In any trip to Japan, you’ll see a lot of shrines and Buddhist temples. As in Europe, where cathedrals and monasteries are always on the itinerary, here too despite the fact that 80 percent of the population no longer attends any church, religious sites are at the top of the […]
I’m walking down a hill looking at what I have 1.5 million LED lightbulbs all arranged and undulating to create dragons and incredible forms on the sides of a ski slope. It’s called Myoko Happiness Illumination, and in an ‘only in Japan’ kind of way, it was a thrill! This […]
After 16 years of regular travel, I am happy to still be completely excited about wherever I end up. I anticipate trips as my regular tonic, having a trip coming up is what keeps me happy and on course. Today I am writing this at breakfast at the Hotel Keihan […]
I’ve decided to add an extra night to my Japan trip so I can enjoy some of the fun of Tokyo. My journey to Hokuriku, “The Japanese Alps,” takes me out of Tokyo after one day, so I moved my flight up to the day before. I will thus have […]
Jar the Floor might be a bit like your memory of going back home for a family gathering. A little booze, some awkward party gifts, and a whole lot of family disagreements and dirty laundry set to air. Bring your new gal-pal with you, you might need some help. Hopefully, […]
This is one of those short weeks where I have so much to do that I probably won’t get that much done. It’s all crashing down as a result of being gone last week and this week, leaving Friday for a week vacation with family in an undisclosed Pennsylvania location. […]
Steve Szkotak has had a great run. I write this with great sadness, after hearing from Mandy his wife of nearly 40 years, that he is in hospice care. Like all of us, he’s facing the end, the only difference is that he’s painfully closer, very critical and near death. […]
After a long day that just ended at 8:45 pm, my head is full to bursting with so many interesting conversations after meetings with 35 tourism board representatives and dozens of fellow travel writers here at Canada Media Market in San Francisco. Of all the places I learned about today, […]
On stage at Pearl Street last night was Jonathan Richman, a peculiarly appealing musician who has been delighting audiences since his earliest days busking in Cambridge Common, and who with his Modern Lovers and after as a solo act, created 30 albums, each of which is like him–unlike anyone else. Since […]
We’ve been here for enough days to really get a sense of what downtown Las Vegas is like….and we’ve seen a lot of this vibrant city with a downtown that’s dramatically different from the famous Strip at the other end of North Las Vegas Boulevard. The hotel where we’re staying, […]
Palm Springs was a surprise after the drive through the desert. After passing so many chain restaurants and big box stores, it was a treat to arrive downtown to find people walking around the sidewalks, and to duck into local stores and closely spaced businesses. Our first stop was the […]
Today’s a funny kind of day. I woke up feeling terrible and had two new interns coming in to learn the ropes in the office at 9 am. But I was very prepared–I decided to hire one of my former interns, Danielle Aihini, to teach the two new interns all […]