Hampton Beach, New Hampshire – We may not be quite as consistent beach-goers as we were last year, with our weekly pandemic field trips. BUT this summer has been great for hitting a wide variety of New England beaches. In…
Baseball Fever
Boston, Mass – Baseball is back! After something of a non-year in 2020 (Covid, of course), the Red Sox are back in action with in-person spectators. AND the same is true for Somerville Little League! No wonder we have baseball…
Tucker Pond
South Kingstown, Rhode Island – I know Rhode Island is right next door, but I know so very little about it. But, lucky twins, they get to spend a few days with their friend at a beautiful house on Tucker…
Polar Bear Dip
Saco, Maine – We just got back from Ferry Beach, our beloved family camp that we go to every year. Except last year, of course (Covid, in case you forgot). You can read about past Ferry Beach experiences here and…
Lonely Planet’s Best of Costa Rica
Somerville, Mass – A funny thing happened. This book, which I researched and wrote a year and a half ago, was finally published. Lonely Planet’s Best of Costa Rica is a scaled back version of the bigger country guide, covering…
Where to Live in Boston
Boston, Mass – I’m not sure this counts as travel writing. (Not even sure I’m still a travel writer.) But I wrote about Boston and Cambridge neighborhoods for ApartmentAdvisor (like TripAdvisor, but for people looking to rent an apartment). The…
Russian Sites in Northern California
Bodega Bay, California – Everybody knows that Alaska used to belong to Russia. But most people don’t realize that the Russians were actively exploring, hunting, trading and settling the Pacific Northwest, starting in the late 18th century. Yes, settling–like Russian…
Highlights from Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – We only spent a few days in Pittsburgh, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by this unheralded city. There are vibrant, bustling neighborhoods, a hip and happening university district, excellent restaurants, and an authentic…
Road Trip to Pittsburgh
Scranton, Pennsylvania – It’s our first family vacation in over a year! And we’re going to… (drumroll)… Pittsburgh? Yes! Road trip to Pittsburgh! Somehow, I have not been able to tell anybody about our vacation plans without giving an explanation,…
Summer Vacation
Gloucester, Mass – (Cue Alice Cooper.) School’s out for summer! School’s out for-ever! Time for our annual first-day-of-summer-vacation trip to Wingaersheek Beach. Best way to kick off summer vacation! There’s a few things you can say for certain about going…