Tired of the hassles of flying? Try traveling the old-fashioned way, via train. Recently, after leaving Mexico for California, Oregon, and Vancouver, I looked into taking a train up the western coast of the US. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight run was affordable, and from what I’d read, provided great views. Following is a glimpse of life on a train. There are pros and cons to this mode of travel, at least on this Amtrak experience, and...

Part 2 – Los Angeles and Southern California Beach Towns As a second act to my return to California, I’m happy to present a tour of the Golden State’s best southern beach towns, along with a tiny glimpse of LA. The Megabus droned on through the night for eight hours from San Francisco, depositing me in the heart of Los Angeles in the wee hours, where my friend Lisa was kind enough to scoop me up. It had been several years...

Part 1: Hopping House Sits in Northern California After 18 months outside the US, it was time for a brief return. Leaving Thailand when my six months of visas were up, and with the first draft of my book manuscript completed, I made a sweep through California to renew my passport, and more importantly, to see family and friends. Keeping with my backpacker’s budget, this included house and pet sitting, a cobbling together of places to...