The Global Scavenger Hunt is now in Shanghai, China. Reputed to be in clichés the Paris of the East and Pearl of the Orient in days gone by. Nowadays it is literally hard to see the towering building known as the Oriental Pearl through the haze of smog that blankets...

Until the 20th century arrived, the answer to the question was easy. There is a long heritage of great travelers, real and imagined, from Odysseus, Sinbad, Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, Zheng Ho to Ibn Battuta. The Vikings were pretty good travelers say the sagas.

The word...

Over the years I have witnessed firsthand a sea change in how we members of homo touristicus are traveling the globe. And two things stand out.

One is that we have become more fearful travelers -- especially Americans who are traveling at record low numbers since 9/11 and the...

"I have found out that there ain't any surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." - Mark Twain

As the Event Director of The Global Scavenger Hunt, an annual around the world travel adventure competition, I know good...

With the New Year just upon us we are again awash in disparate statistics, "Mad Men"-like public relations "hot list" BS and never-ending mindless Internet chatter ("I like Cancun!") and just plain weird sets of data points ("Let's meet at the airport for a drink!"). Frankly, who really knows what...

If you are reading this, you survived the Mayan Day of Reckoning (whoo, that was close wasn't it!), and are now happily imagining some fresh 2013 travel destinations. I find that this time of year beckons travel lists, so here's your ultimate Christmas wish list/New Year's resolution 2013 list for...

"When you travel often, you will be addicted to it forever. Our destination is not the place, but new way to see things." - Henry Miller

It is claimed that there are so-called gateway drugs that take you on to higher highs from humble beginnings. Could the same be...

For folks that journey abroad occasionally and engage in conversation with fellow international travelers, we have all heard the statements: Why don't Americans travel more? How come only 10% have passports?

Well, like most good stories told in bars (and campaigns), from Horatio Alger, that 47...

I love a lot of things aside from members of my family.

I love music, especially on the road. I love seeing art, especially made by up and coming starving artists. I love going to sporting events, especially when rivalry bragging rights are at stake. And I love food.

"Myths are true legends of actual facts that never happened."

It is near the end of summer and we are all just coasting along until Labor Day. Many of us are now susceptible to believe things that just aren't true -- like campaign commercials!

Travel is no different. Urban legends...

The last decade has seen some amazing advancements come to travelers. Business innovations, technological advancements and varied consumer choice today are unparalleled.

Among others, we have seen the birth and growth of: TripAdvisor, Skype, Wi-Fi, digital cameras, e-tickets, smartphones and wrinkle-free clothing, too!

Some have argued that we...

Why is America known infamously as the No-Vacation Nation?

Fact is, over half of us took no vacation time last year. Sixty-five percent of us who did get some paid vacation time, didn't use it all. Less than 30% of us have valid passports. And the number of U.S....

We all know jaded travelers who ho-hum your stories about visiting Myanmar, Bolivia or Morocco. "Oh, I've been there!"

Or those that pooh-pooh your heroic tales of hiking the Inca Trail, seeing a Santorini sunset or noshing Bangkok street food. "Oh, I've done that!"

And of course they have already...

Like many, I caught the travel bug before I went to college and have since been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to travel far and wide for the better part of 35 years. Family and friends always asked me the identical question: "Where is your favorite place?"

"The...

The coming Fourth of July weekend traditionally kicks off summer vacation season for most of us. The weather's nice, the kids are out of school and the NHL and NBA playoffs are over as baseball pitching scandals are heating up.

Yet sadly, according to the Travel Industry...

In my last op-ed, I brought up America's Vacation Deficit Disorder, a national crisis of sorts that has profound effects on both our nation's well-being and collective productivity, as well as our own individual health.

We received some great comments from around the world: Thank you all!

The warning signs are all there.

They are on exhibit for all to see in our national levels of: anxiety and depression, obesity and heart attacks, absenteeism and job burnout, sleep deprivation and the use of chemicals to help keep us awake.

The $64,000 question is: What would you...

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the places and moments that take our breath away." -- Anonymous

Vítejte from the Czech Republic city of Prague today!

When we last left you, we were in Cyprus. Things have changed, as they are...

Yahsas! Welcome to Cyprus, the island known as the playground of the gods!

Frankly, I couldn't decide between Turkey and Greece this year for the event -- so here we are in Cyprus! Half of each...

This has been a wild day, like many days on The Global...

Marhaban! Welcome to the Sultanate of Oman and Muscat to be exact aka Death Valley by the Sea!

The Global Scavenger Hunt travel adventure competition has arrived in the Middle East, and the competition is heating up -- and truly warming the Ringmasters heart! Competition is a good...