I’ve always been amazed at those who had acquired enough wealth to buy their own island. I remember Marlon Brando had one in Tahiti. My advertising colleague Hal Riney got rich enough from writing and doing voiceovers for TV commercials to buy part of a Honduras Bay Island. But now, you can purchase your own…
I don’t know about you, but I really can’t stand January. All those depressing “has-beenâ€? Christmas trees littering the sidewalks, that pervasive feeling of guilt that comes from having already broken most, if not all, of your New Year’s resolutions, and the only thing left from all that holiday cheer is an unwelcome extra ten…
It’s been rumored for months and yesterday, at MacWorld San Francisco, Steve Jobs finally unveiled the long-awaited Apple iPhone. It combines three products in typical revolutionary Apple fashion: 1) An unbelievably easy-to-use mobile phone that lets you make calls by pointing your finger at a name or number in your address book; 2) A widescreen…
Everybody wants to get back on track at the beginning of the new year, and hotels are putting together some jump-start packages. One of the better ones is the New Year’s Resolution package at The Sutton Place Hotel. I was just in Vancouver, and it’s one of the best cities for shopping, spa-ing, sleeping and…
January is traditionally the lowest grossing month for restaurants anywhere. But 100 of the top San Francisco restaurants have found a possible cure with the annual “Dine About Town” promotion. These restaurants are again dishing up extravagant three-course meals a special prix fixe prices. Just use your VISA card to take adantage of the deals:…
Sad news… One of the best restaurants in Marin County, north of San Francisco, burned to the ground last week following a storm-induced incident. Now the world famous Manka’s Inverness Lodge along the Bolinas Lagoon is just a pile of ashes. Luckily, the cabins, annex with conference rooms and boat house are still open and…
Carmel-by-the-Sea. The very name conjures up romantic images. And the experience doesn’t disappoint. This picture-book village on California’s central coast is situated along a beautiful stretch of white sand beach. The town is filled with art galleries, interesting shops and restaurants. In the midst of all this is L’Auberge Carmel, a perfect spot to call…
No trip to Dublin is complete without a tour of the Guinness Storehouse. The Storehouse was built to house the Guinness fermentation process and also conducts tours for curious visitors. Entering the Storehouse is like stepping inside a giant pint glass. Each floor is a layer of a beer museum leading all the way to…
We’ve all got a handful of digital devices these days: iPods MP3 players, cell phones, GPS, Gameboy® and other portables. But what if you’re staying at an upscale hotel, you forgot your charger for something, and the drawer at the concierge’s desk doesn’t have one to match? Instead of schlepping a separate charger for each…
The one and only time I’ve ever been to Luxembourg was during my first trip to Europe in the early ’70s. I flew Icelandic Airlines (now Icelandair) to Luxembourg on my way to be an au pair in Switzerland. All I recall is that my first night in Europe was spent in a Holiday Inn…
Pick up nearly any issue of People Magazine during the winter months and you’ll usually find a photo of a celeb like Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro, Jerry Seinfeld or Jennifer Lopez hosting a party –– or staying at –– the Hotel Jerome in the upscale town of Aspen. This sophisticated Colorado hangout features nearly 100…
As a lover of modern Japanese cuisine, I was pleasantly surprised when my date took me out to lunch at Zuma — a Tokyo-style restaurant in London’s fashionable Knightsbridge district. To start our meal, we shared appetizers of steamed edamame, sesame spinach, and seaweed salad. Then followed small courses of the house salad, fried soft…