Walking through Japan

The traffic-clogged streets, towering skyscrapers and dazzling lighted billboards could be in Times Square, New York – but they aren’t. I’m walking through Japan down an ancient trail that snakes through dense woods, over mountain passes and past rushing...

Traditional Japanese guest houses

This “Rooms to Explore” feature focuses upon places throughout the country and the world where I have stayed that became part of the experience of visiting a destination. Places that bring to life the local history, culture and lifestyle in a very meaningful way –...

Nova Scotia — the magnificence of history and nature

At a wilderness area of rolling hills and waterways in Nova Scotia, Canada, the story of the people who lived there 4,000 years ago is told in periodic drumming demonstrations, birch bark canoe building and other activities. The scene is very different in a nearby...

Exploring the world in Queens

Not hungry enough for a sit-down breakfast, I munched on Tibetan dumplings called “momos” purchased from a food truck decorated with a sign that touted “Himalayan Fresh Food.” Lunch was a hurried affair at a modest five-table eatery where I ordered the menu special of...

Kura Hulanda — Rooms with the history of man

This Rooms to Explore feature focuses upon places to stay throughout the country and the world that become part of a visit to a destination. This segment features Kura Hulanda in Curacao. These are hotels, inns and other accommodations that help to bring the local...