Two days until I leave on my Oregon road trip. I’m planning to blog daily while I’m gone, posting experiences and photos. Meanwhile, I’m continuing to think ahead to next May and my trip to the Balkans. I requested a private tour … Continued
The last time I took a serious road trip was my Acadian Road Trip, eight years ago, in July 2005. I flew to Portland, Maine, and I rented a car and drove up along the coast into New Brunswick, then … Continued
I love planning my vacation nearly as much as going on it. (Nothing unusual about that, I think.) So once I start narrowing down the plan, I am constantly tweaking it until I’ve locked everything down. So here’s my revised … Continued
With less than two weeks until I leave for my Oregon road trip, I find that I’m already on the verge of putting down a deposit on my next vacation. I was thinking the Balkans in the fall, but now … Continued
I’d never actually heard of Fossil, Oregon, before it was recommended to me via my post on the Thorn Tree Forum. And now that I’m definitely going there, I don’t know if I’m happy about it. Maybe it will be the … Continued
As I’m planning my Oregon road trip, I feel like I’m planning three separate vacations. First, I have four nights to spend along the coast. Then I have four nights in Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Finally, I have … Continued
One of the trips I am seriously considering for my next vacation abroad is eastern Europe. After my visit to Tallinn, I think it would be amazing to spend a few weeks exploring other parts of the former Soviet bloc. … Continued
Europe doesn’t actually exist. It’s a huge myth invented by fantasy writers. The myth became so real that it took on the legitimacy of history and geography. All the people, cultures, landmarks, museums, rivers, mountains, cities — all of it is … Continued
Picking the right guidebook is always a challenge. On the one hand, any guidebook is going to provide useful information, so you won’t necessarily have a better or worse vacation by picking one guidebook over another. But some guidebooks provide advice … Continued
I spent the Labor Day weekend in the wine country of the Willamette Valley, in and around McMinnville, Oregon. I went with my friend Margot to attend the wedding of my friends Lisa and Steve, who are wine aficianados, or … Continued