Napa Valley in California; Tuscany in Italy; The Rioja region in Spain; and….Michigan? While the aforementioned destinations are top of mind as a wine lovers paradise, don’t overlook this lesser known but beautiful hidden gem just 90 minutes out of Chicago. All up and down the southern shore of Lake…

Ushuaia, known as the city at the end of the world, is situated at the southern-most tip of Argentina and is famous for being the gateway to Antarctica. Most people make tracks to the far-flung city to join one of the cruises which sail across Drake Passage and explore the…

When in Africa, you’ll often hear passing reference to Zimbabwe’s famed hospitality, and there’s nowhere that you’d appreciate it more than at the iconic World Heritage Site of Victoria Falls. Everyone smiles warmly and greets you like an old friend, they’re all genuinely delightful. How could they not be, living…

I was a child going on my very first flight when I stepped into the TWA Airlines terminal at JFK Airport. I remember being mesmerized by the modern curves of the building as I prepared to enter a plane with my family. Those feelings came back to me as I…

To most, the name “Philadelphia” is synonymous with Rocky Balboa, the Liberty Bell, and soft pretzels.  But the cradle of American democracy boasts more than its well-known slew of historic landmarks and pop culture references – it is also home to a large number of world class art museums, complete…

In Rajasthan, it’s the colors that strike you first. It’s the vibrant, striking colors worn by the residents of this ancient – and very proud – region, called “Land of Kings” because of a royal history like no other part of India. The land in which they live is a…

Here’s one thing I learned on my first-ever camping trip last week: There’s something kind of sexy about sleeping with your husband under a star-filled night sky, watching him wrestle a big rig across the vast prairie, recalling cowboy movies set beside soaring red cliffs. But I digress. Let’s start…

Since 2015, I have hosted nearly a dozen trips on hotel barges. These are narrow, custom-built vessels that putter along the French canals generally for six nights/seven days. Because the barges are confined to dimensions that will allow the transit of multiple locks, many measuring less than 20 feet wide,…

It’s August, the peak of the traditional summer vacation season, and Santa wants to know: Have you taken your vacation time? If not, you’re typical for an American, but not typical in a way you want to be. Let others live boring lives. You don’t have to. Earlier in the…

Heading out to see autumn’s arrival on the landscape is not a popular pastime in Catalonia, Spain, despite the fact that there is plenty to see on the trees come November. During the fall, seasonal tourism has more to do with searching out delectable mushrooms in northern forests and hunting…

“I believe in the transformative power of travel,” Andrew Zimmern began when he got up on stage. He had just finished showing a clip from a recent episode of Bizarre Foods, the hit Travel Channel show that made Zimmern the travel celebrity he now is. People were eager to hear…

As the chef proudly leans across the counter to hand me my lunch, a few pieces of chopped tomato plop onto the floor. He smiles sympathetically, knowing that by the end of the meal, I’ll be a mess. There’ll be sauce on my shirt, avocado on my jeans, and a…