HI Travel Tales

We are Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian, a husband-and-wife duo behind HI Travel Tales. Even though travel can sometimes bring challenges, our marriage remains strong, and we eagerly anticipate our next adventure together. As experienced travel writers and photographers, we steer clear of the influencer lifestyle—let’s just say no one wants to see Michael in a swimsuit! HI Travel Tales is all about inspiring meaningful travel experiences across the globe, focusing on immersive journeys. We aim to uncover the surprising and remarkable aspects of even the most familiar places. Our award-winning writing and photography serve as a guide for both seasoned travelers and those who dream of exploration. We also enjoy featuring stories from fellow travelers and have a growing community of talented contributors. Additionally, we have a playful collection of stuffed animals that we consider our family. Each one has a name and they often compete for the chance to join us on our next trip—Michael sometimes sneaks one into Therese’s bag when he thinks two should come along!

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My Sicilian adventure: discovering Inspector Montalbano’s Sicily

Jun 24, 2024 | hitraveltales.com | Michael Hodgson

Southeastern Sicily is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Baroque architecture, food and chocolate. And it’s also famous for a certain Inspector Montalbano — as I was about to find out on my Sicilian adventure. I have wanted to travel to Sicily for as long as I can remember.
Berkeley eats: where global flavors meet eclectic culture

May 29, 2024 | hitraveltales.com | Therese Iknoian

Berkeley California’s world-class gastronomic scene makes the city a perfect base camp for Bay Area explorations. Come for eclectic culture, stay for great food and drink. In Berkeley, you can go from rubbing elbows with Thai monks over brunch on folding chairs to smoothing out a white napkin on your lap at a candlelit table. Everything goes – which has always been what Berkeley’s all about.
Gulf State Park: Where luxury, sustainability, and nature meet

May 23, 2024 | hitraveltales.com | Michael Hodgson

Explore Gulf State Park, a beacon of sustainability in Alabama, and a perfect destination for anyone seeking nature, relaxed luxury, pristine beaches, and outdoor adventure. Coffee in hand, I sat relaxed in an Adirondack chair on the lawn in front of my luxury cottage, watching as sunlight painted the morning sky in shades of orange and purple.
Learn to sail with Nautilus Sailing: A sailing adventure in Croatia

Mar 4, 2024 | hitraveltales.com | Therese Iknoian

In sailing, there are three rules, we were told somewhat tongue-in-cheek:Don’t hit stuff. Keep water out of the boat. Come back with the same number of people you left with. I guess we passed our week as students on a Nautilus Sailing learn-to-sail liveaboard course in Croatia since we avoided crashes, came back with the right number of people, and water didn’t get into the boat (except what dripped off our bodies after a swim in crystal clear water). The liveaboard learn-to-sail week was fun, too.
Michael Hodgson wins bronze at International Photographic Competition

Feb 6, 2024 | hitraveltales.com | Therese Iknoian |Michael Hodgson

Michael Hodgson was awarded a bronze medal in the global International Photographic Competition for his image of wild horses galloping through the ocean in the Outer Banks.
Riding the Alaska Railroad train from Fairbanks to Anchorage

Jan 24, 2024 | hitraveltales.com | Michael Hodgson

Every summer morning Alaska Railroad trains depart on a 356-mile journey connecting Anchorage and Fairbanks with stops in Wasilla, Talkeetna, and Denali National Park. We took the southbound route for a relaxing, scenic train adventure. ” All aboaaaard!” The Alaska Railroad conductor’s loud, singsong call gave me an electric jolt of anticipation for the journey ahead.
Explore industrial history at Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham

Jan 21, 2024 | hitraveltales.com | Therese Iknoian

Driving into Birmingham from the east, the towering chimneys and rusty furnaces at Sloss Furnaces dominate the horizon. You may have come to this Alabama city to learn about the civil rights movement, but Birmingham’s industrial impact on the world is also huge. Now preserved as a national historic landmark, Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham was once the largest manufacturer of pig iron in the world and remains a monument to the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.
Exploring Fairbanks: 3 days of museums, food, & history

Jan 9, 2024 | hitraveltales.com | Therese Iknoian

Fairbanks is more than an overnight stop before you board the Alaska Railroad or a bus for a cruise tour, jump in a bush plane, or head to Denali. Fairbanks has a lot going on, from the gold rush town’s history, world class museums, and a plethora of Thai food. Break-up. No, not romantically.
Foodies rejoice on a Maine Windjammer cruise with J. & E. Riggin

Dec 7, 2023 | hitraveltales.com | Therese Iknoian

For four days on the J. & E. Riggin Maine Windjammer, I watched Captain Jocelyn Schmidt churn out three creative, from-scratch meals a day – from homemade tortillas and hand-rolled dumplings to made-from-scratch clam chowder and hand-leavened and boiled bagels. All this in a tiny galley on an historic windjammer schooner, using an antique wood-fired stove as the ship plied Maine’s coastal waters.
Stollen 1930: gin tasting inside a 600-year-old Austrian cave

Nov 27, 2023 | hitraveltales.com | Michael Hodgson

My wife wrinkles her nose at gin. Therese is a whiskey gal, served neat. While I love the taste of gin, Therese just cringes when describing what she perceives as an astringent smell with an overpowering juniper taste. Which made her decision to book a gin tasting for both of us at Stollen 1930 in Kufstein, Austria, somewhat surprising. Until I learned Therese was not really interested in tasting gin.