American Detour

12/12/2025

TRAVEL—Hunting that familiar Unfamiliar… Designed to impress as much as to intimidate, Wales' Raglan Castle (1435) was a former hotshot party spot… Bruce Northam...

08/25/2025

Flashback: I’m in this “New York in 1987” film, twice in the intro and later in interview mode… back when I drove a NYC horse-drawn carriage that I parked (and hacked) on 5th Ave alongside Rockefeller Center when that was doable (those days are long gone, as is my brown hair). The cash I made that summer birthed a year-long circling of the Pacific Rim that launched my travel writing career. In Sept 87 I saw an ad in the New York Times boasting all of these (open, schedule as you go) flights for $1,200 – NY-LA-Hawaii-Tokyo-Seoul-Taipei-Hong Kong-Bangkok-Singapore-Jakarta-Sydney-New Caledonia-Auckland-Tahiti-LA – and bought them from Nicholas Kontis, who remains a true pal nearly 40 years later…

Interesting period film showing New York 30 years ago

10/30/2024

Bob Weir on Phil Lesh/Grateful Dead... At the age of seventeen, I listened to the John Coltrane Quartet, focusing on McCoy Tyner’s work, feeding Coltrane harmonic and rhythmic ideas to springboard off of - and I developed an approach to guitar playing based off of it. This happened because Phil turned me on to the Coltrane Quartet.
Early on, he also introduced me (and us) to the wonders of modern classical music, with its textures and developments, which we soon tried our hands at incorporating into what we had to offer. This was all new to peoples’ ears. Igor Stravinsky’s work wasn’t news to me at that point, but what he did and how he did it were ongoing topics of discussion for Phil and I - and boy, did I ever grow.
Concurrent with all this was the ongoing conversation about the things (ideas) we present outside of music, and the effect it would have in shaping the world around us - let’s just say Phil wasn’t particularly averse to ruffling a few feathers. We had our differences, of course, but it’s not platitudinous to say that that only made our work together more meaningful.
Our conversation and interaction will last, at very least, ‘til the end of my days.
The Muse gives us the people and tools to work with. Where we go with that work emerges from somewhere between our intuition and her inspiration. It’s a process always cloaked deep in Mystery, and at its best, the Mystery is forever lasting after its rendering. *Look out of any window…* has that ring to it.
Meanwhile, given that death is the last and best reward for a life *well and fully lived*, I rejoice in his liberation...

10/20/2024

Before ascending into Peru’s magical snow-capped mountains, I had a memorable meet-and-greet on the fringe of Pacific-Ocean-hugging Lima, a bustling city of 12 million. I’ve enjoyed a writing career crawling with wildlife encounters, both on and off the NYC subway. Getting up close and personal with a colony of curious sea lions was a new highlight. This mammal summit game-changer ensued adjacent to one of the Palomino Islands, home to a colony of 10,000 highly social sea lions that thrive without predators, allowing human knuckleheads like me to swim, interact, and play among them. Talk about a welcome committee. They began roaring with seeming delight before I had even jumped into the water. Despite the thundering chorus of their lion-like roar, 100 socialites from this curious congregation eagerly leapt from the cliffs of their homeland island and swam up to my group with courageous yet harmless charges and retreats. They nibbled our toes and then showed off with out-of-the-water back flips. This acrobatic sea-lion-barking serenade, augmented by their scent in the chilly Pacific Ocean, resembled group therapy; a chance to be truly be out of your element and in theirs. On shore, another thousand bellowed at our antics. This adventure was arranged by Mar Adentro Excursions, who also made sure of proper distancing from any cubs, though we saw none. It’s important to note that, similar to what you can experience on the Galapagos Islands, these never hunted or taunted creatures are a singular experience, as many of us have encountered territorial, aggressive, and “dangerous” sea lions in urban settings like San Francisco. Sea lions can be happier than clams—discover why. Full story soon via Well Defined... Visit Peru, American Detour,

08/29/2024

Parque del Amor—Lima’s Love Park—was imagined in the early 90s when the Mayor of Miraflores was on a walk with a celebrated artist. As they passed this spot, already long associated with Pacific Ocean-side pheromones, the local smooching kids all ran away upon seeing the mayor, who decided right then to make this romantic spot official and sanctioned this suggestive statue by the artist he was strolling with… American Detour

08/22/2024

Heading to Huaraz, Peru, high in the glaciated Ancash region of the Andes, where overnight August temps dip below 40. Anyone been there? Peru is divvied into 24 incredibly diverse regions. A previous foray gave rise to a Perceptive Travel story about my ayahuasca odyssey—Sobering Shamanism from Peru’s Visionary Tea (first comment)… American Detour...

08/12/2024

As a veteran travel writer, I have felt the lungs of the world expand. Lately, my exhale has been getting back to escapade basics in the good ole USA... St. Louis—Music Made Easy in a City of Neighborhoods (link = first comment), American Detour, , GoNOMAD

08/03/2024

Views of St. Louis: mine from atop the Gateway Arch and Henry Louis’s in 1846. Missouri’s brand of blues, roots, rock, soul—and baseball—showcases the Midwestern city’s staggering number of entertainment venues. Story soon via GoNOMAD... American Detour,

05/04/2024

Guess who came on my walking tour today—Bella, just back from her first year at the University of Michigan! American Detour...

05/03/2024

I want to thank GREAT Britain for birthing so many of the guitarists who’ve supplied the splendid soundtracks for so many lifetimes—hats off to Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Brian May, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Peter Frampton, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, Pete Townshend, Mark Knopfler, John Lennon, George Harrison, Mick Ralphs (Bad Company), Paul Kossoff (Free) and Billy Duffy (The Cult). Ohio-sized England surely knows how to crank out enduring rockers. My dad and I walked coast-to-coast across this epic country four times. What do you like about Britain? American Detour...

02/10/2024

Quick video of my Lower East Side food and culture tour (click on far left)… American Detour

Taste delicacies from all over the world on a guided tour of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Visit markets and eateries to discover the history and culture of the immigrants who settled in the area.