Blogs

The year 2013 may be known as a year of travel insecurity. From airline crashes to cruise ships, international events and alerts around the world, along with terrorism threats should serve to remind all of us, that travel is never without risks.  Although no one can guarantee total safety, and the tourism industry continually works to improve its security, there is and there will always be an element of risk.  Furthermore, no matter how much security is provided, it is still the traveler's perso

I met a woman and her husband in the airport recently, while we were waiting to board our flight out of Costa Rica. They were tanned and relaxed, and had been enjoying the country’s beaches and rainforest … all for free! They had won a work contest to sell the most furniture for their company and earned the free incentive trip. This was actually the couple’s second year in a row to win – last year they went on a cruise to Mexico.

This is pretty ingenious – sell a lot of products for your company,

Well…I am impressed.  America’s first wine country not only boasts some solid wines, but also has its very own state grape glass – the Riedal Crystal Norton Wine Glass. Hardly anyone gets that, let alone a small wine district in the middle of the country.   I had a chance to taste some great wines in that glass and spend a few days in Lake of the Ozarks and Columbia, Missouri, hanging out at some great wineries, tasting and talking with owners, winemakers, and chefs. If you’re headed to the Midw

This trip to Erie PA we spent the day at Presque Isle State Park (Pennsylvania's only surf beach) and then spent the evening at Presque Isle Downs and Casino.

Presque Isle State Park is an arching sandy peninsula that extends 7 miles into Lake Erie and consists of 13 miles of roads (loop around outer edges of the peninsula), 21 miles of trails, 13 beaches, 2 lighthouses and a marina. The varied habitat includes sandy beaches, dunes, thickets of shrub, grassy areas, willows, cottonwoods, ponds

Normandy spreads over the northwestern corner of France, a region blessed with a stunning natural beauty, one that once inspired the impressionists. With its lush green pastures and orchards, Normandy remains a largely untouched paradise. With a wealth of unique attractions, it is a holiday destination that will entice you back time after time. The beauty of Normandy has inspired world famous artists, such as  Pissarro, Boudin, Sisley and Monet, returning from all over the world to the region, t

"Fuck you I'm French." (Photo used for illustrative purposes only, I have no idea who this guy is. )

“Fuck you, I’m French.” Really,  this was the response to an air marshal aboard a Delta flight from Nice to New York by a passenger when confronted by flight attendants for repeatedly smoking in the restroom. I guess all the no smoking lamps and little signs aboard the plane were not as strong as his nicotine urge. I can almost understand this. Nice to NY is about 8 hours in the air. If you factor

Uno se queda prendado en Estambul con su peculiar estilo de vida a caballo entre dos continentes y su poso histórico, pero los alrededores no le van a la zaga. En torno a la capital económica de Turquía surgen lugares sorprendentes que bien merece la pena visitar. A 12 kilómetros de Estambul, ferry mediante, se encuentran las Islas Príncipe, en el plácido Mar de Mármara, donde en la época de Bizancio se refugiaban los miembros de la realeza. Hoy en día está repleto de turistas que se tumban al s

Most people visiting Nosara head straight for Playa Guiones, which with its beautiful white sand and consistent surf break, is one of Costa Rica's most favored surfing beaches.

This breezy Blue-Flag beach is reputed to have the most consistent surf on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast with "surf-able waves here over 300 days a year," reports the Visit Nosara tourism website. Guiones Point at the south end of the beach juts way out into the Pacific and is a swell magnet, attracting both north and south f

by Diana Lambdin Meyer

Jazz in Kansas City is not like jazz in New Orleans or in any other great American music city. It’s a little more bluesy, a little heavier on the keyboards and bass, not so bold with the brass. They call it “cool jazz” here, jazz that’s a little gentler on the spirit.

In case you didn’t know, Kansas City is where jazz grew up. After its birth in the Big Easy, the music migrated to KC and became a smart-aleck teenager, with attitude and a vision for the future. That’s what

#SipIdaho

Move over potatoes, grapes are coming.  Idaho’s state slogan was “famous potatoes”, it has evolved to “great potatoes, tasty destinations”; undoubtedly, at least in part, due to the wonderful wines being produced along the Snake River Valley.  With a climate akin to the Columbia Valley in Washington State, and elevations similar to Spain’s Rioja region, Idaho produces primarily Bordeaux and Spanish varietals, with a smattering of German vines.  While some wine was produced here as far

If you want to tell people you have seen Rio de Janeiro, there are a few “not to miss” attractions and one of them is the Pão de Açucar (Sugar Loaf). Most people go to the summit of Sugar Loaf the normal way: by cable trolley. Few people know that there are alternative, more adventurous ways to get there. One of them is a walk to the top (referred to as “costão”), a three hour walk which involves a little rock climbing, but nothing too difficult. I did it with no prior climbing experience and w

The Tropicana Casino and Nightclub opened in a lush garden in Havana on December 30, 1939. The 2nd World War swept Europe, “Gone With the Wind” had just been released in the United States and a young rebel named Fidel Castro was 13 years old.

In its early days Celia Cruz, Liberace, Carmen Miranda, Yma Sumac, Paul Robeson and Orfelia Fox came to the stage. On many of nights the guests were equally famous, such as Marlon Brando, Sammy Davis Jr., Greta Garbo and other Hollywood stars. The Tropicana

It’s pretty amazing that Pinterest is valued at 3.8 billion dollars, even though it has no revenue. 
But that hasn’t stopped the popular image-driven site from expanding its reach into travel.  

The company, started in 2009, has more traffic from its mobile applications than its website, and co- founder Evan Sharp went so far as to say Pinterest is "probably the last big website...the last start up to become high-profile on the web.”



With the company's recent roll out of Place Pins, the more th

Knowing a little something about a country’s cultural and social nuances before you travel there could mean the difference between having a fun or a frustrating vacation.

You’d want the same for a visitor in your own country, so why not make cultural awareness just as important as what you pack when planning an international trip. The more information you gather before traveling to a foreign country, the more open you can be to new experiences and the better memories you will take home with you.

C

You should be planning ahead...marking time off and reserving your room for a 4-day Vegas getaway December 5-8, preferably at the Venetian-Palazzo because this is where indulgence lives. Here fabulous can't-miss culinary events await that will make returning to the “real world” extremely difficult. Consider this your road map:

Day 1 – Thurs. Dec. 5th - Be sure to arrive in Vegas with plenty of time to make La Cucina Italiana Food & Wine Festival's kick off event, Dinner with Wolfgang at the Palaz

Every spring after all the snow melts, cities, towns and states make plans to remedy the devastation snowplows and chained tires generate on their roads. As road-repair budgets are weighed by cash strapped states, we decided take a closer look at data compiled by others and determine who had the worst roads in the country.

Four metrics were analyzed to do this.  Each state was ranked on each indicator and the results pooled to generate a cumulative ranking for all 50 states. Washington, D.C. was

Tokyo has a lot of great sights and most of the tourist sights are covered pretty well in the guide books.I'll try to add my recommendations and also add some budget tricks that I didn't find listed in the guidebooks.

The National Museum,Tsukiji Fish Market and Auction,the Metroploitan Government Building are big tourist sights ,but still well worth seeing.The auction is still great with the tour.I walked there in the morning. A Frommers pick,The Rikugien Garden is also very nice.I noticed most