There are times when going down the travel search rabbit hole can really pay off. Sometimes you have to set aside some time, then think creatively to find the cheapest flights to anywhere. I’m currently in Mazatlan, Mexico, which I flew to from Queretaro. I don’t live in Queretaro, two hours away in fact. But…
Can a landmark like Hotel 24 South embody a city’s spirit? You bet. The independently-owned Hotel 24 South in Staunton, Virginia, is not only a iconic architectural gem. The Historic Hotels of America property is also a cultural beacon. The hotel sits in the heart of an downtown full of entrepreneurs. Just walk a few…
Downtown Chandler, Arizona, has gone through a major revitalization over the past decade. As such, the Phoenix suburb is now a vibrant entertainment district filled with restaurants, breweries and bars, galleries, and more. Adding to the neighborhood’s fun, funky vibe is The Aloha motel, a midcentury roadside motel that has been restored to its retro…
Imagine kicking back for a leisurely afternoon on the beach or by the pool with a steady flow of food and drinks coming your way, all included in the rates. Meanwhile, the kids are having the time of their life with no time limits going down slides and splashing around. That’s what you get when…
Choosing a place to stay during your vacation can be a challenge. That’s why so many travelers rely on the American Automobile Association’s Diamond rating system to make their trip planning easier. For more than 80 years, a team of AAA independent inspectors have been conducting unannounced, in-person property inspections across more than 30,000 hotels,…
Take it from someone who made Mexico his adopted home after vacationing in the country since 2003: you can definitely travel Mexico on the cheap if you know the right steps. Mexico only got upgraded to a full chapter of the fifth edition of The World’s Cheapest Destinations because when the peso is not near…
Every year at Christmastime, my mother chooses and champions a charitable cause. In lieu of fruitcakes, popcorn tins and kitschy socks, she sends out donations to what she considers the best non-profit organizations in our honor. It’s not that she isn’t festive, or doesn’t believe in celebrating Christmas traditions. But when it comes to gift-giving, she assumes…
That photo above is the two-page spread from a cover story of mine nine years ago in a travel magazine called TravelWorld. It was a piece on the top colonial cities in Mexico, places to visit away from the beaches that are more interesting and are a better travel deal. This is the old…
This post on holiday travel safety went up when we were all dealing with rough travel times overall, in late 2020. The situation has gotten back to normal, but I’m leaving the advice that’s evergreen. In a normal year, this time on the calendar brings lots of articles about holiday travel: we read about packed…
Are you buying dad a new power tool for Christmas? Or a new digital camera for mom? Or maybe you’ve stocked up on remote control cars or other battery-operated toys to place under the tree for your little ones on Christmas morning? If so, a simple way to make those purchases more “green” is to…
