Published in April 2013 on Peek.com || Colonial charm with a distinctive New England flavor encapsulates this waterfront Massachusetts city. Cobbled streets meander past historic buildings, many of which have stood guard since before Paul Revere made his fateful ride through the land. But it’s not all about the past in Boston; the city is alive with a passion and pride that saturates everything from its beloved sports teams to the brightest minds at Harvard and MIT. Read More…
Published in April 2013 on Peek.com || New York City is everything it’s cracked up to be. Even if you’ve never visited, odds are you know the sights: the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Times Square. What you won’t recognize until you feel it yourself is the energy. Manhattan is the epicenter of New York’s finance, fashion, and culture worlds. Often called a concrete jungle, the urban island is has more people, more skyscrapers, and more non-stop activity than anywhere else in the U.S. Read more…
Published in April 2013 on Peek.com || If there’s one word that describes Miami, it’s heat. From bronzed bodies on South Beach to a sizzling nightlife scene to a sunny tropical climate, this city is all about spicing things up. A diverse mix of Latino cultures creates a melting pot of voices and flavors; you’re just as likely to hear Spanish here as English. You don’t go to Miami to fly under the radar; appearance is everything here. Read more…
Published April 2013 on Peek.com || You can go to Orlando and avoid the parks, but do you really want to? With the world’s highest concentration of theme parks, America’s playground offers elaborate escapes from the real world. Heavy-hitters like Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Epcot anchor the entertainment line-up, while niche offerings like Gatorland, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the Holy Land Experience fill in any imaginable gaps. Read More…
Published on March 1, 2013 on Fodors.com || Hawaii in four days? From the East Coast? Crazy, right?
Maybe not.
With non-stop routes between New York City and Honolulu, a time zone difference that works in East Coasters’ advantage, and airline prices hovering under $500 round-trip to Honolulu, a long weekend in paradise is easier than you think.
Okay, let me bring you up to speed—in my opinion, a trip to Hawaii is always a good idea. To prove my own point, I set out on a quick jaunt from NYC this past December and while my lazing-on-the-beach time was indeed short, I was able to see tons of fantastic Oahu sights in four days without losing any sleep. Here’s how I did it… Read more…
Is River Cruising the Right Vacation for You
You’ve chosen your cruise operator and picked which river you want to explore. Your airline tickets are booked and you’re eager to relax with a glass of wine as a dreamy landscape passes by. Before you go, here are five tips to help you make the most of your river cruise adventure.
River Cruising: Do You Get Your Money’s Worth?
The ease of travel is enough to justify a river cruise’s price tag for many. Others, myself included, who are used to coordinating every element of a trip, may wonder whether the cost is worth it. If you DIY, how much money would you save?
Slideshow: Danube River Cruise Through Germany, Austria and Hungary
Follow along to see what it’s like to spend a week on the water cruising one of Europe’s grandest rivers.
River Cruise Timelapse Video: 8 Days in 2 Minutes
One of the best things about river cruising is the slow pace of the trip. Boats float along peacefully and stop regularly at towns and cities for on-the-ground explorations. But if you’re short on time, you can see what an 8-day river cruise looks like in less than 2 minutes.
5 Tips for River Cruising
You’ve chosen your cruise operator and picked which river you want to explore. Your airline tickets are booked and you’re eager to relax with a glass of wine as a dreamy landscape passes by. Before you go, here are five tips to help you make the most of your river cruise adventure.
Published on February 26, 2013 on Fodors.com || Music City is hot right now, and it’s not just because of the beauties in ABC’s hit show Nashville. And while everyone can find fun here, Nashville is becoming an increasingly popular choice for girls’ getaway weekends. Read more…
Published February 8, 2013 on Peek.com || I crave nature and wildlife when I travel, so I would spend my perfect day on Maui because during whale season it’s hard not to see whales from shore. My most memorable moment on the island is swimming in waterfalls after driving along the road to Hana. Read more…
Published September 25, 2012 on 10Best.com || There’s a reason the all-inclusive resort craze hasn’t taken hold in Hawaii. While the island chain boasts some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, there’s so much to do off the sand that few people come here to stay in one place. I’ll never complain about spending a lazy day with a book on the beach, but after visiting the Islands six times and editing a slew of Hawaii travel guides, I know that you’re missing out if you fly five (or 11… or more…) hours just to get a tan. Here are 10 unforgettable scenic drives that I promise will make you glad you left the resort. Read more…
Published on July 12, 2012 on Travora.com || I don’t disagree with Vince Vaughn’s party-crashing alter ego when he says that wedding season is better than Christmas—the parties, the reunions, and the electric sense of excitement surrounding friends’ and family members’ nuptials are some of the things I look forward to most each summer.
But I live in New York City, the most expensive place to tie the knot (the average Manhattan wedding cost $65,824 in 2011), so most couples I know chose to head out of town to greener, and cheaper, pastures for their big day. And that means if I want to celebrate with them, I have to hit the road, too. It makes no difference if the locale is exotic or mundane; if it requires me to travel, it’s a destination wedding.
Destination weddings are a big commitment—for the couple promising their lives to one another, sure, but also for guests who have to make financial and social decisions about how and when to get to the festivities.
Friday weddings are growing in popularity, which means you have to take time off from work just to attend the ceremony. Depending on transportation options and event timing, Friday weddings sometimes require two vacation days. If you have multiple weddings to attend, you’d better hope you have a cool boss.
Other couples choose long weekends and holidays for their weddings, such as New Year’s Eve, Memorial Day or Labor Day. That limits days out of the office but can clash with other, non-wedding, plans. Does anyone really want to spend New Year’s Eve in a Holiday Inn in New Jersey?
With rising fuel and airfare costs and limited hotel choices in some areas, you can easily shell out more than $1,000 each time a friend gets hitched. If you have multiple weddings over the course of a summer, you may have to kiss any personal vacation plans goodbye and say “I do” to banquet halls and the Isley Brothers’ “Shout.”
Still, there’s an upside. It’s easy to depict weddings as vacation-account drainers (both financially and in days out of the office), but these destination nuptials can be the perfect excuse for a mini-break—whatever the locale.
Unless you’re part of the wedding party, you’re likely to have some free time to check out your destination. Many guests don’t prepare for wedding travel as thoroughly as they would for a personal vacation, but with a minimum of leg work, you can pinpoint a sight or neighborhood you’d like to see and get some exploring done. At a wedding in Philadelphia, for example, some friends and I enjoyed a leisurely brunch at Parc and a walk around Rittenhouse Square before we had to get ready for the evening ceremony.
Another option is to consider what else is nearby. I plan on attending a wedding this summer in Detroit—a Friday wedding—which has inspired a weekend tour of the Midwest: I’ll celebrate my friends’ marriage that evening, continue on to Chicago to visit family the next day, then fly back to New York from there.
Some of my favorite wedding travel has been when the journey was part of the adventure. Instead of flying to a ceremony in Asheville, NC, my date and I decided to plan a road trip. We meandered along the Blue Ridge Parkway, camping and hiking along the way. It was the first time either of us had been there, and taking the slow route introduced us to the area in ways we would have missed out on had we flown in and out.
As summer progresses it’s easy to get wrapped up in the drama and stress of coordinating wedding trips. But don’t be a guestzilla: instead of focusing on the sacrifices you’re making, have some fun. With a little planning and creativity you can have your travel wedding cake and eat it too.