Roadtrips worth taking with grandkids
If you’re like many grandparents who can’t get enough of their adorable grandchildren, nothing could be better than an overnight trip with them. But vacations can also be tricky and even stressful, especially when traveling with a wide range of ages. There can be meltdowns, fights and temper tantrums. (And the grandchildren can have them, too!) When friends ask me about... READ MORE
Travelers: don’t forget ‘overhead’ costs
Over the years, you’ve probably seen many “tips” about avoiding high city-center hotel prices by staying in suburban hotels. But when you factor in the “destination overhead,” you often conclude that rather than fight the hassle and time of commuting, you’re better off finding a cheaper hotel in the city. By “destination overhead,” I mean the daily or hourly out-of-pocket ... READ MORE
Feeding stomach and soul on Italian trail
Long ago, religious pilgrims trudged up and down the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the Kumana Kodo Trail in Japan, and other lengthy footpaths to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Many still do. Not only do these trails lead to sites of profound religious significance, but the physical challenge, even suffering, is believed to help pave the way to enlightenment. Similarly, the... READ MORE
Miami’s South Beach is funky, funny and fun
Miami’s South Beach — a 10-mile stretch of fine, white sand and sparkling, turquoise water along Ocean Drive — is the setting of seemingly endless happy hours, a bohemian playground for all ages, nationalities and ethnicities. SoBe, as locals call it, has attracted celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Marilyn Monroe, Princess Di and Michael Jackson. Desi Arnaz got his... READ MORE
Car rental gotchas and how to avoid them
Renting a car, like buying most travel services, exposes you to a few gotchas that can make your experience more expensive, less pleasant or both. But you can also avoid most of them, most of the time, by vetting your rental company and reading the fine print before you put down your credit card. Insurance catches Insurance has always been the main minefield of renting a car. The rental... READ MORE
Grandparent’s quandary: What’s my name?
We’re about to become grandparents! And to be honest, since we are the last of our friends to have that honor, I’ve heard some unique stories about choosing a name. Not the baby’s name. Thank goodness that’s not our problem. My husband and I are trying to figure out what we will be called by the grandkids. It seems that whenever I get together with my peers, this topic always... READ MORE
Alabama’s Gulf coast popular year-round
My first thought was that I must have taken a wrong turn. The scene outside the car windows — Dollar Stores, Waffle Houses and tattoo parlors — hardly matched the almost poetic name of my destination: Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Ala. Small, aging wooden houses, some of which had seen better days, lined the narrow lanes off the main road. Before long, though, I came upon glitzy... READ MORE
A unique visit to Alaska in a small yacht
The Inside Passage in Southeast Alaska is the kind of place that inspires multiple visits. On my first two trips, I cruised past its lush rainforests and coastal mountains via the large, state-run ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway. On my most recent trip, though, I hopped aboard the 85-foot MV Windward, the first charter yacht in Alaska, built in 1924. With only four cabins, the yacht ... READ MORE
Most and least dangerous places to visit
Reports about the most dangerous destinations are more useful than reports about the safest: After all, countries rated as safest generally fall under the “round up the usual suspects” meme and many of the most dangerous destinations are obvious to anyone who reads a newspaper or watches the evening news. But a few recent reports point out a few places you might be considering —... READ MORE
Three enchanting weeks in sultry Sumatra
The young orangutan swung on a vine like an Olympic gymnast. From the look on his face, it was clear that he was having a great time performing for the sweaty hikers who had trekked through the Sumatran jungle to catch his show. My wife and I were in the orangutan reserve on the edge of Bukit Lawang in Northern Sumatra on a trip hosted by Eldertreks — an adventure travel company... READ MORE
Travel 2024
#Travel Tips #Airplane Travel #Eastern Shore #Maryland #Overseas #Spain #Cruises #Hudson River Valley #Travel #International
