Monarchs in Mexico allow brush with fragile beauty
This is a story that must begin at the end. But oh, what an end. I stood on a forested mountaintop in Mexico in late February, mesmerized by monarch butterflies...
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Camels, casbahs and more make for a magical visit to Morocco
Our two rows of camels rested in the darkness before dawn near the circle of tents in the towering Erg Chebbi dunes, a few miles from Morocco's border with Algeria....
‘Game of Thrones’ fans retrace footsteps of HBO hit in ancient Dubrovnik
If you want to get an up-close look at King's Landing and the Red Keep or take a stroll on the same staircase featured in Cersei's naked walk of shame,...
Traveling solo, but not alone, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast
On a sunny October day, a small bus with 17 passengers left a mountain village in Italy, headed for the famed coastal town of Amalfi. The zigzagging road offered glimpses...
Colorful crafts, memorable encounters can be found near Oaxaca city
In a tiny village in the Oaxaca highlands in southwestern Mexico, Macrina Mateo Martinez tells her story as she deftly shapes red clay from the nearby El Picacho mountain. There's...
Portland’s robust food cart scene a treat for the taste buds
Who heads outside to have lunch when it's raining? Portlanders, for sure. So under gray skies and a steady rain, I joined the line at Straits Kitchen at Piknik Park,...
Cruising the waterways of the czars in surprising, sprawling Russia
Three historic cathedrals, crowned by pristine white towers with golden domes, surround an open square. Hushed crowds of tourists edge their way past the tombs of royal dynasties, craning their...
Quirky places to stay, from treehouses to caves
When family and friends in Portland, Ore., found out where we were staying during a recent visit, they just had to come and take a look. It's not as if...
Cruising through antiquity on the Nile, without the crowds
On the top deck of the cruise ship River Tosca, the swimming pool was cool and inviting in the afternoon heat. Below, the fabled Nile River was wide and blue...
2 Michigan islands are close but so different
An island is a world apart — that's part of what makes them such in-demand travel destinations. But you don't need to go to Hawaii or the Bahamas to experience...