I’m relaxing in a roomy Adirondack chair on the expansive lawn of Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth on coastal Maine. A few feet away is a boardwalk to the sandy crescent beach that protects the inn from an oft-wild Atlantic. It’s early evening, and a family beside me … Read more
It’s called “Climb to the Clouds,” one of the oldest auto races in America. Cars race toward the 6,300-foot peak of New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeastern U.S. Nowadays you can also be challenged by a “Ski to the Clouds”—a combo ski/snowshoe and fat bike 10K. … Read more
The first town encountered while driving along Route 91 north from Massachusetts, Brattleboro serves as the gateway to Vermont. Here, evergreens usher visitors through a vernal curtain of bucolic joy. With a total area of 34 square miles, most of the approximately twelve thousand residents know each other both through … Read more
Imagine this: You’re sleeping in a luxury treehouse, high above the ground. The woods around you whisper in the wind. You’re snuggled up, cozy and warm under an organic linen comforter. Rays of sunlight spill through curtainless windows, beckoning you to rise and greet the day. As you shake off … Read more
Palm Springs brings to mind desert views with palm trees and the iconic San Jacinto Mountains backdrop, mid-century modern architecture, glamorous old Hollywood, and fabulous food and drink. But there’s more! Here are two terrific examples of Palm Springs entertainment for you to explore while visiting this Coachella Valley oasis. … Read more
I’m standing on the “Blue Bridge” over the Spokane River, taking in the waterfalls cascading below and the soaring mountain peaks in the distance. I’m in Riverfront Park, a beautiful Spokane green space. It reminds me of New York’s Central Park with its winding footpaths, fountains and gorgeous vistas. It’s … Read more
Key West exudes a laid-back vibe unlike any other. Situated at the southern tip of the Florida Keys, this little slice of paradise attracts artists, writers, musicians and beach lovers in equal measure. To say Key West has a big personality is a true understatement. Unique? Yes. Quirky? Yes. Fun? … Read more
Chattanooga has changed a lot in recent years, as this outdoorsy capital is starting to be known for more than just Ruby Falls and Rock City. The Edwin Hotel stands out as an example of that evolution. The contemporary structure projects an identity in this officially “cool” city with its … Read more
The Golden Gate Bridge looms large in San Francisco. Visitors come to see this magnificent bridge that is often shrouded in the Pacific Ocean fog. However, many people miss the expansive 1500 plus acre San Francisco Presidio adjacent, whose grounds serve as the anchor for the western end of this … Read more
Eight acres of planted vineyards, two bell towers and a stained-glass chapel: Franciscan monks chanting through the property’s stone tunnel would not be surprising. We’re here in Paso Robles, California, at the Allegretto Vineyard Resort, a luxury Tuscan-style hotel with an old-world aesthetic, but just five years young. The project … Read more
Over 2200 islands off the coast of Maine beg exploration. They offer quaint sailing villages, private homesteads, seals, dolphins, and other wildlife, as well as beaches perfect for a lobster boil. Whether you board the Stephen Taber (celebrating 150 years) or its sister ship, the LaDona (a 1922 racing yacht), … Read more
I’m on a “dune tour” in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on the tip of Cape Cod—a geographic fishhook of land, surrounded on one side by the Atlantic, and on the other by Cape Cod Bay. This narrow strip of land allows me to take in the sinking sun over the ocean before … Read more
Florida’s Space Coast provides the perfect combination of sun and nature for everyone to explore. Not just the epicenter for the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, the Space Coast also receives recognition as being a top destination for ecotourism. An adventure lover’s dream, this part of “Old Florida” showcases … Read more
It’s the stunned, awestruck expression on their faces that makes Tulip Fest first-timers stand out in the crowd. All around them masses of tulips planted in wide rows stretch across the landscape to either side, unspooling across the rolling fields in ribbons of color. As they gape, for a long … Read more
Born in a North Georgia hospital with Confederate cannons on the porch, I never imagined I would one day live in Harlem just blocks from Grant’s Tomb. Being southern and white, I also never imagined I would one day marry a black man. Life takes unexpected turns, doesn’t it? And … Read more