Top 5 Free Travel Apps

Top 5 Free Travel Apps

It would not be a gross exaggeration to say that technology runs nearly every aspect of our lives. It’s how we get from place to place, how we communicate with others, how we manage our finances, how we are entertained, how we track our fitness goals, how we listen to...
Kid-Friendly Activities in New Orleans

Kid-Friendly Activities in New Orleans

You may not associate the Big Easy with being a kid-friendly travel destination- it’s the city of Mardi Gras, round-the-clock partying, creole/cajun food, and jazz music, which all give the city its distinctive flair but do not exactly scream children’s activities in...
Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist

Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist

Tourists get a bad rap, especially American tourists. Some foreigners seem to have this idea that all American tourists are rude, disrespectful, impatient, and selfish. The word itself has a negative connotation. When you hear the word tourist, you’re probably not...
The Beauty of the Bayou

The Beauty of the Bayou

When you think of a swamp, “beautiful” may not be the first word that comes to mind. Swamps have gotten a negative connotation from folklore and fairytales as being these murky, mysterious bodies of water where dangerous creatures lurk beneath the surface ready to...
The History and Cultural Significance of Chess

The History and Cultural Significance of Chess

Modern chess tournaments may not have come around until 1851, but believe it or not, this classic game of strategy has been in existence for over a thousand years, since it most likely originated in India before the sixth century AD. The earliest origins of chess are...
A Hike to Chimney Rock

A Hike to Chimney Rock

  For many people, hiking conjures up images of dense forest overgrowth, rocky crags, and maybe the occasional stream or waterfall. But for us, a good hike can be much more than that. Especially when it’s a desert trail. Some time ago, in New Mexico, we decided...
A Paddle to Christmas Cove

A Paddle to Christmas Cove

The wind in our hair, the scenery evolving around us, the four of us moving along in tandem – to many, these images may conjure up the time-honored family bike ride. Except for our family, our outings are always on Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Boards. Before our children,...
Adventure on the Rio Chama

Adventure on the Rio Chama

Living in an ‘always wired’ culture and working in the intense field of quantitative trading, I have lately sought out vacations that offered the rare opportunity to be completely unplugged.  This summer  I traveled to the Rio Chama River in New Mexico with my family...