Anne Kazel-Wilcox 
I’m in the eastern reaches of Finland, in the Lakeland region that includes scenic Lake Saimaa, which has 14,000 islands and more shoreline than all of France. As the sun sinks slowly into the surrounding forest, I slink on to a “floating sauna,” a mini houseboat specially designed for a … Read more
I’m holding fast to the brakes of a roller coaster that races above the treetops of the winter wonderland that’s Copper Mountain, a Colorado ski resort. My 15-year-old daughter speeds ahead of me, more of an adrenaline junkie than me. I hurl expletives at the track as my car careens … Read more
It’s a crisp day as I look out on the rolling hills of Nashoba Valley, 35 miles northwest of Boston. I’m on the deck of the newly renovated Groton Inn, which boasts the distinction of being the oldest inn in America, its original structure circa 1678. I imagine the setting … Read more
They say St. Lucia is shaped like a mango, and certainly it is ripe with natural riches. Two majestic peaks, Gros Piton and Petit Piton (Big Point and Little Point), tower over the lush landscape on the southern end of the island, rising out of the ocean like natural sentries. … Read more
I’m in Parma, Italy, watching curiously as the proprietor of one of the largest producers of Parmigiana-Reggiano takes a metal instrument, like one used to check knee reflexes, and taps, taps, taps at enormous wheels of cheese. He’s checking the resiliency of the cheese firmness. Should he hear an echo, … Read more
If you were to try to guess where the geographic center of Europe is, you’d probably be wrong. The outer reaches include a remote area of Norway to the north, the Canary Islands to the south, the crests of Russia’s Ural Mountains to the east, and the Azores to the … Read more
Just opened last February, Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas is Costa Rica’s newest boutique hotel. With 21 villas perched high atop a cliff with private plunge pools and panoramic views from every angle, guests can relax at an infinity pool where drinks are delivered via floating trays or take a … Read more
It was a warm, breezy evening and families and visitors pulled tables out onto the cobblestone street of the quaint, seaside village for a dining “mash-up” of sorts. Flickering lights danced on villas painted in hues of the burnt sun, plaza fountains gurgled nearby, and onlookers enjoyed sea views from … Read more
I’m in the sleepy town of Southold on Long Island’s North Fork, an area known for its “wine trail” that includes more than 30 vineyards thriving off a sunny summer climate and temperatures cooled by ocean breezes. The North Fork is separated from the South Fork by the Peconic … Read more
In days of old, sailors were often tattooed with swallows that symbolized love and loyalty, given that the bird chooses a mate for life and returns to the same nesting area every year. Swallow East, a seaside restaurant on the docks in Montauk, similarly uses the bird to symbolize guests … Read more
As I walk the grounds of the New York Botanical Garden, I admire a towering white tree. Bursts of fire-engine red emanate from its center, the tree’s slender white branches curling like Medusa as they reach for the sky. But this rare, glorious tree, situated on 250 acres of garden … Read more
The last rays of steely blue sunlight are just beginning to fade as I settle into the Nederhütte, an old-world style ski hut nestled in the Austrian Alps toward the bottom of a ski run. Inside, men are in lederhosen and ski boots, countless dancing with hands raised grabbing at … Read more
The trolley car bell rings as it glides along Ringstrasse, Vienna’s grand boulevard winding around the city center in the shape of a ring. The trolley stops before Volksgarten, and I disembark to enter the majestic garden grounds. The grounds remind me of New York City’s Central Park except this … Read more
Several years ago, I began interviewing officers who had served in World War II for my book West Point ’41: The Class That Went to War and Shaped America. These West Point officers were among the last class to graduate the military academy before the U.S. entered WWII, and they … Read more
My guide, Beatrice, collects me at the Marseilles airport and we head an hour north to the village of Gordes, which is said to be between “the sky and the stones.” Technically, the village is in Provence, but Beatrice sees it differently. “I compare Gordes to New York. New York … Read more