Will You Have to Survive a Trip to China Without Using the Internet or Google? Doing some research for an upcoming trip to China, I am concerned about my ability to stay connected while there. Is it illegal to access the…
What to See in Yucatán, Mexico One of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas may be found in Mérida, Mexico. Known as the Cathedral of San Ildefonso, the cathedral dates back to 1598. Commissioned by Pope Pius IV, the cathedral…
Day Trips from Mazatlán Looking for excursions from Mazatlán? Consider the tiny little town of Copala, also in Sinaloa state like Mazatlán is. Travelers concerned about the little issue of overtourism—where historical monuments and other must-sees suffer greater wear-and-tear simply…
Reading Up on El Salvador’s Saint You don’t have to be Catholic to be curious about who Oscar Romero was and the impact he had—especially if you happen to be embarking on a journey to El Salvador. For those looking…
Spiritual Sanctuary on West 14 Street, Manhattan The bluish-greenish gates of a church on West 14 capture the attention of the Brawny Sherpa and me as we are heading vaguely back uptown after a visit to the High Line in…
There is something blissful about sitting beneath the Truck sign in the dining room of the restaurant of the same name in Bedford, N.Y. and looking out the window at the garden where some of my lunch comes from. I…
What is the fritter-makers guild? A painting in Venice gives chief pancake flippers some credibility
A reminder to observe your world, no matter how close to home you are traveling: How many times do I walk into Rosy Tomorrow’s restaurant in Danbury, Conn. without noticing a sign posted outside? I have multiple opportunities to learn…
A Journey of the Actor’s Mind, Body, and Spirit in One Volume Actress Shirley MacLaine—of Downton Abbey, Terms of Endearment, Steel Magnolias, and Postcards from the Edge fame—also has a bit of a New Age-bent. She takes quite an interesting…
History from the Dominican Republic to New York City On a walk from Soho to Little Italy, apropos of nothing, I come across a statue of Juan Pablo Duarte, the founder of the Dominican Republic. Why here? I wonder. I…