When I was a child, I had a book of humorous poems about the American Presidents. From Washington to Reagan (wow that dates me), the book had an entry for each, some discussing aspects of their terms and others just talking about them as people. In writing this article, I searched my childhood bedroom for…
Editor’s note: I’ve been to Croatia twice, but never managed to visit Plitvice Lakes, although like Sam, I find it hauntingly beautiful from photos. For more of Sam Spector’s adventures, click here to visit his index page. Have you ever seen a picture and it inspired you to travel somewhere new? Back in 2011, I…
Editor’s note: As The Royal Tour grows, and more destinations want to work with me, it is impossible to find time to go everywhere myself. After meeting the amazing staff of Visit Las Cruces at a convention, I suggested they might want to work with our writer Tamara, who is a bit closer, being based…
The cities are in two different states, but are less than 45 minutes apart. El Paso is a city of about 800,000 at the western tip of Texas. Las Cruces sits just north, in southern New Mexico. At just over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the state (behind Albuquerque). Both are cities…
Editor’s note: after a brief absence (law school is apparently time consuming), our resident national parks expert Christian is back with his take on Cabrillo National Monument. For my own take, click here. If you love national parks, make sure to visit Christian’s index page. Cabrillo National Monument is named after Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo -…
There is an exhilaration that comes from doing something child-like. That feeling dominates my morning as I slide down sand dunes on a sled that reminds me of a trash can top. Lean forward to start the momentum downward, then lean backward to stay on. Fail, and fall off into the soft sand, spinning onto…
Editor’s note: I have been to Moab once, to spend a single day in each of the two local national parks. Sam, however, has spent more time, and has some wonderful recommendations for the area that make sense given his status as a Utah resident. For more of Sam’s amazing writing, click here. I am…
The mountains tower over the Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas, silent sentinels that seem incredibly out of place here in what is largely flat and arid land. The desert extends for hundreds of miles, the remnants of what was once a shallow sea that covered this portion of the continent, with the stunning Guadalupe Mountains…
The feeling of descending into the yawning mouth of a cave is one of largely excitement, but also a bit of trepidation. While today’s natural entrance into Carlsbad Caverns is a paved path of switchbacks, well marked and lit, this would have once been done with a rope ladder and lantern. As I descend, I…
For those who haven’t been to Yosemite Valley, any words I’d use to describe it - beautiful, majestic, stunning, awe-inspiring - would seem to be overkill. For those who, like me, have seen and loved this place, those same words wouldn’t be nearly enough to do it justice. Yosemite is, without a doubt, one of…