ArcaMax

By Margot Black

The beauty of a family vacation is that you can be the master of your own destiny and get some much-needed play time together. However, it's not always easy with kids when they're hungry, bored or because you haven't packed a favorite toy, sweater or snack. But fear not. With a few tips and a little extra preparation your...Read more

By Victor Block

Model boats are decorated with brightly glimmering lights. Women sprinkle water scented with basil around their houses, believing this will keep bad spirits away. Families dine on spit-roasted pork and fried pastry. This is Christmas as it is celebrated in Greece.

People around the world welcome this special day in a ...Read more

By Victor Block

If you went on a trip last winter to ski or enjoy another snow sport in the United States, you were in good company. According to the National Ski Areas Association, Americans made more than 65 million journeys to play in the snow, and some were to unexpected places.

For example, more than 6 million snow visits were to ...Read more

By Margot Black

Venice is one of those awe-inspiring travel destinations that will simply take your breath away. With its iconic canals that lace the city and myriad historic buildings that seem to float on water, Venice is a travel gem that's in a league of its own. Experiencing this enchanting cityscape is like being transported into ...Read more

By Margot Black

Situated between the towering peaks of the Andes Mountains and the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean lies Santiago, Chile's vibrant capital city. This is a city of diversity with a unique appeal where Latin and European cultures intertwine. Whether you're exploring historic and architectural landmarks, savoring its ...Read more

By Victor Block

One summer my family spent 10 fun-filled days on a 60-acre "gentleman's farm" in Massachusetts. We paddled on and swam in the 3-acre man-made pond, enjoyed a nearby Atlantic Ocean beach and took outings to a 250-year-old witch's house in nearby Salem. From there we went to Gloucester to watch the fishing fleet return with...Read more

By Victor Block

With Old Man Winter's arrival and the accompanying cold winds, you might be thinking of how to escape the snow and frigid temperatures that will descend upon much of the country. Or perhaps you are just are in the mood for an inviting sun and sand vacation. It's time to begin checking out the inviting islands that beckon ...Read more

By Victor Block

A stretch of golden sand lies against a backdrop of colorful art deco architecture. Farther north, people stroll, jog and pedal bicycles along a boardwalk that parallels an oceanfront beach and passes amusement parks, fast-food eateries and gambling casinos. On the other U.S. coast, sun worshipers alternate working on ...Read more

By Victor Block

About 14 million people go downhill skiing each winter, and 8 million more hurtle down mountains on a snowboard. That's out of a total U.S. population of more than 330 million. If you're among the great majority of non-skiers, you don't have to wait for the snow to melt and warm weather to return in order to enjoy outdoor...Read more

By Bonnie and Bill Neely

Although we have been to Jefferson, Texas, many times through the years, we always make a stop when we're near this beautiful historic town. Jefferson was established in 1840 as one of the earliest towns in Texas. Having been recently acquired from the Indigenous Caddo Confederacy, this site was a perfect docking...Read more

By Jim Farber

Some 25 million years in the making, the spectacular geologic uplift known as Vasquez Rocks is one of the most famous movie locations in the world -- and it's less than an hour's drive from Los Angeles. It looks like a land suspended in time, which is exactly why Hollywood fell in love with it.

Embraced by moviemakers ...Read more

By Victor Block

Several adventurous travelers clamber aboard an amphibious vehicle for a trip through shady swamplands seeking sightings of bison, panthers and other four-legged denizens. Not far away people watch in awe as a daring wrestler pulls an alligator out of the water and grapples it to the ground. Later these sightseers are ...Read more

By Candyce H. Stapen

Sometimes it's nice to make an entrance. Charlotte, wearing a floor-length dress, sashayed into Peacock Alley, positioning herself under the row of Beaux-Arts chandeliers, stepping past the potted palms and gilded pilasters. She found her place on the gold settee flanked by glittering sconces and felt like royalty. ...Read more

By Victor Block

Molly Weems was nervous about taking her first flight at the age of 8. Her 11-year-old brother, Tom, had flown once before, but because it had been a bumpy experience, he feared a repeat performance. Then suddenly everything changed. Delighted by the antics of a friendly pig named LiLou, Mollie forgot her qualms. For Tom,...Read more

By Sharon Whitley Larsen

"Just get on the ship and go!" has become my philosophy for cruising. I love ship life, no matter what the itinerary. My husband, Carl, and I have been on 33 cruises over the past 20 years -- ranging from eight to 27 nights. For me, the longer the better, especially if there are sea days.

We recently took a 12-...Read more

By Fyllis Hockman

So there I was in my white lab coat examining the 40 different vials and trying to determine which combinations to mix to get the best outcome. Admittedly I wasn't enacting some important scientific discovery or creating a medical breakthrough, but it felt almost that significant. What if I screwed up, made ridiculous ...Read more

By Margot Black

At the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, Cabo San Lucas is a desert playground at the edge of the Pacific Ocean where a fulfilling array of activities on land and sea beckons to be explored. The reasons for Cabo's popularity are its sun-kissed beaches, rich cultural heritage, thriving culinary scene...Read more

By Candyce H. Stapen

Two by two a pod of some 40 dolphins arced through the water like a double chain of joyful chorus dancers. Enthralled by the Disneylike performance, the seaside crowd in Bethany Beach, Delaware, stood still in awe.

For my family and me beaches are our happy places with their healing mix of sun, sand and soothing ...Read more

By Jim Farber

The primary business of state capitals such as Olympia, Washington, is governing: drafting and passing bills (or not), floating budgets, gladhanding and strong-arming -- so much to do. As a result, when the legislative season is in full swing, Olympia buzzes like a beehive.

But when I was there at the end of summer, all of...Read more

By Victor Block

The Smithsonian Institute is super, the National Gallery of Art is gorgeous and the National Air and Space Museum takes visitors on flights of fancy. These are among major galleries and exhibits that make Washington, D.C., a true museum-lover's paradise.

Those in the know, however, are aware that the city also is home to...Read more