DETROIT, June 2015My story was about the revitalization of the city, but, in truth, I spent more time seeking out the buildings that have fallen to ruin. The experience of seeing a frayed, half-empty city was more emotional than I was expecting, particularly walking around a once-grand church that is now a crumbling shell.

HONG KONG, May 2015I was a zombie with a bad case of jet lag the day I arrived in Hong Kong, but I powered through and the payoff was spending a drowsy day at the Hong Kong Museum of History, where I learned about the territory’s bumpy history.

ALACATI, Turkey, September 2015I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a crazy cat person, and Turkey is a feline lover’s paradise. Whenever I spotted a cat (about every 15 minutes), my camera was ready. These five cats vying for space on a chair melted my normally icy heart. LAS VEGAS, February 2015I’ve been to the Neon Museum Las Vegas (otherwise known as the Neon Boneyard) many times, and I’m still fascinated by these discarded Sin City relics. They’re a reminder of a time when a casino could draw business with a replica of the Eiffel Tower.

KENNEBUNKPORT, September 2014 Sometimes a perfectly composed, ideally lit, iconic scene happily drops into your potato chip crumb-covered lap. After writing about the food scene in Portland, Maine, I took a drive to one of my favorite stores, Daytrip Society in Kenne­-bunkport, and came across this beautiful sight.