- "What America's National Parklands Taught My Three Boys About Their Country"
- Zócalo Public Square, May 2018
- "What Riding Trains Taught Me About Americans"
- Zócalo Public Square, August 2017
- "Meet the First Warmblooded Fish"
- Discover, November 2015
- "A Dream of Flying"
- Discover, May 2015
- "The Looming Crisis in Mass Transit"
- Saturday Evening Post, June 2012
- "Waiting on a Train"
- Saturday Evening Post, June 2012
- "A High Speed Zip Across Europe by Train"
- Los Angeles Times, June 2010
- "Lessons for High Plains drifters"
- Los Angeles Times, June 2010
- "The Oohs and Aaghs of it All"
- Los Angeles Times, June 2007
Essays