National Geographic Traveler asked me to speak at the White House Travel Blogger Summit on December 9. It was surreal, thrilling, steeped in titles and policies, and… yeah, pretty surreal. As a travel experience, it sort of ranks with my first uncertain steps … Read on
For a period of three weeks when I was 10, I wanted to be President James K Polk. He was the standout in my book of presidents that I’d stash in my locker. By comparison, James Monroe looked prissy and mean, James Buchanan … Read on
When I moved to Oregon last year, I didn’t know they had cowboys. So when when I got a hall pass to write pretty much anything about the state recently for National Geographic Traveler’s Digital Nomad, I headed east — into cowboy country. … Read on
The Oklahoma Panhandle is a rectangle of plains that no one wanted for years. It’s mostly known for being flat and having a lot of bad luck. Boise City, which was accidentally bombed by apologetic Texans during WWII, was the epicenter of the … Read on
Travel used to be about going to see things – look kids, it’s Big Ben – then increasingly became about going to do things. Like taking a drawing course to draw Big Ben. Next, I think, travel will be about making things. This … Read on
Travelers like to champion locals a lot, I’ve noticed. And “travel like a local” has become the new “off-the-beaten track,” a well-intentioned mantra that’s now sort of a cliche. Still, it has a point. I’ve just finished a humbling opportunity to follow Andrew … Read on
