Flying small jets to small towns generally makes me feel like an afterthought for the airline industry. Going to Grand Rapids or Cedar Rapids, Fresno or Pasco, Colorado Springs or Palm Springs more often than not means dark, dank regional terminals seemingly miles from the main airport concourse with snack machines as the only food…
The province of Quebec has some classy casinos, and a very cool one across the river from Canada’s capital city of Ottawa is Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau. The adjoining Hilton Lac-Leamy offers more than a dozen packages, including the Awakening Senses package. The package includes one night’s accommodation in a deluxe room; buffet breakfast…
United Airlines fired the first salvo last week by announcing a $25 surcharge on any second piece of checked luggage. But if you’re bold enough to try to check a third or fourth bag, get ready to get a home equity loan to pay for the $100 fee per bag. Ouch! Read its Domestic Baggage…
After 2 days of poolside lounging and 2 nights of 8 hour sleeps, we were ready to head into town for a little action.We transferred to our new digs, The Sophia, a trendy boutique hotel, located on the edge of the jumpin’ Gaslamp District. The Sophia is located just a block away from all the…
If I’m not off traveling in some exotic country, I usually check in with my mom, who lives in Seattle, every morning. For the past month the conversation has gone something like this… “Hi Mom. How u?” “Hi Dear. I’m simply freezing to death up here!” So in an effort to try and thaw her…
Known for comfortable sophistication, five star dining experiences and attention to detail, Celebrity Cruises takes it up a notch with a classy new ship featuring some exciting “firsts” in the cruise category. As you well know, it’s Food and Libations that “float my boat” so I perked up to learn that there will be 10…
My husband and I spent two nights in Miami’s South Beach last week before going on a Cayamo songwriters’ cruise in the Caribbean. I hadn’t been to Miami for at least 30 years, and what a difference three decades makes. Most impressive is the preservation of the Art Deco District. Thanks to Barbara Capitman and…
Love – and chocolate – have powers well beyond Valentine’s Day. And a great new trend, if for nothing but the aroma, is using chocolate in spa treatments. The French, Indonesians and the choco-fans visiting Hershey, Pennsylvania, all swear by its skin-softening and anti-aging properties. I know that putting chocolate in my mouth makes me…
My friends Mari and Gil are the owners of Sozai Restaurant and Sake Lounge in my old Sunset District neighborhood in San Francisco. For Valentine’s Day Dinner, they’re offering a choice of either a six-course Japanese Kaiseki or a Western Fusion dinner with an optional sake pairing for each course. The prix fixe menus are…
My mother had a knee replaced recently, followed by a slow, painful recovery in the middle of a dreary East Coast winter. So I thought I’d take her on a pick-me-up weekend get-away to relax at a comfortable, cozy, cute inn along the Chesapeake Bay. She’s certainly mobile, but a F room would be needed…
“A” is for Adour, a new wine-focused restaurant from one of the world’s greatest chefs, Alain Ducasse. Named for the French river near Ducasse’s birthplace (and where he had his first culinary inspirations), the former Lespinasse space has been revamped by the team behind Nobu, mixing modern touches such as a goatskin bar, lots of…
“B” is for Bar Boulud, Chef Daniel Boulud’s casual wine bar and bistro, perfectly located across from Manhattan’s Lincoln Center. The wine cellar will be dedicated to two regions by Boulud’s hometown: Burgundy and the Rhône Valley. Just the wines to pair with Boulud’s lavish array of house made charcuterie- terrines, pates, cured ham, dried…