Blogs

by Maggie Downs

I purchased travel insurance before embarking on my year-long, round-the-world backpacking trip. Of course, it's not the kind of thing you ever want to use, but I figured it might come in handy for medical woes, bag theft or a broken iPod.

I did not expect that my mother would die. 

She passed away in Ohio. I was at a yoga camp in Dahab, on the Red Sea shore of Egypt's Sinai peninsula (pictured above).  I never felt so physically or emotionally isolated before in my life.  

We would be tempted to say that the best time to travel to Iceland would be in June, July and August but there  is  no best time actually.  Everything depends on what you are looking for.  Iceland in summer time and Iceland in winter time is two different countries.

In the summer time you have the day light 24h/24h,  that is magic.  You can cross the country from south to north or vise versa by the highlands.  You will see  incredible colors in the highlands -   you can rent a car and then visit

Getaway at the Claremont Resort & Spa

Sometimes, we all need an escape from the big city. Cross the Bay Bridge from San Francisco and enter another world. The home of the University of California at Berkeley is more than just a college town. For a perfect getaway head to the Claremont Resort and Spa in the Berkeley Hills, but actually situated in Oakland, on the Oakland, Berkeley boarder.

The historic hotel opened in 1915 and is known as one of the top ten spas in the U.S. and a great place to

France is world renowned for its fine cuisine, amazing countryside and cultural cities. We all know that Paris is the capital city and the French Riviera is where you can find the best beaches, but here’s a look at some more France facts. If you didn’t want to visit before you most certainly will after reading these:  

• Depending on which region you visit determines how many kisses on the cheek you may receive as a greeting will change. Book a car hire in Ajaccio, Corsica and you can look forward

Up until recently, when folks mentioned liquor from the Southern U.S., whiskey and moonshine immediately sprang to mind. Popularized through aggressive marketing and folklore, images of whiskies like ‘Ole Grand Dad and Jack Daniels are etched into a cultural milieu that also plays up images of pickup truck driving backwoods individualists. But of course reality is just a bit more complex and liquor production in what is commonly referred to as “the South”, an area roughly defined by the Mason D

When in Chengdu, China try a local specialty called hot pot.  There are many varieties of hot pot.  Generally, it comes with a pot of broth that is shared by everyone at the table and in Chengdu the broth can be spicy hot.  Diners then order skewers of fish, chicken, meat and/or vegetable which they cook in the broth.  In some Chengdu restaurants the table is designed especially for hot pot with a recessed square hot plate in the middle of the table.  The wait staff turns on the heat and deliver

We all know what the modern day Olympic Games are all about but over the years many changes have taken place and there have been some rather strange rulings to the games!

Here are some very random and strange facts about the Olympic Games:

1. The first Olympians right back in ancient Greek times participated in the nude! Why I hear you ask; it was a tribute to the gods.
2. Married women were not allowed at the games, so they created their own; The Heraea Games. So there you go girl power was around long

Reports to the contrary, the travel agent is alive and well.

A couple of blocks from where I live is a a storefront travel agency. Been there for quite a while, as long as I can remember, anyway.

The space is crammed with brochures, books, all kinds of magazines and old posters. It’s almost always full of people. Some come and sit on the uneven naugahyde chairs and chat with the owner and each other.
Others are actual paying customers booking one kind of trip or another.

Business gets done amid

POP Hotel Entrance

Sometimes referred to as “Palermo Queens”, the Villa Crespo barrio is located at the southern end of Palermo Soho with the unspoiled charm of  tree-lined, cobble stone streets for which Buenos Aires is renowned. However, this neighbourhood is much less touristy than its Palermo neighbours and the Porteños---as the local residents are affectionately known---dominate the scene here in cafes, boutiques, bars, and clubs.

Trendy Villa Crespo is home to the new and evolving Paseo de

It's no wonder that Los Cabos, located at the tip of 1,000-mile long Baja Peninsula, was selected as the host city for this year's G20 Summit scheduled for June 18 – 19. Los Cabos has long been a favored destination for those seeking once-in-a-lifetime vacation experiences where rugged desert meets pristine white sand beaches framed by the iconic El Arco de Cabo San Lucas. What really sealed the deal for locating this event here was the region's solid infrastructure and impeccable safety record

THE FUTURE IS NOW! Airlines are out and the flying car is here! The Transition by Terrafugia Inc. last week said they flew their flying car for 8 minutes at a low 1,400 feet, only 32,000 feet lower than the typical Boeing 747. The Transition flying car has fold up wings, 2 seats, and 4 wheels known and can be driven like a car or flown like a small plane.

The car has about 100 orders already but will probably never become part of mainstream American consumerism because the price tag for the Trans

The journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath your feet.

                                                           Tao te Ching, Verse 64

There is a similarity between historical writing and travel writing.  Both are about journeys:  one is a journey back in time, the other a journey of the present.  Where the difference lies is in the style of the writing.  Historical fiction is a lengthy prose style, historical non-fiction can be more documentary or essay.  Travel writing is either jou

Alaska Airlines is one of our picks in 10 Best Airlines You've Never Flown. Now, the carrier is getting even better with the introduction of several new pet-friendly passenger perks.

Today Alaska announced a partnership with Banfield Pet Hospital, a veterinary practice that has more than 800 hospitals across the U.S. Passengers traveling with pets on Alaska—either bringing them in the cabin or shipping them via the airline's PetStreak Animal Express service—will receive a free office visit, a tra

Planning a safari vacation to Africa?  Well, planning  any vacation to whichever destination, is likely to be stressful if not aggravating.  And if the vacation destination is Africa, it might even be more difficult for those who might not be familiar with the continent.  Thankfully,  there are a growing number of resources to use to plan your Africa  trip.  Ironically though, the availability of these many vacation planning resources can make it even more difficult  to figure out where to star

2/21/2012 Was FINALLY the day I got to fly the new A380, and this wasn't just any A380 - it was the ONLY A380 with the entire upper-deck dedicated to business class, a full bar/lounge in the back of the business class deck reserved for Business class and First class passengers ONLY, a small self-service bar in the front of the plane and a "duty free showcase." Needless to say I was MORE than excited to fly the Big Blue Smurf!

After leaving the Prestige Class loun

There's a reason New Jersey is called the Garden State. Sickles Market in Little Silver is a great example of this State's venerated farming tradition. Sickles started out as a seasonal farm stand back in 1908 selling homegrown fruits and vegetables to local stores. Now over 100 years later, Bob Sickles Jr. has not only continued the tradition of selling locally grown farm produce like Jersey fresh corn and blackberries but has expanded the business into a cause...enlightening customers by offe

South of Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand, the Holiday Inn Regent Beach Resort offers days of lazing in the sun and walking on the beach but the best relaxing can be had at the hotel’s Tea Tree Spa. Pamper yourself with one of their therapies that will relax the body, soothe your soul and lift your spirits. Their Tea Tree Signature treatment offers the ultimate experience creating a new zest for life.  An exfoliation will cleanse and leave your skin ready to receive the maximum benefits of one o