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Stocking Stuffers for Frequent Travelers
By Nicola Bridges
Speaking as someone who is constantly on the go, with bags packed and ready to leave at a moment's notice, I know for sure that it's the little things that make traveling easier, safer, more efficient and fun. It's why I love getting stocking stuffers that elevate my time on the road, whether globetrotting or going ...Read more
Great Gifts for Literary Travelers
By Nicola Bridges
Devouring travel books takes me to places I've never been and might not get to. I love any kind of travel literature, from memoirs and destination must-sees to books about photography and art-centric coffee-table books. I love the look of gloriously visual global books beckoning a lazy perusal.
Here are some of my ...Read more
So Much Fun to Have in SoHo
By Victor Block
Only in New York City would a neighborhood be known as SoHo, meaning south of Houston Street. Only in New York City would Houston be pronounced "how-stun." These eccentricities fade, however, in light of this Lower Manhattan district's colorful history, architectural splendor, superb shopping and dining opportunities, ...Read more
Find Out When You Get There: A One-Day Surprise Road Trip
By Fyllis Hockman
"So where are we going," I asked my husband. "You'll see," he slyly replied.
So began our surprise road trip adventure, sponsored by Guess Where Trips' Tiny Towns Tours. Heading out from Washington, D.C., I giddily prepared for a day of -- well, I had no idea. What I did know was that there were five envelopes. The "...Read more
Travel Through Time at Three Los Angeles Museums
By Jim Farber
If you have ever wanted to go time-traveling, this is the moment and Los Angeles is the place. Within an easy stroll's distance along Wilshire Boulevard it is possible to visit three museums that can transport you to the prehistoric past of woolly mammoths and saber-tooth tigers, then beam you to Hollywood's vision of a ...Read more
Discover Two Pasadena Art Treasures
By Jim Farber
Only two years separate the 1975 opening of Pasadena's Norton Simon Museum and the hillside campus of the ArtCenter College of Design in 1977. The Norton Simon is one of the most highly visible museums in the world since it shows up every New Year's Day as the televised backdrop for the Tournament of Roses Parade. ...Read more
Cody, Wyoming, Ice Fest Is a Chill of a Thrill
By Nicola Bridges
Ice festivals conjure images of castle carvings, igloos and snowmen with perhaps an enchanted ice maze. Far from that man-made carved winter wonderland, however, is a thrilling ice festival of a different caliber where daring ice climbers scale giant frozen mountain waterfalls and ice pillars with just a pair of ice ...Read more
There's So Much to Discover in Washington, D.C.
By Bonnie and Bill Neely
We were in Washington, D.C., for a special performance of The Washington Ballet at the Dupont Underground, and as long as we were there, we wanted to take in as much of the nation's capital as we could. There was plenty to do.
Like most visitors, our first stop was the National Mall to visit each of the dramatic...Read more
America's Biggest Little Italy Is in San Diego
By Athena Lucero
Of the umpteen Little Italies scattered throughout the United States, San Diego's vibrant 48-square-block Italian neighborhood is the biggest in the nation. Famous for its celebrated dining scene and year-round Little Italy Merkato Farmers Market, it's surrounded by San Diego Bay, San Diego International Airport, Little ...Read more
Disabled Travelers Find Help on the Go
By Victor Block
Betty Gordon and her husband, Don, were looking forward to a wide range of leisure activities and sightseeing opportunities as they checked into their vacation hotel. When they departed several days later, they had enjoyed everything on their wish list.
They had taken dips in the property's swimming pool and checked out ...Read more
Find More Than Baseball in Cooperstown, New York
By Victor Block
As a lifelong resident of Washington, D.C., I recently enjoyed a display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, that recalled the heyday of my hometown team's only two World Series championships in 1924 and 2019. Artifacts from those games are part of the vast collection that makes the ...Read more
A Fan Finally Makes It to Cooperstown
By Fyllis Hockman
The year was 1954. For the first time in six years, the New York Yankees were not in contention for the World Series. But I didn't care. I spent the early school year racing home to watch my heroes on our tiny black-and-white TV set. I knew not only all the players -- Andy Carey on third, Mickey Mantle in center, Hank ...Read more
Good Eats in the Off-Season at Rehoboth Beach
By Candyce H. Stapen
A bounty of good food awaits at the Delaware shore, a popular year-round escape for Washingtonians and other Mid-Atlantic residents, and the off-season proved to be one of the best times for a seaside culinary journey to the Rehoboth Beach region. The lack of crowds made getting table reservations easy, and the ...Read more
San Diego Exhibit Shines a Light on the Art of Disability
By Nicola Bridges
Framed by palm trees with expansive and pristine views of the Pacific Ocean, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego graces a prime location close to a cliffside in La Jolla, California. It is just a 20-minute drive north up the coast from San Diego through the blending communities of Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and ...Read more
LA's Griffith Park Is a Venue for Getty Art Festival
By Jim Farber
On Dec. 16, 1896, a successful mining investor and land speculator named Griffith J. Griffith donated 3,015 acres of land to the City of Los Angeles. Named in his honor, Griffith Park is an LA landmark, home to Griffith Observatory and the Autry Museum of the American West, both of which are hosting exhibits as part of PST...Read more
LA's Getty Offers the Ultimate Art Treasure Hunt
By Jim Farber
On Sept. 15 the sky above the Los Angeles War Memorial Coliseum (site of the 1932 Olympic Games) exploded in a rainbow of multicolored powder projectiles that burst and blended as they wafted on the wind. Below thousands of onlookers armed with cell phones at the ready looked on in wonder.
Created by artist Cai Guo-Qiang, ...Read more
Stay at a Haunted Hotel This Halloween Season
By Victor Block
At the turn of the 20th century, May Baily's was a brothel in the infamous red-light district of New Orleans. Today that location is the Dauphin Orleans Hotel, which invites guests to "embrace New Orleans' historic haunts and timeless charm." Lodgers at the Dauphin have reported spotting a uniformed Creole soldier ...Read more
Spiritualists Find a Home in Cassadaga, Florida
By Victor Block
As my wife, Fyllis, and I contemplated our visit to the tiny town of Cassadaga, Florida, the choices we faced were as intriguing as they were varied. Did we prefer to join a healing circle or seek spiritual counseling? Would we opt for a seance or a class in ancient wisdom teachings?
Adding to the appeal was the ironic ...Read more
Discover Global Flavors in Los Angeles
By Margot Black
It's a small world after all -- especially if you happen to be visiting Los Angeles. Do you want to nurture a child's appreciation for diverse cuisines, cultures and communities? Immersing them in different tastes, traditions and lifestyles from a young age is key. Fortunately, this city serves as a melting pot of global ...Read more
Travel Chef Andrew Zimmern is All Fired Up
By Nicola Bridges
Andrew Zimmern is on fire. In addition to his "Wild Game Kitchen" show, the globetrotting cooking connoisseur, Emmy-winning TV host and four-time James Beard Award-winner is premiering a new culinary-adventure series, "Field to Fire."
Zimmern is widely known for his "Bizarre Foods" Travel Channel franchise that took ...Read more