Just in time for Halloween, I received a review copy of Encyclopedia of Haunted Places, compiled and edited by Jeff Belanger.  This guide to ghostly locales from around the world is geographically organized, so you know the first thing that I did was look to see what’s nearby where I live.
I live in Seattle, and there are 5 haunted locales list in the state of Washington:

The Bush House (Index)
The Oxford Saloon & Eatery (Snohomish – I knew about this one)
Murphy Family Farm, a private residence (Longview)
Rutherglen Mansion Bed & Breakfast (Longview)
Port Gamble (Port Gamble, near the Hood Canal Bridge …read more

Everyone loves a behind-the-scenes look at the travel industry, and I’m no exception.  When I talk about the things that happen on a flight, people often can’t believe the stories – and more than once I’ve been accused of making things up.  Believe me, with what we see every day, we don’t have to make this stuff up!
It was with that frame of reference that I picked up Cruise Confidential:  A Hit Below the Waterline: Where the Crew Lives, Eats, Wars, and Parties? One Crazy Year Working on Cruise Ships by Brian David Bruns.  Bruns left life on land …read more

On my list of “travel experiences before I die,” a safari figures prominently.  It’s always seemed like one of those once-in-a-lifetime vacations.  Lately I’ve been committed to getting through a lot of those experiences, and the safari keeps moving up the list.
That’s part of the reason why I was so excited to read the 7th Edition of Africa’s Top Wildlife Countries, by Mark W. Nolting.  Of course I LOVE to read travel books of all types, and I enjoy sharing them with all of you.  But this was more than just another travel book.  This was personal research!
First off, …read more

When I went to the Adventure Travel Expo last year, I had the great joy of meeting a real adventurer – Harry Rutstein.
Harry is a fellow Seattle resident, and a recognized expert on the life of one of the world’s most famous adventurers – Marco Polo.  Harry gave me his recently published book, and I was finally had time to sink my teeth into it.
Over a period of about ten years, Harry became the first person to re-trace Marco Polo’s 13,000 mile Silk Road across Europe and Asia. 
In three expeditions (1971, 1981, and 1985), and using every imaginable type …read more