When I heard that the Los Angeles Zoo had finally reopened a few weeks ago, I knew it was time for a return visit to one of my favorite local attractions. I then made advanced online reservations, which are currently required for all guests, including members. My getaway began when me and the family walked beneath the giant, iconic metal …

Let’s look back at a tragedy which dramatically overshadows today’s current event. It is one of the most bleak and secretive tragedies in our past. It is so secretive that my thoughtful guide in Oklahoma knew nothing about it, and I had to direct him to its site. It is the worst race riot in U.S. history.

I’ve been a tree-lover most of my life. The observation of, and communion with trees has added much pleasure to my existence. So when it became clear that a trip from my home in Seattle to the San Francisco Bay area was in the near future, I decided to drive and see some sights along the way. I planned to …

Once again, I had it all wrong. A friend of a friend had informed me that Tucson, Arizona was still very much part of the Wild West, where people wore no masks, did not participate in social distancing and everything was wide open. I found the opposite to be true, despite my chagrin of all indoor museums closed. The Tucson …

There is something special about Avenue of the Arts Hotel in Costa Mesa. The moment I walked through its colorful, luxurious lobby I felt a calm come over me, like I was suddenly on a carefree vacation. This feeling magnified as I walked past a flowing stream and serene garden courtyard.

Key West, Florida is more than a place. It is a spirit, a funky energy that enters your soul and takes residence in your worldview as well as your inner vision. A state of mind more than a city; a way of life more than a place to live. It’s a lifestyle, not a destination. All expressed in the absurdist poetry that is Key West, a language not spoken anywhere else in the country.

In fall, 2019, I set out for the West Village in a monsoon. It was the last night of a small, culturally significant exhibit that I wanted to catch. At the designated address, I walked into a darkened courtyard, seemingly the patio of a shuttered restaurant on the far side of the enclosure, certainly not a gallery.

Foreign countries may close their borders and airlines cut their flight schedules, waiting for Covid-19 to disappear, but that doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself to a vacation this year in a Colorado hideaway as safe and solitary as it is remarkable.

I love visiting a place where you can check into a hotel, park the car for a couple days, and then explore on foot and walk to everything you need. Such is the case with Ventura Harbor Village in the seaside city of Ventura, California. This charming little enclave has great restaurants and shops, quaint hotels, and incredible ocean views.

I’m a travel writer. Words are what I do. My stories may not always sing but I usually can put one word in front of another succinctly enough to craft a quasi-well-written article. But when I heard about the newly opened Planet Word in Washington, D.C., I was so excited, I had no words.