The Traveler's Journal

Other mountain ranges may be taller than this string of peaks that tower over the Snake River in northwest Wyoming, but none are more perfectly proportioned.

Keeping comfortable while skiing is part art and part science. Some thoughts on layers.

Belgium's second largest city, Antwerp is the capital of Flanders, the Flemish speaking part in the the country's northwest. Once an important port, it very much retains its merchant sensibilities.

Although Christmas is celebrated all around the world, the traditional festive meal is different almost everywhere.

In 1904, seven extraordinary individuals met in New York City and founded a club dedicated to the notion scientific exploration. The Explorer's Club not on survives more than a century later, it prospers.

A little known Micronesian archipelago juts out of the Pacific 500 miles SW of Guam. The Western Carolines consists of four primary islands, the largest and most developed is Yap. Of course, development is a relative term.

Australia's Blue Mountains are latticed by a vast and intricate network of incredible caverns, suitable for explorations lasting from an hour to a month.

Although generally neat, orderly, and welcoming, Japan can also be a jarring place for first time travelers.

These will be the busiest travel weeks of the year. We offer a few thoughts to help make sure all your journeys are jolly.

247 years ago tomorrow, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in this building in Bonn, Germany. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western music, he still ranks among the most famous and influential of all composers.

The appreciation of chocolate has spread around the world, but nowhere is passion for the dark elixir more intense than where it originated.

No matter the occasion for the giving, travel is generally a good idea.

Even in this holiday season, no place on earth is safe from rip-off artists. Where and when ever your travels take you, it pays to be alert for petty thievery.

Latin Americans tend to be be generous people who appreciate demonstrations of thoughtfulness. We conclude our Santa's tour of gift-giving around the world with this focus south of the border.

Continuing our look at gift giving habits around the world, we take a look several very different cultures.

While the gift is important, in China and Japan there's more focus on the giving itself.

Tips on presenting the gifts of nations in this season for giving.

This is the time of year when city squares around Germany are transformed into winter wonderlands.

The world's second largest French-speaking city, this Canadian metropolis is also a charming, relatively affordable opportunity for North Americans to enjoy a decidedly European ambiance.

Situated halfway between Kyoto and Hiroshima, this Japanese industrial city boasts a surprising string of unique museums.