Pining for the Shire? Here are a few places to visit to quell your hobbity cravings in Washington State without visiting Middle Earth (or at least New Zealand).

Every year strange creations on wheels show up at the Fremont Fair in June. Here are favorite Seattle art cars from the 2018 event.

We visited the Nelson Treehouse Company’s B&B Treehouse point, along with a couple of other in-the-tree locations (the Forest House, Free Spirit Spheres, and -- at least in spirit -- the treehouse at Doe Bay) in the Pacific Northwest. Here’s a lowdown on getting high (up in the trees at least) along with a listing of other treehouses in the PNW you can rent.

Tourists outnumber residents in Venice, leading to CNN recently naming it as a destination to avoid in 2018. But if you plan to go anyway, here are some Venice travel tips for the first-timer. Not what to see or where to eat but some general advance planning advice such as when to go, how to get around, areas to stay in, accessibility, and how to hire a gondola when you do get there.

This is now a list of a few VALID resources to check regarding COVID-19, travel, and related information.

The Path of Philosophy is a classic Kyoto walk -- especially in Spring as the path is lined with cherry trees. This is an extended route (with accompanying routemap) that takes you not only on the Tetsugaku no Michi itself, but also through many nearby temples.

If you want to explore times of yore (sorry about the rhyme), head to Port Townsend for their annual Victorian Festival. We did in 2018 and encountered many a thing, including frightening(ly beautiful) ball gowns, tintype photography, and ghost stories.

I'm from Seattle, where there seems to be a Starbucks on every corner. So when travel, I tend keep away. But I'm glad I ended up going into the Gion Starbucks in Kyoto -- it's a different world than your average Starbucks.

Toyko (and much of Japan, for that matter) is a great place to find kawaii (cute) desserts! If you're a Studio Ghibli fan visiting Toyko, you might find these cream puffs a little too cute to eat! Here's more about visiting Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory.

The Kings' Screen (the choir screen separating the choir from the nave) at York Minster Cathedral features fifteen kings ranging from William the Conqueror to Henry IV. Let's take it king by king! Here's a brief photo guide to the kings from left to right.