Walking in Holden Caulfield's footsteps through Manhattan

Holden Caulfield was a flâneur. That's not generally how we think of him, this archetype of adolescent alienation, this detester...

Volcano expedition is a chopper ride to remember

I could see a river of flame below me, a glowing red lava tube that sliced across the jagged black landscape of Hawaii Volcanoes National...

It's not all about the beach on Kauai

Visitors to Kauai who venture beyond the beach may be rewarded with a few hours in a town where time has slowed, at a Hindu monastery...

The keeper of the flame in Maui

I would rather eat paste than poi, and I hate buffet lines, so I thought I wasn't the luau type. Family-style service, upscale Hawaiian fare...

From Oahu to Kauai by catamaran

As with many adventure stories, this one started in a bar. Sipping a post-work CoCoNut Porter at the Yard House in Waikiki with Jim —...

Fresno County Fruit Trail offers a fresh bounty of sweetness

The last of the fragrant fruit blossoms is gone, their pink-and-white petals scattered across the orchards that nestle among the verdant...

North of Sicily, Salina erupts with calm beauty

I can stop looking now. I've found my dream island.

Family vacation at Willow-Witt Ranch in Oregon

Here are some unintended consequences of our family's late-August vacation at the Willow-Witt Ranch in southern Oregon:

Sitka, where woodwinds and Alaska wildlife put on a show

The small red plastic sign on the wall behind the Avis car-rental counter set off alarm bells in my brain: "A cleaning fee may be charged...

In Nara, Japan, the deer know their place: everywhere

One of the great side benefits of visiting Japan is the food, especially the sushi and sashimi. But for those travelers willing to go the...

'Martini Time' with Chef Tina Martini at M Resort in Las Vegas

Katherine Ryder learned an important lesson on her 55th birthday: Don't poke holes in potatoes before boiling them.

Mindo, Ecuador's cloud-forested wonderland

I've often fantasized about retracing the steps of such naturalists as Charles Darwin, Alexander von Humboldt and William Bartram, who saw...

Children’s museums take a hands-on approach to little visitors

As our theater seats rocked back and forth for "takeoff," the kids watching the 4-D animated film "Journey to the Center of the Barnett...

Hone bargaining skills at São Paulo, Brazil’s many farmers markets and crafts fairs

The early bird may get the worm, but Camila Barrera Daza and boyfriend Kristian Kalva got the best deal by being among the last, not the...

One-of-a-kind treasures in New Delhi’s markets

My wife let me go to India on a cultural exchange program on one condition: Bring back plenty of presents.