Night was falling as we got into the bus to go up to Machu Picchu. Our group of ten, usually talkative and laughing, were hushed. A sliver of a new moon hung like a halo above Apu Putu Cusi, one of the four sacred mountains that surround the Inca sanctuary. Perhaps Kucho’s magic had already … [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 musician, and his wife suggested he write a song about the trip. Before the day was over, "Get your kicks on Route 66" had been born. I learned that history lesson at Route 66 … [Read More...]
The Holiest Rock on Earth
It is the holiest rock on Earth, and I touched it. Its surroundings have changed over the past 3.000 years, but the rock … [Read More...]
Haunted Hopi Pottery in Arizona
It’s an awesome feeling to spot a piece of broken pottery among the weeds, pick it up and realize it was made nearly … [Read More...]
Whale Boat Sails From Downtown Vancouver to Victoria
I gasped in amazement as three killer whales surfaced alongside our boat. Holding out my digital camera, I clicked the … [Read More...]
Virginia City Nevada Was Once the Richest Place in the World
It was a disappointingly ordinary looking bedroom, considering its rich history. Some of the most famous men in the … [Read More...]
Hunting Tigers in India
The man with the sickle was passing sheaves of long grass to the thatcher on the roof, but the dozen tourists on the … [Read More...]
The Truth About “Survivor Island” Borneo
PULAU TIGA, Malaysia - Producers of the hit TV series Survivor worked hard to make the location of their game show seem … [Read More...]
Blessed by a Sacred Elephant
The Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai is one of the largest in South India I had to stretch my neck to look up … [Read More...]
Aboriginal Magic in the Land of the Quinkans
The oldest rock paintings on Earth are in the Cape York peninsula of Australia's tropical north Queensland. They were … [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...]
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...]
10 Must-See Sacred Spaces in Peru that are Not Machu Picchu
The old saying about the journey being more important than the destination was never more appropriate than when I went … [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...]