I had always imagined that Auckland was representative of the whole of New Zealand. Numerous business trips where all I saw was just another metropolis, beautifully positioned on the water, but somewhat lacking in character and enthusiasm. Therefore it caught me by surprise when I first visited the South Island in September 2007, and saw…
In preparing for a one month trip through some safe and not-so-safe (as in you really need to guard your belongings) countries, I’ve been testing a bunch of new travel products to see which will be good enough to win a corner in my carry-on luggage. Here are a couple of new products that will…
I’m one of those travelers who had never been to Europe. Of course, like many I had those Parisian dreams of being swept off my feet, but visiting major tourist cities becomes a little tragic after a while. So late last year when I was invited to spend three nights in the Loire Valley in…
Amazingly FUN-tastic Girlfriend Activities: Glacier Raft Company: The oldest river-rafting company in Montana — located just half a mile from the Park’s west entrance which makes them a perfect home base for your Glacier National Park explorations—knows EXACTLY what girlfriends want in an adventure vacation. I chatted with two of the managers, Rachel and Alex,a…
( The above picture of me on top of Whitefish is courtesy of Big Mtn Photos HOW TO GET THERE By Air: Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) is just 19 miles from Whitefish Mountain Resort and is served by three major airlines: Delta, Northwest and United. By Train: This historic railroad-turned-ski town is still a…
FYI: Snowmobiling is, during the day, a safe and sane way to get from point A to B while taking in some incredible views. At night, however—night in Montana, nonetheless, with its big sky gone dark and not even a scrap of moon to illuminate the snow-covered trails—snowmobiling seemed like pure insanity. For me, it…
Our Fave Activites: 1. Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens: One stop shopping for all your cultural needs. You can easily spend the whole day here exploring the stellar European art collection, strolling through the dozen gardens sprawled out over 120 acres. Choices include a zen Japanese Garden, the multihued Rose Garden, the Garden…
With an annual production of 30 million bottles of wines distributed in over 120 countries, when Georges Duboeuf (a.k.a. the King of Beaujolais) says that the “2009 Beaujolais is the vintage of a lifetime,” wine lovers everywhere are taking notice. I was one of the lucky dozen invited to a private tasting dinner at the…
Question: When does anything these days exceed your expectations? Well, this grand Dame sure did. The hotel literally blew us away. With a 35 million dollar face lift (that buys a whole lot of Botox) the hotel had just finished freshening up its’ previously somewhat staid interior with several dramatic but pleasing make-over’s. The impeccably…
Early this month, during a familial conference call, my NYC sis started whining, “It’s so wet and monsoonish here on the East Coast.” Then mom chimed in, “Try living in Seattle, my dear. It’s cold and dreary and totally depressing. I’d love some sun.” I was then commanded to come up with a getaway plan….
Marriage, the most special occasion for a woman becomes more special with a spectacular diamond studded wedding gown. The famed jewelry designer Martin Katz gave this dream the shape of reality in collaboration with the dress designer Renee Strauss. The stunning wedding gown studded with 150-carat diamonds came to the spotlight as the most expensive…
This Sunday forgo the usual “all- you- can- drink Bloody Mary Brunch” and hop over to Pier 94 in Manhattan. Sip good wines, taste from a number of the Big Apple’s best resto’s ( Buddakan, Illili, Centrico, Kittichai, ) sample from gourmet food folk like Murray’s Cheese and Bella Cucina, while viewing some amazing party…