Scott McMurren

1 week ago | adn.com | Scott McMurren

Last week, I had the chance to visit with several groups of travelers from around Southcentral Alaska to find out their questions and concerns heading in to the summer season. Some joined me in the morning over coffee, while the afternoon groups favored a brewpub. The themes were similar, including changes to popular loyalty plans, the new Real ID requirements, travel insurance and where they’re headed on their next vacation.

1 week ago | adn.com | Scott McMurren

This summer was shaping up to be a banner year for Alaska’s tourism industry. Rates were high and availability was scarce. But things are different now. Many visitors to Alaska are worried about their jobs and their retirement accounts. The uncertainty from federal job cuts and stock market drops caused many travelers to cancel or defer their trips. That means there is last-minute space available at many destinations around the state. That includes hotels, resorts, cruises and excursions.

2 weeks ago | adn.com | Scott McMurren

After two weeks outside the U.S., it was wonderful to be back on familiar soil after arriving from Morocco. Time spent outside the country offers a fresh perspective on America’s governance and history. When our plane from Casablanca touched down at Washington’s Dulles Airport, I was excited to visit many of the symbols of American democracy: the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol building and the Jefferson Memorial, among others.

4 weeks ago | adn.com | Scott McMurren

The knock on the outside of our wall tent came too early. It was 5:30 a.m. and my alarm failed to go off. But I didn’t want to miss the sunrise over the Sahara ... particularly while riding a camel. The day before, we’d left the road system of eastern Morocco, unloading our belongings from our tour van into a collection of four-wheel-drive Toyota trucks. Then, we set out over the giant sand dunes of the Sahara.

1 month ago | adn.com | Scott McMurren

Going on a trip is fun and exciting. Packing up, I’m thinking of new places to visit, new friends to meet, new foods to enjoy and a nasty respiratory infection. Wait ... what? It’s true: Traveling to a new destination can put you in touch with all kinds of new things — including the latest bug or virus. Being a healthy traveler is something many of us may take for granted, until things go wrong.