The Gutsy Traveler

NORTH AMERICA

Gutsy Traveler: A cozy room in a San Francisco bookstore, lined with bookshelves brimming with poetry volumes, features a central table stacked high with more literary treasures and a sign proudly announcing "Poetry Room." Near the window, two people are engrossed in their reading.

San Francisco’s literary oasis: City Lights Bookstore and the Beat Museum

In the heart of San Francisco, where echoes of the “Summer of Love” and the enduring hippie spirit still resonate, …
rodeo with horse and rider

Riding high in Cody, Wyoming: Where rodeo meets western art

Cody, Wyoming, a picturesque gateway to Yellowstone National Park, embodies the essence of an authentic Western town. Locals don cowboy …
Child looking at jellyfish in a tank

Monterey Bay Aquarium

What to do in Monterey and Pacific Grove Jellies are one of Mother Nature’s strangest and most beautiful wonders. They …
Green lights of Alaska Northern Lights. Aurora Borealis

Alaska and the northern lights

Fairbanks is Alaska’s best place to see the Northern Lights. Shivering in the frigid Alaskan night, I stood in deep …
Gold nugget on display at Ironstone Vineyards

Treasures of california gold country

History, adventure, chic western towns and gold: You’ll find them all in California’s Calaveras County. As we drove to California …
Grizzly bear

Grizzlies in the mist in british columbia

On a distant islet off British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, our group of six donned flotation coats and boarded a yellow …
Charleston.carriage

Charleston, south carolina restaurants

Roof top bars with live jazz at sunset, romantic restaurants, elegant inns and a pervading ambiance of old glamour entice …
Hike the backcountry around Moraine Lake. Banff Lake Louise Tourism / Paul Zizka Photography.

Active days, comfortable nights in the canadian rockies.

Adventure in The Canadian Rockies Only an hour from Calgary, and three hours from San Francisco, the mountains in Alberta …
Hike the backcountry around Moraine Lake. Banff Lake Louise Tourism / Paul Zizka Photography.

Active days, comfortable nights in the canadian rockies.

Adventure in The Canadian Rockies Only an hour from Calgary, and three hours from San Francisco, the mountains in Alberta …
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Tips for a Las Vegas bachelorette party or girlfriend getaways

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas! Famous for the “Las Vegas Bachelorette Party” or more low-key girlfriend getaways, Las Vegas offers it …
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Top ten must-dos in quebec city and nearby nature

North America Quebec City is a delicious slice of old Europe and North America. Quebecers like to say that their …
After the sea ice melts for the summer, polar bears move to the shoreline., many of them near the wilderness lodge.

Polar bears and beluga whales

“Polar bears  move as if the country has belonged to them always.” John Muir, on a visit to the Arctic …
An eagle totem pole against the blue British Columbia sky.

British columbia’s quirky attractions: vancouver, victoria, okanagan valley and beyond

Everybody loves a road trip and kitschy, small-town landmarks are part of the fun. We’ve all seen them on highways …
Museum Campus Aerial View. Credit: ©City of Chicago

Chicago. friendly, cosmopolitan, best little city in america

I think of Chicago as “New York Light” or “The Other Coast”. A dynamic city on the shores of Lake …
If you walk across the bridge, be sure to wear a warm jacket. Wind or fog may be your companion.

Best walks in San Francisco. secrets from the locals.

The best walks in San Francisco are free.  As local residents, here are our secrets. Golden Gate Bridge Walk The …
Mendocino has a variety of dog-friendly accommodations, including the Little River Inn (pictured here).

Mellow mendocino – a favorite San Francisco getaway

There are many reasons San Franciscans drive north along the rugged, dramatic coast to Mendocino. With so may San Francisco-based …
Credit: Jermy Bell and Santa Barbara Vintners

California road trip through the vineyards

Many travelers think only of Napa or Sonoma when they plan a California wine road trip.  Don’t miss out on …
Navajo Story

A family trip on horseback in arizona navajo country

“Campfire smoke rising up the canyon walls, stars overhead, and a full belly, what more could you want?” our Navajo …
A scorpion hunt for nature enthusiasts.  follow the call of the weird and wild.

A scorpion hunt for nature enthusiasts. follow the call of the weird and wild.

In addition to birding or hiking, many nature enthusiasts look for the weird and wild such as a scorpion hunt …
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My favorite walks in San Francisco

Despite its reputation for dizzying hills, San Francisco is a town for walking. Every weekend for seven years when I lived …