Wow Place #209: Mount Ararat, Turkey

“I see it, Donica. Right there at the top.” “Where, where?” “To the right, just below the snowline. It’s the ark, honey! It’s definitely the ark!” That conversation never happened, because 1) My wife, Donica, wasn’t there with me in Turkey 35 years ago (we didn’t even meet until 2012!), and 2) I didn’t actually […]

Wow Place #207: “Day of the Two Noons”, Chicago

Before listening to an interview with journalist Michael Easter, author of the Comfort Crisis, it never occurred to me that travel is like a Las Vegas slot machine. How so? Well, slot machines – as wells as many of our social media programs – are designed to take advantage of something called the “scarcity loop.” […]

Themed Treasure Hunts: Bringing History and Fiction to Life

From the glamor and excitement of the Roaring Twenties to the allure and mystery of Arthur Conan Doyles’ Sherlock Holmes series set in gloomy Victorian England, themed treasure hunts are a fun way to bring history and fiction to life. The Roaring Twenties, in particular, lends itself perfectly to a themed hunt filled with fascinating […]

Wow Place #206: British Museum, London

There’s a lot of boring stuff at the British Museum. Is it sacrilege to say that about one of the greatest museums in the world? I can almost imagine the scene at airport customs. “Uh, Mr. Blum, we can’t let you into the country. Your visa has been revoked due to your disparaging remarks about […]

Wow Place #205: Napier, New Zealand

I’m always struck (and pleased) to learn that a town I’m visiting has a “sister city” somewhere in the world. For example, my current town of residence, Santa Rosa, CA has, as its “sister,” Jeju Island in South Korea. How cool that there’s a connection between two very-different cities, way across the world! I do […]

Wow Place #204: Starbucks Tea Kettle, Boston

Travel, like life, is full of unexpected mysteries. There was this time, for example, on a trip to India that I spent half a day at the post office, trying to send a package home. The package went from person to person, station to station, getting dressed up like a bride for her wedding. First […]

Wow Place #203: South Beach, Miami

“So you’re a London cab driver, Steve?” “Yes, I am.” “Cool. And what do you do for fun? “I collect 1930’s art deco items.” What a fascinating contradiction, huh? A London cab driver, as blue collar and as Cockney as they come, collecting 1930s art deco curios! But that’s part of the fun of travel […]

Wow Place #202: Ranakpur, Rajasthan, India

I arrive at Ranakpur Jain Temple at mid-afternoon, with no back-up plan. Either they put me up at the temple, or well, I don’t know what I’ll do. Maybe find something in town, if there is anything? It’s one of those chutzpah moments, when you just trust that if you ask, the universe will provide. […]

Wow Place #201: Giant Monopoly Board, San Jose, CA

Growing up, my best buddy Mike and I were game fanatics. Every weekend, we would spend our days playing Sorry, Stratego, The Game of Life, Parcheesi, Battleship, Risk, Mancala, Chess, Checkers, Backgammon, etc. When we had exhausted all the board game options, we would crack open our battered addition of “According to Hoyle,” learn the […]