People call Phoenix and its satellite cities an area without a past, shucked of history, a collection of pass-through transients. The closing of Montis La … Read the rest
Category: Uncategorized
What’s Belize Like”
If you’ve ever wondered “What’s Belize Like””, the latest entry in my “What’s it Like” series has the answer.
Belize in a Word: Narrow… Read the rest
Thoughts on Culture and Live Theater in Phoenix
People love to say that Phoenix doesn’t have any culture. It’s a notion that people parrot constantly. And it puts me in the mood to … Read the rest
Humanity Versus Hostility – Thoughts from a Jam-Packed Asian City
It’s a head-on collision in the making. Two fast-moving motorbikes, a mountainous road slick with rain.
The riders see each other at the last second. … Read the rest
Be Good to Your Dog – Keep it Leashed
I love dogs. It’s just the people who hold their leashes who I often want to boil in a vat of porcupine urine. Or more … Read the rest
Desperate Sal DiCiccio Ramps up the Spam
In the past seven days, I’ve received six unsolicited emails from Phoenix City Council member Sal Diciccio – along with one each from his wife … Read the rest
Gear for the First-Time Traveler: 5 Essentials
Earlier this week, I found out my 17-year-old niece is taking her first international trip … without her parents. She’ll head to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, … Read the rest
Turku, Finland – Scenes from a Summer Day
During my trip to Finland, I gave Turku too little time. I even stowed my big SLR camera, relying instead on a little point-and-shoot to … Read the rest
Asia’s Novelty Act – Me!
I’m curious about South Korea — and it seems South Korea is just as curious about me. From news television crews to young women asking … Read the rest
Dead Malls – How to Revive Them
I got wrapped up in a story about dead malls via LinkedIn.com. Why are Malls Getting Mauled” says mega-shopping centers are endangered.
My city of … Read the rest
8 Hours in Stockholm
Sometimes when I travel, I don’t have long to linger. That was the case when we headed to Tromsø, Norway, for the Midnight Sun Run. … Read the rest
Safeguard Your House While You Travel
Ever worry about your house when you travel” Or get that nagging feeling that something is not quite right as you head to the airport”… Read the rest
Music this Autumn: Concerts in Birmingham, England

Music lovers will know how fantastic an experience a live concert can be. Listening to your favourite albums at home is one thing, but seeing
Traveler’s Overview: The Twin Cities
Wow, there’s something stinky on this Delta flight. Kind of like a bison pooped around seat 37D, and they used a dirty diaper soaked in … Read the rest
Fighter Pilot for a Day – Top Gun in Scottsdale”
[Sept. 15 Update:Â An alert Twitter user (Yes, I still refuse to say “Tweep”) pointed out an article on Aero-News.net claiming that Top Gun … Read the rest
Curling – A First-Timer’s Story
Curling seems like a sport out of time and place in Arizona. So explain, then, about 50 people who have never curled before trooping to … Read the rest
Linnanmäki Amusement Park – 6 Things to Know
When it comes to theme parks, Helsinki is no Orlando. It offers just one amusement park called Linnanmäki (“Castle Hill,” in English). About 1.2 million … Read the rest
Social Media for Travel Geeks – About Trippy.com
A few days ago, I started playing around with a social media travel site called Trippy.com. In a nutshell, it lets you organize places … Read the rest
Curiosity Mars Rover: Waste of Money”
Congratulations on wasting $100 million landing a remote-controlled buggy on Mars. Not sure how this helps us poor people here on Earth, but great job.… Read the rest
Norway – First Few Travel Days
Traveling to Scandinavia starts with a 9 a.m. flight from Phoenix to Chicago a few Thursdays ago. There, we catch a 4 o’clock-ish flight to … Read the rest