Getaways

By Richard West. Here in beautiful Amsterdam, where my wife and I have been living for five years, the thousand-year-old city becomes even more lovely during the end-of-the-year holiday period. Decorations draping the major streets, lights and wreaths on many doors of the 7,500 17th-century canal houses, groups of carolers,

Story & photos by Julie Maris/ Semel In Piemonte, when the Wool Road changes course south of Biella towards Alba, the fiber connects textile traditions to centuries of wine production. The culture of wine and its landscapes resulted in UNESCO’s designation of the Langhe-Roero and Monferrato regions as a World

by Geri Bain After driving from New Jersey, I am happy to hand my keys to the valet at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar in Washington, DC and say goodbye to my car for a few days. Stepping into the lobby, I stop to pour myself a refreshing cup of cool

By Larry Olmsted “I hear from clients all the time, today, who think the entire region is decimated, no power, nothing open, no flights,” said one of the thousands of luxury travel advisors attending the annual Virtuoso conference in Las Vegas two weeks ago told me, shaking his head in

By Bobbie Leigh The tony celebrity islands in the Aegean are beyond stunning. The rolling hills, cubist architecture, and white sand beaches are unlike anything you have ever seen.  Keep in mind that Homer had it all wrong in the Odyssey. These are not wine-dark seas. In fact, they are

By Anita Stewart By Anita Stewart There is a majesty here – just as founder Anthony von Mandl envisioned it from the beginning in 1981. Set atop an ancient, well-worn mountain overlooking British Columbia’s Okanagan valley, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery is the most beautiful winery in Canada. From its

By Everett Potter When my wife and I were looking for a getaway from New York last summer, we had only a couple of days to play with and a real need to get close to the water. We found our getaway on Block Island, 13 miles off the Rhode

By Monique Burns   With super–tall skyscrapers and a booming economy, Shanghai is Asia’s answer to the 23rd century. But China’s high–tech showcase hasn’t forgotten its roots.  Take Yuyuan Garden with pavilions and plantings based on centuries–old landscape designs. Or the riverside Bund with elegant buildings from the 1920s and 1930s

By Bill Triplett Quick, what do the Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Keith Urban, Lady Gaga, Billy Joel, Bryan Adams, Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars, Bon Jovi, the Black Keys, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Sting, Charles Aznavour, Elton John and a ton of other musical heavyweights have in common? At one point or

By Everett Potter Castine is one of my favorite towns on the Maine coast. It’s a stage set of white clapboard Greek Revival houses from the turn of the 19th century, thriving perennial gardens and a mere handful of shops and restaurants. It seems (and has always seemed) just a little