A visit to the North African country of Morocco awakens the senses. In Rabat, the savory aroma of chicken simmering with olives in a clay tajine pot piqued my sense of smell. The cobalt blue walls in Chefchouen’s maze-like medina nearly blinded me on a sunny day. The lyrical sound of the “call to prayers” echoed in my ears from small-town minarets in the Atlas Mountains to the country’s largest Islamic mosque in Casablanca. I could not resist running my fingers over the...
A wealth of Old World and delicious new attractions can flood Bruges’ historical squares and arched stone bridges with tourists. But on a visit last spring, I escaped the crowds by veering off the main streets and exploring the city’s narrow alleys, smaller canals, and off-beat attractions. By starting my days early — while late-night revelers still nursed Belgian-beer hangovers — I could leisurely admire the city’s iconic 15th-century churches, ornate buildings with stair-step gables, and must-see museums. Please read my recent story in...
With the Lattari Mountains looming above and the sparkling Mediterranean Sea below, Sorrento occupies an envious position on the rugged southwestern coast of Italy. Not only is the setting beautiful, but Sorrento is also the summertime gateway to the stunning scenery of the Amalfi Coast and the tony island of Capri. We, however, were visiting in mid-January. And we were not sure what to expect when we boarded a bullet train on a frigid day in Florence. We were just hoping to unwind and...
Fireworks over the Grand Canal on New Year’s Eve. A lavish brunch of pasta and Prosecco on New Year’s Day at an iconic restaurant on the island of Torcello. All that and more was on the agenda of our girls’ trip to Venice in December 2021. Covid-19 infection rates were finally waning. We were vaccinated, boosted, and ready to bust out of quarantine when my friend and Italophile Corky organized our trip last summer Then, a Covid variant ominously called omicron began surging....
Three ornate Victorian turrets top a mansard roof at the Renaissance St. Augustine hotel. Multiple porches wrap around the sprawling three-story structure, which is painted in as many pastel colors as you’ll find in the local ice cream parlor. This popular seaside town on Florida’s northeast Atlantic Coast is the oldest continuously populated city in the U.S. and thus takes its history seriously. … You can read my full story about the Renaissance St. Augustine Hotel in Travel Weekly here.
...
“Utah has the best rocks.” That’s what my friend Shellie told me when she learned about my plans to visit the Mighty 5 National Parks in Utah on a road trip last May. I laughed and nodded. But I didn’t really understand what she meant until we turned south on Utah 128, not long after crossing into the state on I-70 from Colorado. We’d just driven through the magnificent Rocky Mountains from Denver. We’d gaped at several 14-teeners, wound around numerous lofty cliffs, and...
During the peak of the coronavirus pandemic last summer, a road trip to the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, Texas, provided welcomed relief — even in the middle of a Texas heat wave. You can read about my road trip in the December 2020 issue of Food, Wine, Travel Magazine, starting on page 70.
...
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.