Next spring? Really?
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
Fossil and Fossils
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
A Tale of Three Itineraries
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
I want to go to Eastern Europe
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 is (just) a dream
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
Guidebooks
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
Pinot Noir: Not my favorite
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
Comfort Zone
In the two weeks since my last post I have been thinking a lot about my difficulty with getting out of my comfort zone when I travel. This might seem ridiculous to people who can’t imagine going to Europe all alone. … Continued
The frugal traveler in my footsteps
I was both delighted and wistful to read The Frugal Traveler’s most recent post about his journey through Scandinavia. Before he began his trip (and while I was in the last week of mine), Seth Kugel posted requesting readers provide him … Continued
But it’s in Arizona
Even though I’ve been to all 50 states, there are a lot of places in the USA where I haven’t been and still would like to see. Near the top of my list is the Grand Canyon.