Published Travel Articles
Copy by Stephanie Ager Kirz. Photos by Howard L. Kirz.
As seen in the Portland Oregonian
Pitlochry to Iona, the land of standing stones, lochs and ‘ley lines’ offers adventures, mystery and rugged beauty
Quiet, single-track roads, with nary a soul in sight. Odd monolithic stones scattered throughout the countryside. An eerie overlay of something mystifying.
No wonder those Harry Potter novels draw inspiration from Scotland.
As seen in the Adventure Cyclist Magazine
The King of Sicily towered over me, sweating liquid aggravation in the hot, midday sun. His bare, bloody hand clutched a razor-sharp hacksaw blade. It was just like a scene from The Godfather. Well, sort of. He’d accidentally nicked himself while trimming the tube of my bicycle seat so my feet could reach the pedals.
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As seen in the Boston Globe
PARIS — The mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, has a love affair with cycling, which is very good news for all other cyclists in the city.
Designated bicycle lanes and bike rentals that offer five-speed bikes as well as helmets, locks, baskets, water bottles, and even shoes are springing up all over the city. Picture yourself cycling along the Seine past the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Louvre.
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As seen in France Magazine
Stephanie Ager Kirz followed her nose around Paris to bring you a mouse’s guide on the best cheese shops in the arrondissements.
Hungering for a taste of real French cheese? If you were a mouse, you’d hop on the nearest freighter or transport and head for the cheese shops of Paris.
What distinguishes many of these cheese shops is that they carefully age their cheeses before selling them.
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As seen in the Living France Magazine
Many dream of finding an undiscovered, authentic French retreat that they can return to again and again. For Stephanie Ager Kirz, Collioure was just such a place.
The sun’s reflection slides across the bay and Collioure basks resplendent in its dazzling light. Postcard stands flutter in the Mediterranean breeze sharing the narrow sidewalk with wooden boxes of homegrown apples, red and white radishes and lime-green heads of dirty lettuce. Coffee cups and croissants mingle on rickety beachfront tables.
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As seen in the Inn Traveler
With the lure of having the most sunny days and one of the healthiest climates in the United States, Tucson became a warm winter destination starting during what local historians call the “Gold-Plated Decade.” Way back in the fall of 1922, a group of entrepreneurial visionaries dreamed up the Tucson Sunshine Climate Club to promote tourism to the area. Fortunately, some of that history can be experienced today at the Hacienda del Sol Guest Rand Resort with a total of 30 private casitas, guestrooms and suites, situated on 34 desert acres under the curvaceous silhouette of the Catalina Mountains.
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As seen in the Copley Newswire
“He was a bold man who first ate an oyster.” Jonathan Swift
Slide into a pub and order two dozen oysters harvested from the last low tide by a nearby oyster farmer. Top them off with an ice-cold Guinness and some Irish brown bread. Now that’s chasing the Irish oyster.
And that’s exactly what my husband and I did on a recent excursion along the west coast of Ireland. Our rolling adventure took us not by car, but by bicycle on a discovery of Ireland’s national culinary treasure: the oyster.
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