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Le Germain Hotel, Québec
Québec City is home to the most photographed hotel in North America – Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. It’s grand and historic and beautiful, but I wouldn’t recommend staying there. Instead, book a room at Hôtel Le Germain. It too is historic and beautiful, a bit more refined (in my humble opinion), and A LOT less touristy. Originally built in 1912 for Dominion Fish & Fruit Limited, at the time it was the tallest building in Québec. In 1997, the Germain…
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Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New Mexico
Only a 35 minute drive from downtown, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is definitely worth a visit the next time you’re in Santa Fe. The adventure begins from the moment you turn onto Interstate 25, with a minimum speed limit of 75 miles per hour; being a New Yorker, this was quite exhilarating since on a normal day I’m usually creeping along in gridlock. From I-25, you take two-lane Route 16, which cuts across a sandy expanse with the scenic…
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Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
If you’re visiting southern Oregon or northern California, you absolutely must check out Crater Lake. I’ve had a fascination with Crater Lake for just about all of my life. As a child, seeing pictures of a volcanic island rising out of a lake in the Encyclopedia Britannica was such a curious sight to me. In 2011, While visiting the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in nearby Ashland, I finally got a chance to see it in person, after which I was even…
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Le Mas de l’Amarine, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France
When visiting Provence, you should stay in a centrally located area so you can experience all the flavors of the region. With the Vaucluse to the north, the Luberon to the east, and Bouches-du-Rhône to the south, there’s a lot of ground to cover, which is why I recommend the well-situated, sweet little town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Just north of the Alpilles hills, Saint-Rémy is under an hour’s drive from all of the A’s – Avignon, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, and Apt. On…
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Forsyth Park, Savannah, Georgia
It was a balmy spring afternoon in Savannah, and I was looking for somewhere to escape the heat. I didn’t want to head back to the hotel but it was just too hot to walk around, and so I made my way to Forsyth Park. The 30 acre space is over 150 years old, and is a center point for the residential area that lies south of Savannah’s historic district. With a book in one hand, a bottle of water…
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The Lost Whale Inn, Trinidad, California
The Lost Whale Inn is the perfect place to stay while visiting the Redwood Coast of Northern California. Located off the 101 in Humboldt County, just north of Eureka, it’s close to Patrick’s Point State Park, Redwood National Park, Lady Bird Johnson Grove, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The inn is situated on a bluff high above the Pacific. There are eight charming rooms and suites, several with balconies and ocean views. Do not miss the home-cooked breakfast, which…
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Le Sentier du Littoral, Cap d’Antibes, France
We arrived at Plage de la Garoupe on the eastern shore of Cap D’Antibes about 30 minutes before sunset. Parking was easy, and thankfully there was clear signage leading to the trailhead of the Sentier du Littoral. I heard that the Sentier du Littoral was a great spot for watching the sun set upon the Riviera horizon. The trail started on a little peninsula jutting into the Baie des Anges with incredible panormaic views stretching from Antibes to Nice and beyond…
