Jerónimos Monastery

This has to be one of the longest buildings I saw in Portugal: It stretched and stretched along the road, its towers hovering above the lines of the apartment and office buildings nearby. It’s a beautiful spot with lots to explore and see, and a bit of a focal point for visits in the area.

Belém Tower

One of the most iconic sights in Lisbon is Belem Tower. It sits just off a nice sandy beach on the outskirts of a now public park. Back in the day, however, it was a fearsome welcome to those who thought they could simply walk… or sail… into the heart of Portugal.

Kobe Kitano Ijinkan: Moegi House and Weathercock House

Kobe, the city famous for its very expensive, high-end beef, also has quite a few historical sights to see. Contrary to the Japanese aesthetic of Kyoto, Kobe has an entire neighborhood of preserved European-style homes from the 1800s-1900s. The mansions, known as Ijinkan (異人館), were home to many European businessmen and entrepenuers seeking to gain […]

St Charles Street Car

When we told our friends about our upcoming trip to New Orleans, a friend of ours in Phoenix recommended we ride the street cars. Specifically, he said we should ride the St Charles Street line if we wanted a relaxing, inexpensive ride along some very beautiful homes. On our last day, we decided to check […]

Biosphere 2

Deep in the desert outside of a little town called Oracle, there exists one of the most impressive structures built in all of Arizona: Biosphere 2. It started with this intense futurist dream of space colonization, moved onto a much-publicized science experiment, and eventually landed as a branch of the University of Arizona. Prepare for a […]

Pueblo Grande Museum

Phoenix has a lot of hidden gems that don’t appear to be much at first glance. You have to comb through the streets to find certain things that will a good experience and you have to be willing to explore things you see every day but don’t give them much thought. One such gem that […]

Chapel of the Holy Cross

Many visitors come to this chapel, nestled in the high cliffs of Sedona. Many pictures from this place focus on its external architectural features, particularly the large stone cross on its face that protects the glass behind the altar. The site is famous for being designed by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, the […]

Circles Records

There always exists a tension between how best to preserve the past while moving forward with the future. One building in the middle of such tensions is the historic Stewart Motor Company building, more commonly known to those in Phoenix as Circles Records & Tapes.