Discoveries

The Brooklyn Community That Grew Up on a Ridge over the Bay
By Marian Betancourt Gilded Age tycoons sailed their yachts from Manhattan across the harbor to tie up along the Bay Ridge shore in Brooklyn. This unique part of our city has single-family homes on tree-lined streets with rolling lawns, parks for walking and biking along the shore, a golf course, and

Italy, Off The Beaten Path: The Many Faces Of Puglia
By Ann Abel People tend to talk about Puglia as if it’s just one place—the heel of Italy’s boot, a place of ancient olive trees, whitewashed masserie, the domed little hobbit homes called trulli. It’s a place that celebrates family, slow living, and long lunches under the Adriatic sun. That

The Indigenous-Owned Ecolodge Preserving Ecuadorian Communities
By Susan Portnoy To say I was intrigued when I first learned about Kapawi Ecolodge in Ecuador is an understatement. What I heard ticked all the right boxes. Imagine an intimate ten-cabin eco-lodge hidden beneath a canopy of pristine rainforest in a remote region called the Amazon Sacred Headwaters. A

Bloomington, Indiana: A Delightful University Town
By Brian E. Clark In the 1979 bicycling and coming-of-age movie “Breaking Away,” the star’s father walks with his son around Indiana University in Bloomington and muses about some of the handsome limestone structures he helped build. While some things have changed in Bloomington since that film was made more than 40

Europe’s Spas Seek to Lure Americans
By Buzzy Gordon The European Spa Association (ESPA) recently held its annual congress in Slovakia, in honor of the 100-year jubilee of the Slovak and Czech Republic Spa Association – both countries popular destinations for seeking treatment and pampering in time-venerated spas. Specifically, the unique spa island of Piestany, in

Lake Como’s Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & SPA
By Mark Sissons Long before modern celebrity A-listers like George Clooney, Richard Branson, Gianni Versace and Madonna owned posh waterfront villas here, Lago di Como, the jewel in Northern Italy’s crown of glittering mountain lakes, was a popular retreat for Europe’s wealthy and famous. As far back as ancient Roman

Brisbane Gets Ready To Welcome The Olympics
By Everett Potter The Australian city of Brisbane is energetic, youthful, and exuberant, with the vibe and lifestyle of a perpetually sunny place. It’s emerging as a must-see Down Under destination for Americans, who can thank United Airlines for recently initiating nonstop service from San Francisco. The fresh-faced city has been

What’s New in Old San Juan
By Deborah Gaines Like most of us, I have a travel bucket list. I crave exotic destinations, electrifying experiences, and adventures I’ll never forget. But after three years of pandemic restrictions, I’ve lost my appetite for discomfort. I’m not willing to take the kind of risks that once invigorated me,

The Longfellow Hotel Will Open In Portland, Maine
By Everett Potter Portland has been on the upswing for nearly two decades, thanks to a growing and much-acclaimed food scene and a rebirth that began in the cobblestone streets of the Old Port. That spirit of growth, renovation, and revival has now spread throughout this picturesque waterfront city, the

World’s Best: Saffire Freycinet, A Luxury Lodge In The Wilds Of Tasmania
By Everett Potter If location is everything in real estate, Saffire Freycinet won the grand prize. This intimate resort at the edge of Freycinet National Park overlooks Coles Bay and a jagged pink granite mountain range called The Hazards. It’s situated in eastern Tasmania, that wild Australian island with the same