Mention a river cruise, and most travelers immediately think of Europe. The Rhine. The Danube. Medieval towns, castles, wine regions, and a different port nearly every day. European river cruising has plenty of reasons to be popular, and I still recommend it. This year’s low water levels have caused some cruises to change their routes […]

Scotland has been calling me back since 2013, when my former life as a film producer took me there to scout locations for a romantic comedy. I was taken with its misty Highlands, ancient castles, proud character, and slightly cheeky sense of humor. Perhaps my Scottish heritage played a part, but from the moment I […]

Every once in a while, someone I know will casually say, “Oh, by the way, we just booked a cruise.” And I’m thinking: You did what? These are often people who know I own a travel agency (my sister, I’m talking to you!). Some read my weekly e-zine faithfully. They ask where I’ve been, what I […]

There are destinations that impress you from the moment you arrive. And then there are places that quietly work their way into your heart. That’s Portugal. It’s the café where locals converse over coffee instead of rushing to the next appointment. It’s the sound of church bells echoing through cobblestone streets that have been walked […]

Some trips are relaxing. Some are exciting. And then there are journeys that completely change the way you see the world. That’s exactly what comes to mind when I think about Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand by land. Instead of unpacking once and spending a week in one destination, imagine waking up each morning to a […]

When people think of Barcelona, the same names usually come up first. La Sagrada Família. Park Güell. Casa Batlló. La Boqueria. Montserrat. I’ve been to all of them, and I wouldn’t tell anyone to skip them. They’re extraordinary for a reason. But on my recent trip to Barcelona, I found myself thinking less about the […]

Most people come to Bad Ragaz for the thermal waters. They soak, they dine, they admire the Alps, and they leave, never knowing that in just over two hours, they could have stood in four countries. I learned this from Gian, my contact at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, during a visit last November. He grew […]

Most of my clients carry a mental list. Machu Picchu is usually on it. So is a safari. The Taj Mahal. The pyramids at Giza. Easter Island, for the adventurous ones who’ve seen the photos and wondered what it actually feels like to stand in front of those stone faces. The problem isn’t ambition — […]

Twenty years from now, people might forget the candle and the flowers, but they’ll remember the trip. They remember the restaurant in Lyon where the waiter brought another bottle of wine without being asked, and suddenly two hours were gone. They remember seeing their mother tear up in front of Monet’s Water Lily Pond, a […]

There’s a moment that happens in certain places — when you’re sitting at a table you couldn’t have found on your own, eating something you couldn’t have ordered without context, and you realize the food you’re eating is actually an entire history lesson, a conversation about who these people are and what they’ve survived and […]