Welcome!
I have some of the most interesting tour clients! I’ve launched this blog to share their stories–starting with a special group from Annapolis, MD. (You can meet others on the testimonials page and on my Youtube channel) Videos of…
Discover Tinian Tour App In Development!
Meet our crack team of developer(s) currently working on the Tinian Tour App! Here’s a cool feature you’ll enjoy: The Tinian Time Machine! Go back in time from to 1945 while at the same location! (If the gif doesn’t animate,…
Protected: Michael Payne’s Saipan Quest & Pilgrimage
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Tinian’s Runway Able is No More!
After years of taking World War II history buffs, families, filmmakers, authors, officers-in-training, students and tourists to experience and even drive directly on the 81-year-old original pavement of the historic runways on the island of Tinian, those days are coming…
Join me LIVE on Youtube in a few hours!
In just over 12 hours from now—that’ll be Sunday, Nov 2, 2025 at 9:00am Saipan time*–I’ll share the answers to viewer questions about politics, pests, property taxes and more about life on Saipan! I’ll also reveal which surgeries can—and can’t—be…
Look! There’s a “Fern Gully” on Saipan, Too!
Saipan is roughly the same lattitude as Jamaica and shares a similar volcanic/limestone geological origin, so it’s no surprise there are visual similaries. Here’s one that came up during a recent nature trek. And, in case you were up late…
Avocado Quest! Saipan Nature Trek with Patrick Calvo
Join me in part 1 of a Saipan Nature Trek with Patrick Calvo on the DiscoverSaipan Youtube channel! For those of you who’ve asked about the old Japanese WWII tunnels, those will be featured in Part 2, so subscribe to…
Saipan Relocation Q&A Marathon!
Compiled from my video responses to the plethora of questions that folks have submitted to the DiscoverSaipan Youtube channel, I present to you an hour’s worth of history and mystery by way of inquiry, in the form of information, inspiration,…
A Daughter’s WWII Pilgrimage to Saipan and Tinian
Between 1943 and 1945, Tracy Layton’s father landed on the beaches of Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa. Today, in 2025, she made an emotional pilgrimage to see what her father saw and to imagine how he must have felt. Here’s…
Meet New Resident, Nate the Pilot!
On a recent flight back from Tinian with tour clients, our pilot introduced himself and shared a compliment for the DiscoverSaipan Youtube channel and relocation guide.
Is There Haole (“White Person”) Hate on Saipan?
@Frank-l9c4j asked on my DiscoverSaipan Youtube channel: “Do you have any thoughts on Saipan vs Hawaii? Im originally from the east coast but have lived in Hawaii for 5 years now. I’m about over it. A lot has to do…
Are White Americans Allowed to Speak Jamaican Patois?
Okay, that may seem a bit of a click-bait title, but the question asked on my “Discover Saipan” Youtube channel was precisely that: @mryeast907 commented: “Is it okay for me an extra white completely not Jamaican American to learn and…
“Punch me in the stomach, now!!” Sid said. Tourist Stories From Saipan!
Here’s more from an airport interview with one of my tour clients who was in the entertainment industry for 40 years!
Another Reason Guam Wasn’t My Choice, But Yet…
People ask why Saipan? Why not Guam? Join me on a quick run to Guam to take care of some personal business, and I’ll share a few of the travel costs and offer another point of comparison between the two…
Strange Objects on Tinian’s Historic Runway Able???
From the air, I couldn’t quite make out what I was looking at. With the recent military contracts in effect and the proposed repaving of Tinian’s historic runways underway, I knew that each successive visit to the island (for my…
Jay Leno Wanted What??? Celebrity Stories from a Saipan Tourist!
It’s always a treat meeting the folks who pass through Saipan as tourists! Meet Keith Schmitt! For 40 years, Keith was Facilities Manager of the Chautauqua Amphitheater in upstate New York–host to an annual series of concerts, lectures and performances…
Historic Tinian Runways Blocked?
From my most recent visit to Tinian on Friday, January 24, 2025. See for yourself!
Can I Live in a Van? Survive on 1500US a month? Find Jamaican Restaurants….?
More questions? More answers!
Saipan Sea Sounds by the Sea Shore!
Inspired by a viewer’s comment on the “Q&A on the Beach” video: @michealdean3963 • 2 days ago “Love the sound of the waves in the background. Relaxing. This will be my sleep video now to listen before i sleep.” So,…
360° Fly-Around of Tinian’s North Field!
Join me and recent tour guests on a 360° Fly-Around of Tinian’s North Field which features historic WWII Runway Able from which the B-29 Bomber, Enola Gay, took off to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. See what it…
Shop Around Saipan No. 2: Michael’s Relocation Wish List!
Subscriber Michael D is considering moving to Saipan from the states and wants to know if his favorite foods and other products are available here! Let’s help him discover the reality as we shop around Saipan!
A Letter From the Front (1945 Battle of Saipan correspondence)
A LETTER FROM THE FONT. A father and son from stateside (my tour clients) made a pilgrimage to visit the sites of the Battle of Saipan in which a relative (Joseph Crnkovic) died. Here’s the story I provided to one…
Aerial Shots of Runway Able on Tinian (filmed Dec, 2024)
Recent tour clients Alex & Ryan experienced Saipan as well as Tinian ealier this month. One of the highlights of my “Tinian to Hiroshima” tour involves driving on this historic runway activities from which changed the course of World War …