Nevada, USA: Venturing out in the Valley of Fire

St. Thomas, USA: Below sea level

Below sea level: A whole new world St. Thomas is truly beautiful. The island is home to luscious green mountaintops, amazing sandy beaches and the clearest blue water that I had ever seen. The morning we arrived in Charlotte Amalie via cruise ship was jaw dropping. I had never seen such a gorgeous landscape. The … Continued

The 6 Best Places for 2014: Can You Guess?

Richard Bangs is a judge in our We Said Go Travel Writing contest which opens TODAY! We hope you will participate and share your story! Write your favorite spot for 2014 in the comments below! So, once again we combed the planet, turned over the stones, took the pulses, danced the boards, and basked in the wonders. Over … Continued

USA: Towpath Trail Adventures

On Easter Sunday, 2013, my husband and I began our 110ish-mile trek from Cleveland, Ohio, south to New Philadelphia on the old Ohio-Erie Canal towpath trail. I was writing a book about an 1840’s mule driver, and wanted to replicate his journey. Somewhat. I’m fifty years old. I hadn’t backpacked for twenty-five years. And I was … Continued

Prevention Magazine: “Go For It” with Lisa Niver Rajna

Thank you to Prevention Magazine for including me in their “Go For It” section for January 2014! “Staying active is my passport to adventure.” Lisa Niver Rajna, 45 Teacher, travel writer When the travel industry went into a tailspin after 9/11, I lost my job as a senior assistant cruise director. Heartbroken over the fact that my … Continued

Seven New Years Together: Love, Celebrate, Grow

Arriving to the upscale restaurant dressed up and excited to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Puerto Rico, we were shocked when the maître d’ blurted, “You are late but we will seat you.” Our expectation was that our 8:00 p.m. dinner would lead to hours of frivolity in Old San Juan; however, from the moment … Continued

HuffPost: Do Good Teachers and Travelers need Secure Attachment?

After reading Confessions of a Bad Teacher, I wrote an article called “Why So Many of America’s Teachers Are Leaving the Profession,” which had received over 1450 likes and over 50 comments in the HuffPost50. My next article in HuffPost Education was called Secure Attachment: Do Good Teachers Need It? about the same book and … Continued

Spanish Moss and Ghosts: Savannah, Georgia

By Judith La Porte Savannah, Georgia – picturesque, charming, immersed in history and haunted. A pleasant drive from Atlanta where my daughter, Amy is currently living, it is a place I had always longed to visit. Like many others I was fascinated by the depiction of the elegant and eccentric Savannahians in John Berendt’s 1994 … Continued

My Santa Cruise

We slowly made our way into the park in Jeremy’s dashing Toyota Prius. We were welcomed by a huge white board with the inscription “Santa Cruz Beach BOARD WALK” at the entrance. I took a picture in front of the sign, striking a very fashionable pose with my feet crossed over the other. My excitement … Continued

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