Browsing through Gadling's offerings this week are posts about places from the people who have had first hand experience.

Jerry's trip to Pyongyang brought him an unexpected "history lesson on [his] own [Chinese] cultural heritage." His posts are an opportunity to ride along and see North Korea through his eyes. You'll also glean the impressions of his traveling companions.

For another trip into the unknown regions of New York City, Jeremy, who lives there, takes us on a journey through the naval history of Brooklyn. I had no idea there were these abandoned mansions until Jeremy wrote about them.

A drive along the Oregon coast is a trip Meg recommends. She waxes poetic about the view from McKenzie Pass located in the Willamette National Forest. As she says about the pass, "It's one of the most stunning places in the world."

Although Kent hasn't had the chance to explore Haiti because his trips there are only airport stops, his photos point out the latest devastation from recent flooding. As he puts it, the people in Haiti "can't seem to get a break."

When it comes to a shopping mall, if you're a travel writer doing book signings, our guest blogger Rolf Potts knows that it can be one heck of a lonely place to be.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, North Korea, Haiti