Michelle Renne Leach

I'm Michelle Renne Leach, an independent writer, reporter, editor, consultant and communications specialist. I've developed news articles, features, press releases, TV and radio scripts, whitepapers, blog posts, and other memorable content for media outlets, news services and organizations in Sydney, Australia, London, U.K., Washington, D.C., Chicago, the active Detroit-area Flint market and throughout America's Heartland. Name an industry, I've probably written about it. Name a type of communication, I've probably developed it. A passionate storyteller at heart, I take pride in consistently bringing topics to light and to life across communication type and media.


5 Incredible Lighthouses Where You Can Spend the Night

Lighthouses once played a vital role in warning mariners away from hazards. These magnificent old structures have long been rendered obsolete by GPS and other technology, yet their allure is timeless. Hundreds of old lighthouses line the coastlines of America, and many of these towers are enjoying second lives, refashioned by state governments and nonprofit groups as tourist attractions. Photographers, history buffs and the merely curious visit these old structures, some still active, others decommissioned decades ago ...

10 Incredibly Expensive but Exotic Travel Adventures

If money is no option, as long as you can dream it, you can buy it. Want to be one of just 500 or so people in history to rocket into space? Swipe your AmEx Black Card here. Need a helicopter to whisk you to a luxury aircraft where you’ll enjoy $6,000 caviar before even embarking on a four-month globetrotting cruise? That will be $1.6 million, please. The following 10 audacious trips aren’t for the budget-minded — the most “thrifty” option sets you back $16K. You also need some free time; most of these adventures take at least two weeks ...

5 Reasons Americans Don't Take More Vacations

Tens of millions of American workers take a vacation each year, whether to visit family and friends or to head out in pursuit of a beach or other postcard destination. If you’re among those travelers, you’re luckier than you think; the Center for Economic Policy and Research reports a quarter of Americans don’t get any paid holidays. This statistic also says nothing of the workers, both professionals and blue-collar alike, who leave vacation days unused, either because they’re too busy or they ...

5 Tours of Dark Events in American History

United States history has featured many moments of great pride (think D-Day, man walking on the Moon), along with a few episodes of great shame that our national consciousness might prefer to forget. But the five vacation itineraries listed here, featuring haunting monuments, trails and landmarks, assure that these darkest corners of the American experience don’t remain in the shadows. History shows time and again how mistakes are often repeated over generations. These landmarks stand as a testament ...

5 Tips to Avoid Being Victimized on Your International Trip

We don’t mean to put a damper on your future travel plans, but here’s a scary statistic: the U.S. State Department reports that around 2,500 Americans are arrested abroad each year. These figures don’t take into account the individuals who are assaulted, robbed or, worse, killed each year while overseas. All too often, U.S. tourists blunder into situations that seem perfectly harmless in America, but may land them in jail or a deadly situation in the country they’re visiting ...

Top 10 Eighth Wonders of the World

In 2007, more than 100 million people worldwide voted in a poll to determine the “New Seven Wonders of the World.” The Roman Colosseum, the Great Wall of China and five other famous sites made the list, pushing out the likes of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Colossus of Rhodes, which was easy to do considering only one of the original seven wonders (the Great Pyramid of Giza) still stands today. Some of these new seven wonders (the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu) were formerly unofficially known as "Eighth Wonders of the World" before making the top seven ...