Piccadilly Circus is London's Times Square, only slightly less obnoxious. Here's the big display, which is constantly moving and changing, although that Coca-Cola sign seems to dominate, with its own commercials and animations. The Brits love their traffic circles, which to me just means I'll never (NEVAH!) drive there. It's hard enough crossing the damn... Continue Reading →

Central Park in New York City on a cool, breezy fall day, where the trees haven't quite turned yet, but some are already gone, baby, gone. This is one of my favorite parts of the park, the Mall, a long expanse that you can walk or sit a spell and people-watch. It's sides are festooned... Continue Reading →

I love Seattle, too. I especially love this fountain which has a mind of its own. It's located in Seattle Center, the home of the Space Needle (seen lurking above the fountain, above) and the 1962 Worlds Fair (or Century 21 Exposition, if you prefer, even if it sounds like a real estate company convention).... Continue Reading →

I love Leeds. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, and I apologize for repeating myself. It has this rusty English charm to it, both old and new at the same time. A river runs through it ... okay, a canal, and I am fascinated by this little water taxi that winds around, taking people to... Continue Reading →

There's nothing like an old, weathered sign. The Admiral Hotel is located in a ... let's say "less desirable" part of San Francisco, one I walk through occasionally to get to a bookstore over on Van Ness Avenue. It's kind of a shortcut from where I normally stay. I'm pretty sure that this sign could... Continue Reading →

Give me a bookstore to explore and I am the happiest man in the world. Well, that's probably not true; those that know me know that I'm not the happiest of anything at any given time, but I digress ... or wallow. You pick. This is Daunt Books on Marylebone in London. London is such... Continue Reading →

England is on my mind again as I work out the planning and logistics for an extended trip next fall that will (hopefully) take me around the country via train and let me see more than just London and Leeds. THERE'S A TOWN FULL OF BOOKSTORES, PEOPLE! Seriously. 32 of them. Check it out. There's... Continue Reading →

I've been visiting Portland, Oregon for about four years now, drawn by the siren song of Powell's City of Books, one of the largest and best independent bookstores in the country. I love roaming around downtown, which is kind of a cross between Seattle's much more cosmopolitan downtown area and San Diego's old school Gaslamp... Continue Reading →

Train travel is criminally underused in this country, if you ask me. But there's a beautiful Amtrak trip here in Southern California that I've taken a few times on my journeys to Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Glendale. It's the Pacific Surfliner, and while it takes a while to get there (longer than a car ride,... Continue Reading →

Both Seattle and Portland are two of my favorite West Coast destinations. Both cities seem so much more metropolitan and sophisticated than San Diego and their downtown areas are much more built-up, much busier and more thriving. The photo above is the famous Seattle Monorail, built for the 1962 World's Fair (known as the Century... Continue Reading →

When I travel, I tend to travel to big cities with bookstores. It's just my thing. I like nature and walks and sightseeing and museums and all that travel stuff, but give me a big city with a major bookstore (or 2 or 3) and I'm happy as a clam (although no one has ever... Continue Reading →

There's a stretch of Lexington Avenue in New York City that makes you feel time travel is a reality not limited to Doctor Who. Coffee shops and Luncheonettes are words quickly disappearing from the modern lexicon, warm, homey food and beverage places that are sadly being replaced by Starbucks and trendy and expensive restaurants serving... Continue Reading →

If you've never flown into San Diego before, it can be a rather chilling experience. The planes fly in over the city from the east (except when the weather is foggy, windy, or rainy, when they sometimes fly in from the west, over the ocean), and keep getting lower and lower on the approach to... Continue Reading →