A Trip To China & The Northwest Passage

Every so often, I feel the need to take a trip somewhere away from Northwest Indiana. There's something in the human spirit that requires exploration, discovery, and the renewal of seeing new places.

Of course, I can't physically leave for vacation just yet, so I'll have to do a virtual vacation of the mind made possible through the magic of video.

If I had unlimited time and money, I'd like to visit China one of these days. Luckily, I can see what there is to see in China before I save the money and book the tickets for a flight. China On TV takes us on a journey to the bank of the Lijang River where we can imagine we are viewing the spectacular scenery and sampling some authentic Chinese food -- River Snail and Longbarbel Catfish.

There's always something romantic about taking a cruise across the seas. How about a journey through the Northwest Passage -- formerly frozen and inaccessible.

In this report, the BBC takes a trip through the Northwest Passage on a research vessel.

More on the shrinking ice that has made the Northwest Passage reality.

There's a "gold rush" going on in the Northwest Passage as various countries try to stake their claims. The Russians just recently planted a flag at the north pole.