Certainly one of the coolest innovations happening today in the hospitality industry is transforming vintage motels from yesteryear into swanky digs. In the 21st century, repurposed motels have become destinations in themselves rather than a one night’s stay off the highway. The Carmel Mission Inn definitely fits the bill. Saved … Read more
Itching to get back to international travel but looking for affordable long-haul flights? Meet Norse Atlantic Airways – a new airline offering affordable fares primarily between Europe and the United States. Founded by CEO and major shareholder Bjørn Tore Larsen in March 2021, Norse boasts a fleet of 15 modern, … Read more
In June 2021 golfer Jon Rahm secured his first major career win – the U.S. Open Championship – at Torrey Pines Golf Course. No stranger to this La Jolla setting, it’s the site of this Spanish golfer’s first PGA win, And, it’s a short walk from where he proposed to … Read more
Often compared to the Freedom Tower in New York, the London Eye, and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the Tokyo Skytree just celebrated its tenth anniversary. Providing a dramatic change to the city’s skyline in 2012, the Tokyo Skytree also gave the city a new television tower. And, it created an exciting … Read more
“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
On June 28, 1969, when police raided The Stonewall—a popular gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village—patrons fought back. That action led to a tipping point in the Gay Liberation Movement across the United States. One year later, New York City held the country’s first Pride Parade. Today, the entire … Read more
In Costa Rica you’re often greeted with the words “Pura Vida”. Simply put, it means pure life. With a perfect blend of Caribbean ease and American comfort amid the rainforest of Costa Rica‘s Green Coast, pure life describes the experience at Los Sueños Marriott Ocean and Golf Resort. Located on … Read more
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
Sidewalks bustle with visitors making shopping choices at owner-operated boutiques, restaurants offer alfresco tropical drinks on their patios, and hotels are booked solid. The onslaught of Modernism Week brings diehard architecture groupies to Palm Springs in mid-February each year. Modernism Week, actually a period of ten days, dives into the … Read more
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
St. Augustine packs a powerful punch for such a small southern city—pairing coastal beauty with history, culture, and renowned cuisine. One of the best ways to experience new tastes and flavors is attending a food and wine festival. What’s better than wandering happily with a tribe of fellow foodies and … Read more
Brewery Gulch Inn A pirates’ hideaway? A scalawag’s den? A speak-easy from Prohibition days? You would never guess by its rough-and-ready moniker that this romantic escape overlooking turquoise seas is a four-star luxury lodge, with not a scalawag in sight. Sequestered off Highway One on the Mendocino coastline, this 10-room … Read more
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali ended 2021 on a high note. The property celebrated the completion of a three-year, $120 million transformation and a re-imagined wing portraying aspects of Hawaiian culture. Called “Hōkūpa‘a,” after the North Star, the 217-room luxury tower is a star in its own right. … Read more