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National Parks | Winter 2013 | PDF
As Civil War sites continue to mark 150 years since America's most important conflict, Harpers Ferry, Antietam and Gettysburg tell old stories in a new light.
SMALL-TOWN VIRGINIA, STRAIGHT FROM THE MOVIES
The Washington Post | January 11, 2015 | PDF
Lexington is a destinaton known for its farm-to-table restaurants, where hard-core kayakers paddle on the Maury River year-round and the Christmas parade features tractors and goats.
The Washington Post | January 18, 2015 | PDF
At first blush, it’s understandable that you might gravitate toward the sparkly, colorful side of the desert--the music festival, 24-hour casinos, golf courses nad mid-century modern architecture. After all, those of us from the East tend to associate green with life. Brown is easy to dismiss. But you’d be forgiven.
The Washington Post | July 15, 2018 | PDF
Also published in The Chicago Tribune and The Oklahoman
"So Boulder." I heard it first from friends who had moved there, as in, "The woman swimming in the lane next to me today was an Olympian. So Boulder." Or: "Our grocery store is offering goat yoga. So Boulder."
National Parks | Summer 2018 | PDF
In this divisive political era, is it possible for the Park Service to support contemporary art that grapples with hot-button issues, from immigration to climate change? At these parks, the answer is yes.
CAMPING WITHOUT THE HASSLE: NEW SERVICE RENTS ALL THE GEAR
The Washington Post | May 20, 2018 | PDF
Also published in Miami Herald and The Chicago Tribune
One day in April, I returned from a camping trip - a quick 24 out of the city - and ran a load of laundry. What’s more telling is what I didn’t do.
A GRAND TOUR OF NEW ENGLAND--BY BIKE
The Washington Post | May 6, 2018 | PDF
Also published in the New Haven Register
Everything we love about New England is better by bike. When you’re on two wheels, the air is crisper, the small towns lovelier, the coast a bit more like heaven, and the wild blueberries may even be sweeter.
The Washington Post | April 22, 2018 | PDF
Also published in The Philly Inquirer and the New Haven Register
I owe Richmond an apology. Countless times, I’ve zipped past the exits for this capital city, a place not quite far enough from Washington for a pit stop on a road trip, and not quite close enough for a meal. Last month, I ran out of excuses. I pulled off Interstate 95 and entered Richmond for the first time.
A CULINARY ROAD TRIP THROUGH APPALACHIA
The Wall Street Journal | October 18, 2014
Also featured in High Country Press
Skip the fried-squirrel jokes—this region could be the next big dining destination. And a multistate road trip is the way to explore it.
National Parks | Winter 2018 | PDF
Could they ever understand what their ancestors endured? They biked hundreds of miles along the Trail of Tears to find out.
The Washington Post | November 25, 2017 | PDF
It's easy to pack running shoes or goggles and a swimsuit for a vacation workout. But what if you're footloose and gear-free? What if you — gasp!— end up overnighting somewhere without a gym? Here are 10 gear-free ways to exercise while traveling
CAN YOU PLAN A 2017 VACATION WITH A 40-YEAR-OLD TRAVEL GUIDE?
The Washington Post | September 17, 2017 | PDF
On my family vacations in the late 1970s, my father usually drove the speed limit or below. And my mother, with time to kill and a family to entertain, pulled out the "AAA Mid-Atlantic TourBook" and began to read.
I VACATIONED AT THE EAST COAST'S QUINTESSENTIAL REST STOP. IT'S MORE INVITING THAN IT LOOKS.
The Washington Post | September 17, 2017 | PDF
Also published in The Philly Inquirer
I expected to live my entire life without price-shopping for truck-stop showers. Then I spent the night in Breezewood.
YOU'RE GOING WHERE? CHARLESTON, WV
The Washington Post | July 9, 2017 | PDF
A city that has time for you is a win. In Charleston, W.Va., you can park your car all day for $3, catch free live music almost every night and be seated right away — sans reservations — at the city’s best restaurant.
National Parks | Summer 2016 | PDF
Among the musicians who have found inspiration at Joshua Tree National Park, it is Gram Parsons whose connection to the park is possibly the most legendary. Curious about his short life, his time in in the park and his death at the Joshua Tree Inn, I drove across the country to explore.
BASECAMP: AIRSTEAM MYSTIQUE, PACKED LIGHT
The Washington Post | May 7, 2017 | PDF
The object of my desire was silver and riveted.
National Parks | Spring 2017 | PDF
The day I set out to climb the tallest sand dune in North America began with a gift from above. As I slithered from my warm sleeping bag before daybreak, a light suddenly shone onto my tent. . A faraway owl cried, “Hoo-hoo!” Outside, the dark dunes stretched out, inviting me closer. The moon lit my path. It was going to be a good day.
WHAT ROAD TRIP MOVIES TELL US ABOUT TRAVEL--AND OURSELVES
The Washington Post | March 5, 2017 | PDF
This winter, homebound with writing deadlines, I devoured more than 30 road films. Somewhere during my binge, I realized that the on-screen dramas enhanced my own relationship with the open road. I saw parts of myself in the characters, and the pictures whet my appetite for the next journey.
AT L.L. BEAN'S FLAGSHIP STORE, LEARN TO SNOWSHOE IN MAINE
The Washington Post | February 1, 2017 | PDF
I forgot about the metal contraptions and concentrated on my breath. I thought about how easy it had been to get out in the snow. No lift lines, no crazy gear, no adrenaline junkies, just me and nature, quiet and white.
SIX WHEELS WILL TRAVEL: CROSSING THE U.S. WITH A BIKE IN THE CAR
The Washington Post | July 3, 2016 | PDF
Some folks cross the country on a bike. I prefer to drive with a bike in my car. I’ve learned some lessons on my six-wheel adventures. Here are 10 of them.
SHINDIGS, JAMBOREES & JUBILEES
National Parks | December 2015 | PDF
Traveling along the Blue Ridge Parkway for some fast dancing, sweet music and old-fashioned fun.
EVER WANTED TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN A GIANT BEAGLE? YOU CAN.
The Washington Post | May 1, 2016 | PDF
For years, friends had urged me to visit Dog Bark Park Inn, a whimsical beagle-shaped bed and breakfast. Given my adoration of beagles and appetite for road trips, the suggestion was understandable.
TRY 120 SF OF LIVING SPACE ON FOR SIZE AT TINY HOUSE HOTEL
The Washington Post | November 1, 2015 | PDF
Also published in St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Montreal Gazette and The Province
The lure of the tiny house is huge. These small homes, less than 200 square feet and often on wheels, appeal to the minimalist, the environmentalist and the frugalist. Plenty of people offer tiny houses as vacation rentals, but leave it to progressive Portland to introduce the first tiny-house hotel, Caravan.
STEP RIGHT UP: BOOT-SCOOTIN' BOOGIE NIGHTS IN TX DANCE HALLS
The Washington Post | March 10, 2013 | PDF
When it comes to the act of facing a partner and stepping in unison — which Texans do so well—the venue, the music and the atmosphere are all secondary. In this state, people just dance.
WITH DOG AS MY CO-PILOT: A X-COUNTRY DRIVE IS A WALK IN THE PARK
The Washington Post | March 15, 2009 | PDF
Also published in The San Diego Union-Tribune
On a cold December morning hours before sunrise, I stood in the doorway to my bedroom, where my beagle, Darwin, was curled up on a pillow. “Want to go for a ride?” I asked. She tilted her head, and her ears flexed out like an elephant’s. “By the way,” I added, “we’re going to California.”
DRIVE-IN MOVIES THRIVE IN A STREAMING WORLD
USA TODAY | June 17, 2017 | PDF
Moviegoers who long for nostalgia and low-cost fun are in luck. A few hundred drive-ins still exist, and here are a few favorites. Remember two things: Use your parking lights when entering and exiting, and please take a moment to enjoy the stars on the ceiling.
THE MYSTERIES OF THE PANAMA HOTEL
National Parks | December 2015
What treasures did Japanese-Americans abandon when they left for internment camps?
HOW TO TRAVEL AND BE KIND TO ANIMALS
The Washington Post | August 2, 2015 | PDF
The lure of the tiny house is huge. These small homes, less than 200 square feet and often on wheels, appeal to the minimalist, the environmentalist and the frugalist. Plenty of people offer tiny houses as vacation rentals, but leave it to progressive Portland to introduce the first tiny-house hotel, Caravan.
D.C. BY WHEELCHAIR: PUTTING ADA TO THE TEST
USA Today | July 31, 2015 | PDF
Anne Thomas has been in a wheelchair since 1976. Since it’s the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, she suggested we play tourists for a couple days in Washington, where the law was enacted. What’s it like today for a tourist in a wheelchair in the nation’s capital?
THINK THE LOGISTICS OF FAMILY TRAVEL ARE TOUGH? TRY TWO WEEKS IN CHINA FOR 100 SINGERS
The Washington Post | July 12, 2015 | PDF
Some members of the Choral Arts Society voiced concerns about China’s air quality; others worried about Internet access, traffic, long lines and crowds.
BIKING ACROSS PHILLY: INDEPENDENCE FROM THE TRODDEN PATH
The Washington Post | June 14, 2015 | PDF
The week before I arrived in Philadelphia, the city launched its new bike-share. I thought this would be a groovy way to check out a few new city parks and public spaces along the Delaware River to the est, the Schuylkill River to the west and the 30-block Center City in between.
AT PAYNES PRAIRIE PRESERVE IN FLORIDA, ALLIGATORS COME WITH THE TERRITORY
The Washington Post | February 22, 2015 | PDF
Gainesville is perhaps best known for the University of Florida Gators. I don’t generally make detours for mascots, but nose-to-snout encounters with wildlife? Sign me up.
IN BUFFALO, A NEW VITALITY GIVES THE ONCE-GRITTY CITY WINGS
The Washington Post | July 27, 2014 | PDF
Also featured in Buffalo News and on WIVB
Last month, I shuffled up to the city that brought us hydraulic power, the grain elevator and spicy wings. And over four days in this Great Lakes city, only once did I hear someone mention the body part that chickens use for flapping, that beloved spicy bar food the city loves to claim.
HOSTELS, CLEANING UP THEIR IMAGE AND GROWING LIKE GANGBUSTERS
The Washington Post | January 23, 2014 | PDF
On my first night in Cleveland last year, I fell asleep spooning my backpack. I maneuvered my laptop beneath my pillow and leaned my favorite red boots against the wall by my feet. For the first time in more than a decade, I was overnighting in a hostel, and I didn’t know what to expect.
PUMPED UP ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKING IN NC
The Washington Post | October 6, 2013 | PDF
I’ve probably been on a mountain bike a couple of times in my life, but I’ve certainly never biked any mountains, and my only bike-related bragging rights involve a recent 50 miles on the C&O Canal towpath — arguably as flat as they come. But I was overdue for a visit to one of my favorite Carolina towns, so I packed my car and headed to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
National Parks | Fall 2013 | PDF
From bike paths to contra dances to fresh, local fare, Cuyahoga Valley National Park offers a quintessential Midwest experience.
National Parks | Summer 2013 | PDF
There's no place like Big Bend National Park to slow down, grab a pair of binoculars and reconnect with your inner birder.
SHOPPING WITH THE LOCAL CURRENCY IN ITHACA, N.Y.
The Washington Post | September 23, 2012 | PDF
Also featured in The Week
It’s only fitting that this town — as dense with brainpower as it is with composting bins — would have a quirky alternative currency system. I took my notes adorned with images of dead presidents, replaced them with playful bills with pictures of salamanders, and I went shopping.
A LITTLE LLAMA LOVE IN LEXINGTON, VA
The Washington Post | December 30, 2011 | PDF
Spunky’s face was about level with mine, and he moved in so close that I could feel his breath on my cheek. I seemed to pass muster, because after some intense sniffing, he let me lead him into the field, and with that, our trek began.
S'MORE, S'IL VOUS PLAIT? A FRENCH COMPANY OPENS ITS FIRST 'GLAMPGROUND' IN THE U.S.
The Washington Post | August 19, 2018 | PDF
Affordable glamping: Huttopia’s concept — which features well-designed, Ikea-like tent kits imported from France — is more of an elegant KOA than a rustic Ritz-Carlton.
The Washington Post | August 19, 2018 | PDF
Also published in The Chicago Tribune and The Oklahoman
Forget “Fargo.” Don’t get me wrong — I loved the Coen brothers’ dark crime comedy. But 22 years later, if you’re still thinking only about the movie when you hear that word, it’s time to rewire your brain.
WOODS HOLE: THE SCIENCE OF VACATION
The Washington Post | September 9, 2011 | PDF
In another life, I used to vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. My guy and I would fill the car with bags and beagle, and we’d drive to Woods Hole— singularly focused on catching our ferry to the Vineyard. But today, I forgo the ferry and enjoy the port town I once bypassed. .
TILGHMAN ISLAND: IN SEARCH OF DOING NOTHING
The Washington Post | January 15, 2010 | PDF
Several times a year, I grab an overnight bag, a book and an eager beagle and head east to Tilghman Island, Md., nestled between the Chesapeake Bay and the Choptank River. In every other season, I look forward to kayaking, biking and eating crabs. In the winter, I fantasize about doing absolutely nothing.
DRY TIMES (SORT OF) IN THIS N.J. TOWN
The Washington Post | November 4, 2009 | PDF
There is one bar in Haddonfield, N.J. It looks like a wooden ticket booth, and if you peer through the window, you see barrels for storing alcohol and pewter mugs of various sizes for measuring it. A menu lists drink prices: a “gill of brandy,” 6 pence; a “quart of egg punch,” 8 pence; and a “quart of cyder royal,” 1 shiling.
SPIN CONTROL: HEAVE-HO, MOTION SICKNESS
The Washington Post | September 6, 2009 | PDF
I have turned green riding over giant sand dunes in Qatar, become queasy kayaking between the Virgin Islands and puked on a flight to Peru. There are few places I can travel, including across the dance floor via pirouette, where I don't risk feeling some symptoms of motion sickness.
The Washington Post | October 4, 2009 | PDF
I arrive at the Marathon gas station in Stuart, Va., just above the North Carolina border, to find a man eating beans out of a can and a collection of animal heads peering down at an understocked convenience store. I am at my first stop on the Crooked Road: Virginia’s Music Heritage Trail — and I don’t see anything that resembles the jam session I expected.
The Washington Post | May 31, 2006 | PDF
Before the maximum-security facility closed in 1995, it recorded 85 hangings and nine electrocutions. Add suicides, stabbings and other deaths, and the toll is 998, which means lots of potential paranormal activity.
VA'S BAY CROSSING: HARDLY A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE
The Washington Post | November 16, 2008 | PDF
The traffic was behind us, and we rejoiced by opening the windows and sniffing/inhaling (respectively) the ocean air. Seat belts fastened, arms and floppy ears secured in the vehicle, we began the mother of all East Coast rides — across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
National Parks | Fall 2018 | PDF
I went to City of Rocks and Castle Rocks to climb. Then it rained. And hailed. And snowed.
GOING GREEN AROUND THE GILLS ISN'T BLACK AND WHITE
The Washington Post | November 4, 2018 | PDF | The Frommer's Travel Show
Also published in The Herald Tribune
Seasickness affects each person differently. Picking the right ship size, dates and location can help limit queasiness on the water.
RIDING LIKE A DREAM FROM STATION TO STATION
The Washington Post | July 16, 2017 | PDF
When you're a child prone to car sickness, the wheels on the bus going round and round are nothing to sing about. Over the years, my aversion to bus travel only grew. Then I found myself in Texas, boarding a Megabus.
National Parks | Winter 2018 | PDF
Long before internet streaming, television and cinema, armchair adventurers explored exotic lands through the moving panorama. In the 19th century, these extraordinarily long paintings entertained live audiences across the country. Now, a quarter- mile-long painting from a bygone era makes its 21st century debut.
National Parks | Winter 2018 | PDF
Hebrew at Yellowstone? Mandarin at Grand Teton? Somali on the National Mall? As the number of international visitors to national parks rises, the Park Service is speaking up — in multiple languages.
U.S. News & World Report | December 26, 2018
Asheville is known for the Blue Ridge Parkway, bluegrass, the Biltmore and beer. It's also the world's largest repository of climate data.
The Washington Post | January 20, 2019 | PDF
Featured on Raleigh's ABC/11 and in Dallas Morning News and New Haven Register | Also featured in The Week
“Sneaky cool.” That’s how goldsmith Lauren Ramirez, a transplant from San Francisco, described Raleigh to me when I popped into her jewelry studio in late November. It was the same morning that I saw a man break dancing in the middle of the street before 8 a.m. and one day after I’d made an impulse purchase that sparkled like a disco ball.
FORGET COACHELLA. THERE'S A VIBRANT, MORE AFFORDABLE MUSIC SCENE IN JOSHUA TREE.
The Washington Post | February 10, 2019 | PDF
This year, No-chella? The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has become so wildly successful that it expanded to two weekends and spawned another festival. But for those of us who take pleasure in exploring the periphery of a big event and treasure music in intimate settings, there's the High Desert.
DOES ASHEVILLE, NC, LIVE UP TO ITS 'DOG CITY, USA' CLAIM?
The Washington Post | March 3, 2019 | PDF
I always thought Hammy was one of those “It’s about the journey, not the destination” travelers. Then we went to Asheville, a city with a new tour designed specifically for visitors like him. It started with snacks, continued with beer-tasting and ended with CBD treats. In just two hours, this mountain town in Western North Carolina blew his little beagle mind.
EAST COAST GREENWAY: HIKE OR BIKE YOUR WAY FROM MAINE TO FLORIDA
USA Today | March 22, 2019
A small tribe of cyclists and walkers have earned bragging rights for completing the entire East Coast Greenway—the 3,000-mile route that will eventually stretch from the Canadian border to Florida’s southernmost point--even though it’s only one-third complete.
The Washington Post | April 7, 2019 | PDF
Also published in Borneo Bulletin
My paddleboard, 10 feet long, agile and quiet, has become the perfect vehicle for seeing Washington. It offers a backstage pass to nooks, crannies and points of view that few tourists will ever see.
YOU'RE GOING WHERE? PITTSBURGH
The Washington Post | April 21, 2019 | PDF
Also published in The Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle and Pioneer Press
I’ve stopped counting the number of cities I’ve fallen in love with. But I think Pittsburgh might be the first city to have loved me back.
NONPROFIT GROUP FINDS DC HAS THE BEST PARK SYSTEM
U.S. News & World Report | May 22, 2019
Green with envy? You might be, if you don't live in Washington, D.C., which on Wednesday was named the city with the best park system by The Trust for Public Land.
YOU'RE GOING WHERE? DES MOINES
The Washington Post | August 18, 2019 | PDF
Also published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune
I didn’t exactly go to Des Moines expecting corn fields, but I didn’t want to miss them, either.
BACK IN TIME: AT A WEST VIRGINIA RESORT, THERE'S OLD-SCHOOL FUN ALL AROUND
Bethesda Magazine | August 2019
A tidy and postcard-perfect resort with inviting lawns and hammocks, Capon Springs materializes like a mirage in the West Virginia mountains. Part Brigadoon and part and Snow White (with music piped from the trees before meals), I half expected to see sprites.
SUNRISE, SUNSET: IN MAINE, A PLACE WHERE THE SUN IS THE STAR
The Washington Post | October 20, 2019 | PDF
Also published in the New Haven Register
In South Portland, Maine, I scheduled only two things each day—wildly predictable events, free of crowds and costs. Twice a day, I made a date with the sun.
The Washington Post | October 13, 2019 | PDF
Also published in The Dallas Morning News and the Brainerd Dispatch
Twin schmin. When I visited St. Paul this summer, I was vaguely aware of another city nearby. I saw skyscrapers in the distance and heard mention of a twin — a sparklier, sassier, bigger city slightly to the west. I registered that other city in my mind and then dismissed it. If a SpongeBob-celebrating, croquet-playing, Vulcan-fighting city isn't your jam, there's always the other city. For the rest of us, there's St. Paul.
YOU'RE GOING WHERE? BURLINGTON
The Washington Post | November 17, 2019 | PDF
Burlington, Vt., had so much of what I had always wanted in a vacation that I often forgot I was on assignment.
The Washington Post | November 24, 2019 | PDF
Budget sleeping has never been so cool. So cool, in fact, that some hostels are now self-identifying as hotels. This is the new world of communal lodging, with luxury amenities including hand-crafted cocktails and handmade wooden bunks.
National Parks | Spring 2020 | PDF
As the sun sank in the autumn sky, I opened up a paint-mottled canvas bag and pulled out the objects inside: four paintbrushes of varying widths, a translucent blue ruler, a No. 2 pencil, a cup of water for rinsing brushes, a clipboard with a sheet of pleasingly thick white paper and a set of watercolors that looked brand-new. I spread all the items on the grass before me and delighted in my bounty.
GREAT READS FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
The Washington Post | March 29, 2020 | PDF
The open road calls, and I reply with silence. After all, what’s a road trip without ordering the local favorite at a restaurant, breaking bread with faraway friends, flirting with strangers in a saloon? Alas, in the time of corona, even touching a gas nozzle seems fraught. Antsy for adventure, I consider other ways to transport myself. I settle on a tried-and-true escape hatch, accessible to anyone with an armchair: reading.
MINNEAPOLIS IS NO. 1 IN THE NATION FOR PARKS
U.S. News & World Report | May 20, 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many park amenities like playgrounds have been closed, a quiet walking path feels like a luxury, and parks are playing an extraordinary role in the mental and physical health of Americans.
A GUIDE TO BACKYARD CAMPING: TURNS OUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO VERY FAR TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL
The Washington Post | May 24, 2020 | PDF | Letter to the Editor
Also published in The Independent
“I’m headed into the wilderness,” I said. Then I slipped on my flip-flops, picked up my pillow and canvas bag and opened the back door. With the house and monotonous quarantine life in my wake, I took a deep breath, scanned my surroundings and headed into the wilds of my 11-foot-wide backyard.
AS SUMMER GETS UNDERWAY, A LOOK AT THIS YEAR'S 10 BEST U.S. CITIES FOR PARKS
The Washington Post | June 28, 2020 | PDF
I’ve found hope hiking on wooded trails, joy spotting foxes around a forest and comfort strolling in open pastures. For jet-setters, road trippers and backpackers alike, parks — quiet, spacious, safe and nourishing — have helped us cope with the pandemic.
MASKS AND GLOVES DOT THE LANDSCAPE, THE DISTINCTIVE LITTER OF PANDEMIC
The Washington Post | July 7, 2020 | PDF
I saw the first gloves three months ago, crumpled blue against a bed of yellowish-green moss. What a strange sight, I thought, finding a coronavirus pandemic artifact here in nature. I snapped a picture and thought little of it. Since then, I have shot images of nearly 700 discarded gloves and masks.
The Washington Post | August 30, 2020 | PDF | The Frommer's Travel Show
These days, when the value of a slight change in scenery and community cannot be overstated, many of us have turned to camping. There's nothing quite like a focus on basic needs — shelter, food, water, beagle contentment — to dislodge pandemic anxiety.
The Washington Post | August 23, 2020 | PDF
The fuel light comes on, and I shift into survival mode: Slow down. Breathe deep. Turn the air conditioner off and radio down. I’m in the middle of Montana, God only knows how far from the nearest gas station.
HOW LIBRARIES ARE WRITING A NEW CHAPTER DURING THE PANDEMIC
National Geographic | September 21, 2020 | PDF
Americans' love affair with libraries has only grown during the pandemic. How can you not adore an institution that waives late fees and transports you (for free!) to better worlds with the humble hardback? Here's the latest on library design, book bikes and Curbside Larry.
IN VT, A HAVEN FOR DOGS AND THE HUMANS WHO LOVE THEM
The Washington Post | October 11, 2020 | PDF
When people meet Hamilton and ask something uncouth like how long beagles live, my pat reply is, “Forever.” I know how silly and dismissive that sounds. But it’s less upsetting than coming to terms with the near certainty that I will outlive Hammy. I have always thought that dogs should live exactly as long as their humans. Until that happens, their lives will never be long enough. In the meantime, there’s Dog Mountain.
D.C.'S MASS APPEAL: AN ODE TO A ROAD
The Washington Post | October 30, 2020 | PDF
Early one morning last month, I stood on a red curb outside the D.C. Jail and prepared to walk what my great uncle Aaron called the most elegant street in Washington: Massachusetts Avenue.
National Parks | Winter 2020 | PDF
The 4,600-mile North Country Trail has been painstakingly constructed by a devoted group of supporters over four decades. It’s only two-thirds done and largely unknown, but when it's finished, you'll be able to thru-hike from North Dakota to Florida.
JOHN STEINBECK'S CLASSIC TRAVELOGUE SHOWCASES MAN'S BEST TRAVEL BUDDY
The Washington Post | January 3, 2021 | PDF | The Frommer's Travel Show
Before my first cross-country road trip 14 years ago, I read John Steinbeck’s “Travels With Charley: In Search of America.” It spoke to me. Loudly
National Parks | Spring 2021 | PDF
Eager for a change of scenery, a disruption of my daily routine and the thrill of an outdoor adventure, I planned to bike the C&O Canal, end to end. I scheduled the journey for two weeks before the presidential election and vowed to stay off all electronic devices.
HOW TO TAKE AN OVERNIGHT TRIP WITH YOUR TWO-WHEELED VEHICLE
The Washington Post | March 28, 2021 | PDF
The night before I left for my first overnight bike trip, I examined all the articles spread before me on the floor and glanced at my list of nearly 100 items, including clothing, camping gear, emergency supplies and food for five days. And two hardbacks, one of which was destined for the reject pile.
The Washington Post | February 2, 2022
Setting off on her first long reporting trip in years, beagle in tow, journalist Melanie Kaplan experiences the muscle memory of past travels.
EXPLORE THE MALLOWS BAY GHOST FLEET, A SHIP GRAVEYARD
Arlington Magazine | May 2023
Also in Bethesda Magazine
Filled with history, this sunken fleet, about 30 miles down the Potomac from DC, is an ecological paradise.