When you think of travel to Bulgaria, what comes to mind first? For me, one of the cool things about visiting this fetching little Balkan country is its touches of exoticism, part of an ancient cultural heritage that stretches back to 5,000 BC, and which I find most noticeable in its Eastern Orthodox churches. As with church architecture in Russia, here you’ll find plenty of onion domes, but in Bulgaria you’ll also spot features you won’t find in Russia, such as arches influenced by Islam (not
This year, United dropped its practice of allowing families to board planes before other travelers. The legacy carrier joined the ranks of American and US Airways, which don't officially offer pre-boarding or early boarding of any kind for families. But a handful of other airlines still do, including Delta (the last legacy airline supporting family-friendly boarding), JetBlue, and Southwest.
The industry's approach to boarding is mixed, as is, ostensibly, popular opinion. In a recent poll of mor
You have got to go here...BCFerries - British Columbia, Canada.
Now this blog may throw you off a little bit as I want to encourage you to do something as opposed to just going somewhere. You must ride on the BCFerries system!
I know a lot of people who have taken a ferry from Seattle to Victoria, B.C., but not a lot who have experienced the spectacular ride from Victoria to Vancouver, or to other Southern Gulf Islands in Canada - I am here to tell you it is a must do!
On a two-week road trip I w
Autumn is harvest season and that means tons of festivals across the world marking the occasion. Food, wine, and of course beer are all fair game. I was extremely psyched to attend Mohegan Sun’s First Annual Brewfest and have my pick of sampling over 100 different brands. I quickly discovered that not only a ton of local breweries were spreading good cheer but some established giants offered up some obscure seasonal offerings as well. Here are some I’ll be hunting down and looking forward to tas
Hundreds of curry lovers, food experts and restaurant owners from across the world gathered in London for a gala ceremony to recognise the talents of chefs, the unsung heroes of the kitchen. The awards are the brainchild of Syed Nahas Pasha and his brother, Syed Belal Ahmed, who run Curry Life magazine regarded as the authoritative voice of an estimated 10,000 Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants, take-away and associated businesses in Britain. Nahas Pasha explained what makes the Curry Life awa
55 miles northeast of Las Vegas on Interstate 15, a sign indicates Exit 75, the turn off for the Valley of Fire, Nevada’s oldest & largest state park. We love coming to this preternatural marvel of nature, named for the amazing red sandstone formations left after immense, shifting sand dunes were formed during the age of the dinosaurs, 150 million years ago. The oldest rock in the park, though has been dated at about 600 million years old. Imagine! Once an ancient sea covered this desert, s
Why Does Airline Food Taste so Awful?
(Listen to the 1-minute Travel Audio PostCard)
Is it actually the food the airlines serve (when they do) that tastes so bad, or is it the flying experience make the food taste so awful?
Wired Magazine reported that a handful of brave volunteers made “the ultimate sacrifice for science” and ate airline food. Voluntarily.
Apparently a lab was set up that perfectly simulated the intense dryness, stale air and ear-irritating low pressure of airline cabins.
Germ
You don't have to play golf to enjoy a stay at PGA National Resort & Spa. But it helps.
Although the plush Palm Beach Gardens resort radiates with recreational diversions, golf is the engine that keeps it humming.
With prime time for snowbirds right around the corner, the South Florida oasis
will open a new course Nov. 1 and will welcome participants to its "Institute of Performance," a training facility designed to help both beginners and professionals -- plus the vast army of golfers who rat
I want to be part of a Blue Zone.
What is a “Blue Zone,” you ask?
It is a place where people live happily and healthily for a very long time.
The term was popularized by author-educator-explorer Dan Buettner in his 2008 book, “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from People Who’ve Lived the Longest.” Published by the National Geographic Society, Buettner identified places in the world there is a high concentration of persons over age 100, and there is a substantial disability-free and disease
Take a slow hike up Mt Kenya to enjoy the scenery and adventure
Mt. Kenya, Kenya’s highest mountain and Africa’s second highest mountain after Mt. Kilimanjaro, it is estimated to be about 2.5 million years old. Its awe inspiring spectacle that dominates the central highlands of Kenya and is located 180 KM north of Nairobi within the Mt. Kenya National Park.
Mt. Kenya National Park is a World Heritage site and an international biosphere reserve.
It’s difficult to see wild animals located at the l
Gardens like Hershey Gardens in Pennsylvania are wonderful places to visit. They appeal to people for all sorts of reasons. There are those who appreciating the mix of flowers, trees and lawns, while some seek out trees, especially bonsai, and others are interested in the individual blooms of the flowers. And, then there are others who feel the need for a few hours of serenity.
Hershey Gardens is one of several lasting gifts from Milton Hershey. The gardens first opened in 1937 as a rose gard
For sheer pleasantness, there isn't much that beats looking up at October foliage in the forests of western North Carolina--unless maybe it's looking down at the autumn colors from strategic perches in the trees themselves. This was my privileged perspective on a recent outing with Navitat Canopy Adventures, located around twenty miles north of Asheville. (http://www.navitat.com) (1-855-628-4828)
Top billing at Navitat goes to the zip-lines. And fine zips they are: ten in all, the longest stretc
The hipsters in L.A. know where to hang out and where to find a good pool party. Los Angeles is trendy, warm and fun. On weekends, Los Angeles’ vibrant hotel scene becomes “party central” at some of L.A.’s luxury hotels have the vibe is everything but relaxing. Complete with hot girls and guys, tequila and jelly shots, sliders by the pool.
Summer has come and goen to most of the U.S., but from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica, the fun in the sun is just beginning.
Here are five opportunities t
VisitBritain has launched a consultation on an ambitious growth plan which aims to attract 40 million visitors to Britain by 2020. The strategy is built on Britain’s successful hosting of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by showing that aligning marketing and Government policy can deliver an economic legacy. Reaching that figure would deliver £8.7 billion additional foreign exchange earnings at today’s prices, and support more than 200,000 additional jobs. According to VisitBritain, TV view
While the rest of the northern surfing world is gearing up for snowboarding for the winter, Costa Rica is heating up for the 2012-2013 summer season. Sunny days, blue skies and dry trade winds are soon headed our way … ideal for surf vacations!
Look your best and get the most stoke with the latest in surf fashion and gear. Check it out!
First, Costa Rica is positioned at approximately 9 degrees north latitude. That means our water is warm – averaging 26-30 C (79-85 F) all the time! No neoprene we
It’s no secret that travel today is more challenging than ever. In fact, as events like the flight delays, cancellations, and pilot contract disputes currently overwhelming American Airlines increase, so too do the odds that your own travels will be impacted in some fashion. The solution: protect your trips with travel insurance.
Travel insurance covers many things that are not covered by credit cards, homeowner policies, and healthcare plans. Here are ten clear-cut reasons consumers can’t aff
(please watch the 1-minute Grand Manan Video PostCard at the end of the post)
It’s certainly tempting to think of Grand Manan as God's shrug of land surrounded by a vast, changing and beautiful sea.
There is something about small fishing villages on islands that holds my heart tightly, especially those snuggled against rocky coasts with mists hovering like shifting shrouds.
Partly it's the pitched, jarring sound of gulls or the air heavy with the scent of salt and fish.
But I think it's the deep q
by Nellie Huang
Mention Mexico and you often conjure images of mustachioed heroes roaming the Wild West on horseback, armed with rifles and big straw hats. While this era is long gone, legends from those revolutionary days have been passed down from one generation to the next.
The best representation from this period of Mexican history is Pancho Villa, a hero honored by people around the world. Known as the Robin Hood of Mexico, Pancho robbed the rich and distributed the wealth among peasants and
It's almost too easy: One of the most exciting snorkeling sites in the Caribbean lies barely 100 yards off the west coast of Aruba. The water there is calm, visibility is excellent, and the site features the World War II-era German ship Antilla – at 397 feet, the third-longest wreck in the Caribbean.
That such a splendid shipwreck is so accessible to snorkelers is unusual. That a vessel the Wehrmacht christened Antilla is spending eternity in the Antilles is poetic justice. Ditto for the fact
A CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA , TRAVEL GUIDE.
It is not much of a city – but the ocean has the more to offer. With water so blue that photos seem artificial afterwards, Cairns in northeast Queensland, Australia, attracts divers from all over the world to experience the most magnificent maritime environment nature has to offer.
Swordfishing and a gold rush built Cairns, looking much as an American small-sized city, but that era is long gone. 50 kilometers from the city’s seafront promenade, the Great Barr
