EXOTIC ADVENTURES

NEW HAMPSHIRE Since 1869 this powerful little steam engine and its kin have been pushing tourists three miles up to the wind-blown summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire and easing them back again. At its crown demon winds howl unfettered, peeling tears from eyes better than cut onions. On a clear day you can see four states with a view limited only by the curvature of the earth. full story >>>	INDIA During our deluxe small-ship cruise, passengers gain a wealth of insights into the religious, historical and cultural world of the subcontinent's largely rural and small-town heartland. Many of the encounters could never be had on a land-based group tour. It is the ideal way to experience the rich tapestry of life along the central artery of northern India. full story >>>
HAWAII Awe-inspiring waterfalls, pristine valleys, cliff-top views of the crashing Pacific surf far below all bring the sights and sounds of the entire Hamakua Coast to life. This vast region between Hilo and Honokaa and further up to Waipio Valley, tells intriguing tales of Hawaiian sugar plantations, Hawaiian kings, and paniolos of nearby Parker Ranch. Mana, a term granted to those special places that possess a spiritual quality, is indeed alive and well. full story >>>	ITALY/FRANCE My wife and I are on a Mediterranean cruise along the coasts of Italy and France celebrating our 20th anniversary. We have been anticipating visits to some wonderful ports and are not disappointed. What we had not foreseen, though, is the many ways that Napoleon, or perhaps just his spirit, would keep making his presence felt, as if popping up unexpectedly in little cameo appearances. full story >>>
HAWAII I have watched gliders in movies before, but not up close. That was the first time that I had seen them. I happened to walk over to the flight line that Saturday after learning about the gliders from one of my Army buddies. I watched as they went about their work with a cool determination. There was more that one glider being readied. I remember that it was a partly cloudy day, the sun occasionally peaking out of the clouds. full story >>>	BELIZE "Shoes off! Socks on!" Oscar orders. This no socks, no service policy keeps our skin oils off the sacramental stone. He hands us our cameras. Someone complains that the humidity has fogged up his lens. I look up. My headlamp reveals an angry spirit, a mystic shapeshifter that dances before my roving eyes. Perhaps this is a guardian. I blink, and the ephemeral spirit crumbles into mist. Am I guest here, or trespasser? full story >>>
AFRICA I was on the Kenyan coast at Malindi, having followed the African coast west from Tangier, Morocco’s seedy port of entrance for so many Europeans. I was attempting to complete the first solo and unsupported overland circumnavigation of the continent by public transport, an expedition I had christened Encircle Africa. full story >>>	ROMANIA Moldova's beautiful landscape takes you back to a time when life was simpler. Village houses are still built the traditional way, and the residents still wear traditional, handmade clothes decorated with colorful patterns and from cloth that originated from local fields. The villagers are particularly helpful and friendly. full story >>>