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…
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 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…
It’s all about boutique. So no surprise that the cruise industry’s first boutique-luxury river cruise line is ready to set sail. Jewel River Cruises is launching the first all-suite, boutique luxury river cruise ship designed for discerning travelers. With the debut of the ms Jewel Imperial Blue, the line plans to add two more ships…
I bet that even the most solitary monk, living in a remote cave in some foreign country, knows that Healdsburg is a mecca for wine lovers. Ideally located just a short drive from more than 100 award-winning wineries in the renowned appellations of Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley, Healdsburg makes the…
Paragon Tango Departures is a new luxury tango travel company. And yes, it’s all about tango — in Argentina! Amanda Gary is the force behind Paragon. She previously hosted cycling trips for Butterfield & Robinson in Argentina, Estonia and Italy. The Los Angeles native has replaced her “wheels with heels” to pursue her love of…
Rachel Stevens is a top photographer (her portraiture work has been featured on A&E and the Discovery Channel) that specializes in transforming every-day women into hot, sexy screen sirens of the 1940s, sexy pin-up girls of the 1950s, sultry sex kittens of the 1960s and modern day vamps who gaze at us from magazines. A…
On your next visit to New York City do yourself a favor and take a tour with Foods of NY. This savvy tour company knows the best kept secrets of the local neighborhoods and will lead you on a culinary adventure. Foods of New York offers walking tours of various New York neighborhoods. As you…
Since travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens is severely restricted by our government, here’s a way to see the Caribbean island without leaving North America. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts opens a new exhibition on January 31, iCuba! Art and History from 1868 to Today. The show includes some 400 works of art showcasing…