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Back in the 90s, my buddy Will and I had an opportunity to drive cross country: him to take a class on the east coast, me to see an old girlfriend in Wisconsin. Along the way, we created a quest: to visit as many roadside restaurants as we could until we discovered the “perfect” steak. […]

Other countries seem to do speed better than the United States. The Japanese have their bullet trains; the French have their TGV. The Chinese have their Maglev. Here in the States, we haven’t really jumped on the high-speed train bandwagon yet. We’re more of an automobile kind of country, and there’s only so fast you […]

I was driving by a convenience store in my neighborhood the other day and noticed a large banner on the front door declaring, “Under New Management!” What could that mean? Brand new décor, perhaps? Free samples? An espresso bar? Of course not! This is an American convenience store. It’s not a New Zealand mini-mart, where […]

Am I the only one out there who LOVES food courts? I seek them out most everywhere I go. Some of the best of them, of course, can be found in big shopping malls, which is why I inevitably end up wandering around such places when traveling. The basements of department stores in Tokyo are […]

It was about day 25 of my Eurail-pass trip around Europe when I finally got fed up with all things Medieval. I’m not talking about those cheesy Medieval Knight shows where you eat giant turkey legs in the grandstands while watching actors jousting lazily with other bored actors. No, I’m referring to Europe’s ever-present Romanesque […]

In every interesting life, there are moments of sheer absurdity. How, for example, do I find myself at age 24, in a Kentucky Fried Chicken drive-thru at 10pm at night, in rural Saga City Japan, on a bicycle, wearing a samurai mask (complete with bald head and top knot)? Absurd! How do I find myself […]

When I say, “I grew up in a museum,” as I did in my last post (Wow Place #210), the implication is that museums are clean, neat and well-organized places, with an emphasis on “Don’t Touch That!” And that’s true for most museums I’ve been to around the world. Exhibits are labeled. Protective glass has […]

I grew up in a museum. Okay, not a *real* museum. Ask anyone, however, who came to visit my house in the 70s and they’ll tell you, “That home was clean with a capital C.” My Mom, Shirley, insisted that everything be in its place – like a museum. God forbid she would allow her […]

“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 […]

Not coming from a religious tradition, I’m always a bit uncomfortable when visiting places of worship. What are the rules? How should I dress? Where should I sit? Can I take photos? Such is my feeling as I enter the Golden Temple in Bylakuppe, not far from the South Indian town of Mysore. Everywhere I […]