Israel And Jordan 2019

This past my May I went on an amazing trip to Israel and Jordan. It was my fifth time in Israel and first time in Jordan.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

I recently visited Baja California Sur — a state on the Baja California Peninsula in northwest Mexico. We stayed in Cabo San Lucas and also spent time in San José del Cabo, Cerritos Beach and Todos Santos.

Playa Vista

San Dieguito County Park

Hiking Torrey Highlands

Downtown Sacramento and Capitol Building

Sacramento Railyards Project

Sacramento is redeveloping the historic rail yards into a transit-oriented mixed-use district with residential, office space, retail, restaurants, a bicycle network, a new light rail station, a soccer stadium and the revitalization of the riverfront.

Southern California photo galleries

Pictures from my recent trip to Southern California winter 2015-2016.

The Broad and walking downtown L.A.

On a recent visit to Los Angeles I walked around downtown and was very impressed with the rapid pace of change for the better. There are new office and residential buildings, coffee shops, restaurants, bars and the area is much cleaner and safer than it used to be. Lots of young people are living and working downtown, contributing to its vibrancy.

Irvine, California: Hiking and Train Station

Torrey Pines State Beach and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Indigenous dancers in downtown Los Angeles

While walking to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to catch my train back to San Diego, there was a colorful display of pre-Columbian indigenous Mexican dancers at the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District.

Riding Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from Solana Beach to Los Angeles

On a recent visit to Southern California I rode Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train from Solana Beach to Los Angeles. I enjoyed the spectacular ocean views on the most environmentally friendly, relaxing and affordable way to travel through Southern California.

Avalon, New Jersey

August 23-30, 2014 -- I recently visited the South Jersey Shore and was pleasantly surprised at how nice it is given the image in the popular media of what "The Shore" is supposed to look and feel like. I can tell you that at least in Cape May County the people are friendly and the scenery is spectacular and very natural and not too built up.

Costa Rica Adventure August 2014

Arenal Volcano

This summer I took a group eco tour of amazing Costa Rica in Central America. Enthusiastic and experienced environmentalist Ami Greener and his travel company Greener Travel organized the ten-day adventure. The tiny nation the size of West Virginia is one percent of the world's land mass and yet contains five percent of the world's biodiversity. The flora and fauna, the pristine beaches, the happy people, the many cultures, the rainforest, the volcanoes, the cities. When you visit Costa Rica you understand why their most famous saying and national greeting is "Pura Vida," or "Pure Life!"

Photos: Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware

I recently visited the Hagley Musuem and Library -- a non-profit educational institution located along the Brandywine River in Wilmington, Delaware.

New Orleans, Louisiana

May 8, 2014 to May 12, 2014 -- I recently visited the Crescent City for the first time for a friend's wedding and was really impressed by New Orleans considering I had no idea what to expect as to how the city was still recovering after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I can tell you from my experience that while NOLA has its problems, the city is bouncing back in a big way and is well worth a visit.

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida is a place that can feel very disconnected from nature. Shopping malls, strip malls, freeways, housing developments, gated communities, golf courses and man-made lakes dot the flat, tropical landscape. But nature reveals itself in unexpected ways, reminding people that we are part of a vast, complex ecosystem that should be respected and taken care of for future generations to enjoy. For example, there are little lizards that pop up around South Florida, exotic birds along the canals and ancient trees with strong roots.

Cherry Blossoms 2014

It is always tricky trying to guess when exactly the Washington, D.C. Cherry Blossoms along the Tidal Basin will be at peak bloom. The peak bloom only last sometimes a few days to a week so timing is everything. Luck helps too and we got lucky visiting the Tidal Basin just when the Cherry Blossoms were at their glorious best (us and thousands of other tourists from around the world).

Photos: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

I recently visited the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in the Chantilly area of Fairfax County, Virginia. The annex isn't as popular as the more widely visited and more centrally located main museum on The National Mall in Washington, D.C. But that is a good thing because the annex is still one of Washington's best kept secrets and there is a treasure trove of artifacts.