Somerville, Mass – I arrived home to find these updated Lonely Planet guidebooks on my doorstep. These three titles – Boston, Pocket Boston and New England guidebook updates – occupied most of the first half of last year, so it’s…
Bash Pickleball Club
Warren, Michigan – We canceled a family trip to Mexico so that we could spend Christmas in Detroit. It seems like it would be an unpopular move, but the twin-agers were agreeable. In addition to seeing the grandparents, they looked…
A Tale of Two Theaters
You would think – after 14 years – I would know what works and what doesn’t work. But the joy and frustration of traveling with kids is that it is unpredictable! I have always said that every new destination presents…
Current Mood
Boston vs Philadelphia
I go head to head with my Philly-based colleague to help you decide which city is best to visit: Boston vs Philadelphia. When I first moved to Boston, I thought I had landed in the smartest place on the planet.…
Weekend in Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina – Wilmington is the grooviest little city that you never heard of – an eclectic blend of historic charm and contemporary cool. Who knew? I had a blast in this dynamic and diverse city. Here’s how you…
Beauteous Beaufort
Beaufort, North Carolina – Beaufort was the best surprise of my trip to North Carolina. I fell in love with this picture-perfect town, with its white-washed Bahamian-style houses (including one where Blackbeard lived!) and its wildflower-strewn, pony-dotted offshore islands. Welcome…
Ocracoke Island
Ocracoke, North Carolina – There’s no bridge to Ocracoke Island – only the ferry services from Hatteras and from the mainland. The relative isolation has protected this idyllic place from overdevelopment and from influxes of outsiders (known locally as “dingbatters”).…
Graveyard of the Atlantic
Hatteras, North Carolina – Shallow shoals, shifting sandbars and inclement weather have long posed a threat for ships navigating the waters off the North Carolina coast. Near Cape Hatteras, the Diamond Shoals are particularly treacherous. As evidence, the seafloor is…
Marsh Land and Maritime Forest
Hatteras, North Carolina – Summer vacationers flock to the OBX for fishing and surfing and other beachy fun. But there is a backside to these islands, a patchwork of marsh land and maritime forest that is also a wildlife wonderland.…