Author Profile: Kate Bitner

If the wedding photos got you all wanderlust-y and craving a trip to California's central coast, you're in luck: today I'm sharing my advice on how to spend a perfect day in Big...   view more

When Japan finally opened its doors to the world in 1859, the little fishing village of Yokohama was the first port to conduct foreign trade. As a result, Yokohama grew to become what is now Japan's second largest city - one with a distinctly cosmopolitan...   view more

Japan has a long history of onsen (hot spring) bathing. The best way to immerse yourself in the bathing culture is to visit an onsen ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn with hot spring baths on the...   view more

If there's one thing I have in common with the Japanese, it's an affinity for Hawaii. The Aloha State is my happy place, but more specifically: the Valley Isle. As you'll hear the locals say, Maui no ka 'oi (Maui is the...   view more

Art is everywhere on Naoshima. It climbs up the walls of centuries-old buildings in the towns' backstreets, stands sentry on a concrete jetty jutting into a bay, and erupts from the earth next to our landing place, Miyanoura...   view more