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So much of what makes a Wow place a Wow place is the unexpected. You arrive in a city, a park, a museum, whatever, thinking it’s just a brief stop on the way to someplace better, and then realize that where you’re at is astonishing in its own right. Such are my feelings about Bologna, […]

While checking into our bungalow on the grounds of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, I casually ask the proprietor: “I hear you have an elephant show at 3pm. How do we get there?” “You can either take a minivan or an elephant taxi.” Is there even a choice? Of course we’re taking the elephant! We […]

I’ve written quite a lot about the amazing natural gifts to be experienced in Japan (ie. Wow Place #59 Nakatsu Gorge, #40 Oirase Gorge, #34 The Nakasendo, and #25 Kumano Kodo). Someday I’ll do an entire trip to Japan where I avoid ALL the major cities completely and just revel in nature. But that does […]

Walking in a rainforest is a pretty incredible experience. But you really do need a guide. It’s not because of forest dangers like snakes, spiders and poisonous plants, which no doubt exist (and we happily avoided). It’s more because the guides in places like Corcovado National Forest in southwest Costa Rica have eyes like hawks. […]

Me: “So Jack, how do I meet a Brazilian girl?” David: “It’s pretty simple. Here in Rio, the locals are called Cariocas. You wanna meet a Carioca girl, just make eye contact, go up to her and say hello.” Me: “But won’t that be too forward?” David: “Are you kidding? Rio is the flirtiest city […]

Greek artwork, yes! Roman artwork, meh! Ever since seeing the Elgin Marbles at the British Museum, with their sinuous, flowing togas that cling to the figures like a wet t-shirt contest, I became a bit biased towards Greek Art vs. Roman Art. Roman art always seemed kind of distant and stylized to me, compared with […]

I took a few semesters of art history in college. I like art museums; I really do. But surely there’s a more interesting way to display art than simply hanging it on a wall, indoors, behind a plane of clear plexiglass. Wasn’t art made for interaction? Funny you should ask. On an obscure island in […]

“What’s up with that sculpture in the middle of the intersection, Donica?” “I don’t know, Dave, but it seems to be coming alive!” To travel is to be constantly surprised, especially when you’re lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. My girlfriend (and one-day wife) and I have flown up […]

Travelers are selfish people. When we discover a site that really feels special, we tend to keep it a secret, thinking, “How can we keep this place out of the guidebooks? How can we keep it entirely to ourselves! Private! Unspoiled! Untouched! Ours!” It’s true that the arrival of tourists isn’t always the best thing […]

In Wow Place #47 (Udaipur, India), I shared with you my passion for visiting places featured in my favorite TV shows and movies. Another such place is Laggan, Scotland, the location where they filmed the great BBC TV show, Monarch of the Glen. Not familiar with it? Monarch of the Glen, which ran for 7 […]