John

I still remember the exact moment I stumbled onto this story while researching New River Gorge adventures. A local guide casually mentioned “the mine where they actually sent the CEO to prison” — and I stopped mid-sentence. In twenty-five years photographing forgotten corners of America, I’d never heard those words together: CEO, prison, mining disaster. … Lire plus

I spent $847 on Big Island black sand tours over three Hawaiian vacations before a geology professor mentioned Reynisfjara during a Reykjavik layover. “Iceland’s version costs nothing,” she said, sketching basalt columns on a napkin. “And the formations Hawaii’s erosion destroyed? Still standing there after 24 million years.” Two weeks later, I stood on Iceland’s … Lire plus

After two decades navigating 900 Pacific islands, I’ve witnessed countless villages claim cyclone resilience. But when Category 5 Winston unleashed 185mph winds across Fiji in 2016, only one island proved its natural fortress wasn’t folklore — Tuvuca’s 180 residents watched neighboring communities evacuate while their multi-level terraced village at 240 meters elevation deflected the storm’s … Lire plus

Twenty years ago, we started documenting mountain towns across North America with one question: which communities truly invest in the trails that define them? After exploring 900 destinations from Whistler’s commercialized peaks to Vermont’s quiet hills, we found something unprecedented in British Columbia’s Monashee Mountains—a 3,600-resident village that pays a full-time crew to maintain what … Lire plus

I spent two decades exploring Southeast Asia’s limestone labyrinths, and Robinson Lifestyle Thalang delivers something conventional malls never could—authentic Thai shopping at prices that make tourist-trap boutiques look criminally expensive. This two-story sanctuary in northern Phuket costs 70% less than Patong’s resort shops while serving the kind of regional cuisine and local brands that disappeared … Lire plus

I spent three days trapped in my $180-per-night Cancún resort, fighting for beach chairs at 6am and dodging spring breakers in crowded pools. At 52, I’d imagined something different from Mexican paradise. Then my taxi driver mentioned a place called Cenote Ik Kil—a sacred Maya water temple 90 minutes inland. I ditched my prepaid resort … Lire plus