’ll sound like an ass and will get serious side-eye from anyone living someplace where Storm Watch 3000 means something more substantial than “maybe it’ll rain.” In fact, just one year ago, Mr. M & I found […]