Travel insurance is costly but necessary
If you’re thinking about an international trip this fall or next spring, adding travel insurance is not optional — it’s necessary. Before anyone ever heard of COVID-19, the question, “Do I need travel insurance?” called for a complicated answer. COVID has added another dimension of complications — new risks and new requirements. A quick refresher course in travel insurance ... READ MORE
Venice Beach is back and worth the trip
Frank Lloyd Wright once wrote, “Tip the world over on its side, and everything loose will land in Los Angeles.” I would add: Tip Los Angeles on its side, and everything loose will land in Venice Beach. I’ve lived in Venice Beach for almost 40 years (most recently in a house just two blocks from the ocean and boardwalk), and have witnessed many changes over the years — from... READ MORE
Explore Turks and Caicos Islands, reefs
In the Turks and Caicos Islands, the sun starts out mellow and low, but by mid-morning it’s a slashing bright blanket of heat. Everything on these Caribbean islands is intense: the bougainvillea blooms in vivid shades of purple, pink, red and orange, while the plumeria tree is covered in fragrant yellow blooms. The sky is a true blue you only see when the air is pure and... READ MORE
Beware low-fare airlines’ schedule cuts
When you’re packing for a summer or fall air trip, don’t forget one item that might not be on your regular packing list: Plan B. That’s because for at least the rest of the year, some airlines are cutting recently restored or newly added schedules, often with little advance notice. If you’re flying on a heavily traveled route — Chicago to New York, for example or Los Angeles ... READ MORE
How to prepare and pack for COVID travel
Here are some key travel planning and packing tips to help you navigate the new normal ahead of your next — and maybe first — COVID-19-era trip. Bring proof of your vaccination status International travelers will almost certainly need proof of vaccination as more countries require it and/or a negative COVID-19 test result to enter or avoid quarantine restrictions. But... READ MORE
Three sites memorialize September 11th
Scuffed shoes, a crumpled purse, a charred flashlight. These are a few of the 70,000 artifacts at New York City’s 9/11 Memorial and Museum. A woman phoned her sister to say that her will was in the closet in a recorded conversation now preserved at the 9/11 Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. And the names of a 3-year-old and a 71-year-old are among those inscribed on a ... READ MORE
Some unique attractions close to home
While the Statue of Liberty stands as America’s most famous symbol, our country’s character can also be found in its quirky roadside monuments: the world’s largest ball of twine, a corn palace, giant dinosaur statues, and buildings that resemble shoes, bugs or coffee pots. For your next day trip, consider a few overlooked destinations in our region: giant floats that have appeared... READ MORE
Travel getting back to normal — slowly
Yes, the U.S. travel scene is back to normal — or at least some semblance of pre-COVID. But if you plan to travel the rest of the summer or this fall, you can expect some substantial differences — changes and gotchas for which you have to prepare. The great slowdown First of all, just about everything you want to do will take more time getting there, doing what you want to do, and... READ MORE
In search of the Underground Railroad
Maryland’s most famous heroine, Harriet Tubman, was born enslaved in Dorchester County around 1822. She was rented out at age six by her owner, but at age 27 escaped to Pennsylvania. After her escape, Tubman became a highly effective “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, making 13 trips back to her home area to guide 70 people to freedom. “I never ran my train off the... READ MORE
Many wows await Yosemite Park visitors
Following the hairpin-curvy road that snakes through Yosemite National Park, every turn elicited another “wow” moment. It was challenging to decide which view was best: dramatic overlooks across deep gorges, soaring mountains or some of the highest waterfalls in the country? Suddenly, I found the answer. I spotted several people pointing binoculars at a cliff rising straight up from... READ MORE
