Portable travel guides help tourists navigate two of the world’s most confusing cities.

Traveling to a foreign country, eating delicious food and visiting exotic hot spots is an exciting, pleasurable experience. A crash course in Chinese, on the other hand, is not. The biggest travel nightmare is getting lost and having no way to communicate for directions — and this can easily become a reality if you are unfamiliar with your destination’s strange alphabet.

They look casual and don’t fall apart — the perfect combo for summer shoes.

West Coasters are an earthy bunch. We like to play in the snow, sand and surf — and thus, require durable attire that can withstand the elements. Cushe Footwear, a UK-based brand founded in 2004, understands our needs — at least, as far as our lower extremities are concerned. The company’s past collections — such as Urban Safari, Universal Traveller and Coastal Supremacy — have specifically targeted the outdoorsy contingent, and the same is certainly true of their two new models.

Rock on!

This coming weekend, throngs of enthusiastic hippies and hipsters will converge on the Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA for the 2011 Sasquatch! Music Festival. This four-day extravaganza has entertained Gorge audiences over Memorial Day weekend for the past decade, and the list of previous performers reads like a veritable who’s who of post-millennium indie rock, hip-hop, electronic and comedy favorites.