The Cinque Terre ("Five Lands") is a quintet of hillside villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, part of the Cinque Terre National Park and with the distinction of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of Italy’s most beautiful and colorful collection of picture perfect villages embedded in the cliffs overlooking the…

Visiting the capital of Massachusetts (and, indeed, all of New England) is a treat in uncountable ways, as 16 million visitors a year can tell you. And here are the don't misses:



Freedom Trail



An itinerary covering 16 key history/heritage sites connected to the American Revolution for independence from Great Britain. It includes the Massachusetts State House, the cemetery where various famous citizens are buried;…

The "Other Down Under" destination of New Zealand is on the bucket lists of many Americans -- and justly so. Problem is, New Zealand is a long way from anywhere U.S.A. Consequently, most tourists want to see as much as possible on their first visit. Our suggestion for an orientation trip to New Zealand – book a cruise.

The Rationale

A cruise will visit several ports on the two islands of New Zealand, which is a great way to get a taste of the entire…

Our weekend outing to Lake Casitas, on an artificial island in a Ventura County reservoir some 80 miles south of Los Angeles,  was my first camping trip since Girl Scouts, and this time there was no sit-upon or mess kit.  Camping today is a first-class affair, with all the creature comforts of home to go along with all the creatures, and the rest of…

Our cruise only stopped for a short time in Miami, and we believed the best excursion to take was the airboat ride through the Everglades.

It wasn’t the only tour on offer. Miami was always a big draw for the rich and famous. There was a city tour which promised…

The Great Barrier Reef is certainly the gem of Australia. When it comes to planning a Great Barrier Reef holiday, choosing the right port city to stay in can make a big difference in your experience. Even if you are staying on an island, you still need to get there, so you should plan on a mainland port city that offers something you are also interested in doing.…

As the Spanish wine industry has grown and deepened in complexity in the past couple of decades well beyond Andalusia’s traditional sherries, oenophiles…

As a business owner with clients around the U.S., I occasionally hit the road for face-to-face confabs.  So when I needed to meet with a new client in Baltimore, I researched hotels in Charm City where I could stay while taking care of biz.

Given my affinity for hip boutique hotels, I checked out two popular…

Contemplating an escape to coastal Maine evokes images of Clipper ships, rugged beaches, lighthouses, and the most prized lobsters in North America. Kennebunkport is a fine example of where all this and more comes together. Where you stay has a big impact on the quality of your experience, and thankfully your search is now…

The UK has so many wonderful destinations that are just waiting to be explored - including some you probably haven't even heard of!  Check out this quality quartet:

Edinburgh



Edinburgh has it all. It doesn't matter if you're a history lover, culture buff, foodie or just looking for a wonderful family break, there's no…

In Costa Rica – a country renowned for its legendary sensational amount of plants and animals – it’s one thing to boast about having the greatest biodiversity. It’s quite another to have tons of scientific research to back up the claim.



Not only is the rainforest around …

Why is it every so often we long to be spending time 'away from it all'?



Sure the pressures of modern life can be exacting on our system, but a good weekend usually sorts that stress out. To really get away from it all because something in you says "OK, time for a break" means more than getting away from the daily stresses…

Have you ever stayed in a convent?  Surprisingly, many of our fellow travel fanatics out there have shared with us that they have, indeed, spent some time staying in converted nunneries or convents.  Besides the inherently peaceful aura that seems to surround these modernized convents, many of them are located in absolutely gorgeous…

I arrived in a quaint village in the French countryside and checked into a charming villa arranged by my travel agent.

un…

New Hampshire's Mount Washington Valley region is built on small business. Beyond outdoor tourism like skiing, mountain climbing, and whitewater rafting, more than 25 locally run inns and 70 restaurants, along with an array of local specialty food purveyors and farms, fuel a robust hospitality and culinary scene.…

We established our base camp in Sestri Levante and settled into an eight-night vacation rental in the center of town.  On previous trips to this area we saw the white mountains surrounding the village of Carrara and made a note to someday add it to one of our itineraries… today was the day! 

Tunnels and Caves in the Hills of Carrara, Italy

The drive from Sestri was less than two…