We were in the parking lot of Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster, Mass., in late August when we struck up a conversation with a man who was also taking an inordinately long time to pack up his car. We were trying to decide which Cape Cod ocean beach to visit, and I had heard that […]

I tend to talk a lot but when someone asks me whether I liked my HomeAway.com vacation rental in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I can actually give a concise answer. For once. I can tell them that I loved our townhouse at Corolla Light Resort, because it was spacious (3 floors!) and a […]

  If you’re considering spending some time in The Outer Banks, here are five essential things you should know about these barrier islands off of North Carolina. I just learned all of these firsthand on my trip to Corolla last week. Number one is the most important: you will love The Outer Banks! So stop […]

Whatever France’s Lac Annecy is selling, I’m buying. After all, I’m only used to seeing this kind of pureness in advertisements that are trying to persuade me to buy beauty products and pharmaceuticals. Looking at this lake, anything is possible. If you could be younger, smarter, more energetic, happier, better looking, stronger or just plain healthier, this lake will make it happen. I’m perfect, the lake says. You can be too.

Sandhammaren is the best beach in Sweden. It’s also the only beach I’ve been to in Sweden, so don’t take my word for it. The Aftonbladet (the famous Swedish newspaper we all know about from the Steig Larsson novels) said it was the best beach in Sweden. And with the long stretch of uninterrupted coastline, warm (surprisingly warm!) Baltic waters, soft, light sand and inviting dunes, I’m more than willing to believe that Sandhammaren is the best beach in Sweden. It’s located in Osterlen, the southeastern tip of Sweden.

A few months after I had started in my blog in 2009, Elizabeth Montalbano contacted me because she wanted to write a guest post about a life-changing trip she took to Aljezur, Portugal, to learn how to surf. Little did she (or I) realize just how life-changing that vacation would be. Fast-forward four years later, she contacts me to let me know that she moved to the charming little town of Aljezur and would I be kind enough to let my readers know about her guesthouse, Casa Boa Vista, which she rents out. Here, she describes why Aljezur is such a special place that you should at least visit it — and possibly even move there!

When you have a toddler, the rhythms of time completely change. Often on a Tuesday evening, I think that it must already be Thursday. Other times, an entire morning disappears as I’m trying to get a two-year-old dressed and out of the house. An hour by myself spent completely relaxing feels absolutely luxurious. A full […]

When I went to Florida at the end of October, I didn’t blog about it. I barely tweeted about it, although I did Instagram it. I certainly didn’t send any postcards, but then again I’m pretty sure that the last time I sent was a postcard was five years ago from Barcelona. So I’ve decided […]

Hurricane Sandy pummeled the Jersey Shore, and while this isn’t exactly breaking news anymore I still wanted to share it with you because I have written about how much I love Bay Head and LBI on this blog and they were both hit quite hard. And 2 years ago, I wrote a post called Forget […]

When it’s a nice summer day in Newport, RI, the historical attractions face serious competition: the beaches. Many a visitor has come to the City on the Sea with the best intentions to learn about the Gilded Age and ended up relaxing on one of Newport’s five beaches. My favorite beach (pictured top, middle and […]