Top Stories
Simple Pleasures in Southeast Ireland
Some 60 feet below us stretched the Irish Sea. Distant waves swept barely audible sounds onto the shore. Apart from the twitter of birds, we couldn't hear anything else. Quite a difference from New York City where we live! My wife, Roxie, and I were following a narrow...
Recipe: Galettes des Rois
A galette is a French flat, round, crusty cake or even a flatbread. It's associated in the French-speaking world with the celebration of the Epiphany. January 6th is the feast of the Epiphany that celebrates the biblical story of the arrival in Bethlehem of the Three...
Where to Eat Near Carnegie Hall
If you're going to a concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall (pictured above) in the near future, you may wonder where to have a meal. There are countless restaurants in the area, but here are my favorites. La Grande Boucherie is my number one choice. It's a classic...
A Blast From the Past: Temptations and Four Tops Coming to NJPAC
What a lovely blast from the past! Motown legends The Temptations and The Four Tops practically defined popular American music in the late 1950s and 1960s, along with the other performers on the Motown roster. They will be in concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts...
No-Alcohol Wines
I don’t think I have a personal prejudice against low calorie, no-alcohol wines. Still, through the years, I have tasted a number of these bottles and thought most had very little to no taste. But the product line, Ventessa by Mezzacorona, has proved to me that I can...
Travel News & Advice – December 15, 2024
New UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Travelers from the U.S., Canada, and Australia will have to apply online for an ETA to enter the UK starting January 8, 2025. It can take up to 72 hours to process, so you need to apply in advance with your passport...
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Destinations
Simple Pleasures in Southeast Ireland
Some 60 feet below us stretched the Irish Sea. Distant waves swept barely audible sounds onto the shore. Apart from the twitter of birds, we couldn't hear anything else. Quite a difference from New York City where we live! My wife, Roxie, and I were following a narrow...
Hotels, Resorts, Spas
Hotel Review: Le Meridien Fifth Avenue, NYC
This 4-star hotel, Le Meridien Fifth Avenue, is located on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan between East 30th and East 31st Streets. That makes it a stone's throw from the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, Macy's, and the West 34th Street shopping...
Food, Wine, Spirits
A Brief History of Rum
Some of rum’s history isn’t pretty. Rum or rhum - depending on whether you're in an English or French-speaking area - is the Caribbean’s most frequently produced spirit. It's also produced in the Southern USA and Central and South America. Every island and every...
Cruise & Sail
Searching San Diego for the Largest Mammal of All Time
I have dreamed for decades of seeing a blue whale - the largest animal that's ever lived (as far as we know at least). When I first investigated the possibility, the only places to see them were remote and usually in very cold waters. Since then, they have become much...
Museums, Entertainment
Going to Las Vegas? Three ‘Not-to-Miss’ Shows While in Town
Las Vegas offers a variety of shows, entertainment, and special events that will be sure to please travelers coming to this desert haven. What’s even better is that many shows are geared to different price points and audiences, which means there is something for...
Travel Advice, News
Travel News & Advice – December 30, 2024
FTC in the U.S. passes law about "junk fees." This new law prohibits bait-and-switch pricing that hides fees at hotels and in live-event ticketing. It's about time, right? But bear in mind that this doesn't prohibit fees, just the hiding of them. Free city tours...