The bus careens around another hairpin turn and I’m met with a cold blast of mountain air from the window in front of me. Behind me, a child continues happily banging on my headrest and I consider pulling on my headphones to listen to a guided meditation for patience. Or at least Jack Johnson. Something…
From the moment that my plane touched down in Cancun, I was bracing to be disappointed. I’m not sure why, as I’m generally quite enthusiastic about travel in general, and in new locations in particular. But something in me was just not all that excited about checking out another beach destination (perhaps I was missing…
When I mention to people that I’ve never been to Portland, they’re always surprised. It’s one of the great food cities of the West Coast, and it’s been on my radar for years but I had never gotten around to making an actual stop there for one reason or another. My cousin Daniel moved up…
The first time I can remember catching a real train (the Sugar Cane Train and the Pearlridge Monorail don’t count) was the summer after I graduated from high school, when I spent three months backpacking around Europe before heading off to college. My friend Meghan and I bought the Europass option that allowed us 8…
The 2014 AWP Conference took place this year in Downtown Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center. It was a great location, just minutes from the Pike Place Market and with easy access to public transportation to take you elsewhere if you desire. We were fortunate to have great weather the first day or so,…
For me, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Seattle – no, not Nirvana, grunge, or even good beer – is fresh seafood. Sure, it’s a bit corny that the fishmongers in Pike Place Market still put on their show for the tourists where they toss around huge salmon like a…
It’s just after 4am and the train stops in Chico, CA. We’ve now crossed the 13 hour mark, almost halfway into my 30-hour train ride. I’ve gotten maybe five straight hours of sleep, which is quite amazing and more than I’d hoped. I’m sure I’ll nap again before the journey is up, but for now…
A few weeks ago as I struggled to determine what direction my life would take next, I had absolutely no travel plans on the horizon. Yet as always seems to be the case in times like these, somehow the stars aligned so perfectly that even I was amazed. In less than a week, I pieced…
Ten hours to showtime. I’m booked on the red eye tonight to LA, meeting up with friends there and continuing on to Cabo San Lucas. I’ve never been to Mexico, so I’m looking forward to adding a stamp to my passport and spending a few days soaking up the sun, lounging by the pool, margarita…
This week, Mokulele Airlines made the the first of its twice-daily roundtrip flights between Kahului Airport and Hana, Maui. Flights start at $59 each way and should be booked well in advance – yes, this is a tiny plane to make the short 20 minute trip to Hana. This is GREAT news for Kama’aina! While…
New York City hotels are notoriously expensive, especially at the last minute. So how did I manage to score a 3 1/2 star hotel for less than $140/night with only two days notice? Hotwire.com! If you’ve never used Hotwire before – or even if you have – you may be a bit leery at my…
If you’re looking for an excuse to break out the high heels and your flashy new shades for Friday pau hana, let me introduce you to what may become your new Friday night tradition… Fridays at the Modern. Last week, I was invited to check out the updated menus for both the Sunrise Pool bar…