119 articles tagged with outdoor adventures
Growing up fishing with my abuelo in the Gulf of Mexico taught me that coastal destinations always hide their best secrets beyond the obvious shoreline attractions. Myrtle Beach might be famous for its 60 miles of gorgeous Atlantic beaches, but...
When most folks think of Hwange National Park, they picture the classic safari experience—Land Rovers tracking elephant herds across golden savanna. But after my recent two-week winter adventure with a group of friends from my Sheffield tennis club, I discovered...
When I first ventured to Medford, Oregon, I expected a brief stopover on my way to a women's soccer tournament in Portland. Instead, I discovered an outdoor playground that's had me returning every summer since. Nestled in the Rogue Valley...
From 35,000 feet above South Africa, the landscape transforms from the urban sprawl of Johannesburg to the undulating green carpets of Mpumalanga province. As we begin our descent into Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, I'm always struck by how the terrain...
While my research typically takes me to remote Andean glaciers or isolated Arctic communities, a recent invitation to lecture at Coe College provided an unexpected opportunity to explore Cedar Rapids, Iowa with my colleague's family. As an anthropologist accustomed to...
When most adventure seekers think of Colorado, their minds immediately jump to Boulder's Flatirons, Denver's mountain proximity, or the famous ski towns dotting the Rockies. But after spending a week in Pueblo with my college buddies last summer, I'm convinced...
When my sister's family invited me to join their Montana adventure last summer, I couldn't resist the opportunity to explore the natural wonders surrounding Kalispell. As someone who's spent years documenting family-friendly destinations across Europe, I was eager to reconnect...
The universe operates on mathematical precision that even my actuarial mind finds humbling. When Hopkinsville, Kentucky was designated as the point of greatest eclipse duration for the 2017 total solar eclipse, I knew I had to experience this cosmic alignment...
When most people think of Virginia Beach, they picture the iconic three-mile boardwalk lined with hotels and restaurants. But as someone who's explored this coastal gem with my Australian in-laws (who were determined to see 'the real America'), I've discovered...
There's something rather poetic about discovering a place that the guidebooks have largely overlooked. As I've grown older (though I resist the term 'aging'), I've developed an appreciation for these unsung destinations—towns that exist in the shadow of their more...
The first time I laid eyes on Uluru, I was struck by an unexpected sense of familiarity—not because I'd seen countless images of Australia's iconic monolith, but because it resonated with something deeper. As someone who's documented America's disappearing roadside...
There's something profoundly satisfying about discovering a place that hasn't yet been overrun by tourism but holds genuine cultural treasures. Decatur, Alabama sits at this sweet spot—a riverside town where Southern hospitality isn't a marketing slogan but a way of...
When most travelers think of Mombasa, images of white-sand beaches and turquoise waters immediately come to mind. But during my recent diplomatic assignment in Kenya, I discovered that this coastal paradise offers far more than just picture-perfect postcards and lazy...
When I first touched down in Ras Al Khaimah with my adventure-hungry friends, I couldn't believe this hidden gem of the UAE had been off my radar for so long. Unlike its flashier neighbor Dubai, RAK (as the locals call...
There's something magical about watching your grandson's eyes widen as a real-life cowboy tips his hat walking past, or seeing your mother's face light up at the sound of authentic frontier music. That's the Cheyenne effect—a place where three generations...
