Discoveries

By Everett Potter The name Airstream conjures up the legendary company that designed and developed the coveted “silver bullet” travel trailer that every hipster on the block would like to own. Airstream is still innovating, more than 80 years after their founding by inventor Wally Byam. The company has just introduced a

  By Monique Burns I’ll admit it. I’ve fallen head over heels in love with the W Hotel Suzhou, one of China’s newest, hippest and most high-tech retreats.   If that sounds surprising coming from this lover of crystal chandeliers, marble columns and old-world charm, imagine how surprised I was.  Suzhou,

Story and photos by Geri Bain Reggae rhythms play at pastel-painted bars and small friendly boutiques sell Bob Marley tee-shirts and chic locally designed sundresses along the main drag in the small town of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. My favorite shop, Luna May, offers handmade,

By Mary Anne Evans The early sun begins to burn off the morning mists, the scene resembling a billowing curtain drawn back to reveal a landscape of moorland punctuated by groups of trees and small hillocks, rolling fields and…ponies. Many ponies; in fact around 4,500 of them live here in

  Story & photos by Josephine Parr Legend has it that the colorful buildings of Cartagena used to be white until an ophthalmologist, who owned a paint store, convinced the town leaders that white buildings in the bright sun were bad for citizens’ eyes, resulting in everyone having to repaint

In the realm of television travel series, Kathy McCabe has one of the coolest gigs around. The host of the PBS series Dream of Italy, she gets to hobnob with Francis Ford Coppola in Basilicata, make tortellini in Bologna and tag along with truffle hunters in Piedmont. There are now two

By Larry Olmsted Recently there have been a slate of new lounge openings and one-upmanship in the airline industry, including the excellent and still growing American Express Centurion Lounge network and the ongoing roll-out of the United Polaris Lounge product. But one Caribbean airport just upped that ante with its

By Ann Abel The Algarve region of southern Portugal is beloved for its stunning beaches, buzzing resorts and sleepy fishing villages. So it comes as something of a surprise to discover the vibrant art scene. But international creatives have settled in here in a serious way, giving the whitewashed, sun-drenched

Story & photos by Julia Maris/Semel At the foot of the Alps nestled between France and Switzerland, Piemonte’s beautiful landscapes and history are no longer guarded secrets. The northwest province of Italy incorporates the perfect triangle from Turin to Biella and Alba. The easily-driven route offers remarkable wine, centuries-old traditions

By Everett Potter Thinking about heading to Chicago this summer?  I teamed up with Expedia.com to bring you five great reasons to go. CHICAGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION HOTEL Set right on Michigan Avenue, across from Millennium Park, the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel is a Venetian Gothic structure that dates from 1893.