2016

August 14, 2016

Hikers stop for a quick nap on the Trans-Catalina Trail on California’s Catalina Island.

Waking sleeping bison

Backpacking the Trans-Catalina Trail across California’s Catalina Island with a new backpacker.

August 1, 2016

Brian and Hank hike through Joshua Tree’s Wonderland of Rocks.

Wonderland of Rocks

Hiking over massive granite monoliths in Joshua Tree National Park’s most notorious backcountry.

July 18, 2016

Kayakers paddle near White Gulch Beach in Tomales Bay, California.

Unbreaking my leg

Attempting Tomales Bay kayaking and Kings Canyon backpacking trips while recovering from a broken leg.

April 18, 2016

A rescue helicopter hovers above a ravine on the Toaroha Track on New Zealand’s South Island.

Hanging by a wire

My hiking and paddling trip across New Zealand’s South Island takes a miserable turn.

April 11, 2016

A hiker looks at Cronin Glacier above Whitehorn Pass in Arthur’s Pass National Park, New Zealand.

Friends in high places

Forming a fellowship while hiking over four mountain passes in New Zealand’s Arthur’s Pass National Park.

March 30, 2016

The Waiau River features some of New Zealand’s best whitewater, including a smattering of Class III and IV boulder gardens and gorges.

An authentic Kiwi adventure

Hiking over New Zealand’s Waiau Pass and packrafting the Waiau River’s narrow whitewater gorges.

March 14, 2016

A hiker looks out from a ridge above Slaty Hut in New Zealand’s Richmond Range.

Surviving thru-hiking boot camp in New Zealand’s Richmond Range

Backpacking the Richmond Alpine Track, one of the most difficult stretches of on-trail hiking in New Zealand.

February 18, 2016

A packraft sits on a shoreline in Mahau Sound, New Zealand.

Packrafting New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds

Heading out on an epic hiking and paddling adventure across New Zealand’s South Island.

January 9, 2016

My friends Simona and Petra greet me with a sign at the train station in Odense, Denmark.

How Delta Airlines tricked me into spending the holidays with my favorite people

My quest for an airline’s highest elite status ends with me visiting my best friends, all over the world.

2015

November 16, 2015

Rich, Hank, and Jake paddle packrafts around Rainbow Lake in Ansel Adams Wilderness.

Packrafting the High Sierra

How a bit of imagination transformed a high-altitude backpacking trip in Ansel Adams Wilderness.

August 10, 2015

Kayakers get ready to paddle under an archway near Pelican Bay on Santa Cruz Island, California.

Paddling to the Fox Box Bar

A kayak-camping trip with ten friends on Santa Cruz Island in California’s Channel Islands.

July 30, 2015

The Finisterre lighthouse sits at the end of the peninsula.

God’s dream

Reaching the End of the Earth on the Camino de Santiago.

July 23, 2015

A Camino pilgrim holds a stone representing life burdens at Cruz Ferro, near the high point of the Camino de Santiago.

Pile of burdens

Trying to come to terms with why I’m walking the Camino de Santiago.

July 10, 2015

Hikers walk past a wooden cross above Atapuerca, Spain.

Bending time

How the sheer length of the Camino de Santiago changes the way people live.

June 10, 2015

An art installation depicting pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago sits on a ridge above Zariquiegui, Spain.

Blisterland

Learning from blisters and the fleeting nature of relationships on the Camino de Santiago.

May 28, 2015

A pilgrim stops to rest and admire the view in the Spanish Pyrenees on the Camino de Santiago.

To the End of the World

Hiking the 540-mile Camino de Santiago across Spain with an inspiring group of friends.

May 13, 2015

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France is the most common starting point for the 550-mile hike across Spain on the Camino de Santiago.

Can travel change you?

Speaking to high school students about the value of authentic travel before a 540-mile hike across Spain.

2014

December 21, 2014

Appalachian Trail sign

Appalachian Trail bachelor party

My brother and I hike 30 miles on the Appalachian Trail before he heads off to his wedding.

November 28, 2014

Snake King (Se Wong Yee) serves popular snake soup in Sham Shui Po.

Savoring Hong Kong

Eating the best food in Hong Kong, while exploring the city’s generational political divide.

October 20, 2014

A sculptured man with an umbrella stands at Occupy Central in Hong Kong.

Umbrella Dreams: Fighting for Hong Kong Democracy

Filming a documentary short about students fighting for democracy at the Occupy camps in Hong Kong.

October 14, 2014

Divers swim in the Dos Ojos flooded cave system near Cancún, Mexico. (photo by Ratha Grimes)

Dining and diving, deep in the Yucatán

The only thing better than cave diving in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is eating the mouth-watering cuisine.

October 5, 2014

Mexicans watch fireworks explode in the sky above the Mérida Cathedral for Mexican Independence Day in Mérida, Mexico.

Dancing for Mexican Independence

A Mérida medical student guides me through Mexican Independence Day.

September 29, 2014

A single souvenir vendor remains at the end of the day in the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza, Mexico.

The wonders of the world, all to myself

How I saw ancient Mayan cities, Egyptian temples, and other world wonders without pesky tourist crowds.

August 20, 2014

A Bolivian woman looks out at the Andes Mountains surrounding the El Fuerte de Samaipata pre-Incan ruins in Bolivia.

Bolivia’s mystical energy

A visit to the pre-Incan ruins of El Fuerte de Samaipata, Bolivia.

February 2, 2014

Hank, Brian looking at Thorsmork Valley

Mission Iceland: A Tale of Two Brothers

Two brothers search for eternal life in the Icelandic wilderness during what may be the last time in history anyone is able to see all of Iceland’s natural, untouched beauty.

January 21, 2014

Hikers catch a glimpse of the Lake of the Clouds Hut below Mount Washington’s summit.

Climbing into the worst weather in America

Summiting New Hampshire’s Mount Washington in winter.

2013

August 8, 2013

Trafalgar Square in London

A rather British day

A one-day, whirlwind tour of London with two quirky British friends.

July 21, 2013

Copper brew kettles sit in the Budweiser Budvar Brewery in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.

Journey to the center of the Bohemian brew kettle

Taking a beer breweries road trip in the Czech Republic’s quirky South Bohemia.

March 29, 2013

Neuschwanstein Castle can be seen from nearby Marienbrucke Bridge in Bavaria, Germany.

The road to the loneliest castle

Exploring medieval towns and lavish castles on Germany’s Romantic Road.

February 22, 2013

Amateur fireworks shows dazzle visitors to Prague’s St. Nicholas Church in Old Town Square on New Year’s Eve, 2012.

I can’t wait to get my face burned off!

Celebrating New Year’s Eve in Prague.

February 9, 2013

Wine ages in wooden barrels at Taylor’s Port Wine in Porto, Portugal. (photo by Brian Leukart)

Hurry, turn left at the fountain!

Getting lost in Portugal’s Duoro Valley, the birthplace of port wine.

January 24, 2013

The palace at the Quinta da Regaleira estate looms over its surrounding, lavish gardens in Sintra, Portugal.

A royal Christmas miracle

Celebrating Christmas Eve at four Portuguese castles — and a gas station.

January 21, 2013

A mural of famous Portuguese Fado singers adorns the Fado Museum in Lisbon’s Alfama neighborhood.

Powered by Fado

Road tripping Northern Portugal.

2012

November 29, 2012

A Russian man paints the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the Nerl River near Vladimir, Russia.

Becoming Russian

Eating shashlik and being boiled alive in a bathhouse at a Russian dacha.

October 13, 2012

Seva and Nastya look at the view from a roof in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Prancing on rooftops

In St. Petersburg, Russia, every night can be New Year’s Eve.

September 29, 2012

Beautiful Novodevichy Convent sits near a bend in the Moscow River in Russia.

Cycling like a Russian

A tireless Muscovite takes me on a marathon Moscow bicycle tour.

September 10, 2012

A Russian woman sells hats and shoes on a Moscow sidewalk.

A mysterious Russian soul

An anthropology student shows me the best animated film of all time — and a glimpse into the Russian mind.

September 6, 2012

A mural of the head of Russian novelist Dostoyevsky decorates the Moscow Metro’s Dostoyevskaya Station.

A palpable history

Exploring Russia’s past in a famous McDonald’s, the Moscow Metro, and a Cold War bunker.

August 27, 2012

St. Basil’s Cathedral, a quintessential Moscow tourist attraction, sits on the western edge of Red Square.

In post-Soviet Russia, friends make you.

Finding friends in Moscow is easy when you make an effort to live like a local.

July 24, 2012

Hikers make their way through a field of snow towers.

Off to see the ukulele-playing Wizard

Hiking to the Mount Whitney summit, the highest point in the continental US.

April 16, 2012

A hiker looks at a Cottonwood tree in a small oasis near Dead Horse Canyon, Death Valley, Ca.

Water in the desert

A four-day backpacking trip through Death Valley’s Marble and Cottonwood Canyons.

April 9, 2012

Colossi of Ramesses II flank the entrance to the Great Temple at Abu Simbel in Nubia, Egypt.

Cruising Nubia to Egypt’s grandest temple

A guided, return trip to Egypt highlights the country’s growing political problems.

April 1, 2012

People swim at Ein Bokek’s public beach on the Dead Sea in the West Bank near Jerusalem, Israel.

Ditch the guide

Why you should fire your tour guide and lead yourself through Israel and the West Bank.

March 25, 2012

The sun sets behind a Joshua Tree near Belle Campground in Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Gummy penguins for breakfast

How not to take my eight-year-old nephew, and other newbies, on a first-time backpacking trip.

February 17, 2012

Canals run down the streets of Lìjiāng, China.

Drunken horses

A romantic comedy in Lìjiāng and Dàlǐ, China.

February 14, 2012

A farmer herds goats on a newly-paved road in China’s Tiger Leaping Gorge.

A battle of wills

Trekking China’s Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the world’s deepest canyons.

January 11, 2012

Actors perform a reenactment of a Ghenghis Khan horseback battle at Splendid China in Shenzhen.

Chinese propaganda, in miniature

Have you ever missed a flight and ended up at Genghis Khan horseback battle reenactment?

2011

December 28, 2011

Climbers stand below The Egg, a karst in Yángshuò, Guăngxī, China.

Climbing karsts

Rock climbing and Taylor Swift in Yángshuò, Guăngxī, China.

December 17, 2011

The bridge across Hongcun’s South Lake was featured in the opening scene of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Crouching Tiger, inscrutable Mandarin

How my wish to become a flying martial artist came true in rural China.

December 13, 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 6, 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 25, 2011

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

How I became a Japanese teen heartthrob

Examining Japan’s obsession with cuteness.

September 14, 2011

Shinto worshippers throw coins and pray at Meiji Jingu shrine.

From omikuji, a bad omen

A visit to Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu Shrine during the Japanese New Year.

August 24, 2011

Kayakers relax on a rock at sunset on Catalina Island.

Kayaking for Independence

A July 4 sea kayaking-camping trip on Catalina Island.

August 2, 2011

A skier stands on Yosemite’s Horizon Ridge on the way to Ostrander Ski Hut.

Easy is boring

Skiing to remote Ostrander Ski Hut in Yosemite National Park.

July 26, 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 29, 2011

The “economic miracle” of capitalism has deeply infiltrated Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where most own a motorized scooter.

Did Pizza Hut win the Vietnam War?

Bicycling to the Cu Chi Tunnels and War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

May 18, 2011

Tourists explore the ancient My Son Temple Complex near Hoi An, Vietnam.

A Vietnamese Christmas Eve, sort of

Cycling up Vietnam’s Hai Van mountain pass toward an ancient Hindu temple complex.

May 10, 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 28, 2011

Protesters gather in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on the day before a controversial countrywide vote, organized by a military council, on constitutional amendments.

Leaving a revolution behind

Saying goodbye as Egyptian revolutionaries protest on the eve of an important referendum.

March 23, 2011

A carving depicts an Egyptian king making an offering to an erect Amun, the Egyptian god of fertility, in Karnak’s Great Hypostyle Hall.

Shakira, Mohammed, and me

Seeing post-revolution Egypt’s most stunning pharaonic monuments without tourists.

March 17, 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 13, 2011

Hank, feeling ill, walks toward Everest Base Camp behind a flying bird.

Like hiking through molasses with a meat grinder in your stomach

Two brothers fight food poisoning while filming their trek to Nepal’s Everest Base Camp.

March 8, 2011

Hank adjusts a ContourHD head-mounted camera above Namche Bazaar, Nepal.

Never stop hiking. Never stop filming.

How two brothers managed logistics while filming themselves hiking in Nepal for 17 days straight.

March 5, 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 12, 2011

A paraglider takes a tourist flying above the Arabian Sea in Varkala, India.

Paragliding above the Arabian Sea

A flying experience in Varkala, India rejuvenates two backpackers.

January 8, 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.

2010

December 29, 2010

A houseboat sits on the Backwaters in Kerala, India.

In India, anything is possible

The Kerala Backwaters turn out to be a relaxing, alternate-universe India.

December 22, 2010

Tiger T17 saunters through Ranthambore National Park, India.

India, I hate you. India, I love you.

A tiger prevents me from killing an Indian taxi driver.

December 17, 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.

December 12, 2010

Customers clamor to buy tickets at the New Delhi train station.

The train to the Taj Mahal

Chaos surrounds train ticket purchases in Delhi, India.

December 11, 2010

A woman soaks clothing in a blood-filled stream adjacent to the temple of Kali, Shiva’s bloodthirsty consort. (photo by Brian Leukart)

Satiating bloodthirsty Kali

Witnessing mass animal sacrifices in Dakshinkali, Nepal.

December 8, 2010

Beautiful Lost Palms Oasis sits at the end of a 3.5-mile trail in Joshua Tree.

Until we meet again, Joshua Tree

Learning not to attack but to revere, while searching for Joshua Tree’s eight hidden palm oases.

October 20, 2010

Clouds gather over Denali’s Sanctuary River during a packrafting trip.

My never-have-run-out-of-gas record still stands, technically

An Alaskan packrafting trip leads to a driving adventure.

October 11, 2010

A backpack sits near the top of Windy Pass as a hiker makes his way up a steep incline.

Hello, impassable waterfall

Hiking Windy Pass from Cantwell to Denali National Park’s Refuge Valley.

September 27, 2010

A packraft, a boat light enough to be carried in a backpack, sits on the edge of Sanctuary River in Denali National Park, Alaska.

One step toward a dream

Packrafting the Sanctuary River in Denali National Park.

August 31, 2010

The Alaska Railroad’s Glacier Discovery Train takes passengers to Whittier, Spencer Glacier, and Grandview.

A whistle stop, Alaska-style

Hiking to Spencer Glacier in Chugach National Forest.

August 29, 2010

Hank rides on an all-terrain vehicle outside the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads

Bush planes, ATVs, trains, and packrafts are often the only way to get around Alaska, the U.S. state with the fewest miles of road.

August 4, 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.

June 26, 2010

Jagged ice ridges comprise the surface of the Harding Icefield in Kenai Fjords National Park.

Where days last forever

Exploring the Land of the Midnight Sun.

June 23, 2010

The Lady of the Lake pulls away from Prince Creek Beach on Washington’s Lake Chelan.

Playing adults

Hiking the Chelan Lakeshore Trail before a wedding.

April 1, 2010

Meadow view in Tuolumne Meadows

Meeting the Yosemite Oracle

A renowned rock climber gives some life advice.

March 30, 2010

Corey climbing Swan Slab

Learning to levitate

Taking a Yosemite climbing class with a 19-year-old, rock climbing heckler.

March 28, 2010

Hetch Hetchy reservoir view with tree

The world’s smartest bear strikes again

Making friends in Yosemite.

March 26, 2010

People waiting in line at Camp 4 ranger station

Living amidst rock climbing history

Moving into Yosemite’s Camp 4.

March 24, 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 23, 2010

Spruce Tree House sits below a snow-covered cliff in Mesa Verde National Park.

A surreal, Native American dream

Tracking down vanished Indians in Mesa Verde National Park and Monument Valley.

February 20, 2010

Wendy readies a snowball for snowmageddon.

Snowpocalypse!

A blizzard interrupts a visit to Canyon de Chelly National Monument.

February 18, 2010

A cliff dwelling built by the Verde Hohokam sits on the rim of Sycamore Canyon in Arizona.

Becoming Indiana Jones

Discovering ancient Indian ruins on the steep rim of Arizona’s Sycamore Canyon.

February 17, 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 29, 2010

Twilight fans photograph the Pacific Ocean on First Beach in La Push, Washington.

Falling in love with a teenage vampire cardboard cutout

Trying to understand the Twilight phenomenon on a Forks, Washington tour.

January 28, 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 22, 2010

Brian looks up at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim on New Year’s Day, 2010.

How I came to believe in Santa Claus

Brothers face the hardest single trekking day of their lives, snowshoeing up the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.

January 14, 2010

Santa Claus (a.k.a. Hank) walks down Bright Angel Trail into the Grand Canyon. (photo by Brian Leukart)

Hiking in Santa Claus’s bright celebrity spotlight

Trekking the Grand Canyon as Saint Nicholas turns out to be a full time job.

January 12, 2010

Santa Claus (a.k.a. Brian) dons a Santa suit on the Grand Canyon’s South Kaibab Trail.

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

Brothers tackle a classic trek with magical, holiday cheer.

2009

December 15, 2009

“Dahmernatrix” 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.

December 8, 2009

Visiting the Point Reyes Lighthouse requires visitors to walk down and up 302 stairs.

My 61-year-old mom is totally extreme

San Francisco day trips to Muir Woods, Point Reyes National Seashore, Año Nuevo State Reserve, and Santa Cruz.

November 21, 2009

Kleyweg’s Stads-Koffyhuis in Delft, Netherlands

Searching for the perfect coffee shop

A lifelong quest for caffeinated nirvana.

October 15, 2009

Woodie and Cleta-Jane Cochran entertain guests at the Grand Canyon Cookout Experience on the North Rim.

Two nostalgia-filled, cryogenically frozen National Parks

Visiting the Grand Canyon North Rim’s Cookout Experience and Yosemite’s Wawona Hotel Lawn Barbecue.

October 4, 2009

Hikers climb up sandstone formations on the Middle Route near Buckskin Gulch.

Flat Stanley survives the Utah desert and learns Navajo

A boy made of paper, and five other hikers, traverse Buckskin Gulch’s Middle Route.

October 1, 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.

August 16, 2009

A 30-second exposure reveals hikers gazing at the moon near Death Valley’s Telescope Peak.

Moonwalking Telescope Peak

Hiking at night to Death Valley’s highest point.

June 4, 2009

A thrillseeker dives off the Bridge to Nowhere in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Jumping off the Bridge to Nowhere

Bungee jumping in the San Gabriel Mountains.

May 27, 2009

Suzy flies a kite in front of the Korean Bell of Friendship.

Let’s go fly a kite

Reenacting Mary Poppins at the Korean Bell of Friendship.

May 21, 2009

Pacific Coast Highway snakes through a Redwood forest in northern California.

4,200 miles on Pacific Coast Highway

Three PCH road trips lead to Redwoods, San Francisco, Hearst Castle, and new lives.

May 14, 2009

A traveler pilots a Yamaha Rhino across a sand dune in southern Oregon.

Buggying and boogying to a new life

Traveling over sand dunes and on a remote logging road on Pacific Coast Highway.

May 12, 2009

Crater Lake, in the Cascade Mountains in Southern Oregon, lies in a collapsed volcanic basin.

The highway of life transition

A travel guide to three Pacific Coast Highway road trips over seven years.

April 20, 2009

Hikers Suzanne, Wendy, and Rich look toward Area 51 from nearby Tikaboo Peak.

Revealing Area 51’s secrets

Hiking up Tikaboo Peak and witnessing a UFO near a mysterious military base.

April 16, 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.

March 10, 2009

Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, is the location where Henry David Thoreau wrote his most famous work.

When I woke up, my teeth were gone

Reluctantly growing up and visiting Walden Pond.

March 2, 2009

New Hampshire’s Cornish-Windsor Bridge, the longest two-span wooden covered bridge in the world.

Thoreauback

An unnerving drive through rustic New England to a five-year college reunion.

February 21, 2009

A sign welcomes tourists to Alcatraz off the coast of San Francisco, Calif.

Separated by the Red and Blue Lines

A slapstick AirTrain comedy, ice skating, and Alcatraz in San Francisco.

January 29, 2009

Night falls on campers at Campamento Grey in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. (photo by Brian Leukart)

A Patagonian ghost story

Brothers face their deepest fears in Chile’s Valles de Frances.

January 20, 2009

Hikers admire the view of Glaciar Grey on the Torres del Paine Circuit in Chilean Patagonia.

An expanded, icy-cold definition of adventure

A father takes his teenage daughter on a final trip to Patagonia.

January 15, 2009

Kilometers of fields of daisies in Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia.

Adopted by Kiwis in Chilean Patagonia

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

2008

November 30, 2008

A TSA security checkpoint at JFK International Airport in New York

How to fly without photo ID (still)

The TSA’s wacky security precautions have become even wackier.

November 9, 2008

The Wave, a sandstone formation near the Utah-Arizona border.

The travel gods generously deliver orange, alien taffy

Visiting The Wave, a sandstone formation near the Utah-Arizona border.

November 2, 2008

Construction exposes the underbelly of the Las Vegas facade and inhuman lava machines at The Mirage.

The fakest place on Earth

Why Las Vegas is a horrible place.

October 15, 2008

Rescue Diver students try to revive an unconscious diver (courtesy of Eco Dive Center)

Unresponsive diver! Call for pizza!

Becoming a certified Rescue Diver.

September 26, 2008

A couple looks at the horizon during magic hour in Utila, Honduras.

In Honduras, a perfect moment

A romantic plan culminates.

September 24, 2008

Children watch carnival games at a patron saint festival in Tela, Honduras.

Honduran chickens save the day

Cartoon poultry guides stomachs and wallets in Honduras.

September 22, 2008

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

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

A Central American love story.

August 19, 2008

The Celebrity Infinity sails near Alaska’s Hubbard Glacier

Held captive on a ship with delicious waffles by Celebrity Cruises

It’s harder than you think to leave Celebrity Cruises.

July 24, 2008

Socks and boots dry in the sun near the West Coast Trail’s Michigan Creek (photo by Brian Leukart)

A Backwards, Morally-Ambiguous Fairy Tales slumber party

A hilarious story-telling game fuels the end of a long trek.

July 20, 2008

Hank looks out at a spectacular coastal view near the West Coast Trail’s halfway point near Dare Point (photo by Brian Leukart)

Saved by the sun

A sparkling, clear day follows our worst day on the West Coast Trail.

July 13, 2008

My brother Brian folds a wet tent in the morning after our hike’s worst day

Every hike has a worst day

Lighting a fire on a West Coast Trail beach in a rainstorm is not easy.

July 9, 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 31, 2008

A happy couple at the Swan Club on Long Island

Thank God I’m mannequin-sized

Losing a tuxedo and a friend in a single weekend isn’t easy.

May 16, 2008

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

Bicycling to nowhere

The peculiarity of studio cycling and Los Angeles gym culture.

May 8, 2008

An abandoned chair sits on the shore of the Salton Sea

A desert sea at the world’s end

The Salton Sea is an ocean in the middle of a desert, and it’s not the only sign of the world’s end there.

May 2, 2008

Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle

An honorary citizen of Disneyland

How to visit Disneyland alone.

March 21, 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.

February 6, 2008

A Darter models for the camera

Stalking a solitary leopard

The rich reward of looking for a leopard is not what you’d expect.

January 29, 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.

January 12, 2008

A barbed wire fence guards the prison on Robben Island near Cape Town, South Africa.

Free at last

Learning about South African apartheid on Robben Island.

2007

October 28, 2007

Hiking toward Coxcomb Mountains Inner Basin

Life simplified

Hiking in Joshua Tree can be rejuvenating if you can remember to bring matches.

October 21, 2007

Dashboard Confessional plays at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, Washington

Staying 18 forever

Pop punk rock stars inspire eternal youth at their intense rock concerts.

August 31, 2007

Hank slowly makes his way across Muldrow Glacier. (photo by Brian Leukart)

Conquering Mordor

Crossing a glacier in the Alaskan wilderness is harder than it looks.

August 29, 2007

A Denali grizzly bear stands near the Park road. (photo by Brian Leukart)

Bear ye! Bear ye!

Avoiding bears in the Alaskan wilderness requires impenetrable canisters and creative chanting.

August 28, 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.

May 13, 2007

Tens of people wait on a weekend morning to get into The Griddle Cafe in West Hollywood

The world’s best French toast for the world’s most popular people

Los Angeles may be full of shallow sycophants, but a few things make it palatable.

May 4, 2007

Kings of Leon plays on Coachella’s mainstage

Kicked in the head

Things go horribly wrong at an enormous music festival.

2006

July 9, 2006

A memorial cemetery sits on Santa Monica Beach

Fallen soldier tourism

A fake cemetery fits perfectly in Southern California.

May 22, 2006

Local residents dance in lederhosen and dirndls during Leavenworth’s annual Maifest festival.

Between the real and the imagined

Exploring a faux-Bavarian village in Washington State.

May 16, 2006

A stunning view on the way to Lake Serene

An Italian grinder ruined my life

The thought of sandwiches while hiking make happiness impossible.

May 12, 2006

High gas prices at a gas station in downtown Seattle

Why you should love high gas prices

Counterintuitively, high gas prices are good for you.

May 4, 2006

A hiker trudges up the mountains behind Copper Creek Lodge in Hells Canyon

Why isn’t there an apostrophe in Hells Canyon?

A boat’s motor fails in North America’s deepest river gorge.

May 2, 2006

A windmill in the Yakima Valley at sunset

White bug gunk in the Yakima Valley

Rural Washington is both beautiful and buggy.

April 26, 2006

Mount St. Helens spews smoke and ash while being observed from Loowit Viewpoint

The closest you can get to the moon

The astounding scenery around Mt. St. Helens tells a story of a horrifying natural disaster.

April 25, 2006

My car sits, terrified, in front of a snowdrift in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Noble Knob’s bad luck and a volcanic disaster

Owning a car isn’t necessarily enough to get to Mt. St. Helens.

April 14, 2006

UN Human Development Index map derived from a 2005 UN report; green indicates a more developed country; red indicates a less developed country

Where is the Third World and should I worry about space shuttle foam on the way there?

Does the phrase “Third World” mean anything?

April 3, 2006

A woman makes an umbrella at the factory in Bor Sang near Chiang Mai

Don’t miss these seven out-of-the-way Northern Thailand must-sees

Visit Thee Lo Su Waterfall, ride a motorcycle, see a political protest, and more.

March 30, 2006

Commuters wait to board the Skytrain in Bangkok

Three things the U.S. should learn from Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia teaches us about the environment, transportation, and poverty.

March 29, 2006

One of the infamous slow boats makes its way down the Mekong

They chose the “slow boat”

All choices are bad choices on the Mekong River.

March 27, 2006

A jungle trek guide readies an elephant for a tourist

Hunting the elusive and exotic Thai rope elephant

Hunting elephants in Thailand, even souvenir elephants, isn’t easy.

March 26, 2006

Plastic trash piles up near Huay Xai, Laos

Five things Southeast Asia should learn from the Western world

The environment and customer service are some of Southeast Asia’s challenges.

March 25, 2006

Speed boats on the Mekong River in Huay Xai, Laos

I chose the “speed boat”

Using a machete to repair a speed boat in the Mekong River.

March 24, 2006

A motorcycle sits on the "easy," curving road up Doi Tung

Poppy farms and heroin in the Golden Triangle

Getting lost on a motorcycle near the Burmese border.

March 22, 2006

Stina, Hank, and Christian in front of one tier of Thee Lo Su, Thailand’s largest waterfall

Be careful which backpackers you wish for

Picking friends while backpacking is harder than it looks.

March 21, 2006

A lip-synching, Ladyboy at Simon Chiang Mai

You’ve never seen something so horrifically bad, yet so terrifically good

Dancing Asian Ladyboys are so bad they’re good.

March 19, 2006

Tourists ride an elephant through a river in the jungle near Um Phang

Yes, I rode on an elephant. You can stop asking now.

Fulfilling a tourist cliche.

March 16, 2006

Bangkok’s famous Khao San Road

I’m never leaving Thailand. Ever.

Some people go on vacation and never come back.

March 15, 2006

The Dot Com Internet hut in the Burmese-Thai jungle

An ice machine in the Burmese-Thai jungle

Western cultural imperalism gone awry.

March 14, 2006

Breakfast at the famous Oriental Hotel on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River

The best food you’ve ever had for 89 cents

Thailand’s very high taste-to-price ratio.

March 13, 2006

Street signs in Thailand don’t help much when you’re lost

Khawp Kuhn

Learning to say, “Thank you.”

2005

December 21, 2005

A French blue dress shirt from Nordstrom

Jenny from Nordstrom, you’re my hero!

Nordstrom’s excellent customer service helps avoid a dating disaster.

October 5, 2005

The I’m-Not-Driving-in-the-Correct-Direction Drinking Game

The I’m-Not-Driving- in-the-Correct-Direction Drinking Game

You can’t turn left in San Francisco. Ever.

September 21, 2005

Vacationers wait in traffic near Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.

How to play Jotto

Learn how to play the best travel game ever invented.

August 8, 2005

A fountain in the Paleis Het Loo gardens in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.

Penis envy

Why spam makes me insecure in Italy.

August 4, 2005

Kleyweg’s Stads-Koffyhuis in Delft, Netherlands

Traveling alone

Questioning the need for travel buddies in the Netherlands.

August 2, 2005

The Dam in Amsterdam

Flossing in the Queen’s palace

A family-loudness competition commences on a flight to the Netherlands.

2004

January 8, 2004

Omaha Beach, one of the main landing points of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France during World War II.

Visiting the past

Remembering the past in Normandy and Seattle.

2000

August 8, 2000

Bill Gates’s house as seen from Lake Washington

A visit to Bill’s house

Experiencing an intern donut with Bill Gates.