Over my 20-year career writing travel stories for The Seattle Times, a question I've fielded (happily, I should say) when meeting someone for the first time was almost as predictable as the number of pretzels I got flying Coach: What's been my favorite trip?

I usually fudged. Prettiest place? Nicest people? Most fun? Educational? How does one ...Read more

I was on the hunt for the perfect souvenir.

Standing over a collection of gorgeous specimens, I knew just what I was looking for: something smooth and flawless. I wasn't perusing a high-end boutique or rifling through antiques; I was staring into a bin of beautiful avocados. And for less than a dollar apiece? I couldn't think of anything I'd ...Read more

NEW YORK -- Tine Thing Helseth, a 30-year-old Norwegian trumpeter, had just made her Carnegie Hall main stage debut with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Now she stood center stage, applause resounding around her, a surprise up her sleeve.

Instead of raising her trumpet for an encore, she started singing, no microphone, no accompaniment.

The ...Read more

The scene of leering pirates auctioning off women as brides on the Pirates of Caribbean attraction in Disneyland will be gone forever next month, replaced by a scene considered less offensive to contemporary tastes.

The Anaheim, Calif., resort announced last week that it will close the ride on April 23 to begin its planned makeover, which ...Read more

Reflecting the underside of society, prisons aren't generally a pleasant topic of conversation. Many question whether the nation's nearly 5,000 penitentiaries do more harm than good in reducing crime. Nonetheless, prisons have been with us throughout our history, serving at best to protect society from its miscreant minority.

Prisons are a ...Read more

Only a year after a new Star Wars land opens at Disneyland, guests at the neighboring California Adventure Park will be able to visit another expansion, featuring Marvel superheroes.

Disney officials had previously announced plans to build an expansion at California Adventure Park, based on the Marvel characters and located near the Marvel ...Read more

Home to the largest naval base in the world, the starting point for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and a popular stopover point for Canadians heading back and forth to Florida for seasonal visits, Norfolk, Va., has been on the radar of snowbirds and sailors for quite some time.

Those willing to look a bit deeper, however, will discover ...Read more

Sure, you'll be enlightened by visits to the Louvre in Paris, the British Museum in London and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. But for an atypical take on the human experience, check out these unusual museums and their oddball collections.

ICELANDIC PHALLOLOGICAL MUSEUM

This storefront museum in the major shopping area of ...Read more

Butterflies, thousands of swooping, iridescent butterflies, are set to charm visitors at Butterfly Jungle, running until April 15 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

The butterflies have been maturing in their pupae in an incubation room at the Safari Park. When they emerge, keepers carefully transport them in wooden boxes to the specially ...Read more

HILO, Hawaii -- The first time you fly into the Kona Coast on Hawaii's Big Island, you'll be struck by two things: the nearly relentless sunshine (moderated by volcanic smoke that locals call "vog") and the vast, barren fields of black lava rock stretching northward, more testimony to this island's active volcanoes.

The first time you cross the...Read more

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Shortly after noon, as Sunday services at Memphis' abundant churches conclude, another gathering of the faithful is getting underway at a restaurant popular for its soul food.

"Hi, welcome to The Four Way," owner Patrice Thompson greets every customer, often in quick succession.

Many dressed in their Sunday best, the diners ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- "You clearly love Sacramento," says the Catholic nun and high school principal as she looks over the college essay written by one of her students.

The teenager, who clearly thinks the city is uncool, shrugs and says she just pays attention to her surroundings.

"Well, it comes across as love," says the nun. "Don't you ...Read more

Las Vegas tourism leaders revived the famous "What happens here, stays here" slogan three months after a mass shooting on the Strip, but gaming revenue and visitation numbers remain depressed in the tourist destination.

In January, total visitation to the city dropped 3.3 percent, while gaming revenue from the Strip slumped by 8.89 percent, the...Read more