The Spa at Séc-he is more than another wellness center in Palm Springs, California. The spa is the cultural centerpiece of the strikingly modern Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza. Located on land owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the six-acre complex includes the five-star spa and the new cultural museum that immerses you in the tribe’s history in this desert oasis. The plaza is one of only a few places in the U.S. where you can soak in a hot mineral water...
I joined three rambunctious dogs on a truffle hunt in the dense forests of the Istria Peninsula during my recent visit to Croatia. I love the intense, earthy flavor of truffles, a rare type of edible fungi that flourish symbiotically amid the roots of oak and other trees. But I knew little about truffles and I had never been on a truffle hunt. During my truffle-hunting tour, we discovered several black truffles. I learned about the history of truffles and how to cook with...
More than 1,000 bronze dwarves reside in doorways, atop bridges, and on street corners in Wroclaw, a vibrant city in southwestern Poland. Some made me laugh like the dwarf riding a Vespa. Others encouraged reflection, such as the dwarf with a big heart helping children in neighboring Ukraine. Most, well, just made me smile. Some destinations capture your imagination with towering skyscrapers, prestigious art museums, or Michelin-starred restaurants. In Wroclaw, what drew my attention were the statuettes shaped like dwarves or krasnale in Polish. ...
Wales is part of the United Kingdom and shares the Island of Great Britain with England and Scotland. But this small country has a distinctive personality that sets it apart from its better-know neighbors. The prevalence of the Welsh language, from road signs to café menus, alongside English, is proof of the country’s enduring heritage. So is the country’s cuisine, which is heavy on seafood, lamb and leek soup. Wales also has more castles per square mile than any other country in Europe....
A chance encounter with a stranger in a small town in Poland led me to the world’s tallest statue of Jesus. I was on my way to Berlin after spending 10 wonderful days devouring pierogies and visiting castles and cultural sights in Poland. But my train departed late and I missed my connecting train. I wound up on a train headed in the wrong direction. You can read about what happened next in my story in the latest issue of Food Wine Travel...
Myriad shades of blue wash over the walls of Chefchaouen, a remote village cradled in the rugged Rif Mountains of northeastern Morocco. Nicknamed Morocco’s “Blue City,” the town is one of the dreamiest places in this North African country. Smaller and calmer than frenzied Fez and Marrakesh, Chefchaouen’s arched doorways and maze-like alleys create stunningly blue photo backdrops. In the heat of summer, tourists snapping selfies can overrun the medina, or old city. However, when I added a winter weekend in Morocco’s...
A whale-watching tour in Victoria, British Columbia, is an exhilarating experience, especially in an open-air Zodiac boat. A clear, sunny day is preferable. The steep mountains and pine forests surrounding this city on beautiful Vancouver Island create a breathtaking backdrop for the Salish Sea. But even my tour on a rainy, cold day proved that this Canadian city is one of the best places in the world to see whales in the wild. My whale-watching tour was arranged as part of a cruise...
As enticing as the cable cars and cioppino of San Francisco can be, California’s Bay Area is stacked with other options for travelers seeking more rural or small-town adventures. On an excursion south from the city along the bayside of the San Francisco Peninsula, I explored several not-to-be-missed sights. At the serene country estate of Filoli, I enjoyed a wine tasting hosted by the prestigious San Francisco Wine School. Dinner followed in the walkable town of Burlingame at an inventive plant-based restaurant started by a...
The Velvet Rope, a new boutique hotel in Palm Springs, puts a modern twist on Hollywood’s heyday in this California desert town. Nine deliciously themed suites and a speakeasy-style bar transport guests back in time to experience the mid-20th century glamour that attracted celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, and Hugh Hefner to Palm Springs. The Velvet Rope opened in December 2023. But before the first official guests arrived, I was among a group of travel writers invited to experience a few days...
Morocco is known for its stunning diversity. The North African Country boasts windswept deserts and ancient cities, craggy mountains and lonely beaches, medieval medinas and modern mosques. Since my visit in early 2023, I have written several stories about Morocco’s many treasures. Recently, I had the chance to talk about my trip to Morocco on Big Blend Radio with Lisa Smith. I am excited to share my YouTube interview below with Lisa! You can also view the podcast on bigblendradio.com. You can...
As a journalist, I’ve written about crime for newspapers, business deals for magazines, cruise ship ports for online travel publications and industry trends for websites. My focus now is exclusively on travel.