The U.S. National Arboretum is a sprawling 446 acre park maintained by the Department of Agriculture. Its main purpose is to increase the value of plants through research and conservation. But with 9.5 miles of pathways winding through fields and forests, the arboretum is also one of Washington DC’s best hiking spots. Grab a map […]
Parks and Gardens
A Guided Tour of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Home
George Washington is a beloved figure in U.S. history. As general of the Continental army, he led the American colonies to success in the Revolutionary War against Great Britain. This win was followed with his election as the first president of the newly formed United States of America in 1789. When not busy helping to […]
My Perfect NYC Weekend
Having lived in Manhattan for five years, my returns to the city are more of a homecoming than a tourist holiday, a time to catch up with friends and revisit favorite old haunts. These always-too-short weekends are filled with conversations that linger over delicious meals and long meandering walks that hardly ever end at the […]
Visiting the NYC 9/11 Memorial
“Where were you on 9/11?” That’s a question that doesn’t get asked as much anymore, twelve years after the event. When I am asked, almost no one is prepared for my answer. I was in the air. In September, 2001, I was working in Washington, D.C., for a small publisher of legal books. I had […]
Longhua Temple and Martyrs Cemetery, Shanghai
Shanghai is home to several prominent shrines (which you can also read about here, here, here and here), the oldest and largest being Longhua Temple. Unlike the others, it feels authentically old, having survived the Cultural Revolution mostly unscathed. Tucked away in the southwest suburbs, Longhua Temple is a charming place to spend a quiet afternoon, unless […]