Gayle Keck has traveled in over 35 countries and across six continents, writing for America’s leading newspapers.  Here’s is a sampling of her work…

Bathed in Bordeaux

I stood naked, in a stark, tiled room, bracing myself for what was to come.  Then the fire-hose blast hit me full force, stinging my bare skin and pushing me against the wall... 

No Such Thing as Night

10:29 p.m. Time to slap on some more sunblock.  Moments ago, a brisk breeze bulldozed the concrete clouds and now the sun is blazing through... 

More than Zero

“You’re looking at what isn’t there,” I accuse my husband, as he gazes toward downtown Manhattan...

The Gîte Life

"You've watched too many subtitled movies," my husband accused. He was right. My sweet little fantasy played something like this...

Seats of Power

“Is the pork popular?” I asked a server.  “Oh, yes, it’s one of my best sellers!” he replied, not catching the amusement value of this fact... 

Primeval, Postmodern Nidzica

In the castle courtyard, cobblestones slicked with rain, a Teutonic knight was sneaking a cigarette...

Alaska for the Camping-Impaired

Mike Olney is like a soccer mom on steroids.  He has made sure we are all clutching sack lunches, complete with a homemade cookie…

South Africa, Ten Years After

"Apartheid made me stronger. It made me what I am today," Naomi tells me as we gaze off her balcony...

The (Ndebele) King & I

"Ngwen-YAAA-ma!" I cry, my eyes cast respectfully downward to the dusty ground. This is my first encounter with royalty, and I want to get it right...

 

Tango Crazy

Bang-bang! Bang-bang! Bang!

Am I going tango crazy? Somewhere in our hotel workmen hammer, and I'm convinced my husband and I could dance to the beat...

Circling the Arctic

What makes the allure of an imaginary dotted line so

irresistible? I had flown through forest fire smoke in a tiny prop plane, been jostled along a gravel road by bus and battled hordes of relentless mosquitoes, just to step across the Arctic Circle...

 

The Elephants of Addo

“Roll up your window," my husband muttered, easing his camera down.  A bull elephant was sauntering toward our car... 

 

Memphis: Heart & Soul

Somewhere in Memphis, a white girl stands in a recording booth belting out "I'll Take You There," accompanied by the Staple Singers. It isn't pretty...

 

Washington Post Column: Travel Mags

Monthly column written for the Washington Post travel section.  Notes magazine stories “Worth a Trip,” “Worth a Flip” and “Worth a Gawk.” See some recent columns...

 

Best Travelers’ Tales 2004

Onionskin

I found the piece of onionskin paper in a moving box.  Light as a whisper, it was folded, folded, folded, until it resembled a tiny pillow.  It was the draft of a letter I had sent from Italy...

STORIES

BIO

 

StoriesCredits  Bio  |  Contact  |  First Story

Hudson Valley Fall

There are few places in this country where you can sip a beer in a Colonial inn, while chatting about the new Frank Gehry building just up the road...

 HudsonValleyFall

 

   By Gayle Keck

 Gayle Keck

  Freelance Writer Specializing in Travel