In early 2024, I traveled to Southern California to spend four days in San Diego to escape the chill of a northeastern winter and soak up some sun. While I’ve spent time in most of California’s other major cities, I'd never visited San Diego before, and was unsure what to expect. … [Read more...] about Four Days in San Diego: The Highlights
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Hiking the Reef Bay Trail in Virgin Islands National Park
Hiking the Reef Bay Trail in Virgin Island National Park is the perfect way to familiarize yourself with the landscape, flora, and fauna of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you're more adventurous, it's a hike you can complete on your own. If the idea of hiking alone in a national park seems daunting, the National Park Service offers guided group walking tours of this … [Read more...] about Hiking the Reef Bay Trail in Virgin Islands National Park
Hearst Castle: Scenes from San Simeon’s Shangri-La
This is Hearst Castle: opulent, obsessive, and almost obscene. It's a must-see stop in San Simeon along California's Pacific Coast Highway. I'd wanted to visit Hearst Castle for ages, having first heard about it because of my appreciation for Orson Welles' cinematic masterpiece Citizen Kane. For those in the dark, the film is based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, the … [Read more...] about Hearst Castle: Scenes from San Simeon’s Shangri-La