We are Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian, the husband-and-wife team behind the HI Travel Tales curtain – and, yes, despite travel’s occasional travails, we remain happily married and always look forward to the next trip together. We are veteran travel journalists and photographers — not Instagram bikini influencers (no one wants to see Michael in a bikini anyway!)
HI Travel Tales is dedicated to inspiring meaningful travel adventures around the world with a focus on immersive travel experiences. We discover the unexpected and extraordinary even in the most common of destinations. Our award-winning writing and photography guides travelers and non-travelers alike on a journey of discovery and wonder.
We love sharing stories from other travelers, too, and have a growing slate of wonderful contributors. We are also surrogate parents to a rather large and still growing family of stuffed animals who all have names and invariably fight over who gets to go on the next trip (Michael sometimes insists two go, hiding one in Therese’s carry-on.)
Want to know what it’s like to work with your spouse – and stay married? Then listen in to two CoupleCo podcasts featuring Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian below.
We are travelers. Always have been. We engage. We explore. We immerse ourselves everywhere we go. We are both uber-curious and enthusiastic about sharing our experiences. Here are a few of our latest travel stories.
Reading Time: 7 minutes Houmas House estate is a New Orleans area attraction located in Louisiana’s River Parishes. Once one of the biggest and richest plantations in Louisiana’s plantation country, it’s now a destination for lovers of architecture, gardens and fine dining, as well as an entertainment venue.
Reading Time: 9 minutes In California Gold Country you can follow in the footsteps of Gold Rush pioneers, try your hand at gold planning, enjoy cute little towns, get outdoors, and eat at amazing restaurants. We’ll help you plan a road trip to Grass Valley, Nevada City, Placer County, Auburn, and Placerville.
Reading Time: 3 minutes From 1,200 photographs, Therese Iknoian’s photo taken in the Sahara in Morocco won third place in the 2020 Washington Post Travel photo contest.
Reading Time: 9 minutes Explore MidCoast Maine on a coastal Maine road trip. Sit in a classic Adirondack chair and enjoy coastal breezes, eat fresh lobster while taking in ocean views, visit with local craftsmen, and explore back roads winding through quaint Maine towns. Our MidCoast Maine travel planner will help you organize your vacation.
Reading Time: 7 minutes Explore New Orleans Plantation Country along the Great River Road following the Mississippi River. Discover wild bayous, vast plantation gardens, luxurious antebellum mansions, stories of folklore and slavery, and innumerable culinary delights. Plantation Country will delight.
Reading Time: 5 minutes Your search for a cozy centrally located Maine hotel can stop with The Bradley Inn. Located a couple of minutes from the scenic Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, The Bradley Inn offers comfy rooms on a family-run garden oasis, as well as great Maine food at its MidCoast Maine location.
Reading Time: 5 minutes What is a shrub? It is a flexible, creative infusion of fruit, herbs, or even vegetables mixed with sugar and vinegar that can be added to alcohol or soda water. But you can do so much more with it once you know how to make a shrub. A perfect drink recipe for history and travel buffs.
Reading Time: 7 minutes For the best Maine souvenirs or travel gifts think Maine Made products. You can find them across the state, from art and food, to woodworking and décor. Check out the authentic wind bells we love, gifts made by Maine State prisoners, and more.
Reading Time: 8 minutes Rich in culture, diverse in its people, and steeped in tradition, there are so many things to do in Jefferson Parish. And its only minutes away from New Orleans. Think swamps and bayous to quaint historic districts, a trendy art scene, and contemporary restaurants. Jefferson Parish is the quiet neighbor to the Big Easy, one you definitely want to meet.
Reading Time: 5 minutes Looking for a great MidCoast Maine waterfront hotel? We’d recommend the Craignair Inn on the Maine coast, ideally located on the St. George peninsula, historic, cozy, secluded and yet so close to great sights.
Reading Time: 6 minutes Maneuvering airports and airplanes is now a riskier activity with coronavirus and the inability to minimize contact. So, when you start flying again, the question will be how to fly safely. That will mean taking extra precautions to stay healthy while flying and at the airport.
Reading Time: 12 minutes What was it like flying during a pandemic? Is it safe to fly? I took a transcontinental flight on American in July and, in short, it was terribly stressful. You thought flying before the pandemic had become an unpleasant grind? You haven’t experienced anything yet. Pack your sanitizing gear, personal protection gear, and choose your airline and seats as carefully as possible. Read what my experience was like in July 2020.
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