Back in late May and early June, Jordana and I took a trip down to Ecuador. We had one jam-packed day in Quito and then an extraordinary week in the Galapagos exploring the islands, marveling at the wildlife and spending as much time barefoot as possible. It truly is one of those places that actually exceeds the hype.

After much procrastination and a great deal of work, I’ve finally edited and posted our photos and begun to stitch together the videos that I shot. You can see a menagerie of animals getting funky in the video above. Perhaps more importantly, you can now view all of our photographs.

Hope you enjoy what you see. We sure did!

I had a great time at the Friday Night Jamboree in Floyd, VA. As much fun as I had in Floyd, though, it’s not the only small town doing big things. Across the country, communities are gathering to celebrate just about everything. I can’t possibly keep track of it all, so I’m hoping that you’ll help me. Does your hometown have an amazing festival or event? Have you been to a small town with a big sense of pride? Share your photos of these celebrations in the Cruze-arati Hometown Happenings Flickr gallery to show the world that small towns are doing great things.

I can’t wait to see what photos you’ll share and hope that they’ll inspire future road trips. See you on the road!

After spending a few days in Jackson, WY, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, I’m kicking myself for not getting out West earlier. If you think that you need a passport and a 14-hour flight to go somewhere wild and exotic, you are sadly mistaken. We have magic and wonder right in our own backyard.

Check out my Gadling essay on traveling in the United States and view all of my photos from the trip.

Spent the weekend in Austin with the Gadling crew. We ate, drank, brainstormed, ate, drank and bonded. Austin is a bang-up town and I’d go back in a heartbeat. Want to see how Gadling gets down? Take a look at my Flickr gallery from the weekend.

Atlantic Canada is made up of four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador (that’s one province, hosers) and Price Edward Island. I recently spent eight days in New Brunswick and Newfoundland seeing the sights and, perhaps more importantly, tasting the foods of this unique region.

From kitesurfing on a frozen bay to snowshoeing through Kouchibouguac National Park to dogsledding in Gros Morne National Park, I learned that Atlantic Canada is a fantastic winter destination. And also an amazing place to eat (assuming that you like seafood and moose).

I’ve posted pictures on my Flickr account of my escapades in both provinces. Give ‘em a look-see, will ya?

Pictures from New Brunswick | Pictures from Newfoundland

A week in the Yukon changes a man. It turns him into a man with hundreds of pictures of the Yukon. Thankfully, he can edit them down to just the best. From frosty landscapes to Klondike karaoke to dog sledding, it was an epic trip.

Check out my photos from the Yukon and chart your own course north!

Very special thanks to Eva Holland and her friends in Whitehorse for making my visit so amazing.

A 45-minute walk home in -20C weather leads to beard frost. Just another day in the Yukon Territory.

What do you do when you have five days in Delray Beach, FL? You check out your Dad’s new condo, you have dinner with your grandmother and you indulge in various elder-sports. Namely, gossiping and shuffleboard.

Please remember to shower before entering the pool.

Full gallery of Florida goodness here.

Today, on a Delta flight from LGA to FLL, I tested the SkyRest Travel Pillow. It was voted the reader favorite in Gadling’s poll of my top SkyMall Monday posts.

Full review will appear on Gadling in the coming weeks.

I found an album in iPhoto this morning that I realized I never posted on Flickr.  It contains 26 photos of beverages that I purchased exclusively from vending machines in Japan during a ten-day trip in May 2008.  I had intended to make a giant poster featuring every photo.  Then I realized that a poster of cans and bottles is not terribly exciting.  Also, I’m too old to hang posters in my apartment.  But I’m not averse to posting the photos online for the public good.  Some of my most vivid memories of Japan are the tastes and textures of those beverages.  I don’t miss the giant gelatinous cubes in this thing, though.

Check out the whole gallery here.