The last time I was here I was maybe eight years old. I was not the same person and this was not the same Watts, a neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles best known for a series of riots in 1965. But these are the same Watts Towers. The soaring man-made pinnacles, the tallest of…
Most people were pretty shocked - and a little scared - when I announced I was going to visit Nicaragua. I was asked why, what was there, was it really worth what was perceived as a safety risk. Well, after two weeks exploring much of the Pacific region of the country (more than 60% of…
Antigua Guatemala, literally meaning Old Guatemala, sits about an hour outside of the bustling capital of Guatemala City. It is, for many tourists, the first and most mandatory stop on a trip to this Central American nation, and it was for me. Easily walkable (distance-wise, as the cobblestone streets and sidewalks seem to yearn to…
Solvang looks like any other Danish village. Wildflowers line streets filled with buildings looking like they are straight out of a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale. Heck, there is even a statue of Anderson in the local park! Bakeries are everywhere, serving danishes and butter cookies. The sun is shining, and the nearby Mission Santa…
France is an amazing country, and one of the easiest for Americans to see and navigate. However, from my extensive experience in the land of croissants and cheese (trademark pending), there are some things foreigners should know before arriving here. 1. France is More than Paris For many people, going to France means going to…
Lyon is France's third largest city and second largest metro area. Sitting at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers in the shadow of the Alps, it is a perfect base to explore eastern France. More than that, it is an incredible destination in its own right, and is easily my favorite city in…
On the border of France, Germany, and Belgium lies Luxembourg, the world's only remains Grand Duchy (being ruled by a Grand Duke or Duchess), and my third tiny country bordering France that I've seen in my three months here. I loved Andorra. I hated Monaco. Where would Luxembourg rank? I arrived in Luxembourg City, the…
Bordeaux is best known for being the wine capital of France - and rightly so. But it is much more than just a place to get good wine. It is a historical center, a bastion of creativity, and a place to just live a good and happy life! In a month spent living in this…
The sun is shining, and the wide boulevards are full of people. They walk slowly, smiling, never seeming to be in a hurry. I stroll past beautiful stone buildings, pausing to admire them, stopping here and there to watch the joggers, the skateboarders, the picnickers. The river moves past as slowly as the Bordelais themselves.…
It is my second full day in Oslo, and I find myself on a boat tour of the Oslofjord, the narrow inlet along which the Norwegian capital is laid out. It is cold, especially for a kid from California. We are given thin blankets as we board, which help, but even those, my thick winter…