Riding historic train tracks on a railbiking adventure with River Fox Railbikes near Sacramento, California. Pairs of riders pedal two-seat, motor-assisted railbikes along relatively flat railroad tracks.
We're Michael & Therese
Award-winning Photographers & JournalistsWe 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.)
Featured in a podcast
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.
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We’ve won a number of travel writing and photography awards along the way.
Recent Travel Posts
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.
Choosing Bug Repellents: Which is the best insect repellent for travel
Biting insects all over the world are searching for their next blood meal. You need to know what the best insect repellent is for travel to help prevent a mosquito or tick bite that could carry a nasty disease.
Discover San Francisco secret gardens, rooftop parks and open spaces
POPOS may sound like a funny name for something you’d munch on during happy hour, but that is so wrong. POPOS stands for “Privately Owned Public Open Spaces,” a.k.a. San Francisco secret gardens, urban parks, and city open spaces. Whether you as a traveler call them POPOS, secret gardens, or rooftop parks, they are ideal respites and secluded open spaces when wandering and touring cities for anyone who just needs to rest weary feet or simply take in the surroundings or do a little people-watching – for free, and often in a really pleasant venue.
Palm Springs modernism: Modernism Week & architecture tours all year
California’s desert mecca of Palm Springs is a modernism architecture lovers delight. Be it during its annual Modernism Week or on your own modernist architecture tours, you will not be disappointed by the sweeping, clean lines of Palm Springs modernism buildings.
Why I hate ticks and how to prevent tick bites
It’s not all that hard to realize why I hate ticks. The very thought of walking through woods and fields infested with ticks makes my skin crawl. Perhaps it is because of a tick’s predilection to attaching itself firmly to its host, in this case me, and then draining a seemingly prodigious quantity of blood from those dark and moist places where I would rather not have something alien nibbling. Even with my skin dipped in insect repellent and clothes soaked in permethrin, I am on edge.
Travel medical kit: packing a first aid kit for travel
When you are packing for your next international trip, there are a few items that are essential – passport, ID, money, smartphone and a compact travel medical kit. No matter what destination you are heading to in the world, a first aid kit for travel should go with you everywhere.
Glendeven Inn & Inn at Cobblers Walk: perfect Mendocino hotel escape
The Glendeven Inn & Lodge and the Inn at Cobbler’s Walk provide an ideal Mendocino coast escape. Located a short stroll from Van Damme State Park and Beach, and only a few minutes’ drive from historic Mendocino, the two Mendocino hotels are sister properties and impress in every way.
Preparing for travel and traveling safely again – 14 top tips
With air travel slowly returning, preparing for, getting to the airport, and then flying safely again is a concern for many, even savvy travelers. Here are some tips on how to travel safely again and reminders on preparing for travel basics.
Immunizations you need: Important vaccinations for travel
Proof of a COVID vaccination is just one of the immunizations travelers need. Before you hop on a plane, you need to know what diseases you may come into contact with, and the important vaccinations for travel you should receive to protect you and your family.
Allensworth State Historic Park honors California’s only all-Black town
After being freed from slavery, some former slaves went on to establish all-Black towns around the country. In California, the only “Freedmen’s Town” founded and governed by African Americans was Allensworth in the state’s Central Valley, now a California State Historic Park worth a visit.
Visit Oregon City – an historic town near Oroville California
The historic town of Oregon City, located near Oroville, California, was founded by Peter Burnett during the California gold rush in 1848. The infamous Burnett became the first governor of California.
California road trip visit to Feather River Fish Hatchery & Oroville Dam
A fun Northern California road trip stop in Oroville, just off Highway 70, east of Highway 99, is the Feather River Fish Hatchery and Oroville Dam.
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