The Ancient Kush Empire As I rode the camel around the edge of the hill, I wasn’t prepared for the scene that appeared before me: golden sand dunes topped with pyramids as the sun cast its final rays. The burial site of the ancient kings is far off the main tourist routes but it is jaw-dropping. I have never seen anything like this ancient alien landscape in all my...
I had a premonition before I even arrived at the airport. Saudi Arabia has never been an easy country to visit. I rechecked the airline’s website just to be sure I had every document I might be asked to produce. Five security checks and one shuttle bus later, I found myself in front of the counter amidst piles of giant plastic wrapped suitcases and robed figures...
Women can be expensive, but $100 for 10 minutes is too much to spend for just about anything. Spas and lawyers don’t even charge that much. Why should a 3000 year old princess get that kind of cash? Nefertari is raking it in. I’m not talking about Nefertiti, the goddess with a similar name and the Grace Jones haircut. Nefertari was Ramses II’s favorite...
A Quick Stopover in Northwest Africa Moroccan food is one of my all-time favorites on this planet, so when I saw a flight pop up for $24 from Lisbon (Lisbon is my European hub for a current trip I’m doing to São Tomé), I booked it. There’s lots of low fares in Europe and nothing is really that far away. A Fruit Stall in the Medina Photo: Bill Wiatrak I’ve been...
OR…..Just get married in Paris. What do Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, Gustav Eiffel, Toulouse-Latrec and Matt Groening t have in common? They’re all contributors to Houston’s newest and most unique airbnb and event venue. Welcome to a little slice of Paris in H-town, Le Chat Noir. Watch TV in The Simpson’s Living Room- Photo: Bill Wiatrak Art: Natalia...
I didn’t always love tequila. Like many before me, I’ve knocked back countless shots of the cheapest well brands with enough limes to ensure I’d never get scurvy. Because of that, for years my perception of tequila was linked to hangovers and bad decisions. A few years ago I was traveling in Mexico when I stumbled across a local cooking up a batch of...
Iceland might seem like an exotic faraway destination to many of us, but it’s actually closer to Boston than Las Vegas. Plus, if you’re planning a trip to Europe, you can usually get a free stopover to this Nordic country. Whether you’re staying for a day or a week, Iceland is full of fun things to see and do. Iceland can be an expensive stop however, with food...
The French Alps rise in the distance over the placid azure blue lake. Grapes hang lazily in the sunlight on vines in manicured rows that zigzag from the stone cottages to the shore. Every photo looks like a postcard. You can’t take a bad one. Generations .of rockstars and jazz artists have come here to record, relax and live in one of the most beautiful...
I arrived in Reno after two broiling days in Las Vegas and couldn’t help but notice the temperature had dropped 20 degrees from the 115 I’d endured on the strip. Vegas is miserable in the summer. Reno isn’t. If you’re traveling in Nevada you can’t help but compare the two. I’ve been to Vegas so many times, it was a thrill to try someplace different, but with all the...
Meow Wolf Might Be The Coolest Museum in the Universe It looks like a grocery store at first glance. There’s poster sized ads for the latest products and customers are wandering around with shopping baskets. The employees are wearing their Omega Mart shirts as they restock the merchandise, but something just doesn’t feel right. Avocados with Zippers, Meow...