ERG CHEBBI, Morocco (AP) ― The bright black silhouettes of our three-camel caravan shone against a tall sand dune like a background drawing of the Three Kings in a Nativity scene. While Georgie, as I had nicknamed my blonde dromedary camel, plodded through this remote corner of Morocco at the edge of the Sahara Desert, I was transfixed by our reflection ― because it was well past sunset and there was no moon. With the complete lack of artificial lights, the vault of stars was bright enough to ca

VERBANIA, Italy ― Serendipity and a chance encounter on my recent trip to this Mediterranean country led me to the very best lunch I’ve ever eaten ― anywhere.It began back in September as I sat exhausted on a stone garden bench at Villa Della Porta Bozzolo in Casalzuigno in Northern Italy.Eight days into a 10-day tour of Italian gardens and villas and all the travel had finally caught up to me. I took a break from my tour and sat outside with Anna Maria Massimi, who was guiding another group tra

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Two men are roughly halfway through what has been called the hardest rock climb in the world: a free climb of an 900-meter section of exposed granite in California’s Yosemite National Park.Tom Evans, a climber and photographer, has been chronicling Kevin Jorgeson, 30, of Santa Rosa, California, and Tommy Caldwell, 36, of Estes Park, Colorado, as they scale the wall using only their hands and feet.El Capitan, the largest monolith of granite in the world, rises more than 900 m

It was 10 years ago that Alexander Payne’s quirky little film, “Sideways,” landed on the silver screen. Merlot was trashed. Pinot noir began its ascendancy. A Saab bit the dust. And as sad sack novelist Miles and his about-to-be-married buddy, Jack, wove their way past country lanes and vineyards, it suddenly dawned on filmgoers that this was not Napa.“Sideways” put Santa Barbara’s wine country on the map ― and won an Oscar, two Golden Globes and American Film Institute movie of the year honors,

LENNO, Italy ― Silvia Givera is standing on the picturesque bank of Lake Como. She winds up, underhand, to throw a tennis ball to her dog Diego. The dog stands transfixed until the ball sails far out into the lake, and then he happily swims after it. He brings it back but is reluctant to return it to Givera. Eventually she gets the ball and the two walk back to Bar il Golfo in town. She helps run this place, which serves traditional Italian fare. The view of the lake is stunning from the restaur

Korea attracts 14 million foreign visitors in 2014

AUSTIN, Texas ― Lounging poolside, sipping $18 mini-margaritas under sprawling live oaks, our eyes and wallets opened wide to a life of luxury we didn’t really know existed in the city we once knew so well.Austin’s drastically changing skyline was visible from our plush loungers at the small but otherworldly St. Cecilia Hotel. To fully see downtown, though, we had to look over the giant neon sign at the end of the hotel pool, which simply reads “SOUL.” It reminded me of Austin’s late, great musi

Looking for the perfect spot to watch the sunset and sunrise that is not too far from Seoul? Incheon, situated on the west coast, recommends eight top places to watch sunset and sunrise for the New Year. The Incheon Development and Tourism Corporation suggests four great places to bid farewell to 2014: Jeongseojin, Mount Seoksan in Songdo, Sunset Village in Janghwa-ri, Ganghwa and Wangsan Beach. Jeongseojin, located at the starting point of the Gyeongin Ara waterway, is known for a beautiful sun