Christmas Eve 1776 was bleak.
In the months following the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, British Redcoats had trounced George Washington’s troops and hope of independence was fading. Exhausted, cold, hungry, and lacking supplies, discouraged soldiers left as enlistments expired. Some were even deserting.
Desperate, Washington appealed directly to ...
Tour Host Review
I love Morocco. I have been there twice in 15 years and spent a total of six weeks. My accommodations ranged from 5 star hotels in Fez and Casablanca, B&B’s in Marrakech’s medina and in a small outpost in the desert, a room that can best be described as a jail cell, (not that I have ever been in jail, but I can imagine). Anyway the point is, the one experience I have so far missed,...
Host of the Month
Most savvy international travelers are familiar with Carnival, the monster samba party Rio de Janeiro hosts before Lent every year, however, few are aware of the second blow-out the Brazilian city stages annually. The feast of Iemanja, the Goddess of the Sea, coincides with New Year celebrations and this synchronicity results in a unique extravaganza that combines Afro-Brazilian religious rituals ...
Festival Pick
Charming. The word might have been coined to describe Bruges, the former capital of Flanders that appears to be trapped in time, an almost perfectly preserved medieval city.Bruges, which lies in the northwest corner of Belgium just 15 kilometers from the Netherlands border, is full of picturesque bridges, so visitors might assume that its name is derived from “brug,” the Dutch word for...
World Heritage Site
The Highland Folk Museum in the Speyside village of Kingussie (pronounced ‘king-yew-see’ from the Gaelic, meaning ‘head of the pinewood’) is well worth a visit for history buffs and those claiming Scottish ancestry. The museum is a far cry from relics laid out on dusty shelves. Costumed personnel recapture Highland life as it would have been lived over 200 years ago.
My ...
The ultimate buying experience is getting the best quality for the lowest price. But if your focus is solely on the lowest price, you run the risk of making money more important to you than the experience of traveling. There’s a balance between the two, and here are some tips on how to achieve it.
If you ask the average person for their views about Cambodia, probably the first thing they’ll say will be “Pol Pot” or “Khmer Rouge”, followed closely by “riddled with landmines”. Telling your friends (or even worse, your parents) that you’re planning to visit Cambodia will generally elicit comments along the...
Charming. The word might have been coined to describe Bruges, the former capital of Flanders that appears to be trapped in time, an almost perfectly preserved medieval city.
Bruges, which lies in the northwest corner of Belgium just 15 kilometers from the Netherlands border, is full of picturesque bridges, so visitors might assume that its name is derived from “brug,” the Dutch...
The forgoing phrase conceived by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board for the promotion of the Island’s tourism is most appropriate. Indeed, no other country offers such diversity of attractions all packed into an area no bigger than the state of West Virginia
Throughout history, Sri Lanka has had many names. The Arab traders called it Taprobane and later Serendib, which coined the word ‘serendipity’ meaning ‘discovery by happy...
When I scheduled my first trip to China, it was with little anticipation - just another country to see. With the language problem I could not imagine it would be an exciting trip. How wrong I was.The most charming thing I remember about China is the beautiful smiles of the people, particularly the women. Knowing as many Americans do that the Chinese government was faceless and smile-less, my first impression was a delightful surprise. Immediately I wondered how I could get to know...
Perched atop wooden pilings over the impressive Fraser River in southwest British Columbia, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery is one of the few remaining 19th century salmon canneries left in B.C. At the zenith of its production, this cannery was the busiest on the west coast of Canada.Owned by Parks Canada, it has been lovingly preserved as a National Historic Site and is run by the Gulf of...
The New South Wales city of Kempsey is a place most travelers merely pass through on their way to somewhere else, for initially it seems to offer little of interest. But there is an ancient story here waiting to be told, and there can be no one more qualified to tell that story than Wilay Bijarr, a member of the Dunghutti aboriginal tribe who had once populated the...
Why Mongolia? That's a question I'm asked all the time. I'm a college professor at a small college in the mountains western North Carolina with a specialization in military history. On the side I'm also a published author with over thirty novels, most of them in the realm of speculative fiction and military fiction.It seems that whenever I show up at a social gathering, or even...
As a tour operator specializing in cultural immersion programs to Mexico’s colonial cities, I have had several opportunities to observe and even participate in some wonderful días de fiestas or holidays. The Mexican people cherish their holidays, both secular and sacred, and they celebrate with absolute enthusiasm.
I love Morocco. I have been there twice in 15 years and spent a total of six weeks. My accommodations ranged from 5 star hotels in Fez and Casablanca, B&B’s in Marrakech’s medina and in a small outpost in the desert, a room that can best be described as a jail cell, (not that I have ever been in jail, but I can imagine). Anyway the point is,...
I was sitting beside the pilot of a single-engine airplane no bigger than an SUV, flying from Norfolk, Virginia, to Manteo, North Carolina."There's Kitty Hawk," the pilot pointed to the forward right. "And the clearing next to the airstrip is the Wright Brothers Memorial."Until then, I hadn't given Kitty Hawk any thought. I was going to North Carolina's Outer Banks to enjoy the rugged Atlantic coastline and admire an assortment of lighthouses. But the seed had been...
Most savvy international travelers are familiar with Carnival, the monster samba party Rio de Janeiro hosts before Lent every year, however, few are aware of the second blow-out the Brazilian city stages annually. The feast of Iemanja, the Goddess of the Sea, coincides with New Year celebrations and this synchronicity results in a unique extravaganza that combines Afro-Brazilian religious rituals ...