Hotel Winters in Yolo County, California, opened in 2019. It offers a taste of casual luxury in the small, charming farm town of Winters and is a perfect base for exploring nearby wineries, restaurants, and outdoor recreation.
Therese Iknoian & Michael Hodgson
Award-winning travel writers and photographers, Therese Iknoian and Michael Hodgson, use words, art, video and photography to inspire you to embark on your own travel adventures. They are members of the North American Travel Journalists Association, the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Professional Photographers of America, and the Adventure Travel Trade Association.
We love sunflowers! Best sunflower photos and sunflower facts
Everyone loves sunflowers. Sunflowers symbolize loyalty and adoration in the Western world. In China, they symbolize long life and good fortune. To Native Americans the sunflower represents harvest and bounty. Enjoy a gallery of our best sunflower photos and fun sunflower facts.
Sunflower photography tips – How to take great sunflower photos
Sunflowers offer incredible photo opportunities to a photographer with a bit of imagination and planning. Sunrise to sunset and every bit of light in between, knowing how to take great sunflower photos in the sunflower fields is the key to success. Our sunflower photography tips will help.
SCP Mendocino Inn and Farm: perfect Mendocino hotel escape
The SCP Mendocino Inn and Farm provides 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 Inn and Farm bed and breakfast hotel impresses in every way.
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.
Want to drive fast cars? Head to the BMW Performance Driving School
At the BMW Performance Driving School in Thermal, California, anyone can get behind the wheel of a high-performance BMW and drive faster than ever imagined, all under the watchful eyes and guidance of a professional race car driver.
Getting and managing money when traveling
Getting and managing money when traveling is not all that complicated or difficult, but a few universal money and safety tips do make the task easier wherever you may travel in the world.
HI Travel Tales takes home four global photography awards
In the first photo competition by the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association, Therese Iknoian and Michael Hodgson garnered four awards, including a Best of Show.
Modesto Almond Blossom Cruise a California road trip delight
Expanses of almond orchards blooming in Modesto make for the perfect California road trip in the Central Valley. Time it just right on a February-March almond blossom cruise for a sensory overload of white and pink almond blossoms, buzzing bees, and the most intoxicating scent you can imagine.
HI Travel Tales wins five awards in NATJA Travel Media Awards
For the third year in a row, HI Travel Tales has won multiple awards in the North American Travel Journalists Association national contest, the NATJA Travel Media Awards. For 2020, Therese Iknoian and Michael Hodgson took home five awards, all honoring outstanding travel photography.
Noyo Harbor Inn – Secluded historic escape in Fort Bragg
Tucked onto a bluff overlooking Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg, California, the Noyo Harbor Inn offers a secluded escape with a surprisingly accessible location along Highway 1.
Best Antarctica photos – Our favorite Antarctica Intagram photos
Venturing to the southernmost continent of Antarctica is a bucket-list adventure for many with its endless ice, beautiful blue waters, and wildlife like penguins and whales. In March of 2018, we joined a Polar Latitudes expedition to Antarctica and have assembled here a collection of some of our favorite Antarctica photos shared on Instagram.
Top 10 stories of 2020 – Readers keep dreaming of travel
It has been a very long 2020 but through it all we found our readers still wanted to dream of travel, to think about travel, and to plan for travel. This was made clear with our Top 10 Stories of 2020 as selected by our readers and what they viewed. Local and regional U.S. stories, stories that highlighted adventures closer to home and ideas for road trips, sprinkled with a few topics drawn from our archives allowed us and our readers to keep dreaming of travel in 2021.
Our top photos from Instagram: best of Instagram 2020
These are our best Instagram photos of 2020 – voted on by our followers with their likes and shares. We hope our travel photos will help inspire you to plan future travel, dream of destinations near and far, and start your travel bucket list for 2021 … and beyond.
Perfect travel gifts for under 45 dollars
The experienced global travel team at HI Travel Tales knows what every business or holiday traveler wants and needs when it comes to receiving perfect travel gifts from family and friends. Little things — often items priced under $45 – can provide convenience and comfort. Or may even help save a little money. With that in mind, here are 10 perfect travel gifts, all under $35, that are sure to become a must-pack of your favorite traveler in the year ahead — the best gifts for people who love to travel.
Little River Inn – Where Mendocino history and the Pacific Ocean meet
Overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Mendocino County, California, the historic Little River Inn has 65 rooms, and features a spa, a health club and a restaurant on site. People stay here for the views and keep coming back because of the hospitality.
Therese Iknoian places 3rd in Washington Post Travel photo contest
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.
Life during the COVID-19 pandemic – Photos capture a world on hold
We put out a call to friends and colleagues around the world for photos to document how some of us are experiencing life during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Photos from Stockholm, Berlin, Paris, Innsbruck, Boston, New Orleans, London, New York, and California. Each of the photos capture a world on hold during the coronavirus outbreak — sad, strange or with humor.
Seelow Heights museum memorializes Battle of Berlin horrors
In the last days of World War II, the Battle of the Seelow Heights to the east of Berlin was a bloody massacre. The small Seelow Heights museum and memorial features exhibits, artifacts, and graves documenting the Battle of Berlin and the tens of thousands of lives lost in just three days.
HI Travel Tales wins gold and silver travel photography and writing awards for 2019
HI Travel Tales took home four national awards recognizing excellence in travel journalism from the North American Travel Journalists Association. Therese Iknoian and Michael Hodgson, who run the travel blog HITravelTales.com, won a gold medal, two silvers and an honorable mention for excellence in travel photography and writing.
Discover the best hotels in Morocco – our favorite hotels in Morocco
From exotic villas to ecolodges to family-owned boutique hotels, make sure your stay in Morocco will be nothing short of amazing with our pick of the best hotels in Morocco. If it makes our list of a top Morocco hotel, it is because we have stayed there and personally recommend it.
Best Morocco photos – Our favorite Morocco Instagram photos
Morocco is a country that fills your senses to overflowing. Morocco is a country that will get inside your soul. It is both exotic and gritty and that, in part, is the attraction. The best of our Morocco Instagram photos will help inspire your next visit, or fondly remember your last.
Best Berlin Photos – Our favorite Berlin Instagram photos
Berlin is endlessly fascinating and remains one of our favorite cities in the world to photograph and explore. We’ve included a few of our top Berlin photos in this Best Berlin Photos – Our favorite Berlin Instagram photos post. Scroll through to discover what to see on your Berlin visit.
Teddy & Friends: traveling stuffed animals
Traveling stuffed animals are perfect travel partners and friends. They never complain and are always ready for the next adventure, the next photo opportunity, or a really good restaurant. They listen intently to your every word. They are a constant reminder that imagination and a sense of humor inspire smiles and connections with strangers around the world. They travel free and often serve as a trip mascot, no matter what trip you are on. And they are always ready to offer a hug.
Our favorite street art from around the world
We love street art, and seek it out where ever we travel. Here are some awesome photos of our favorite street art around the world that have appeared in our Instagram feed.
10 photos from the 10s: our favorite photographs of the decade
10 photos from the 10s. Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian pick 10 photos that meant the most to them from the last decade of travel around the world. Our favorite photographs of the decade.
Bab el Oued Ecolodge: Draa Valley eco retreat in Tamnougalt village
Bab el Oued Ecolodge in Tamnougalt village, Morocco, offers a garden retreat with winding paths, a pool, separate cottages and excellent dinners. It is a lush world filled with plants and seductive scents from jasmine and roses. Read our review of our stay at Bab el Oued Ecolodge here.
Why we like Global Rescue memberships for medical evacuation coverage
Medical and security emergencies happen, anywhere in the world. Global Rescue, is a leading membership organization providing integrated medical, security, travel risk and crisis response services to travelers worldwide. Learn why like Global Rescue memberships for emergency evacuation coverage, including COVID transportation home.
Dining at Drago’s Seafood Restaurant on the Louisiana Oyster Trail
We were following the Louisiana Oyster Trail in the town of Metairie just outside New Orleans. Our first stop was at the door of Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, home of the charbroiled oyster. Oysters were on the menu, and Michael was eagerly looking forward to sampling the promised charbroiled oyster dish. Drago’s offers so much more than oysters though, as we were to discover.
Dar Manara: Asilah Morocco riad in the medina
Dar Manara is a cozy riad in Asilah Morocco, a small, artsy town that offers a restful medina where you won’t get lost. Read our review of Dar Manara, located in the Asilah medina.