xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>One of the main things I write about besides adventure and culture is value luxury or let’s call it something we can all understand: smart luxury. Viking Ocean Cruise (better known for their river cruising) has developed a product that could not better describe what smart luxury is: the Romantic Mediterranean aboard the Viking …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>Travel with a private/personal photographer I am crazy excited to tell you about an upcoming adventure I am taking! I have decided to try something totally different in the travel world and go off-the-beaten-path this month with a private, local photographer. Why? So that I can put down my camera (well a little bit!) …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–> I was on my way to the Grand  Velas in the jungles of Mexico. I was hired to photograph the 10th anniversary of the Festival of Life and Death (Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead) for Experiences Xcaret. I couldn’t be more excited about my assignment! As a former physician …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>You can follow your nose smell of the copal aroma or “the incense of the earth” to the Mayan village at Cancun’s Xcaret. As it is here where the Pre-Hispanic dances take place right as the sunsets. You will be able to admire the horse exhibition, where charros (Mexican horsemen) and “adelitas” show off …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>Do you know the story of Las Posadas? Posadas means “accommodations” in Spanish and Las Posadas is a Mexican tradition that has been celebrated for over 400 years. Its roots are in Catholicism, yet even Protestant Latinos follow the tradition. It is the nine-day journey of Mary and Joseph in search of a place …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>Known as a hip, trendy and wealthy beach town in Southern California, Newport Beach has over 10 miles of Orange County’s best beaches on the Pacific Ocean! If you are looking to go somewhere this winter, make it Newport Beach, as there are so many amazing things to see and do. Part of living …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>  As I enter the Holocaust Memorial, an Israel Museum in Jerusalem, I am overwhelmed with it as a space. The Israel Museum has a well-thought-out architecture that leads you down the path of the Jews during the holocaust, which is a horrific time in our world’s history. The triangular-shaped Holocaust Memorial is made …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>  It is not very often that I write about a travel app that makes your life easier and it a lot of fun.  In fact, this is the very first time I have ever written about an application used for travel. I am so excited to be a part of the new, best …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>“There is no blue without yellow and without orange.” — Vincent Van Gogh I’ve Got The French Blues! I dream in color, vivid dreams of French Blue that swirl around in my head. Imagine an artist’s brush, dipping first in the dark tones of blue and then in the lighter ones and smearing them …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>On my recent visit to Salamanca, Spain in the Castile Y León region, I was fortunate enough to have lunch at the famed restaurant, Zorita’s Kitchen. It is located on the property of the Hacienda Zorita Hotel, a small luxury hotel. This was a perfect stop after touring the University of Salamanca, which dates back to 1218 AD, …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>Gliding down the Rhone River, I couldn’t wait for my first stop in Southern France. A quick jaunt across the bridge and I had entered an ancient walled-city that at one time had been surrounded by a moat. The ‘Old Town’ area is filled with cobble-stoned streets, architectural treasures from the 13th century and …

xml encoding=”UTF-8″–>  Take Journey through Champagne France I found that in only a quick jaunt from Paris, in the Champagne France region that borders Burgundy, there lies a tiny slice of heaven known as Essoyes. According to Jean Renoir, “There is no other place like it in the whole wide world. There I spent the …