When Handicapped-Accessible in Hotels Really Isn’t

The most unexpected lesson I learned from my 82-year-old mother’s stroke was what mobility-challenged people may face when they need to stay in the country’s more than 54,000 hotels. My education came from transporting my mother cross-country by car (t… Continue reading

Pack Your Curiosity for an Educational Trip

Once you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, well, you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower. But when you learn about the history of how it was built (this architectural marvel was designed as the entrance to the World’s Fair of 1889 commemorating the 100th anniversary of t… Continue reading

OPINION: Your Bucket List Isn’t Worth a Dime

A recent Stanford University School of Medicine survey of 3,056 people found that 91% of them had a bucket list — things they want to do before they die. But I think the whole idea of a bucket list is disheartening. I say that because items on a “bucke… Continue reading

Mad for Midcentury: A Trip to Palm Springs’ Modernism Week

Arguably, midcentury modern’s biggest fans are the second cohort of boomers, those Americans born between 1956 and 1964. There’s more to our obsession with midcentury modern style, however, than a love of sleek, simple design. The allure is nostalgia. … Continue reading

Exploring My Family Tree Let Me Find Answers

It was a typical gray and cool October day when we arrived in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. The last time I was there, I was a toddler, visiting my Oma and Opa (grandmother and grandfather) with my parents. I’m 58 now. When my husband Peter said e… Continue reading

2020 Travel Tips: Smart Ways to Save Money and Time

You may be thinking about making your 2020 vacation plans right about now. Before you do, however, read below what I heard from four experts at last week’s New York Times Travel Show. During their sessions, they shared savvy advice on how to save money… Continue reading

11 Tips for Traveling With a Tour Group

During a dinner party, friends mentioned they were going to China. It was a 10-day, dirt-cheap, fully-guided, all-inclusive trip — and there were still spaces available. I’d never had the country on my bucket list, but when my husband said “I’ve always… Continue reading

The Best Places to Retire Abroad in 2020

Thinking of retiring abroad in 2020? Have you seen these headlines in recent months? “Death Toll in Chile Protests Since October Rises to 27,” “Nicaragua Has a Simple Message for Protesters: Don’t,” “Thousands Flee to Shore as Australia Fires Turn Skie… Continue reading

The Spiritual Practices of a Lapsed Protestant

It’s 6:30 a.m., and I have just left my “holy corner,” where I sit alone every morning for an hour or two. The early morning is for me a sacred time, what the Celts call a “thin place,” where the gap between the sacred and the secular is very narrow. T… Continue reading

‘Women-Only’ Trips Represent a Growing Travel Trend

“Girlfriend Getaways” to spas, all-inclusive resorts or gambling meccas have long appealed to women who enjoy traveling with female friends and family members. More recently, though, groups of women are heading out to ride horses in Mongolia, learn bur… Continue reading