January 2016

By Neil Wolkodoff The Big Island of Hawaii presents a diversity of travel and recreational opportunities on essentially the largest mountain in the world. The Big Island has sand, lava fields, vegetation, two primary volcanic mountains and even rain forests. Your mix of activities should be proximity driven. No real

by Buzzy Gordon The Dead Sea has been extolled throughout history for its healing properties. While thousands of sufferers from psoriasis, rheumatoid disorders and other diseases flock annually to its shores and waters for relief, just about everyone can benefit from the overall sense of well-being imparted by the planet’s

Story & photos by Marlene Fanta Shyer If Maximilian, the former King of Bavaria, declared Regensburg to be the most beautiful city in all of Germany, who are we to argue? Of course, he last visited the place some time in the nineteenth century and I arrived there last week,

“Three people may keep a secret — if two of them are dead.” Benjamin Franklin Story & photos by Jacqueline Church Travelers love discovering new places. The joy of sharing these secret finds is tempered only by the fear that we’ll soon see it overrun by hordes of new travelers,

By David McKay Wilson As we dined at the Stowe Mountain Lodge’s Solstice Restaurant in mid-December, and groused about the maddeningly warm late autumn, our waitress produced a list of techniques to invoke the snow gods. I’d forgotten my pajamas, so I couldn’t put them on inside out and backwards.

By Gary Walther On the first full day at Mountain Trek, a tall, silver-haired figure slides through the side door of the dining room at 7:40, walks over to a shelf, picks up an old-fashioned alarm clock (the kind one winds with a key), and then plants himself at the

By Everett Potter When the U.S. State Department issued a worldwide travel alert in November, it left many travelers wondering what they should do, where they should travel and what it all really meant. With the alert in effect through February 2016, confusion still reigns, so here is the reality

Story & photos by Cathie Arquilla My son asked, “So, how was India?” I knew I had about two minutes to describe my trip, he was wolfing down Cheerios, about to be late for school.  “It was a hot mess,” I said. Explaining further, it’s super busy and chaotic.  Everyone

By Steve Jermanok Whenever I stay at Stowe Mountain Lodge at the base of Vermont’s tallest peak, Mount Mansfield, I relish the opportunity to hike into Smugglers’ Notch. Simply take the Over Easy Gondola to the base of the Stowe Ski Area and walk to the end of the plowed