Tag Archives: United States

Heaving Las Vegas

“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Er, no. I got news for the Nevada tourism board – my chapped lips came back home with me. Your town might be wet with excitement, but that air could chafe a waterfall. I spent last weekend in Las Vegas. When I say, “spent,” I mean it in every definition of the word. All five senses appeared to be under attack, and days later I’m still recovering. My eyes water from the sand storms, my nose bleeds from the arid climate, and I’m still trying to get the taste of bad taste wiped from my memory. I didn’t touch a natural textile ... [Read More]

Hiking Georgia’s Blood Mountain Wilderness (AT) – Part 3

The next morning Joel left before me, heading out at an aggressive clip. He was determined to be one of the first to reach Neel’s Gap and the famous hike-through store where lots of goodies awaited us like pints of Ben and Jerry’s, Klondike bars, and Barq’s Root Beer. The water we had collected the afternoon before had been quite satisfying and I still had more than a liter left, but I felt the need for something extra – like Gatorade. I somehow already knew the store's proprietors wouldn't have any Yuengling in stock. Backpackers, beer and steep trails ... hmm, yeah I'm ... [Read More]

Niagara Falls — coming soon to a town near you?

    Why is water beautiful? That human beings find water almost hypnotically alluring is something we all just seem to accept without question. People across the globe, from disparate countries, religions and ethnic groups, all find the substance covering 70% of our planet's surface irresistible. We want to live near it, vacation in it and will travel great distances just to admire it. Being no different than the rest of humanity, Soo and I happily traveled a great distance to admire the 5.7 million liters of water cascading every second over the limestone cliffs at Niagara Falls. We set off from Toronto for the two-hour train ride to Niagara, ... [Read More]

Hiking Georgia’s Blood Mountain Wilderness (AT) – Part 2

When you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail, miles removed from civilization, the biggest concern isn’t crossing the path of some lunatic escaped from a mental ward or coming between a black bear and her cubs. No, the real danger is much simpler; it's dehydration and lack of access to water. On average everyone in our hiking party, and mind you there were eight of us, should be carrying no less than 2 liters of water. That’s per person, per day. This is especially true on a “strenuous” hike and we were about out. The challenge laying before us was how to scavenge water from the Bird’s Gap ... [Read More]

Topeka to Normal

One of the benefits of working for Site Selection Magazine is the opportunity to travel, meet new people, visit friends we've made along the way, experience new things and places.  My travels certainly aren't as exotic as Adam's to Asia, however there are great things in smaller destinations to enjoy. The week of July 5th, I traveled to Topeka, Kansas. Getting to Topeka was easy.  Fly into Kansas City, rent a car and head west.  Being from Atlanta, dealing with traffic on the roads and at security at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, makes the Kansas City airport my new favorite.  You land, walk out the gate and baggage claim ... [Read More]