Author Profile: David Dummer

Pompeii was a major trade center for the Roman Empire and consequently a wealthy place. Like Rome, it had a forum, baths, and an amphitheater with gladiatorial games— even an Egyptian temple dedicated to Isis. The city’s affluence is also evident in the many elaborate villas decorated with intricate mosaics and colorful...   view more

For years I had wanted to visit Chile—the southernmost country in the world. So when Going alerted me to a half-price fare to Santiago on Delta Airlines, I seized the opportunity. Visions of Patagonia, Easter Island, and the Atacama desert floated through my...   view more

In this article I’m sharing my insider tips for a visit to Gettysburg. I’ve visited the town and surrounding battlefield at least a dozen times and always manage to find something new. Here are a few of my favorite under-the-radar things to do in...   view more

During my recent trip to Panama, I was surprised to learn that 25% of the country’s territory is comprised of semi-autonomous indigenous regions called comarcas. And three of the comarcas belong to the Guna people (aka Kuna or Cuna). Guna women are easily recognized by their brightly colored clothing and the colorful bead sleeves they were on their forearms and calves. Of the three Guna comarcas, Guna Yala is the best known as home of the unspoiled archipelago called the San Blas...   view more

I associate early July with three things— Independence Day in the USA, the Wimbledon tennis championship in England, and the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. The Running of the Bulls (or encierro in Spanish) is hardly “under-the-radar”. But most casual observers know very little about the traditions and larger festival that surround it. So I’ve penned this beginner’s guide to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. My goal is to give readers— as well as runners and...   view more

Today, it’s hard to imagine Madrid as a war zone. Or Spain as a military dictatorship. But lingering in the shadows of the Prado Museum, Puerta del Sol, the Templo de Debod, and other popular attractions in Madrid are the ghosts of a troubled past. Modern history still haunts Spanish society like the Dirty War stalks Argentina and The Troubles grip Northern Ireland. From 1936 to 1939, Madrid was the front line of the Spanish Civil War. This article highlights some of the best Spanish Civil War...   view more

Malta is unfamiliar to most American travelers. And in my last blog post, I shared several reasons you might want to give it a look. But I’m willing to bet even fewer people know about this tiny Mediterranean island’s critical contribution to the Allied victory in WW2. Thankfully, many of Malta’s WW2 sites have been preserved in their original state— including underground bunkers, secret command centers, and a series of tunnels abruptly abandoned in 1943 and still strewn with artifacts...   view more

At 10:15 pm on this date 159 years ago, the audience at Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC erupted in laughter. John Wilkes Booth, a 26-year-old actor, seized on the noise to enter the Presidential box undetected. There he shot Abraham Lincoln, seated alongside his wife and two guests, in front of 1,500 witnesses. The new Apple TV series, Manhunt, dramatizes the events of Good Friday, April 14, 1865, and the efforts to capture Booth. It also got me wondering which sites associated with...   view more