Typical Twillingate scene

Newfoundland – Where and Why?

Wrapped in cozy clothes and sitting atop a honed tree stump at the most welcoming of dinner-on-the-beach settings, I was definitively in what could only be called a travel trance. Positioned at a weathered wooden table with a blossom-filled pitcher at center, I sipped a glass of naturally chilled Arctic … Read more

Explore Austria on TravelSquire

Explore Austria – Beyond the Sound of Music

If you’re planning on visiting Austria, think about venturing beyond Vienna and Salzburg. Sure, Vienna’s Opera House is a stunner. And the romance of the Danube and the majesty of the Habsburgs dangle a huge lure. Of course, Salzburg – identified with Mozart, the Sound of Music and a looming … Read more

Tower23

TOWER23 – BLISS ON THE BEACH

Sitting like a chiseled diamond, the 44-room hotel, TOWER23, initially appears an anomaly in California’s laid-back, surfing town, Pacific Beach (PB to locals). While driving to the resort along Mission Boulevard one might assume the hospitality offerings in the town lean toward a level below luxury. The road parallels the … Read more

CONEJO VALLEY: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S OTHER SIDE

It’s different. It’s unexpected. It’s the Conejo Valley (pronounced “koh-neh-ho”). Translated to “rabbit” in Spanish, this SoCal region in LA’s backyard is situated along U.S. 101’s well-known route between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, though it isn’t an extension of either. By contrast, it’s a 180-degree escape from the hustle, … Read more

Santa Catalina on TravelSquire

Santa Catalina: Waiting for You 26 Miles Across the Sea

More than six decades ago, Southern California’s island of Catalina was memorialized in the Four Preps’ song, 26 Miles, in reference to its proximity to the populous region’s coastline. And though almost everything in the nation has changed in that expanse of time, Catalina remains unchanged. It’s been years since … Read more

View of Lake Tahoe

North Lake Tahoe: It’s Back!

“Look at this view,” said Scott Hillock, a local guide with the Tahoe Adventure Company, as we edged to the side of the path for a hiker to pass. “And it gets better,” he assured us as we continued along the trail. With my daughter, Kathryn, we three negotiated the … Read more

Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa

Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa

“Welcome to Renaissance Esmeralda,” greets Charlie, the bellman with a smile as wide as a fairway and as warm as the temperatures, when we check-in. Upon escorting us to Room 3071, he playfully queries, “Is your last name Marriott?”  He explains that our room is one of only twenty with … Read more

Pinetop-Lakeside

The Other Arizona: Pinetop-Lakeside

Beyond Arizona’s revered Grand Canyon and Phoenix’s five-star destination scene is a small-town getaway within the state’s pristine White Mountains – Pinetop-Lakeside. An area so welcoming and authentically down-home, it provides a much-needed visit to life’s simpler past. Less than four hours northeast of Phoenix and on average 25-30 degrees … Read more

Montana's Glacier Country on TravelSquire

Montana’s Glacier Country

Last year was a challenge to say the least, and what better rewards a trying time than a made-to-order getaway? Matching one’s post-COVID comfort level with a destination can be complicated—even daunting.  But a visit to Montana’s Glacier Country provides the perfect prescription for peace. Ready? Let’s explore Montana’s open … Read more

Exotic animal rescue on TravelSquire

Lions and Tigers and Bears (Oh My!)

Everyone loves a good animal story, right?  But first, let me ask you … “Have you ever been to an animal sanctuary?” Even if you answered “yes,” come follow me on a trip to the 93-acre Lions, Tigers & Bears Animal Rescue and Education Center—a no-breed, no-sell state and federally … Read more

Vista Encantada on TravelSquire

Vista Encantada: The Latest Luxury in Los Cabos

There’s a happening and it’s in Mexico – specifically in Los Cabos. Here’s the deal. To be pampered, really pampered, head south of the border to that duo of towns, San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, located on the combo of coasts that border the Sea of Cortez … Read more

Fairmont is one of Vancouver's best luxury hotels on TRavelSquire

Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver

Called the “Castle in the City,” Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is appropriately crowned with a chateau-style peaked copper roof, now elaborately aged a burnished patina. Built in the 1930s as one of the country’s premier hospitality residences (a collection of iconic hotels that even today still dot the original Canadian Pacific … Read more