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CNN—Is it possible to travel to another continent without actually leaving North America?
The answer is “oui” if you venture to Old Quebec, Canada – a 300-acre, self-contained neighborhood within the capital of Quebec City. Unlike similar historic districts in Puebla, Mexico; Old San Juan, Puerto Rico; or even Boston’s Beacon Hill, Old Quebec encompasses a whole lot more than just a street or two of European-inspired architecture.
By comparison, Old Quebec is home to half a dozen famous streets and two dozen more deserving alleys and side streets.
That’s not all. It also has five parks, countless shops and restaurants, several squares and schools, two distinctive parts of town (Upper and Lower), numerous boutique hotels, a well-integrated 18-story “skyscraper,” a working citadel, the most photographed grand hotel in the world and more charm than many parts of actual Europe – the very continent that Old Quebec so admirably emulates.
In short, the sheer size of the destination – coupled with its enduring preservation and an estimated 3,000 local residents – is what distinguishes Old Quebec. That’s why millions of visitors travel here every year to convincingly trick themselves into thinking that they live in another time and on another land. Without the jet lag.
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Over the last decade, I’ve written and published hundreds of travel stories for CNN, National Geographic, USA Today, LA Times, Washington Post, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Expedia, Orbitz, Frommers, Cool Material, and Travel Weekly. For the same period, I’ve been a weekly syndicated travel columnist for Paste Magazine and Utah newspapers, which has taken me to all 7 continents, over 55 countries, countless national parks, and hundreds of cities. In addition to my other published works, here are some of my favorite travel dispatches.
Best of 2025
- 5 things to know before visiting a nude beach (Fodor’s)
- Why is over tourism happening? Blame capitalism. (Matador)
- Cancun all-inclusives: What first-timers need to know (Matador)
- Visiting the Great Wall of China: Which section is best? (Matador)
- 5 ways your wasting money on travel (my travel column)
- Cruise a new megaship for less on MSC World America (my travel column)
- 5 travel hacks that actually work (my travel column)
- Niagara Falls is the summer vacation every American needs (my travel column)
- Do not follow this wretched travel advice (my travel column)
- The oldest trees on Earth are just a few hours drive from Utah (my travel column)
- Kids menus: A well-intentioned by bad idea (my travel column)
- See European-like Alps, Patagonia-like views at Glacier National Park (my travel column)
- North America’s finest fjord rivals Norway (my travel column)
- This rust belt city is one of the prettiest in America (my travel column)
- Eagle Point is what family skiing used to be like (my travel column)
- Volcanos, in-room infinity pools, 24-hour butlers at Jade Mountain (my travel column)
- Ipanema is the greatest beach in the world (my travel column)
- Lake Powell is magic, even for first-time houseboaters (my travel column)
- First-class bathrooms: Yes, you can use them! (my travel column)
- Oh, there’s no place like Europe for the holidays (my travel column)
- Marriott Traveller: 5 quick nature escapes in the U.S. | Best places to fish
- Cool Material: Chicago | Aspen | Miami | Vegas | Honolulu | LA | SF | London | Paris
- Sponsored Content: 6 winter activities in Minnesota | 5 spring festivities in Yosemite
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Once considered a cult pastime, video games have grown immensely in the last 40 years to become a mainstream fixture alongside movies and music.
But you wouldn’t know it by how often players finish their games.
In fact, the attrition (or bounce rate) of video games is pretty pathetic. “What I’ve been told as a blanket expectation is that 90% of players who start your game will never see the end of it unless they watch a clip on YouTube,” says Keith Fuller, a longtime production contractor for Activision.
That’s a lot of unfinished games. Continue reading…
Earlier this year, I was enthralled by CNN’s excellent and Tom Hanks-produced miniseries on modern history, so much so that I binged them all during two long haul flights.
The first one I watched, The Nineties, was about my adolescence and it did not disappoint. In only seven sentences, this is how the documentary summarized the decade:
- TV: The decade starts with “The Simpsons,” ends with “The Sopranos,” and MTV permeates Generation X eyeballs with “reality TV” while cable news sensationalizes everything.
- Music: Nirvana releases “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Generation X finally feels heard. Women become the “latest trend in rock” and gangsta rap takes over.
- Politics: Bill Clinton rides into the White House on a wave of hope, but his presidency is soon weighed down by scandal and staunch Republican opposition.
- Globalization: The Soviet Union collapses and world leaders attempt to shape a New World Order. Nelson Mandela is freed and Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait.
- Information Age: Computers go mainstream and the Information Age begins. Microsoft takes over everything and a new thing called the internet connects the world.
- Terrorism: The radical right gains steam, with extremist elements carrying out acts of domestic terrorism. The Unabomber terrorizes the country.
- Division: Racial issues erupt across the country. The police beating of Rodney King sparks the L.A. riots. The O.J. Simpson trial captivates the nation.
Not a bad recap for a fast-moving documentary about a forward-thinking decade. 4/5 stars.
(CNN) — From Airbnb to GasBuddy to shopkick, lots of apps and websites help consumers save money.
But how do we spend less on technology itself — that digital drug we can’t seem to get enough of? How can we save money on electronic gadgets and services … so that we can buy more gadgets?
Here are 10 ways to stretch your tech budget this year: Continue reading…
After visiting CNN.com yesterday for the first time in over a year, I stumbled upon this interesting poll: 92 percent of Americans admit to being liars, 2 percent lie about being liars, and 6 percent admit to lying while polling. Now you know.
From one of the most brilliant minds of our time comes…