Category: Destinations

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Is Ready for Its Close-Up

They’re all here: ET pointing the way home; Dorothy’s iconic ruby slippers; Charles Foster Kane’s childhood sled, Rosebud; R2D2; the ravenous shark from “Jaws”—and so much more. It took 92 years to get this long-wished-for project completed. But on Sept. 20 the $484 million Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opened its doors to the public,…


See Weird and Wonderful Sights at Chiricahua National Monument

Whenever we’ve driven west, we have always tried to go through the small town of Willcox, Arizona, where for years we found the best coffee and cinnamon rolls anywhere. That shop has closed, but we still go to Willcox for coffee and hot cinnamon rolls, hamburgers, and other good food served all day at the…


Luxembourg’s Surprising Wines

Wine in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is hardly new. In fact, viticulture dates back more than 2,000 years to the Romans, who planted the first vines on the steep slopes of the Moselle River that today forms the country’s border with Germany. The tradition and sense of place one finds here are equal with…


Bangkok Jewel: Thailand’s Grand Palace 

Covering some 54 acres in the heart of Bangkok, the Grand Palace is one of the world’s most stunning architectural wonders. Built by Chakri Dynasty founder Rama I, the palace served as the Thai royal residence up until 1925. Built on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River beginning in 1782, the palace expanded…


A National Passion: Sauna in Finland

Sitting outside, they steam. A whole line of them, leaning on railings and sitting on a bench, cold beers in hand, an incongruous sight here in the heart of Helsinki. While Saturday shoppers and happy couples and little families stroll by on the nearby sidewalks, decked out in casual yet practical Nordic fashions, these soggy,…


5 Great Ways to Experience the Grand Canyon

The far rim is so distant, it seems to shimmer in an entirely different reality, another world. A place separated, north from south, by a chasm. Normally, canyons are deep and narrow, slender enough that the floor remains in an almost-perpetual shadow, a little silvery sliver of river snaking at the bottom, a fleeting flash…


Vacationing Where the Italians Vacation: Lake Garda

As Americans, we’re all aware of the siren call of go-to Italian getaways such as Positano, Florence, Rome, and even the beaches of Sicily. Many of us flock to these destinations each year like flies to honey. But with such places in their backyard and plenty of less-crowded alternatives available, where do the Italians vacation…


Discover the Flora and Fauna of Joshua Tree National Park

Ordinarily we would have driven through the desert landscape as fast as possible to leave the dryness, extreme heat, sand, cacti, and rattlesnakes behind us. But our son, Tom, who loves the desert, wanted to introduce us to Joshua Tree National Park, one of his favorite places to hike. We had seen pictures, but we…


Two Nations, One Natural Wonder: Victoria Falls

The night has turned black, and the cascades are loud, the tumble, rumble, and crash drowning out all the other nocturnal sounds of the usually lively African forest. Navigating down a winding path illuminated only by the flashlight in my hand, the cacophony intensifies as I approach the edge. Part of a small tour group,…


Old West Meets Modern Chic in Scottsdale, Arizona

Bejeweled women dressed in the latest fashions stroll into Gucci, Neiman Marcus, and Tiffany, intent on adding to their wardrobes and adornments. My wife, Fyllis, is learning to rope cattle and clean horses’ hooves. The first impression we had during our visit to Scottsdale, Arizona, was the diversity of attractions—even when it comes to shopping….