By Lisa Loverro

There are often times while traveling that I come across a place that takes hold of my soul and sinks in deep, never leaving. As I look back on my travels I remember a few of these places; Colombia with its warm people, Bali with its lush landscape, and Jordan, mystical and welcoming. Well, I can now add the city of Oaxaca, Mexico to my list of special destinations on this planet. Last month, while touring with the Mexico Tourism Board through the coastal resort towns of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo I decided to venture into the interior part of the country. I have always loved Mexico and while, yes, I knew Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos as beautiful coastal cites, it wasn’t until I spent time in Oaxaca City that I began to realize the true beauty of Mexico and its people.

A star-studded comedy benefit for the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

When: Tuesday, April 5th, 8:00pm / doors 7:30pm
Where: Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street between 7th & 8th Avenues, New York City

New Summer Schedule Means Hourly Service in the Afternoon 
from New York Kennedy to London Heathrow

FORT WORTH, Texas – Summer 2011 will bring even more benefits to customers as a result of the enhanced relationship among American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia when, for the first time ever, the airlines’ schedules are coordinated for flights across the North Atlantic – including American’s London express service with 15 flights per day from the New York city area to London.

By Pamela Jacobs

A weekend spent on “vacation” in Manhattan proves there’s no place like home.

I love New York. I do. When I see tourists navigating the subway, or host out-of-town visitors, I so enjoy seeing my great city through their eyes. But when everyday life here becomes difficult, it can be easy to momentarily forget just how great this city is, and how much it has to offer. I’ve always wanted to take a break from reality right here at home—to spend some time embracing and enjoying New York the way I do when I visit other cities. To take a vacation, without traveling anywhere. So recently, after a long time of thinking about this, I decided to do it. I took a vacation to New York City. And what a vacation it was.

By Gary Walther

The great illusionist David Copperfield conjures up a private-island resort in the best part of the Bahamas, the Exuma Cays.

By Lavanya Sunkara

Some go on dates to museums, some go with their families or groups, but I go to spend alone time, to find a new perspective. An afternoon in a museum is like getting lost in history or looking ahead into the future or simply being present in the moment. A trip to any one of the museums in the city that is a melting pot of traditions and cultures is guaranteed to leave one changed.

by Karen Loftus

A Chilean Mine-Set: It was the best time to be in Chile. After the safe return of the Chilean miners, the country’s high and their sense of pride was palpable when I arrived in November. Driving in to Santiago, the city immediately felt familiar to me. Similar to Buenos Aires, Santiago has European influences in its architecture. My driver said that at the turn of the 20th century many wealthy Chileans spent half of their year in Paris. Checking in to The Aubrey Hotel in the trendy Bellavista neighborhood, once home to Pablo Neruda, was a pitch perfect start to Santiago. The boutique concept is a new one for them. This is a first for the city and The Aubrey is a stunning example. Once a private mansion of an influential Chilean businessman and politician, it now houses fifteen well-appointed rooms and suites. It was an impressive, yet approachable place.

AMERICAN AIRLINES TO OPERATE WORLD’S ONLY SERVICE BETWEEN
NEW YORK AND JAPAN’S TOKYO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT HANEDA
AFTER HISTORIC OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT

By Jennifer Weitzman

The 83rd annual Academy Awards isn’t until February 27, but the buzz leading up to the show has been bubbling over since David Fincher’s critically acclaimed The Social Network was released in October, and has only grown steadier, recently grabbing the Golden Globe award for Best Picture for Drama. Will The Social Network be able to be “liked” by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science? Will Colint Firth be this year’s Helen Mirren? Can Christian Bale knock out Geoffrey Rush? Can the golden statue be lassoed away by Hailee Steinfeld? For the second time since 1943, 10 Hollywood films will compete for best picture, a slick move by the Academy to help broaden the appeal of the show for a wider audience. In addition, this year’s show will hand over the reins to Anne Hathaway and James Franco for hosting duties, a move that is sure to attract a younger crowd.

By Pamela Jacobs

A long weekend in Spain’s capital brings art, wine, culture, and cuisine to new heights.

Madrid—the capital of Spain, a cultural hub of Europe, the home of tapas, beautiful people, siestas, fiestas, and hot Spanish nights. This is what I imagined, anyway, before my recent trip there. What I discovered after I spent a long weekend there was that it was all this, and more. Each European country or city has its own unique flavor and color, one that quickly pops into your mind after you’ve visited and becomes the first thing you remember each time you revisit it in your imagination. With Madrid, what leaps into memory—before I recall specific meals and sights and people—is the red of the dresses of the Flamenco dancers, the red of the wine I sipped while watching the Flamenco dancers, and the red of the flames from the candles that burned as I watched those Flamenco dancers and fell in love with Spain. For me, a vacation begins the moment I board the plane. That is when I relax, breathe deep, take off my shoes, and settle in to a dimension outside of work and everyday life. When flying anywhere in an American Airlines Business Class cabin, vacation begins instantly, with a bang. There’s just something about those huge seats that fully recline, the soft socks in the amenities kit, the gourmet selection of foods such as grilled shrimp and smoked salmon and filet of beef, and that jumbo ice cream sundae that welcome me into vacation-mode in the nicest way. And when you take an overnight flight to Europe, as I usually do, it’s a blessing to arrive rested and comfortable.