Welcome to a small sample of Chris’ travel articles that have appeared in publications worldwide.
Through her associate company, Ink Communications, Chris McBeath also works on a few selected areas outside of her specialty in travel and tourism. She provides a range of communications services and writes about holistic health and well being, pediatric health care and rehabilitation, and one of North America’s fastest growing phenomena: home businesses and entrepreneurs.
Amazing Alaska
Amazing Alaska by Chris McBeath Barely one per cent of visitors to Denali National Park make it this far into central Alaska. Most stop at the Eielson Visitor Center, take pictures of Mount McKinley, then turn back. But with a few extra hours, you can become one of the rarefied few and find yourself at an early 1900’s pioneer cabin at the end of the dirt ‘road’. Literally. Next stop? Siberia – 500 miles to the east. Clamber up Eagle Point nearby, and you start to comprehend the impossibility of getting there, at least by land. The wilderness
Cruising the Amazon on the Cheap
Cruising the Amazon on the Cheap by Chris McBeath Since chickens and bananas dictate your itinerary, cruise might be a misnomer for this meander up an Amazon tributary in northern Peru, but for adventurers, it doesn’t get much better – or cheaper. But be warned. Accommodation is intimately communal. Meals are whatever the tiny galley dishes up out of pots large enough for a stewed possum or two. And facilities include humidity-killer cold showers (remember, this is the steamy jungle) of murky river water. Still, if you’re armed with your own hammock, a bowl and a spoon
Prague on the Fly
Prague on the Fly A 48-hour sojourn by Chris McBeath Sometimes a cab ride, like the one I took in Prague, is an adventure unto itself. Although the railway station was only a few blocks from the Iron Gate Hotel in the heart of Old Town, the confusing journey along the city’s historic cobblestone streets took almost 25 minutes, and in the dark of night there were moments I questioned where I might end up. By day, however, all was revealed. Our driver had been a Formula One master of Prague’s complicated, one-way, labyrinthian network of back alleys
Coimbra – The Pride of Portugal
Coimbra - The Pride of Portugal by Chris McBeath When I think of robes and academia, the staff at Hogwarts comes to mind. Snapes billowing down ancient corridors, bats passing through mournful apparitions, and eclectic treasures appearing at every corner. Then I discovered Portugal's Coimbra University. Coimbra University Square; (Photo: Chris McBeath) One of the world's oldest universities (est. 1290) may not offer moving staircases or turreted spires, but Coimbra is said to have inspired some of JK Rowling's imaginings. The medieval city is Portugal's original capital and its university, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
The Evolution of Space
The Evolution of Space If cleaning is the biggest priority in the hospitality industry right now, the next biggest is redesigning hotel spaces with enough flexibility to accommodate every coronavirus-related rule of cleanliness and social distancing—all while keeping guest comfort and safety intact. InnFocus
Mission Impossible: Mission Revealed
Mission Impossible: Mission Revealed by Chris McBeath Today, it is estimated that there are 42 active counter-intelligence agencies in the world, spending over US$30 billion per year. That’s about $82,191,780 per day.We were given two minutes to accept our mission before the room darkened and shielded us from the evidence. Just two minutes to assume our legend - our cover – which was to be our only protection over the next three hours as we lied, side-stepped and tried to stay alive in the cold, unforgiving world of espionage. It’s a world few of us ever realize up close,
Shifting Sands of Namibia
Namibia’s Shifting Sands by Chris McBeath Namibia has many names. The bushman call it The Land God Made in Anger. Seafaring Portuguese named its coastline the Gates of Hell, likely for the hundreds of shipwrecks still wallowing in the shallow waters. And others speak of A Thirstland Wilderness. Intriguing, harsh, and beautiful, Namibia is all these things. It is also a country of enormous contrasts. Wedged between two enormous deserts, the Kalahari in the east and the Namib in the West, Namibia also offers the wildlife rich swamplands and floodplains to the north and east, heading into
Adventuring Through the Marquesas
Adventuring Through the Marquesas by Chris McBeath Before I was able to catch my breath, Tino’s strong tattooed arms scooped me up and, lifting me high above the crashing waves in which he stood, he delivered me over the side of the boat to shore like an irreverent feather. After nine-days of traveling together, we had all come to appreciate Tino’s dexterity and seamanship. Besides handling human cargo with a gentleness that belied his size, his other duties were as a member of the 53-person crew aboard the Aranui III, the only purpose-built passenger freighter of its
Poppy Power
Poppy Power ~ the Remembrance Flower by Chris McBeath In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not
In Flanders Fields Museum
In Flanders Fields Museum by Chris McBeath Whether you’re in Ypres for a vacation or a Battlefield Tour, there are two must-sees: The Menin Gate, one of Europe’s most iconic memorials to WWI, and the In Flanders Field Museum which brings you up front and personal to the pointless carnage of that four-year, hellish struggle. That both sites should be in Ypres is entirely appropriate because through the ages, the city has always thrived with cultural, commercial and architectural wealth -- all of which was razed to ashes during The Great War. As you walk the streets of
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