We had an early morning wake-up call since we had signed up for the special Tiburon/Angel Island Getaway Package, and wanted to explore the island before it got too hot. After fueling up over breakfast and countless cups of deliciously strong coffee, we walked a block to catch the ferry. Reaching the island about 20…
I sent an “instant message” to Muffin*, my pal from college with an invite to come join me in Tiburon for a 2- Daycation. Her quick response? “I’m in.â€? A few days later I pick her up at SFO and we take the endlessly long ride from San Francisco to Tiburon. Try only 15 minutes—now…
As imported wines take hold in China, it seems like new wine stores spring up in most neighborhoods that support a population looking for more than a bottle of Great Wall or Dynasty to compliment dinner. Each wine store tries to differentiate itself from the others in a variety of ways; the new addition to…
We’ve all seen left-handed scissors, left-handed keyboards, left-handed computer mice, even left-handed pencil sharpeners. Now, Sparky and Sarah Marquis of the McLaren Vale Winery in Australia, are offering a wine for left-handed people, AKA “Mollydooker” in Aussie slang. On the other hand, the company hires mostly lefties and tests them to see if they grab…
If you guessed one used QE2, then you win the grand prize. Word on the street is that the booming lil’ Gulf Emirate of Dubai paid just that for one fabulous oceanliner, The Queen Elizabeth 2. Which just goes to show you that some things DO get better with age. There will be no new…
This just in… Carlson Hotels Worldwide, which includes five hotel brands totaling more than 950 locations in 70 countries, has announced it’s offering double Gold Points this summer to reward its current Gold Points Plus(SM) guest loyalty program members and introduce the program to more travelers. From now through August 31, 2007, goldpoints plus members…
After nearly two weeks of driving and barging through Ireland, what a delight to spend our final night at a beautiful hotel less than two miles from Dublin International Airport. With an early morning flight back home to Seattle, we wanted to be close to the airport. I wasn’t expecting anything special when we booked…
How fun does this sound? The first annual New York Food Film Festival — a summer-long event featuring animation, short films, and documentaries about food — kicked off Thursday, June 14, through Saturday, June 16, with a series of films about regional American hamburgers. The festival returns from June 21 to June 23 with films…
I had the pleasure of chatting with Charles (Chuck) Siegel last week, one of the world’s foremost chocolatiers. As he told me about his background of more than 20 years of creating taste-tempting chocolate confections, I could see the passion for his vocation and why he’s built a global reputation. Buying only the best cocoa…
Last week at Valbella Restaurant in the too-cool-for-school Meatpacking District, I tasted some amazing vodkas. Of the dozens of world class vodkas presented, and many were very, very good, these were my favorites: • Hamptons Banana Vodka with its yummy, ripe banana nose and it’s long rich finish. It was a 2004 Gold Medal Winner…
Where to stay in Vancouver, BC? There are, of course, any number of great hotels in the city, including the Pan Pacific, the Fairmont, and the Four Seasons. But my favorite place for a romantic weekend is a few miles south of downtown in the beautiful residential neighborhood of Kerrisdale. The Treehouse B&B is on…
:: Hotels of the Rich & Famous – Featured Hotel: North Island Seychelles :: Luxury Launches – EADS has design on Space Plane for Tourism :: blavish – 70-Inch LCD TV Hits Korean Market :: Born Rich – Luxury Yacht Salem Up for Sale for $19.75 Million :: Journey Pod – Spotlight on…San Francisco!