I didn’t plan on becoming a scuba diver. Growing up my eardrums would scream every time I ventured into the deep end at the local pool. So the thought of spending extended time truly down under wasn’t on my bucket list. That changed pretty quickly when a dive buddy romance led to Cozumel Island. Dave and I had been dating a few months when he invited me on a dive trip to Cozumel with some of his underwater photo buddies. Would I like to come along? Not one to pass up opportunities to travel, let alone spend days with my  [ Read More ]

I love taking the train. It’s a romantic notion and admittedly, my enthusiasm isn’t frayed by facing public transportation every day. The Amtrak line along the coast from San Diego to the historic Union Station in Los Angeles is one of my favorites. Speeding along the beach on a sunny day, passing Disneyland’s Magic Castle and crossing industrial neighborhoods highlighted with graffiti, makes for a memorable ride. Plus the bonus of stepping out of the coach, rested and free from commuter stress is a huge bonus. I make excuses to take the trip. In fact I’m putting together a day  [ Read More ]

I found myself stumbling down a dark beach in Sri Lanka by full moon light. A local boy was just ahead of me, leading two of us to observe a giant Leatherback Sea Turtle laying her eggs. We heard her shadowy grunts first as she pushed the eggs out of her body and into the shallow nest she had swept out of the sand. She was massive and it was stunning to realize the amount of effort it took for her to heave her body up from the water and crawl above the high tide line. This was long before  [ Read More ]

Even in this slow American economy, more of us are taking off than ever – or planning to. While tips on how to have the perfect trip and holiday fun are flooding the media, what’s unique for our country is that we’re venturing forth on road trips instead of venturing overseas, according to reports from Expedia.com. As they worked with a mathematician, a psychologist and other travel experts on discovering what makes a “perfect” holiday, what emerged is a picture of traveling far, more than six nights and on longer flights. Those of us taking shorter trips and vacations are  [ Read More ]

There are moments when traveling, or perhaps just a surprise vision in your backyard, that take your breath away. It can be the surprise of the full moon cresting over a temple in Thailand, a hot air balloon floating over the pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico or, as in this simple capture – a dove in the desert, close and quiet in the afternoon light. Opening our eyes. Taking the time to see, to feel, to be. That’s the greatest gift, the simplest and often priceless – no matter where we are. Enjoy.       Elaine J. Masters –  [ Read More ]

Getting ready for a trip takes a lot of preparation and too often exercise becomes the last priority. Smart travels begin with training, if not for a marathon, and many trips feel like that, but with regular, cardio exercise. It can be as simple as walking briskly for half an hour daily during the week before leaving, keeping up your Yoga or Pilates classes, or extended workouts at your gym. Bathing your body with fresh oxygen, while releasing toxins from muscles and organs, will help you stay healthy, safer and mentally ready to endure the natural stresses that come with  [ Read More ]

Living in a motorhome is a dream experience for many, but without proper planning it can easily turn into a nightmare. By learning a little about the potential problems and the positive aspects of a motorhome lifestyle, you can save yourself a lot of trouble in the long run. Select the Right Vehicles A motorhome refers to a wide range of different homes on wheels. It is important to understand the different types before making the decision to purchase or rent. According to RV-Dreams.com, motorhomes and travel trailers have a wide range of options to choose from that vary in  [ Read More ]

Peter Daams is from the Melbourne region of Australia and travels often to stay in touch with members of the travel community he co- founded. I had a chance to visit with the co-founder of Travelerspoint.com and talk about how he came to build it. He is also a new father and speaks about the joys and challenges of traveling with young kids. TravelersPoint: Peter and his brother grew up as sons of missionaries and lived around the world before embarking on their own careers. Wanting to track down old travel mates and stay in touch, led to creating an  [ Read More ]

WORK: As I sit at my desk first thing on a fresh morning there’s a moment of crunch, a tightening, as I seek to focus on work. This morning I brought my hands to cover my eyes and squeezed my brow. Then stopped and took a breath and relaxed. There was a slight shift as I remembered the tasks of writing my first book years ago,Drivetime Yoga, and how I would stop the frenzy of activities to simply breathe and open to adventure. Open up to what? To something else, a subtler knowing, with nothing to do with religion but  [ Read More ]

It’s a gamble any time you leave home – going across town or the planet. If you have only a couple of weeks a year of vacation one of the worst things that can happen is getting sick and missing the trip. That’s a great argument for travel insurance, where your travel costs are covered in the event that you can’t go. If you are overseas and go to great lengths, and cost, to have travel health insurance – is it worth it? You know your health condition better than anyone, so start there with a few questions (and this  [ Read More ]