October 9, 2016
A land where the population of bears exceeds that of humans, few places on earth can satisfy the wanderlust of the off-the-beaten-path adventurer in search of the wild nature and the cultural richness of the Tlingit Indians like Baranof Island. Baranof Island, along with Admiralty and Chicagof, compromise the ABC Islands on southern Alaska’s panhandle, […]
August 22, 2016
When people think of Prague cuisine, they most often think of Czech goulash – chunks of beef heavily laden with gravy and served up in a bowl of thick, coarse bread. But Sophia Smith has been working hard to change that perception. A British expat who moved to Prague sixteen years ago, Sophia brings a […]
August 22, 2016
It seems to be on everyone’s bucket list. Just mention the word “houseboat” and you’re sure to evoke romanticized images of a buoyant home floating in some exotic paradise. The marriage of a water-bound “hotel” to a gorgeous tropical setting can be found right here in the United States. I recently stayed on a magnificent […]
August 8, 2016
Alaska is probably the one place I’ve never heard a single negative thing about. It’s a place that seems to be on everyone’s bucket list. And no one does it better than AdventureSmith Explorations. Their “think outside the boat” motto and unique selection of small ship expedition cruises and wilderness adventures all over the world […]
August 1, 2016
If you’ve been waiting to visit the natural salt terraces at Pamukkale but feel the country of Turkey is still too dangerous, there’s an alternative you may not have heard about. Hierve el Agua in Oaxaca, Mexico is a similar, but an off-the-beaten-path gem. And not only will you find the mineral pools, but also […]
July 7, 2016
Whenever I bring up the Azores in a conversation, most Americans say, “Hmm, I’ve heard of it, but where is it exactly?” The Azores is actually an archipelago (cluster) of nine volcanic islands in the middle of the northern Atlantic Ocean, 850 miles west of Portugal and 2,561 miles east of New York City. They […]
June 15, 2016
Driving through Indiana might not be the first place that comes to mind when planning a road trip, but it’s a route that definitely should be considered. Road trips can be a ton of fun, especially when there are stops all along the way that blends together a mix of fun, good food, adventure, history, […]
May 10, 2016
It had been four months since my near-death experience. Flying cross-country was challenging enough – I really was not aware of the obstacles that lay ahead. Death Valley, California. Death Valley is the lowest place in the United States with the highest recorded temperature (134°F in 1913) in the world. I wanted to celebrate the […]
April 18, 2016
Face as brown and tough as leather, with deep, deep smile lines crinkling around sparkling black eyes, Don Alberto Martinez welcomed us warmly to his organic mezcal tequila farm just outside Oaxaca City. His firm, rough handshake spoke volumes of a labor-intensive but honest life of living and working his land on the outskirts of […]
April 13, 2016
“He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.” -Jonathan Swift My agreement with that statement made me somewhat of an outcast among my trendy Baby Boomer friends. I’d watched them shuck open some unsuspecting barnacle-laden shell, tip it up, and let a pulpy, slimy mass of flesh slide down their throat. No thanks, […]