Best of 2011

December 13th, 2011

Chinese tour groups hike up stairs on China’s Huangshan (Yellow Mountain).

Dining with strangers

How I left my virtue at Huangshan, China’s Yellow Mountain.

December 6th, 2011

Actors perform during a Beijing opera at the Yifu Theatre in Shanghai, China.

Shanghaied

Sucked into an elaborate tea ceremony con in Shanghai, China.

September 25th, 2011

Manga characters overlook a busy street in Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan.

How I became a Japanese teen heartthrob

Examining Japan’s obsession with cuteness.

July 26th, 2011

The sun rises behind Angkor Wat early in the morning in Angkor, Cambodia.

The lost magic of an ancient empire

Cycling through Cambodia’s Angkor, the world’s biggest religious complex.

May 10th, 2011

A bicycle sits on the edge of the road in Da Lat, Vietnam.

Cycling through Golden Turtle God country

Encountering magical turtles and afterlife-destined motorcycles on a bicycle trip in Vietnam and Cambodia.

March 17th, 2011

Demonstrators sell “The Day We Changed” T-shirts while protesters gather in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

Welcome to the New Egypt!

Backpacking through a revolution in the Land of the Pharaohs.

March 5th, 2011

Hank looks out at the Himalayan Mountains next to a stupa near Namche Bazaar, Nepal.

Mission Everest: A Tale of Two Brothers

Two brothers tackle the trek to Nepal’s Everest Base Camp and film the entire adventure.

January 8th, 2011

A man performs a morning puja ceremony at the Amritapuri ashram in Kerala, India.

The guru of hugs

Seeking a life-changing hug and the secret to life from India’s most famous female spiritual leader.

Best of 2010

December 17th, 2010

An Indian couple is entranced by the view of the Taj Mahal at sunset from Mehtab Bagh Park in Agra, India.

Entranced by the world’s most beautiful symbol of eternal love

Sunrise and sunset at the Taj Mahal.

August 4th, 2010

An RV passes a bicycle sitting on the Seward Highway near Alaska’s Cook Inlet and Kenai Mountains.

Cycling the Arm

Bicycling Anchorage’s Coastal Trail, Lost Lake, and the Turnagain Arm.

March 24th, 2010

A view of Half Dome in the Yosemite Valley, seen from Glacier Point

Living Yosemite

After climbing Half Dome, I can’t bear to leave Yosemite.

February 17th, 2010

The Sinagua built Montezuma Castle, one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America.

The Indian Unit, revisited

Trying to one-up my middle school teachers by taking an Indian ruins road trip through America’s Southwest.

January 28th, 2010

Twilight fans stand in front of the Forks Chamber of Commerce and a replica of Bella’s 1953 Chevy pickup truck.

Twilight, ironically

Exploring Forks, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula, the setting of a teen vampire novel.

January 12th, 2010

Hank’s backpack weights 45 pounds. (photo by Brian Leukart)

Santa Claus snowshoes the Grand Canyon, rim to rim to rim

Brothers tackle a classic trek with magical, holiday cheer.

Best of 2009

December 15th, 2009

Michela “Dahmernatrix” Dai Zovi hits the track during the LA Derby Dolls 2009 championship game between The Swarm and The Tough Cookies. (photo by Marc Campos)

Skating by

Understanding the post-feminist ethos of roller derby.

October 1st, 2009

A hiker gazes at the canyon walls of Buckskin Gulch.

Flat Stanley escapes a flash flood in Buckskin Gulch

Hiking the world’s longest slot canyon with a boy made of paper.

April 16th, 2009

A sign warns trespassers at the boundary of Area 51 as security officers in a truck keep watch from a ridge.

Searching for UFOs near Area 51

A travel guide to America’s most mysterious military base.

January 15th, 2009

Mountains shrouded in fog behind Refugio Lago Paine in Chilean Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park.

Adopted by Kiwis in Chilean Patagonia

Hiking the Torres del Paine Circuit on another family’s vacation.

Best of 2008

September 22nd, 2008

The ruins in Copán, Honduras include a Mesoamerican ballgame court.

How to win your ex-girlfriend back (in Honduras)

A Central American love story.

July 9th, 2008

A cable car hangs overhead as a hiker adjusts his tent (photo by Brian Leukart)

Trekking the Graveyard of the Pacific

Brothers tackle dangerous surge channels on the West Coast Trail.

May 16th, 2008

Bicycles sit waiting for a class (courtesy of Josh Hikes)

Bicycling to nowhere

The peculiarity of studio cycling and Los Angeles gym culture.

March 21st, 2008

Disneyland at night as seen from behind the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse near Main Street

No, seriously, there’s something magical about Disneyland

Disneyland is more romantic than you think.

January 29th, 2008

A zebra and her newborn baby stand together in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve.

Goodman, my good man! What is that zebra doing?

Witnessing a zebra birth in Botswana, Africa.

Best of 2007

August 28th, 2007

The McKinley River with tens of braids in the distance

Accepting wet feet

A harrowing attempt at crossing the McKinley River in Denali National Park, Alaska.