It is the holiest rock on Earth, and I touched it. Its surroundings have changed over the past 3.000 years, but the rock has been there since the beginning of time, and it is one of the focal points of many Holy Land tours. One Jewish tradition is that the rock is the place where the world was … [Read More...]
Pisac, Earth Mother Temple in Peru’s Sacred Valley
I would love to go back to Peru, but on my next trip I wouldn’t necessarily return to Machu Picchu. The places that impressed me more than the “legendary lost city of the Incas” were actually much easier to get to. Ollantaytambo, Qenko and Sacsayhuaman are literally within walking distance of Cusco … [Read More...]
Peru Beyond Machu Picchu
Although Machu Picchu is the highlight of most trips to Peru, it is certainly not the only destination. When my wife and … [Read More...]
Tampa Bay Wildlife Safari
The giraffe's enormous tongue gently plucked a green leaf from my outstretched hand. "Prehensile," our guide … [Read More...]
Climbing a Mayan Pyramid in Belize
Belize is so rich in ancient Maya archaeological sites it has been suggested that the entire country should be listed as … [Read More...]
Earth’s Three Most Powerful Places
When people find out I’m a travel writer who focuses on pilgrimages to places of power, they frequently ask me, “What … [Read More...]
Sacred Canyons of Arizona
The Four Corners area of the USA (where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet) is rich with ancient … [Read More...]
Exploring Brisbane Australia
My trip to Queensland began with a Qantas flight from Los Angeles to Brisbane. The trip took nearly twelve hours, and I … [Read More...]
Memories of Route 66 still live in St. Louis
It happened more than 60 years ago, when Bobby and Cynthia Troup were driving to California. Bobby was a composer and … [Read More...]
Barkerville Celebrates its Chinese Heritage
The glow from hundreds of candle-lit paper lanterns provided the only light as we paraded up the dirt street into … [Read More...]
Green Luxury in a Belize Rainforest
Was an enormous lion howling outside my thatched cottage? It sounded more like a T-Rex. I might have been worried if I … [Read More...]
Rediscover the Goddess in Brittany
There are more than 30 prehistoric sites and over 3,000 ancient standing stones near the city of Carnac in the northwest … [Read More...]
Kosrae, Pacific Island of Mystery
"The Mysterious Paradise Island" said the sign above the airport terminal door. I had just landed on Kosrae, one of the … [Read More...]
Walking With Ghosts In Vancouver’s Haunted Gastown
I'd walked past the place hundreds of times without knowing that so many people had been killed there. A block south of … [Read More...]