The Rick Steves Effect – Part 2, Cinque Terre Italy
What happens when a tiny group of villages gets into the Rick Steves guide and suddenly millions show up? I set to Cinque Terre, Italy to find out.
The Rick Steves Effect, Part 1: Cinque Terre, Italy
How strong is the Rick Steves effect on destinations, places that were once sleepy, undiscovered back door destinations, and suddenly this guidebook writer plays them up? I am about to find out in a dramatic way, as I’m headed to an area of Italy known as the Cinque Terre, a place that Rick nearly single-handedly…
Will Using “Common Sense” Keep You Safe While Traveling?
Nearly every article about staying safe while traveling (and there are many) will tell you to “use common sense”, lazy advice. Yet what does that mean and do you truly need to avoid dark alleys?
How Travel Has Changed Since 9/11
It’s been 20 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the way we travel has radically altered. A look back on travel right before that day, and the times after.
Whither Travel? Part II
What is the future of travel in the age of an ongoing pandemic, masks, and social distancing? A year ago, I took a look. Time to look again.
The Paris of the East. Or the West. Or wherever.
Too many cities have been called the “Paris of the East” or the “Pearl of wherever” to make these nicknames relevant, so can we stop using them? Let’s investigate how this happens.
Whither Travel?
What is the future of travel in the age of pandemics, social distancing, and closed borders? Let’s take a look at how travel will likely change, for better and for worse.
Santorini: Adventures in the tourist zone
A few days on the island of Santorini, Greece gave me the tourist experience of a lifetime. Are the wonderful views worth the crush of humanity? Is the absence of local culture made up for by the stunning photos you’ll bring back? Let’s break it down.
Kanazawa, Japan – Visiting the second tier destinations
Some travelers are lucky enough to have seen the popular places and now choose the second-tier sights, but why do we wait? Why not sometimes start with the less-knowns? I offer Kanazawa, Japan as a prime example.
How I Grew My Travel Blog From 265 Instagram Followers To 275 In Only Six Months
An accompanying Instagram account is a must for a travel blog, yet getting people to follow you is a challenge and a game. Here’s the tale of my frustration with the ‘gram.
Making Your Stand At Standing Bars In Japan
Tachinomi are a Japanese institution – standing bars and restaurants, where by design there are no seats; you stand throughout the experience. See why you need to make your stand in Japan.
Tourist Creep: When A Once-Native Place Changes
Tokyo’s Piss Alley and Golden Gai areas used to be very Japanese, and thus very exclusive, but a revisit five years later shows them to be now astonishingly touristy. What to think when a place changes?