Polarsteps Travel App Review

Update: March 17, 2024 An abbreviated version of this article now appears on YouTube as an instructional video. Click below to view it: Introduction I started using the Polarsteps app in March 2018 at the outset of a 31-day trip to Dubai, Australia, and Thailand and immediately got hooked on it. I’ll be honest. I’ve always […]

Walking the Nile - Book Recommendation

A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon and immediately got hooked on Ewan McGregor’s BBC reality television series Long Way Down. The program documents the three-month journey McGregor and his friend undertook in 2007 from northern Scotland to Cape Town, South Africa by motorcycle. I was fascinated and enthralled by their trip: the challenges […]

Dominical Bus, Costa Rica

I leave the land of underwater farts A couple of years ago I spent six days in the Manuel Antonio/Quepos area of Costa Rica. And let me tell you, when people in Hell feel a chill, they go to Manuel Antonio/Quepos to warm up. It’s not just blazing hot there, it’s humid like you’ve never […]

top travel apps - Meetup.com

One of the newest travel apps I’ve added to my smartphone is Meetup.com and it’s rapidly becoming a staple of my social life. This despite having the worst corporate logo I’ve ever seen. I’d love to pick the brains of the Meetup Marketing team that decided that “bloodsplatter” was the imagery they wanted to associate […]

“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence, there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” ― Chris McCandless’ letter to Ron Franz (Chapter 6 of Into the Wild) Click here to read our review of […]

bondi to coogee coastal walk

The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk is an easily accessible and not too strenuous way to get up close to some of the spectacular coastline in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The walk hugs the coast for 3 1/2 miles and consists of a gently rolling path with occasional stairs. On sunny days, it provides spectacular photo […]

Dubrovnik, Croatia

View of Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town from the 16th century wall that completely encircles it. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979, the town suffered significant damage during the 1991-1992 Yugoslav War. Nowadays, though, there are few physical reminders of the war years. And the town has been reborn as a major Mediterranean tourist destination. […]

Storm waves washing into Sliema Pitch pool, Malta

Storm swell washing over the seawall into Sliema Pitch pool, Malta. The pool faces north and takes the brunt of many of the storms that hit Malta during the winter months. Although rainfall is usually minimal, the wind can blow for days at gale-force strength, kicking up 15-20 foot waves in this part of the […]

Seaside cafe, warm blue waters, and a cloudless sky

A seaside cafe, warm blue waters, and a cloudless sky. One of the many secluded inlets and coves on the western side of the island of Malta. Low hills and a vast network of walking paths make it easy to get from one cove to the next. In fact, if you had the time, you […]

Amalfi town, southern Italian coast

Picturesque Amalfi. This tiny town 1 1/2 hours south of Naples is the namesake for Italy’s most spectacular coastline. Stretching from Sorrento in the north to Salerno in the south, it’s wild, steep, and gorgeous. And one heck of an unnerving bus ride to get to. Think hairpin turns, 400 foot vertical drops, narrow roads, […]

Mark Abbot Memorial Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California

Mark Abbot Memorial Lighthouse, Lighthouse Point, Santa Cruz. This brick lighthouse constructed in 1967 is located on the bluff above Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz’ most famous surf break. Dedicated to the memory of Mark Abbot, a local surfer who drowned while surfing nearby, it has been home to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum for the […]