North America

Here's lookin' at all you boomers! We grew up being the kids whose parents shared their favorite love story movie, Casablanca, and it remains a classic today. If you come to New York, the Casablanca Hotel will become your favorite classic place to stay in the Big Apple.

Journey through Alpine vistas, stunning landscapes, charming towns and striking lakes as you explore all the beautiful Canadian Rockies.

Looking for a pleasant drive, friendly folks, and an area steeped in history? Head to the Lake Erie region of Southwestern Ontario, Canada.

Recently we had the unfortunate need to travel to Beaumont, Texas for a family funeral.  Since this amounted to a journey of 950 miles each way, it was imperative for us to stop for the night along our route.  We were looking for somewhere to divide up the trip into a two day drive, and Grenada, Mississippi was a little more than half-way.

Our trip to Mount Ida, The Quartz Crystal Capital of the World, left us dazzled, amazed, and in awe of what beauty Mother Nature can create. We saw quartz crystals with points, clarity and clusters of every shape, size, and color imaginable.

Have I got a surprise for you! Who says you have to go overseas to stay in a charming bed and breakfast that also gives you cooking classes? Don't get me wrong, going to Italy, France, Spain, etc. is amazing, but if you don't want to break the bank, go to Cincinnati! Yes, I said Cincinnati, as in Ohio.

Twelve miles from the downtown area is the amiable village of Glendale, population 2,200. It dates back to the 1850's and was the first planned railroad commuter town in the United States and therefore designated a Historic Landmark in 1976 by the Department of the Interior.

On our way to Beaumont, Texas we stopped at the Louisiana Welcome Center for the usual rest break. While there, I thought to ask the attendant about Cajun restaurants close to I-10 where we could stop for lunch. She gave me a number of brochures and finally came to one on Crawfish Town. She said that she had eaten there herself and that it was very good. This turned out to be very fortuitous advice because my brief comment on Crawfish Town would be simply OMG!

Immerse yourself in the vibrant, living Eden of Costa Rica.  This tropical paradise located on the Central American isthmus is filled with extensive wildlife, lush rain forest, and stunning coastlines.

As always one thing leads to another, and in this case watching a barbeque cooking show, the BBQ Crawl, on the Cooking Channel during the summer led us to a day trip to Whitesville, KY on September 22, 2013.  In the show Danielle Dimovski, aka Diva Q, travels around the country to showcase BBQ restaurants and competitions by the best BBQ cooks in the United States. In this instance one of the places she visited was the BBQ at the annual church picnic at St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church in Whitesville, KY.

It is difficult to find a true intergenerational family experience that entertains, educates, and inspires, but on our recent road trip to SanAntonio, Texas, we found one. We went to Enchanted Springs Ranch with aunt, uncle, niece, twin 5-year olds, and a fifth grader and we all loved it!!