The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

It’s hard not to be intrigued by a Sin City hotel with the tagline “just the right amount of wrong.”  Perhaps you’ve seen the hotel’s TV commercial, featuring pant-less bellhops, bustier-clad women, bedroom photo shoots, and animals crashing a suite party. Unusual, yes – but The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, … Read more

Go Select: Lets You Go Places

Planning an itinerary around seeing the important sites in a city can be a time-consuming pain, and if you don’t get a head start, the admission prices can rack up and ruin your best touring mood.  But now Smart Destinations has got your back, launching Go Select in May, the … Read more

Geirangerfjord, Norway

Virtually Visiting the Norwegian Fjords Thousands of visitors flock to Norway every year, but for those who can’t afford to take a plane, train, or automobile they can now take the Internet. If you’ve always wanted to see the beautiful Norwegian fjords, but don’t have the time or money to … Read more

Hazlitt’s London, England

Hazlitt’s:  Like a Clock in My Heart Located on a quiet street off Soho Square, Hazlitt’s occupies three historic 18th century townhouses in the heart of London.  Beautifully restored to its original Georgian style, the hotel blends the charm of yesteryear with modern innovation.  [wide] [/wide]As owner Peter McKay states, the … Read more

Sheraton Bucks County, PA

SHERATON BUCKS COUNTY HOTEL Some interesting rock formations in a kind of pink quartz guide the way toward the spartan entrance to the Sheraton Bucks County Hotel and the driveway winds its way under a large porte cochere that can easily harbor 2 vehicles.  Located in one of the main … Read more

San Francisco, California

Better Than Ever By the end of May in New Orleans you can easily find yourself with a case of the summertime blues. This year, mine were bad. With temperatures nearing 100 for days on end, 90 degrees felt like a cold snap. I knew I had to get away … Read more

New England, USA

INNside New England   It was summer in the city, New York that is, and the livin’ wasn’t easy. My friend Danielle and I were stressed out. What to do? Two words: ROAD TRIP!! Between us we have three daughters who were frolicking at summer camps in New England so … Read more

Little Italy, New York

Little Italy – Still Hanging Tight to Its Immigrant Roots Photo Credit: Meryl Pearlstein Despite some rumors to the contrary, Manhattan’s Little Italy isn’t dead. Some famous Mafia and movie figures have breathed their last living or liberated moments in this well-known part of Manhattan, but the neighborhood lives on … Read more

Melbourne, Australia

  The Hidden Laneways of Melbourne Meandering down a dark graffiti-painted laneway, I fall behind the others in our group. Drawn to these ugly but somehow beautiful works that cover entire walls, I pause to grudgingly admire the back end of buildings daubed with artwork. Stumbling a little on the … Read more

Ishikawa, Japan

Samurai Central On the Sea of Japan, northwest of Tokyo, lies the serene, mountainous region known as Ishikawa. With its pristine coast and remote villages, Ishikawa offers a respite from life’s stressors. Ishikawa is easily reached by plane or car, but the most romantic way to get there is on … Read more

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

After a morning of wandering the hilly, cobbled streets of San Miguel, I was quite tired and on the lookout for a nice spot for lunch. I ended up in the Jardin, the central square that is the heart and soul of this Spanish colonial town in central Mexico. I … Read more

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Walking on The Moon – the Atacama Desert Mars? The moon? The end of the earth? Those were the first three things that popped into my head the moment I touched down in Calama, Chile. It didn’t matter how much planning and researching I‘d done, nothing prepared me for the … Read more

The New Tastes of Ireland

While planning my first trip to Ireland I was told to expect to eat a lot of Irish stew because that’s what we’d find. While that may have been true years back, it’s a different stomping ground today. Wake up travelers and behold a new culinary hub.  Having just returned … Read more

Paso Robles, California

Sweet Intoxication in Central California When we stepped out of the “Wine Wrangler” tour bus, Coy Barnes (the company owner and wrangler himself) assured us we were in for a rare experience at the Steinbeck Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles, California. While shedding layers of clothing in the blazing … Read more

Providence, Rhode Island

  PROVIDENCE – less is more! A Round-Up of the City’s Best Your mom always said that first impressions count.   When I hailed a taxi at Amtrak’s Providence, R.I. station the striking neoclassical dome of the State House beckoned in the night sky.  Would the smallest state’s “creative capital” (as … Read more