instinct

McSorley's is one of the oldest Irish taverns in New York City. The Old Ale House opened its doors in 1854. This historic drinking hole was a stop for Civil War soldiers before they went off to fight. In fact, Coopers Union, where Abe Lincoln would give speeches, is right around the corner; and he was known to pop in for a drink. As tradition would have it, soldiers during World War I would hang wishbones over the bar - which can still be seen today.

May 10

May 10 St. Augustine, Florida Has Historic Roots

In 1607, a small band of settlers founded the first permanent English outpost in the Americas, Jamestown in the Colony of Virginia. At that time, another town already had existed since 1565 in a different part of the New World. Last year, St. Augustine, Florida, which traces its roots to that 16th-century settlement, celebrated its 450th anniversary. That supports its claim to be the oldest continuously occupied European community in the country. Given its history, St. Augustine offers visitors a setting which captures not just the stories but also an authentic atmosphere of its colorful past. That comes to life primarily in the city’s 144 square block historic district.

May 5

May 5 Costa Rican Tourist Attraction Discourages Tourists

Fyllis Hockman

The last 18 miles of the road leading to the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica, full of ruts and potholes by design, takes over an hour and a half to navigate. The locals like it that way. And they choose not to fix it because it would be too easy then for tourists to visit.

Apr 28

Apr 28 Glamorous Transport in Venice

Steve MacNaull

Channeling our inner George and Amal Clooney, my wife and I glide over Venice's lagoon in a sleek private water taxi. As we pass the mouth of the Grand Canal, the domes of the resplendent Basilica in the pigeon-filled, cafe-lined San Marco Piazza come into view. The crowd is thick mid-morning on the Riva Degli Schiavoni, the floating city's main waterfront promenade. However, we avoid the throng by slipping into the Rio del Vin and under the stone Ponte del Vin with its ornate balustrade.

Apr 26

Apr 26 Truffle Hunting in Slovenia

Steve MacNaull

"Isci, isci," ring out the shouts in the hills above Koper, Slovenia. Translated the command is, "search, search." The verbal encouragement comes from Sara Kocjancic and is directed at two-year-old yellow Labrador retriever Liza, a truffle-hunting dog extraordinaire. Following instructions, Liza, tail up and snout down, zigzags through the forest in a quest for truffles.

Apr 21

Apr 21 Puerto Vallarta: Magic and Mayhem on the Malecon

Fyllis Hockman

So I heard that you could spend from dawn to dusk on the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and never get bored and I thought, “Okay, I’m up for that challenge.” Well, maybe not the dawn part -- I’m not a morning person – so I had no problem leaving those early hours to the joggers and those seeking an early start to catch their red snapper for dinner.

Apr 19

Apr 19 Top Cities for Millennials

Judy Hammond

Homes, Work

Furnished housing aggregator, Nestpick has released a top 100 list cities best suited millennial travel and migration. Nestpick compared thousands of cities worldwide to discover which are the most appealing to millennials, and why. Pairing industry knowledge alongside intensive research Nestpick identified 16 factors that matter to millennials including housing affordability, immigration tolerance, equality, and transportation accessibility and of course, nightlife.

Apr 17
Apr 17 Infinity and Beyond on a Cruise Ship

Steve MacNaull

Play, Travel

Tucked away on deck seven is the most fabulously well-located infinity pool. The clear pool water, delightfully and deceitfully, melds seamlessly with the azure of the Mediterranean Sea and the blue of the sky on the horizon. As such, it immediately and naturally becomes my wife and I's favourite hangout on the new Viking Sky cruise ship. It's the ideal place for a morning dip, the perfect precarious perch for sail aways and a refreshing respite on hot afternoons.

Apr 14

Apr 14 St. Kitts Sun, Sand, and Relaxation

The island is only about the size of Washington, DC and from the air it resembles a somewhat chubby baseball bat. It shares a common history and government with its even smaller sister island located a scant two miles away, as a federation within the British Commonwealth.

Like tiny Nevis, St. Kitts offers the attractions that lure people to the Caribbean seeking sun, sand and relaxation. Unlike its more laid-back neighbor, St. Christopher as it’s formally named offers a wider choice of opportunities for sightseeing, an inviting variety of active pursuits and its own distinct personality.

Apr 12

Apr 12 Explore In Dreams: David Lynch

Homes, Style

What better way to celebrate the 27th anniversary of Twin Peaks - then heading to the Lower East Side in New York, and attending: “In Dreams; a group art exhibition inspired by the cinematic work David Lynch’s Spoke Art NYC played host this past Saturday; and had massively great opening night event for those who loved all things Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, and Lynch-ian.

Apr 10

Apr 10 Royal Treatment at Ryokans

Elyse Glickman

Some Japanese historians trace ryokans back to Buddhist free rest houses that proliferated during the Nara era about 1,300 years ago. Others link them to roadside inns that were rest stops for merchants and growers traveling to central markets in major cities. During the Edo era (1603–1868), ryokans were a lodging of choice for samurai, government officials, royalty and upper class travelers.

Apr 3
Apr 3 Explore Greenpoint in Brooklyn

Mar 29

Mar 29 L'Éclair de Genie

Heather Kirk

Style, Travel

The éclair is the most popular patisserie treat in France because it’s easy to eat, easy to bake, and most importantly— comfort food. The éclair originated in France in the early 1800s, first made by Marie-Antoine Carême, a pastry chef for French royalty. With their growing popularity around the world, éclairs are more than a flaky fad; they are having a renaissance.

Mar 27

Mar 27 Live Tokyo Like a Local

Elyse Glickman

Now that you've done the National Gallery of Tokyo, toured the Imperial Palace grounds, braved daytime crowds in Asakusa and strolled the Ginza, you're ready to dig in deeper. But where do you go, and how do you get there? How do you know what places are the places you need to see now? Hint: it's not the cosplay scene in Harajuku, which has faded in the years since Gwen Stefani devised a fashion line inspired by it.

Mar 24

Mar 24 Imposing as the Man Who Lived There

Fyllis Hockman

Homes, Travel

Having recently received a misguided shout-out from the president during Black History Month – Frederick Douglass has done an amazing job… – it seems a good time to revisit the cultural icon’s legitimate place in history. And a visit to his home in Washington, DC – surely a place the current president might want to consider visiting himself – would be a good place to start.

Mar 23

Mar 23 Cinco de Mayo with Fiesta Old Town

HEATHER KIRK

Love to celebrate Cinco de Mayo but can’t afford to go to Mexico? Take a trip to the largest Fiesta in the United States-- Fiesta Old Town, San Diego!

From May 5-7, the historic Old Town will transform itself into a bustling community complete with traditional style paintings, live music, and of course, delicious treats-- all in support of the Historic Old Town Community Foundation.

Mar 21

Mar 21 The Glory of South Australia

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia. It's known as the City of Churches. It also has the notoriety of being the acid vat murder capital of Australia - due to the grizzly crime depicted in the movie, Snowtown. Basically, there is something for everyone in Adelaide. Known as The Festival State - South Australia goes crazy with such events as the Adelaide Fringe Festival, WOMAD, and the Clipsal 500; all packed into the month of March. And then - the city of Adelaide basically shuts down for the other 11 months of the year.

Mar 17

Mar 17 A Delightful Maritime Province

The story of people who 4,000 years ago lived in a wilderness area of rolling hills and placid waterways in present-day Nova Scotia, Canada is told in drumming demonstrations, birch bark canoe building and other activities from the past.

The scene is very different in a nearby village. Some of its French-speaking residents are descendants of the man who founded the community in 1653, and in a number of ways the setting would be at home in Paris.

Mar 10

Mar 10 Sun, Sand, & Rum