a blog about travel.

  • The Christmas Vacation RV

    Castle Noel in Medina, Ohio is where Cousin Eddie’s RV from the 1989 holiday classic Christmas Vacation currently resides. Having watched the movie a dozen times, I was a little giddy to see the prop in person. Castle Noel is home to a myriad of movie props from Christmas films. I wouldn’t really recommend a…

  • Fort of San Fernando de Bocachica, Colombia

    To enjoy a lovely view of the Caribbean Sea around the clock, I rented a beachfront loft in a high-rise building in the El Laguito neighborhood of Cartagena, Colombia. In the distance, I can also see Isla Tierra Bomba, an island not far off the coast. After running out of things I’d wanted to do…

  • Fort Johnson: The Start of the Civil War

    Ask anyone where the American Civil War started, and they’ll tell you Fort Sumter, South Carolina. This isn’t untrue, but it’s not the complete answer, and if we’re being pedantic, it’s not really where the very beginning of the Civil War started. The first shots of the Civil War were fired from Fort Johnson, by…

  • Ecuadorian Currency

    If I go to a foreign country, I’d prefer to see foreign stuff. Still, it’s hard to escape American staples, like McDonald’s, no matter where you go. English is also becoming commonplace—understandably so, but something is still lost in the process—and American branding abounds. A major reason I love to travel is to see the…

  • Cajas National Park, Ecuador

    While staying in the nearby city of Cuenca, I visited Parque Nacional Cajas (Cajas National Park) three separate times. It’s a huge park with many different trails, so there’s something new to see every time you go there. I went in November, which is off-season, but I stayed in Cuenca long enough that I was…

  • Hiking to Laguna Triángulo in Alerce Andino National Park, Chile

    I stayed in Puerto Montt, Chile for a few days. There are a few really cool things to do in the area, so Puerto Montt was a cheap option with easy access to the activities. First on my list was the Parque Nacional Alerce Andino (Alerce Andino National Park). The only obstacle was to secure…

  • West Virginia Penitentiary

    Moundsville, West Virginia is a worthwhile destination for day trippers who live close by, or those passing through this area of Appalachia while on their way to a primary destination. Situated along the Ohio River, Moundsville is tucked between the rolling hills of West Virginia on one side and Ohio on the other. A decidedly…

  • Palace of Gold, West Virginia

    The Palace of Gold is an ornate shrine built in the 1970s with traditional Hindu architecture. It feels so uncanny to be in the middle of West Virginia’s mountains and stumble upon something you’d only expect to see in India. And I think that’s what makes this place particularly alluring for visitors. You’ll likely hear…

  • Lima’s Wall of Shame

    A 10-km-long wall marks the dividing line between the rich and poor in Lima, Peru. Dubbed “el muro de la vergüenza” (the wall of shame), it’s all that separates some of Lima’s most affluent neighborhoods from the shanties that riddle the other side. Sensationalized news story headlines would have you believe that the wall is…

  • The Abandoned Resort on Contadora Island, Panama

    Contadora Island is one of the principal destinations for tourism within the Pearl Islands archipelago, about 30 miles off the coast of Panama in the Pacific Ocean. The longest stretch of beach on the island, known as Playa Larga, is where visitors are dropped off via ferry. While disembarking, it’s hard to miss a slew…