Let’s say you’ve been to a great small city like San Francisco or Amsterdam and walked to most of the sites. Or you’ve been to large cities like Chicago, New York, London or Paris and taken public transit to get around. Now –– if you’re a jogger and you’re in Rome –– you can take…
Nothing’s as romantic as an ocean view room. The Tickle Pink Inn at Carmel Highlands, four miles south of Carmel-By-The-Sea, offers the lure of the rugged Pacific Coast coupled with new Pacific Dream beds that feature cloud-like plush mattresses dressed in Italian-crafted, 100% Egyptian cotton sheets. Ahh, luxury! Plus, their Special Fall Offer gets you…
First, there was Jet Blue, which forged new territory with affordably luxurious comfortably flights offering leather seats and individual TV screens with dozens of channels. Then, there were Starwood’s W Hotels, which gave stylish travelers cutting-edge amenities and designer hotels with a personal touch. Now, Starwood has revealed aloft, which is intended to raise the…
Remember Jonny Moseley? He’s a Bay Area resident who won a Gold Medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in moguls. To celebrate his 30th birthday, he helped stage an X Games-type event called “Icer Air 2005” two days ago that drew about 5,000 to Fillmore Street, one of SF’s steepest hills. I was driving about…
New York City has hundreds, if not thousands, of hotels. But in the world of boutique hotels, The W stands out as a 688-room tranquil oasis. Inspired by nature’s elements of earth, wind, fire and water, it’s for savvy travelers seeking refuge in a hectic world. Now, if you book and stay at The W…
Once a year, the people in India travel across hundreds of kilometers of arid desert to attend the Pushkar Fair in the state of Rajasthan. Though it’s best known as the world’s largest camel fair, Pushkar is a burst of dazzling styles, colors, shopping, and more, as Hindu pilgrims converge for a holy dip in…
One of the hottest, most intimate restaurants in San Francisco’s fashionable Pacific Heights district, even when it’s foggy overhead, is Quince. It opened early this year and features a blend of California and Mediterranean cuisines. The chef is Michael Tusk, who formerly worked at Oliveto and world-famous Chez Panisse in Berkeley. One review called it…
Via Inhabit.com: Kitsch will always be in. That may explain the success of the Caban Cariad (Welsh for “Love Shack” from Under The Thatch rental agency), a Swedish prefab cabin imported in 1973 that’s recently been refurbished. It opened in July with a decor that’s a mix of vintage, modern and Ikea: a floral couch,…
Via ShoppingBlog.com: The September issue of Conde Nast Traveler has announced its annual “Green List” –– ranking the creme de la creme of ecotourism. For 2005, the top score goes to the five star, 17-acre Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort on Vanua Levu, overlooking Savusavu Bay, which features an unsurpassed variety of eco-friendly activities from…
Tablet Hotels provides a list of several hundred of the world’s most noteworthy hotels. Why are they noteworthy? They say these hotels “provide something you will not find elsewhere. If you’re tired of the predictability of brand-name chain hotels, then, well, you’re like us.” They also say “Tablet Hotels is the cure for boring travel…
Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter and other closeted leading men were gay trailblazers in Hollywood’s Golden Era. In recent years, movies like “The Bird Cage” and TV programs such as “Will & Grace” and “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” have embraced the gay and lesbian lifestyle — not that there’s anything wrong with it. From…
Remember the “I Love Lucy” episode where she stomped grapes with an Italian woman? Looks like you, too, can go splat-splat in a vat at the Reno Great Eldorado Italian Festival on October 8th and 9th. Also part of the cultural festivities from 10 am to 4pm on Virginia Street and the Plaza on Fourth…