California's central coast - basically the entirety from Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz - is worth exploring. Beautiful rocky coastline nestles with sandy beaches, historic towns sit alongside stunning resorts, and mountains meet the blue of the Pacific in ways that are bound to capture both your heart and imagination. Sitting just north of San…
Editor's note: this is part one of a two-part series by Sam Spector on Peru. To read all of Sam's incredible pieces here on The Royal Tour, click here to visit his index. Peru has emerged as a leading travel destination in the world and there are plenty of reasons why. From stunning coastlines, to…
It's a beautiful morning at Pasadena's historic Rose Bowl stadium. It's hard to measure the excitement in the air, but here in my car, it is indeed palpable. I'm here to live out one of my childhood fantasies. For many who come to this storied place, such a fantasy would be scoring the winning touchdown…
Editor's note: I always look forward to Sam's articles. Normally about places I haven't seen yet - I've barely scratched the surface of Thailand on a cruise - he expertly describes the experiences he has had and the emotions evoked by them. For more of his writing, click here. Also, to help support what we…
It's hard to believe this used to be a dump. I am in Alviso, California, the northernmost spit of land attached to San Jose before the southernmost tip of the San Francisco Bay. The morning has started off cool, the marine layer (Bay speak for fog) in over my head, but signs of it clearing…
Editor's note: join Sam, our traveling rabbi, for this amazing look into Kenya. For more of his wonderful writing, click here. Before I even met my wife, I saved my travel points with one idea in mind: one day, I will treat my wife to the honeymoon of her dreams and it will all already…
Editor's note: it is my absolute pleasure to introduce you all to Sam Spector, our newest writer here at The Royal Tour. His travels read as a highlight reel of some of the most amazing places in the world, both on and off the beaten path. You can read more about Sam, and see all…
It's such a contrast to pretty much everything else I've seen in Spain, a country with so much history. The palaces and monuments of Seville and Granada seem to be a world away here in Valencia; the complex I am currently standing in is so ultra-modern that is seems less European and more Saturnian, like…
The rain feels cool on my face, a refreshing break from the December heat even while upping the relative humidity. It trickles down my neck, mixing with the spray from the waterfall cascading in front of me. The rains here are intense but short, and once this one passes I will return to the beach,…
What makes the world's best zoo? Is it the best value for the money? If so, the St. Louis Zoo might be tops, given the fact that it is both good and free. (Parking is expensive, however.) Is it the largest? San Diego might take the prize. Is it the most unique? The Night Safari…