Writer, Photographer, Adventurer
Protecting 32,733 acres on the windward slopes of Mauna Kea on Hawaiʻi Island, Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1985 by the US Fish and Wildlife Service with the support of The Nature Conservancy. It became the first national wildlife refuge to encompass rainforest as well as the first to be set aside for native forest birds, and it’s the only place in the state where native bird populations are stable or increasing. Want to learn more? Read my story for Sierra.
Showcasing the beauty of traditional Samoan cuisine and heritage, Tala was opened in Auckland in 2023 by Chef Henry Onesemo and his wife Debby. The award-winning restaurant has helped pave the way for more culturally specific dining in New Zealand, earning praise across Oceania for its singular focus. Rather than choosing to represent a combination Pasifika cuisine style, Onesemo positions Samoan food not as a subset of something broader, but as a cuisine that deserves to stand on its own.
Tala was chosen to be in TIME’s The World’s Greatest Places 2026. Click through to read my short article on the restaurant.
Across the United States this year, people are making plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. While much of the focus on site-specific celebrations will be on the East Coast, there’s an important West Coast connection to 1776. Spain also established El Presidio de San Francisco in 1776 to guard San Francisco Bay from British, Russian, and French incursions into Alta California, a province comprising modern-day California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and parts of Arizona. Want to learn more? Read my story for National Geographic.
I’ve hiked hundreds of miles on national park trails in the United States, but have biked in far fewer parks because often the only option is to share crowded roads with vehicles. On Acadia National Park’s carriage roads, cyclists can enjoy the serenity of nature away from the noise of cars, and get a little history thrown in for good measure. Want to learn more? Read my story for National Geographic.
While many travelers to Hawaiʻi island flock to the western coast’s array of resorts, shops, and restaurants, there’s a good argument to be made for a vacation home base in the Hāmākua Heritage Corridor that runs from Hilo to the Waipiʻo Valley Lookout—where crowds are minimal and your pace slows to island time. I loved making that argument for Condé Nast Traveler in this story, which includes thriving farms, neighborhood restaurants, and ways to get a closer look at native and endangered birds.