Gentrification of Upstate New York is nothing new. Several towns (and I’ve written about many on this blog) in the Hudson Valley and Catskills have gotten the Brooklyn treatment in the last decade or so. But not all such restorations have gotten the same level of care as The Henson Hotel, a brand new luxury inn in sleepy Hensonville, New York.
Read MoreWe just got back from a lovely (but quick) jaunt to Lisbon and Porto. With limited time and jet lag, we could not see it all, but we sure got a wonderful taste of these two sun soaked, stunning, seaside cities of Portugal.
Read MoreI am no hiking or park expert but I know enough to know that Zion National Park is INCREDIBLE and a must do activity. This very special park is accessible, unique, breathtaking and a place any human would enjoy.
Read MoreThe secret is long out on Hudson. Though this little city in Colombia County is further from the BIG CITY than most of its other Hudson Valley companions, Hudson, NY really mirrors a lot of the best things about NYC. It’s got great culture, great shopping, great progressive community feelings and a whole lot of hipness. Things move slower in Hudson, though, so if you come for a weekend getaway from downstate, prepare to relax. Read on for my favorite spots in and around town.
Read MoreA lot of new, hip businesses and motels are popping up in the Western Catskills. Livingston Manor has even been described as the Catskills’ newest hot spot. But don’t go there or really anywhere in the Western Catskills expecting a ton of action and excitement.
The Western Catskills are where you go if you’re looking to unwind. The living is slow, quiet and outdoorsy in Sullivan County. The downtown areas over here range from small and sleepy to non-existent, especially if you compare them to actual Upstate NY hot spots like Hudson or Beacon.
Come to the Western Catskills to hike, to fly fish or to simply relax in a hammock next to a scenic lake or stream, breathing in the cool Catskill Mountains air.
Read MoreThe Florida Keys are a VIBE. Come down if you like eating, catching or looking at fish. Come down if you like feeling the wind in your hair while on a boat. Come down if your preferred music is Jimmy Buffet, your preferred footwear is flip flops and your preferred cocktails come frozen.
Read MoreIt took us a very long time to visit the Berkshires, a rural region in the mountains of western Massachusetts that is popular for hiking, skiing, relaxing, fall foliage peeping and perhaps most famously, soaking up culture. The Berkshire region is noted as a center for the visual and performing arts.
Just a few hours from Fairfield and Westchester counties, the Berkshires make for a great weekend getaway. I am surely not an expert after spending just 48 hours there, but I think this weekend visit gave us a solid, basic overview of the area.
Read MoreWe spent 10 days in Colorful Colombia. Traveling to this country has been high on my list ever since our girls’ amazing former nanny shared stories of her home country's beauty with us. Colombia is also quite an easy foreign travel destination - it’s quite a short plane ride and there is little to no time difference (depending when you go).
During our trip, we hit Medellín - an urban city in the process of revitalization, Jardín - an absolutely charming coffee farming community and Cartagena - a Caribbean beach destination extremely popular with US tourists.
Read MoreThe Sagamore Resort is a historic hotel sitting directly on Lake George in a tiny but cute town called Bolton Landing, NY.
It is widely known as a popular Northeast summer destination but since (i) we’d probably never make it here in summer (#TeamMaine) and (ii) we noticed this spot offered some INDOOR attractions, off we went to the Sagamore on a January long weekend road trip!
Read MoreWe just got back from our first ever family visit to the mountainous West!
While our kids are still not naturalists or cowgirls, this was such a wonderful way to expose them to the natural diversity of our country and to West culture. And as a lifetime Northeasterner, I was truly blown away by so much that we saw.
Read MoreCosta Rica is such a beautiful, safe and easy to access country. Visitors flock there to experience its lush greenery, volcanoes and wildlife, and to partake in adventures like zip lines, natural hot springs and ATV tours.
Years ago, my husband and I visited Arenal and Manuel Antonio and took part in the typical Costa Rican adventures. On this recent family trip back to CR, we had one objective in mind: to relax in a jungle.
The living is easy and beautiful at the Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica. It’s a perfect warm weather escape for a family.
Read MoreThe day after Christmas this year, we left for a two night trip to the Catskills, NY. Woodstock was our home base, but during our stay, we bopped around a few of the neighboring towns, including a great second visit to Kingston - which is fast becoming one of my favorite Hudson Valley towns. Read on for some trip highlights. The whole thing is less than 2 hours from home - an easy weekend trip.
Read MoreI’m a mom. I’m a corporate lawyer. I really like to explore, eat and travel and I also like to plan where I’m going to eat, where I’m going to explore and where I’m going to travel. I hate the gym but also hate sitting still. I love NYC and try to get there often. My kids see me on my phone a lot looking at pictures of food, pop ups and dogs.
I started this blog because I was sending too many one-off emails to friends with suggestions on what to do and where to go. My posts are not intended to be full fledged reviews, but rather quick glimpses of what I've been up to. Hopefully posts will inspire you to check out some of those same things.
