How many of us reach adulthood only to discover that we still don't know what we want to be when we grow up? That's definitely me. I've changed jobs and moved more times than most people would care to count. I guess I've been a bit of a restless spirit as I've looked for the place and career that fit right.... I am happy to announce that I've finally found it! When I grow up I want to be an Innkeeper... (NOTE: just because I'm now and innkeeper, doesn't mean I'm ready to grow up... I think I'll
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It certainly was a deal that most people either saw coming or could easily imagine: Groupon and Expedia launching “Groupon Getaways With Expedia.”
The new company, says Hotelmarketing.com will offer consumers deeply discounted deals from among the 135,000 hotels in Expedia’s data base...and then the partnership will move on to offer Groupon-like package deals for airline tickets, cruises and destinations.
The partnership, which Hotels.com c
Summer time and the traveling’s easy.
And as any traveling family will do, at some point in their journey they’ll just opt to forget the big sights for the day, and play in a playground.
If they don’t, they should.
Hanging out in playground is a great way to get to know the locals, the scenery and just enjoy each other as a family.
Often I found that a few hours relaxing and picnicking at a playground were more valuable to my family travels than time at a
This will come as a surprise to most residents of San Diego – and even some of my fellow La Jollans – but the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club is a hotel, as well as an exclusive private club.
In fact, their 98 rooms are very popular with guests who enjoy being in a cul de sac at the south end of La Jolla Shores Beach, where there is very little “through traffic.” All California beaches are public to the mean high tide line, but above that line this one is private, which means alcohol can be served.
Top Places For Food and Wine
A cook stirs up some Thai food in Bangkok
In Rome, you’re never far away from a great glass of wine and a plate of pasta.
Café and a croissant: a delicious Paris combo.
In Chicago, a saucy deep-dish pizza.
Some of the best wines in the world hail from California’s Napa Valley.
In Tokyo, sushi is a form of art.
From po’boys to muffulettas, New Orleans is home to some of the earth’s best sandwiches.
The shrimp cocktail is a staple of Las Vegas cuisine.
Some say San
Hear that? That dull roar, like the sound from inside a shell? That might be the Orange County coastline calling you — 42 miles of beach and beach towns, give or take, from San Clemente to Seal Beach. Follow the advice here, and this coastline might lull you with surfers on swells, startle you with circus tricks (look for the guy by the Huntington Beach Pier with the hammer, nail and much-abused nose), charm you with old shacks on priceless real estate, seduce or offend you with shiny new build
It’s nearly summer and chances are you’re looking forward to enjoying a few days of vacation at the beach, a golf resort, or a hotel with a great swimming pool. Everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, folks are spending more time outside these days as the weather gets warmer.
In any case, skin cancer is the farthest thing from your mind and I hate to be a drag – but this is a blog about Staying Healthy On the Road – and just one melanoma could put a permanent end to your traveling days.
So what’s a
A Dublin, Ireland Gem: The Hugh Lane Gallery
There is a modern art gallery in Dublin, Ireland that's not so grand as the Louvre in Paris or the Prado in Madrid
It's the Hugh Lane Gallery and it could fit several times in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
but none of that matters.
The pocket size gem of a museum houses some of Ireland's most exciting modern and contemporary art, and is home to the actual studio of the wildly eccentric but brilliant Irish artist, Francis Bacon.
Some of the
Shopping in New York City, even for a somewhat jaded ex-New Yorker like myself, can often yield some pretty nifty surprises. A few years ago, to cite but one example, I found three spectacular wooden Catholic saints from Macau in an outdoor Chelsea antiques market that no longer exists (thanks to a new condo). What caught my eye about these saints was their distinct Asian features, something I'd never seen before, or since. The price? $90 each. Two still adorn my home in Miami; the third I sold
San Jose downtown is a city full of contrasts, with the regular hustle of a capital city, it stills keeping a unique essence on its surroundings. The top attractions within the area are mainly based in cultural activities, like museums, theatres and historical architecture. And is actually the historical and cultural richness what brings visitors to the must see in San Jose: ¨The National Theatre¨.
This historical jewel was inaugurated in October of 1897, after seven years of construction, it s
On Nov 26, 2010, Maryel and me set out to explore a dirt road, leading east from Campos do Jordão to the Br-459. I had been wanting to check out this road for a long time, so I was glad we finally found some time to do it. Since we had no idea what to expect, we took our dirt bikes, and that turned out to be the right call, because the trail is not really an easy one, but for anyone who would like to do a +/- 90km enduro ride, it’s perfect. As a special bonus, the views of the surrounding Serra
The quiet and restful Genal Valley has a history that goes back hundreds of years. It is located in La Serranía de Ronda (the Ronda Mountains) just to the south of the bustling white village of Ronda, near the Mediterranean coast in southern Spain.
The Genal Valley is sandwiched happily between two national parks, La Sierra de las Nieves and Grazalema, and it is commonly acknowledged as the greenest part of Andalusia.
The valley is divided into upper and lower sections, with the Alto Genal (upper
Rio de Janeiro is a great place for rock climbing, and one of the more difficult climbs, but definitely most beautiful ones is Corcovado mountain (also referred to as K2), on top of which stands the most famous landmark of Rio de Janeiro: the statue of Christ the Redeemer. When a good friend of mine invited me to do this climb, despite not being a real rock climber, I didn’t think twice and accepted.
The climb starts at 500m above the city. You can hike the whole way to the base, but we took th
San Diego has two beachfront hotels and they are both located on La Jolla Shores Beach, a mile from “the village” of La Jolla and about 11 miles from downtown San Diego.
One is La Jolla Shores Hotel and the other is the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.
I recently toured La Jolla Shores Hotel and – even though I live nearby – I was really sorry when the visit was over. There’s something incredibly special about being right on the beach – kayakers and scuba divers come and go, flocks of pelicans fly o
 Did you know that Charleston, South Carolina was voted #2 Best City in the U.S. to Visit by Travel and Leisure Magazine? Not only that, it ranked #4 in the World! Our Charleston guide, Linda, has a ton of ideas for how you can make the best of your time in her fun and fascinating hometown.Charleston is a "living museum" and history comes alive around every corner with cobblestone streets, narrow alleys and magnificent mansions. To get a good feel for the rich history of this city, your first sto |
A major showdown looms in Texas, where a law was approved banning invasive pat-downs at airport checkpoints. In response, the TSA has threatened to cancel all flights departing from any gateway in the state.
Earlier in May, the Texas House of Representatives unanimously voted to pass an "anti-groping" bill, which would categorize any TSA pat-down that "touches the anus, sexual organ, buttocks, or breast of another person including through the clothing, or touches the other person in a manner tha
Ayurveda, the science of life, was a medicine practiced in India since 5000 years ago. It is gaining prominence in modern day as there are no side effects of Ayurveda. More and more people are showing faith & belief in this holistic and alternative medicine.
Ayurvedic medicine is based on the concept of 3 doshas or Tridosha, Vata (the lightest), Kapha (heaviest) and Pitta (medium built). Doshas are mainly the “force” or “faults” in the basic built up of our body and can go easily out of order or
No trip is ever trouble free.
Flights are always being canceled, cruise lines change itineraries or skip ports, and car rentals are plagued by pricing or mechanical problems that are almost inevitable.
But, interestingly, as Christopher Elliott writes in the Seattle Times, travel disputes between a traveler and supplier, like an airline or cruise line, are now being resolved on the spot...by technology.
Elliott recounts the tale of an American
Customized travel, also known as “bespoke travel,” is my preferred way to travel and I love England, so you can imagine how excited I was to meet Glynn Burrows.
Here’s the pick-up line that won my heart:
“I love to travel, and when I travel, I don't want to be like an animal on a cattle-float. I want to go where I want to go to and see what I want to see. I want to experience local life and go down country lanes. I want to wander around little villages and look in tiny churches. I also want to g
