Blogs

Incorporated in 1829, Waterville Valley is a New Hampshire village at the end of a winding scenic road just 15 miles off I-93, 2 hours from Boston surrounded by over 40,000 acres of White Mountain National Forest under a dramatic backdrop defined by 4000 foot mountain peaks.

You're as far as you want to be from anything resembling the hectic everyday world. The skies are dark enough at night to rediscover the constellations, a characteristic that served Curious George authors Margret and H.A. Rey

Irish coffee – that delicious hot drink combining coffee, good whiskey and cream – has become such a classic nowadays, that it hardly raises an eyebrow anymore. In fact, one might say that it has fallen out of fashion even. But once you try it, especially on a wet and cold evening, you will quickly become a fan! Why am I mentioning it here now? Because it was invented here in Foynes, at the airport, now the Flying Boat Museum. Legend has it that in 1942, a flight had set off for the United State

Calm seas and abundant marine life in the spectacular Pacific Ocean at Quepos and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica create an ideal environment for fun activities.

For instance, now through the end of December is humpback whale-watching season in Costa Rica; and you can nearly always see large pods of dolphins while out sailing, boating or kayaking.

Quepos is a top spot for world-class sportfishing in Costa Rica,, and where the April World Offshore Fishing Championship brings in hundreds of internation

by Miguel Martínez Rabanal

As a resident of Mexico City, a lover of Mexican food, and a passionate defender of the arts of the kitchen, I have been finding that if there’s one thing that defines this town in the second decade of the 21st century, it’s the heady feeling of constant change. Inevitably, this dynamism has also had a transformative effect on Mexico City dining in particular as well as, one could argue, on Mexican cuisine in a larger sense. In the capital of Mexico’s dining scene, t

In the summer, of course, the third largest of the Balearic Islands is arguably the party capital of the world, throbbing practically 24/7 from its beaches, yacht marinas, and discos to the cobblestone lanes of its ancient cities and towns. But as winter approaches and Ibiza’s population shrinks from millions closer to its usual year-round 133,000 or so, temperatures remain mild but the pace slows (somewhat to the relief of the locals), and visitors can better appreciate and enjoy the traditio

On the train from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, thinking about my upcoming climb up the picture-postcard peak of nearby citadel Huayna Picchu, known as “the young mountain,” I realized I'd left my hiking shoes behind! But I'd traveled great distances to climb Machu Picchu’s highest peak, so even a lack of proper footgear wasn't going to stop me. Perhaps I would be the first person to hike this majestic peak in Hugo Boss loafers - maybe I could get Hugo to pay me for bringing his brand to the top of an

Tozeur is the largest Tunisian oasis, and one of the most charming towns in the country.  This can be seen in the winding streets in the center of the town, with its characteristic brick designs, in the suq, not as overwhelming as many other Maghreb and Arab markets, and in its vast palm grove, with a surface area of more than 1,000 hectares and live demonstrations of the date collection, the main local product.

This is Tozeur, in the Djérid region, in Southern Tunisia, which in December hosts

Above: One of the Abbey of Our Lady of Guadalupe's sumptuous fruitcakes, awaiting an evening snack down.

The “Fruitcake of God” that is produced from the hands of monks at Our Lady of Guadalupe near Carlton, Oregon in the heart of Willamette Valley wine country is changing the minds and palates of fine food fanciers around North America. Whereas fruitcake has gotten a bad name – and perhaps rightfully so when you are thinking of the dry, citron bitter fruitcake that seems to be a decade old righ

Kayaking (or boating) through the Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is an exciting experience. You never know what animal or bird you’ll suddenly come upon next. Maybe a snowy white egret. Maybe a giant, toothy American Crocodile. Maybe a curious howler monkey lazily lounging in a tree.

The refuge spans 953 acres and is located between the Guanacaste surf town of Tamarindo and Playa Grande, which is part of the Las Baulas National Marine Park, one of the largest Leatherback

Originally dubbed the greatest playground in the world by New Yorkers in the early 1900's, throngs of tenement dwellers weren't the only visitors here looking to escape the city's summer heat. J.P. Morgan and the Rockefellers stayed over and entertainment headliners Harry James and Tommy Dorsey made their appearances. Throughout the 1930s and 40s, the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, and the New York Knickerbockers basketball team used the park's extensive field as their training headquarters.

With my penchant for museums, I was enchanted to visit the Hunt Museum in Limerick. Has nothing to do with hunting but everything with one of the greatest private collections of art and antiques in Ireland, right up to the the 20th century.

John and Gertrude Hunt were antique dealers and art historians and started, well, collecting and keeping those items they most liked for themselves. This went on for a good long time and suddenly they had more than 2,000 items on their hands. The next proble

There are various good reasons to consider a visit to the tiny country of Honduras in Central America, especially if you’re a fan of diving, adventure, ecotourism, and castaway beaches. But if like me you’re fascinated by the Mayans and the magnificent archaeological sites they left behind, a visit is not simply worth considering but at some point almost obligatory, and mostly because of this: glorious Copán.

In the west of the country some three hours by road from San Pedro Sula (six or so fr

When it was time to start planning our family’s summer ‘14 adventure, we decided to expand our borders beyond tours around the Northeast to a destination down South.

My wife Sue and I felt that we were ready for such an expedition.  Our excursions to Vermont, the Poconos, and the Jersey Shore were successes, and we figured that a location below the Mason Dixon line that offered new experiences, culture, and surroundings was worth the longer drive.  Also, our kids were at ages (Eli – 16, Doris – 1

If you have managed to spend the weekend in London and planning to experience the city in these 2 days then gear yourself up, because there is too much to see in a very short span. There is no shortage of tourist staples in this regal city. Being one of the most populous cities, it has lots of attractions for travellers of any age. If you love history and the royal culture, Palace of Westminster, Tower of London and Buckingham Palace are some of the heritage sites you just cannot miss. On the ot

by Javier Pedreira

That air travel is the safest form of transportation going is not mere happenstance but rather due to rigourous maintenance of equipment and exhaustive training of personnel.

Although in 2010 Iberia added a major maintenance hangar at Barcelona airport, since the 1970s the primary maintenance facilities have been headquartered adjacent to Barajas Airport in a suburban Madrid industrial zone called La Muñoza. This 220,000-square metre (54-acre) is where aircraft engines constantl

Nestled along the banks of the Arroyo de las Vacas river creek, Carmelo is a small town located in western Uruguay, noted for its wineries, beaches, and laid-back lifestyle. The river runs along the east and south part of the city and serves as a port for the town. On its north bank there is the Puerto Carmelo-Tigre, where small catamaran boats carry passengers across the Río de la Plata to Argentina.

A swing bridge, the Puente Giratorio de Carmelo, which opened on May 1st 1912, passes over the r

After four days in Pohnpei, FSM, some of them with drenching rain, all of them with power blackouts, it’s good to get the hell outta’ Slidell, that is Pohnpei.  I’ll leave half a bear of honey behind, but the flashlight and Virgen de Guadalupe votive candle will go with me, presumably all the way back to LA, since the trip’s almost over.  And certainly the brownies will come along, too.  Micronesians make damn good brownies btw.  So I board the plane—a pound or two heavier—in a downpour and get

by Shanon Farley

It is a Friday morning in my little mountain coffee town of Atenas, Costa Rica. The traditional Friday farmers’ market, called a “feria” in Spanish, is abuzz with shoppers and vendors.

Mounds of mangoes, melons, watermelon, pineapples and a myriad of other fruits juicily beckon buyers. Crisp lettuces, spinach, cilantro and other greens glisten with water droplets. Fat potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, yucca and carrots stack in pyramids. The flower man is doing brisk business c

In antiquity, the city of Cavtat was known as Epidaurus. A Greek colony was established there. Cavtat’s soil and surrounding seabed are brimming with artifacts from those times: coins, funeral stelae, baseboard fragments, mosaics, amphorae, and so on. Having been destroyed by barbarians, it was reconstructed in the 15th century in the beautifulDubrovnik style, with the same clear stone from Brai and with remarkable homogeneity.  Also to be found are several Roman remains, defensive walls dating