I don’t remember planning to travel this much when 2010 started. I had my short wish list with only one Must Do highlighted. Somehow I put in as many miles on the road as I did in the air and ended up in four countries, 10 states and countless cities. While traveling is my passion, and priority for me, I don’t take for granted how lucky I am to be able to do this. It’s not possible without all the good friends and family who welcome me in their homes and all the new friends I make along the way. Here are some of Best Of experiences of 2010. Sadly, I have not blogged about many of them. I guess...

Or “What’s the Deal GFA?!” I have been unusually absent from blogging lately but don’t worry, there’s a good story behind it. Put simply – I caught the travel bug. And not the kind that has you planning your next trip before you even finish the one you’re on. During my spring trip to Belize, I detoured off the tourist track to the small village of Dangriga. Located on the southern coast, it’s a jump off point for the smaller island keys. My objective was to get to Tobacco Caye for some quiet time after the noisy and bustling jungle. When the bus pulled into the station, it...

They say the jungle is a noisy place, filed with the sounds of birds, monkeys, jaguars and insects. This is true, but another sound of Belize comes to life at night – the musicians. Belize could rival Austin, Texas for the diversity of its ubiquitous troubadours. On my second night, I moved down the road to the active village of San Ignacio. Even though this town was the main West Side hub, I was only steps out of my hotel room before I ran into someone I knew. The Stonetree Boys were chilling outside the bank and in a few minutes they were taking me to a favorite dinner spot and educating me on the...

The best of Belize is easy to see, just plan on taking a guided tour. The excursions serve two purposes – optimizing tourism while protecting the sights and natural beauty of the country. While Belize guides have names like Juice, Ash, and Boom, these are not kids off the street. Some have advanced degrees in anthropology, most have grown up in the local villages, and all have that magic combination of knowledge, storytelling and experience. The Actun Tunichil Muknal or ATM tour is considered one of the best jungle excursions. It follows the Raging River 1.5 miles through the jungle and deep into a...

I ended up in Belize because of this article in the now defunct magazine National Geographic Adventure. When I got the tweets that this publication shuttered in December, it was like hearing a dear friend had died. Sure, there are plenty of travel mags and blogs out there, but none were so in tune with my interests. In each issue there would be an item on a trip I had taken and I’d feel a sense of approval. An “I’ve done that!” pride. But there would also be features on places and activities I had never considered. I’d dog ear the stories and add the destinations to my list. As I sporadically...