#9 Bagan, Myanmar

Growing up middle class in the small San Francisco suburb of Millbrae, California, population 25,000, I never really imagined myself traveling to exotic locations or climbing on ancient ruins a la Indiana Jones. Neither of my parents had traveled abroad at that point. There just wasn’t a precedent in our family for world exploration. Even […]

#8 The Oldest Sweet Shop in the World

When are you at your best? I’d argue that many of us are at our “most alive” when we’re on the road, traveling. Some travel qualities that come to mind are: curious, adventurous, spontaneous, joyous, present, resilient and open to wonder. That’s why I started this blog – to explore how we show up when […]

Enjoy 365 Wow Places?

If you’re enjoying my 365 Wow Places blog, make sure to subscribe to the daily feed: You can get it in newsletter form TO YOUR EMAIL every morning: https://cutt.ly/Iwe5izGV And who doesn’t want a little WOW with their coffee? 🙂

Wow #7: The Cave Ruins of Ellora

When you think of ancient ruins, what comes to mind? The Parthenon, perhaps? The Pyramids of Giza? Petra in Jordan? Well, here’s another amazing ruin to add to your list. One that hardly anyone knows about! The Cave Ruins of Ellora crouch near the modest town of Aurangabad, India, about 200 miles NE from Mumbai. […]

Wow Place #6 Nakhon Pathom: Secret Dessert

Thailand is a country of glittering temples.  They’re everywhere – in vast complexes, down non-descript alleys.   You can’t throw a cell phone without hitting a temple.  (But why are you throwing cell phones in Thailand?!!)  Most of these structures are pretty darn marvelous.  I love Thai temples!   Not surprisingly, when I first heard about the […]

Wow Place #5: 16th-Avenue Tiled Steps

When I first heard that there were these super-cool, mosaic steps in San Francisco’s Sunset District, I was a bit skeptical.   I mean, what’s so “wow” about mosaics?   A few stairs decorated with colored glass – big deal. Well, the 16th Avenue Tiled steps (actually located on Moraga Street) ARE something special.  Leading up to […]

365 Wow Places #2: Thip Samai

#2:  Thip Samai — The Best Pad Thai in the World Tucked away in a (relatively) quiet corner of bustling Bangkok is perhaps the best Pad Thai restaurant in the world.   Thip Samai does nothing but pad thai, and they do it gloriously. Here’s what they say on their website: “PADTHAI or previously known as […]