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Ditch the diet and follow the foodies along Napa Valley’s gourmet mile”
Now is not the time to start a diet: ditch your guilt and follow the foodies along Napa Valley’s Gourmet Mile! In the land of culinary riches that is Napa Valley, Yountville, a small town has big reputation for exceptional cuisine and extraordinary wine. Located in the heart of Napa, about an hour drive from San Francisco,…
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San franciscobest things to do recommended by locals
Click here IMG_4779 to listen to the seals at Pier 39 in San Francisco. As a San Francisco local, we have lots of recommendations of things to do that are a bit off-the-radar. After our guests have gone to the “must see” tourist places: Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, Ghirardelli, and The Golden Gate Bridge, here are…
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Travel rip-offs and how to avoid them
Let me share my travel tips of how to avoid theft, frauds and over-paying. 1.) Avoid baggage fees. Depending upon the airline you can pay $15 to $75 for the first checked bag, and more for overweight bags. When possible, pack lightly enough to carry-on one bag or fly airlines that still allow free checked bags (two…
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A bit of culture and the best tour at the Sydney opera house
On my last trip to Australia my best tour of the Sydney Opera House was backstage. No doubt you’ve laid eyes on an image of the Sydney Opera House – a waterfront theater topped by semi-circular domes that jut dramatically into the Sydney sky. The opera house is a World Heritage Listed Building, for good…
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Managing airport stress
No one escapes stress. All people can do is to manage it. There are a multitude of causes, but airports rank among the worst of them. A neuropsychologist remarked while passing through London Heathrow, the sixth busiest airport in the world, that it was a similar experience to being in a riot, according to the Telegraph newspaper…
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Managing airport stress
No one escapes stress. All people can do is to manage it. There are a multitude of causes, but airports rank among the worst of them. A neuropsychologist remarked while passing through London Heathrow, the sixth busiest airport in the world, that it was a similar experience to being in a riot, according to the Telegraph newspaper…
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Unforgettable cape town. exclusive, discrete luxury at the ellerman house
Are we having a “deja vu” of the Amalfi Coast or the Cote d’Azur , my husband and I asked ourselves as we walked into the Ellerman House, a Cape Town luxury hotel. Our arrival was discrete. There are no signs outside Edwardian-era mansion in a “billionaire’s residential neighborhood of Bantry Bay (home to some of…
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Packing tips for everyone
Even the most experienced travelers need help packing and are constantly learning new travel tips. Packing tips Start to pack early. Don’t wait until the night before you leave. My check list of what I’ve forgotten on past trips: a power strip to plug in several electronic devices when there aren’t enough, conveniently located, electrical…
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Debit and credit card fraud
Unfortunately, debit and credit card fraud are hazards of travel. Although rates of fraud vary in different countries, according to Forbes, “Mexico and the United States are more prone to fraud with 44% and 42% of respondents there saying they’ve experienced card fraud.” What can you do to protect yourself? Unfortunately, debit and credit card fraud are hazards of…
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Travel with teens. tips and best vacations.
Why Travel With Teens? Attitude with a capital A, sullen silence and mono-syllabic conversations are only half the fun of traveling with teens. Add to this the pungent aroma of smelly socks (travel with teenage boys), or being locked out of the bathroom for hours (travel with teenage girls) and you might wonder if family…
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Culinary adventures and travel tips to avoid the worst.
Many of us travel, among other reasons, for the love of food. These travel tips to help you survive your culinary adventures worldwide. My culinary adventures include eating yak eyeballs in Tibet, bamboo grubs in Thailand, fried crickets in Myanmar and Rocky Mountain oysters (cow balls) in Wyoming. …
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Cruise the croatian islands or the Greek islands
Crystal clear seas and more than 1,000 islands lure sailors to cruise the Croatian Islands or the Greek Islands every summer. My husband and I chartered a 42-foot Jenneau sloop for a sailing holiday among these idyllic islands. Our two teenage daughters accompanied us – spending most of their…
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Tour company gives free bike trips to great teachers
For over a decade, outstanding teachers have won free bike trips during their summer vacations, thanks to the generosity of Bicycle Tour Company, ExperiencePlus! Teachers have biked in Europe and South America so that in the Fall, when they return to the classroom they have shared what they learned about geography, ecology, history, culture,…
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Ten tips to avoid jet lag
As a travel writer, I frequently fly across oceans and time zones. Here are my travel-tested tips to avoid jet lag or minimize jet lag fatigue. 1. Avoid alcoholic beverages, or salty drinks (like Bloody Mary mix) and caffeine during the flight. 2. Drink a glass of water every hour you travel. 3. Keep your feet…
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A scorpion hunt for nature enthusiasts. follow the call of the weird and wild.
In addition to birding or hiking, many nature enthusiasts look for the weird and wild such as a scorpion hunt to break out of the mold. Consider these wild and wooly events some national wildlife refuges have planned this spring. Earn bragging rights on a Scorpion Hunt Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge – Alamo, NV Moapa…
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New york’s neighborhoods: soho, noho, chelsea, greenwich village, and tribeca
I visit New York about three times a year, usually alone, on business. I’m going back to speak at the New York Times Travel Show and will report on new neighborhoods and “finds” soon. On a recently trip with my twenty-two-year-old daughter we explored new neighborhoods recommended by her friends who live in the Big…