Travel and Adventure from Creators Syndicate

Touring Iolani Palace -- the Only Royal Palace on U.S. Soil for 02/18/2012

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Sharon Whitley Larsen

"Please put these booties on over your shoes," requested the volunteer as a small group of us sat on a back veranda of Honolulu's Iolani Palace prior to taking a tour. She then passed out audio headphones to those of us who had purchased them with our admission tickets. When she noticed that I was holding a notepad and pen, she quickly handed me a penci ...

Updated: Sat Feb 18, 2012

Bringing Home Great Photo Memories From the Nation's Capital for 02/12/2012

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Fred J. Eckert

For anyone who'd like to spend a couple of days in a great American city with the idea of returning home with some really good photographs as treasured mementos, it's pretty difficult to come up with a better choice than Washington, D.C. Most any season of year is fine, but there's no better time to go than during the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival, which this ...

Updated: Sun Feb 12, 2012

In Modern Tokyo, Places to Touch Traditional Japan for 02/11/2012

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Steve Bersgman

What I learned about the dying profession of geishas while I was in Japan was that geishas are entertainers who are trained in different artistic skills such as playing the shamisen (a three-stringed instrument), singing or ritual Japanese dance. And there are male geishas as well as female geishas. All three of the geishas who entertained me and my companions were of a ...

Updated: Sat Feb 11, 2012

A Budget Rambler Discovers the Charms of Southern Nicaragua for 02/05/2012

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Stuart Wasserman

The first thing I noticed when I visited the southern region of Nicaragua — not far above the border with Costa Rica — was the large number of European travelers, and no wonder. Many European travelers are extending their tours beyond Costa Rica for short jaunts to the colonial city of Granada and the coastal town of San Juan del Sur.

Granada's tow ...

Updated: Sun Feb 05, 2012

A Budget Rambler Discovers Bocas del Toro, Panama for 02/04/2012

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Stuart Wasserman

"What was so special about Panama?" a friend asked after my return.

"Caribbean waters at just $13 a night, that's what," I said.

"But it was a hostel," he parried.

"So what?" I said. "The young kids don't discriminate, and for two nights I was lucky enough to have an entire dorm room to myself." ...

Updated: Sat Feb 04, 2012

A Midwinter Getaway in Los Angeles for 01/29/2012

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Karen Kenyon

A mini vacation, even just a couple of days, to a warm climate is a good way to get rid of the midwinter blahs — stimulating new things to see, to hear, to eat and waking up in a hotel bed can do wonders for the spirit. With that in mind, my son, daughter-in-law and I decided to spend two days in Los Angeles soaking up some museums along with the sun.

Since ...

Updated: Sun Jan 29, 2012

A Magical Walk through Hemingway's Paris for 01/28/2012

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Richard Carroll

Magically enchanting and much loved, Paris, the urban empress of Europe, remains eternally young and amorous. Occasionally vain, always passionate, and with a long and turbulent history, the legendary city has a special flair for life that has captivated and inspired many of the world's most artistic talents.

After the Great War and during the 1920s and '30s, ...

Updated: Sat Jan 28, 2012

Quito-to-Cuenca Road Trip Shows Benefits of Slower Travel for 01/22/2012

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Robert Selwitz

The 60-plus miles from Quito to Cuenca, Ecuador, can easily be covered in fewer than six hours by car or in one hour by plane. But those who choose to fly miss some truly fascinating sites. My wife and I learned this during a recent three-day, two-night road excursion.

Our first major stop was Cotopaxi National Park, 37 miles south of Quito. Glacier-draped and n ...

Updated: Sun Jan 22, 2012

Ecuador's Leading Cities Should Not Be Missed for 01/21/2012

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Robert Selwitz

Because any mention of Ecuador brings to mind such natural wonders as the Galapagos Islands, rainforest, and Andean peaks and villages, many visitors either bypass or spend insufficient time in Quito or Cuenca, two of South America's most appealing destinations. Even fewer pause in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city and prime commercial hub.

Quito, Ecuado ...

Updated: Sat Jan 21, 2012

History and Adventure Await Just Outside New Orleans for 01/15/2012

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Steve Bergsman

Visitors to New Orleans generally want to see two things: the French Quarter and a plantation. Unfortunately, there are no plantations in the city itself, but there are plenty open to visitors who are willing to venture outside the city.

My wife had never been to New Orleans, so when we went there for a cousins reunion, she was able to check these two items off ...

Updated: Sun Jan 15, 2012

Strut Through New Orleans' Historic Music Venues for 01/14/2012

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Steve Bergsman

Our guide, Nita Hemeter, had it all organized: We would tour New Orleans' historic music spots while she played appropriate music on her iPod. The idea worked well at the start, and we set off down Bourbon Street to the sounds of traditional New Orleans jazz.

Then somewhere after the site of the old French Opera House, now the Inn on Bourbon, the iPod, died. The ...

Updated: Sat Jan 14, 2012

Louisiana's Other Side: a Budget and Family-friendly Alternative to New Orleans for 01/08/2012

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Sheila Sobell

Dressed in identical red, green and blue Mardi Gras-colored ballerina costumes, three little girls stood on tiptoe, each hoping to catch a throw from a Krewe of Highland float.

"I love beads!" they screamed, thrusting their arms into the air, fingers splayed wide for a catch.

Royalty on the floats saw them and made a direct toss. The tallest cau ...

Updated: Sun Jan 08, 2012

Hot Springs, Ark., Is Spa-tacular for 01/07/2012

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Sandra Scott

People looking for a relaxing place to rejuvenate have been gathering in Hot Springs, Ark., since long before the Europeans arrived in the Americas. American Indians met in the peaceful valley to enjoy the healing properties of the thermal spring and declared it neutral ground. Hot Spring has the best hold on the claim of being the country's first resort because in 1832 i ...

Updated: Sat Jan 07, 2012

Come for a Winter Getaway, Stay for the Food for 01/01/2012

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

By Tim Johnson

When I boarded a little puddle-jumper airplane to hop from one sunny island paradise to another, I didn't expect to meet up with a guy who grew up just around the corner from my house, but that's what happened.

After landing on a little airstrip and touring around tiny Barbuda, seeing its formidable cliffs, its sugary white sand and its rows and rows of almost-too ...

Updated: Sun Jan 01, 2012

The Northern Marianas: America's Undiscovered Pacific Paradise for 12/31/2011

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

By Sandra Scott

One of America's treasures is little known to statesiders, most of whom don't realize that the beautiful, unspoiled islands of the Northern Marianas are part of the American family. Located in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, they are the "everything" destination with beautiful beaches, fascinating Chamarro culture and a history that played a critical ...

Updated: Sat Dec 31, 2011

A New Twist on New York: Entertainment Museums for 12/25/2011

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

By Divina Infusino

Although renowned for its temples of high art such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City has two well-respected cultural institutions that operate relatively under the radar. Mostly locals and in-the-know out-of-towners frequent these establishments. They showcase not Picasso and Warhol, but nearly all t ...

Updated: Sun Dec 25, 2011

You Don't Have to Leave the City for Winter Sports Activities for 12/24/2011

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

By Steve Bergsman

For an active winter vacation most folks head to ski resorts, which are generally on isolated mountains away from urbanity. They want to enjoy the great outdoors, the snowy peaks and haunting forests.

Sometimes, however, it is equally interesting to head to a wonderfully urbane location in the non-tourist season, enjoy the restaurants, theaters, museums, winter ...

Updated: Sat Dec 24, 2011

Visiting the Past in Northern New Mexico for 12/18/2011

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

By Kathryn Lemmon

At first glance, I assumed Buffalo Thunder was a city. After all, in a state with a town called "Truth or Consequences," that moniker wouldn't be a stretch. And really, who can even spell Albuquerque on the first try?

But Buffalo Thunder is a resort, not a town. It's a very large resort by New Mexico standards that sits 20 minutes north of Santa Fe. T ...

Updated: Sun Dec 18, 2011

A Long Day's Journey Into Night -- Via Cross-Country Skis for 12/17/2011

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

By Steve Bergsman

In retrospect, I think my mistake was saying that I had done cross-country skiing in the past. It didn't seem to make any difference that I quickly followed up that remark with the explanation that the last time I did cross-country skiing was 10 years ago and that I referred to myself as a beginner. My guide, Guy Morin, had a plan for us. Nearly every day during the win ...

Updated: Sat Dec 17, 2011

Savoring Grenada, the Isle of Spice for 12/11/2011

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

By John Blanchette

Lying 100 miles off the coast of Venezuela, the Caribbean island nation of Grenada is one of the smallest in the Western Hemisphere. Shaped like a flounder, it measures 21 miles from tail to mouth and spans 12 miles from fin to fin. Grenada is the most southerly of the Windward Islands, just 12 degrees from the equator. It lies at the end of the island chains that begi ...

Updated: Sun Dec 11, 2011