Portland, the largest city in Oregon, is home to a number of attractions. It’s the “City of Roses,” so you’ve got the International Rose Test Garden. Donuts and craft breweries are popular, as is the Japanese Garden. And for a bit of U.S. trivia, did you know that Portland houses the second-largest copper statue in […]
North America
Florida’s Brightline Adds Two Rail Stations, Expects to Connect to Orlando Later This Year
Having experienced hours upon hours of Amtrak delays in the United States — which has a lot to do with freight trains operating ~70% of the tracks on which Amtrak runs — I rarely ever think about train travel in this country. Undoubtedly, there are some beautiful rides — I remember thinking that parts of the […]
After Nearly Seven Years, Air Canada Returns to New York JFK
The last time Air Canada (in any form) flew to New York City’s JFK Airport was on 3 April 2016. Those were Air Canada Express regional jets, flying double daily from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Although those JFK slots are valuable, the goal at the time was to focus on the large point-to-point traffic […]
Language Lunes: Let’s Get Muddy
This week’s episode of Language Lunes takes us to Mexico, the home of albures. Albures are mischievous idioms which I believe help make Mexican Spanish that much more amusing to speak. For starters, use of the doble sentido, or double entendre, is very popular in casual speech. If you’re with a group of Mexican friends, be prepared […]
Top Five Unexpected Visits of 2022
To follow up the earlier post on my top five meals of 2022, I thought, food is great and all, but where the heck was I when eating? Why did I end up there? And, were any of those meals due to unexpected visits? Not necessarily, but I’ve got a fun top five list — […]
My Top Five Meals of 2022
First of all, Happy 2023! Mexico, Turkey, Japan, AND Georgia for good measure– how am I going to make a “top five meals of 2022” list when I was in some of my favorite countries for food? Better just take one from each, and then reveal a mystery country to finish the list off. Cue […]
Free Guided Hikes at U.S. State Parks
Elephant Rock, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, United StatesCome New Year’s Day, state parks around the United States will be hosting something called First Day Hikes. Introduced at the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, Massachusetts more than 30 years back, the idea to offer free guided hikes around state parks has since spread so […]
Viva Aerobus Increases Destinations from Mérida, Mexico
First of all, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, and keep warm! Earlier this month, Mexican Low-Cost Carrier Viva Aerobus (airline code VB) added two new nonstop destinations from Mérida, the capital of Yucatán state, and the largest city in the Yucatán peninsula. (link in Spanish) Mérida, located in one of the hotter parts in the country, […]