Pursuits

Jacksonville is for the Birds
By Joan Rattner Heilman Birdwatching is right up there as one of America’s favorite leisure activities and birdwatchers now number in the millions, but I doubt that many of them know that the city of Jacksonville, a metropolis of high-rises and sprawling suburbs in the northeast corner of Florida 40
Top 100 Tennis Resorts & Camps from Tennis Resorts Online
Our friends at Tennis Resorts Online have recently come out with their annual Top 100 Tennis Resorts & Camps. As editor Roger Cox says, “Ask 10 avid tennis players to name the best tennis resort or camp and chances are you’ll get 10 different answers. But ask thousands, and
Postcard from Prague
Photos and story by Richard West The last time I visited Prague was early October, 1989, one month before the fall of the Berlin Wall and liberation of East Europe. The city remained tightly Soviet-sealed: soldiers on the streets; citizens speaking, if at all, briefly in monotones, the words slipping
Aloha Kahala! Celebrating 50 Years of Aloha at The Kahala Hotel & Resort, Honolulu, Hawaii
By Linda Hayes Honolulu, aptly referred to as ‘The Heart of Hawaii,’ never ceases to amaze me. In Waikiki, tourists perusing the chic designer shops along Kalakaua Avenue, the city’s version of Rodeo Drive, contrast sharply with the casual beach culture just a block away. Beyond that, a burgeoning cultural
Postcard from Amsterdam: Day Tripping
By Richard West One of the delightful perks of living in this lovely city is the ease in leaving it to explore Holland, a country the size of Maryland, and surrounding regions. Thus on a recent blustery, chilly Saturday my wife and I boarded the French Thalys fast-train and two
Postcard from Amsterdam: Brown Bars
Richard West How pleasant as a new resident to find this is one of the world’s great pub towns, here called ‘brown bars’ from the hundreds of years of tobacco-smoke wall/ceiling stains, now, gratefully, no longer allowed. I’ve staked out ten or so around town that meet my requirements: no
Gentle Giants: Meeting the Extraordinary Whale Shark
By Brad Nahill The Caribbean Sea was gentle as our group of snorkelers headed by boat northwest from Isla Mujeres, a Mexican island near Cancun, on a bright summer day. The turquoise water near the island turned dark blue as we made our way towards the Gulf of Mexico. A

Smart Gear: ShaveTech USB Travel Shaver
For anyone who depends upon an electric shaver, the downside to traveling with one starts with the cord and charger. Then add in the correct adaptor plug when you’re packing for England, Morocco or Brazil or a jaunt through severeal countries on the same trip, each one requiring different

Smart Gear: STM Grip
I’ve been a fan of STM products for a while — they make rugged, hard shell cases to protect iPads of all iterations. But I recently came across their Grip for iPhone 5. It is indeed a hard shell (polycarbonate plastic) with just the slightest bit of flexibility, with a raised
3 Adventure Travel Companies You (Probably) Haven’t Heard About
One of the best things about attending the Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) every year is that I get to meet people who run small adventure travel companies from all over the globe. Now wait, this is not as absurd as it sounds. If you live in the United States,