Travel

By Jeanine Zelkas

I have always found the beautifully blue Caribbean and its dots of postcard-perfect islands to be among the most breathtaking destinations in the world, with the added convenience of proximity to New York making the trip even more desirable. What keeps me searching, however, for alternatives are the throngs of tourists and over-developed commercialism found on so many of them. Having recently returned from back-to-back Caribbean visits, these thoughts are foremost in my mind as I write about one of them.

By Keith Kennedy

As the sun set across Grace Bay and the turquoise waters were beginning to fade to black, our first full day in the paradise of the Turks and Caicos was coming to a close.

By Lisa Leigh

Encompassing over 1,200 acres of land in the heart of the Napa Valley, Silverado Resort and Spa is a landmark destination located amid the natural beauty of one of the world’s premier wine regions. Located just fifty miles northeast of San Francisco and sixty miles southwest of Sacramento, Silverado Resort and Spa includes 435 guest rooms that surround two 18-hole PGA championship golf courses, which are overseen by World Golf Hall of Fame member, lead golf analyst for NBC Sports, and resort co-owner Johnny Miller.

By Anthony Panzella

Imagine for a moment the joyous smiles of boys and girls when they truly get excited about something they’ve always wanted. As a parent, there is almost nothing as satisfying as that instant. My friends and relatives know that I am guilty of doing almost anything when it comes to my children’s happiness. And I know of no company, who goes to the same extreme, to bring smiles to their faces than the Walt Disney Company. But Disney is not the company it was when you and I were kids. No, they’ve grown and become leaders at pleasing the whole family. Beyond parks and cartoons, they have built and promoted a line of cruise ships that are some of the best in the world. Now they are feeling so bold that they’ve brought their ships to the hardest market in the world, New York City.

Story and Photos by Bob and Sandy Nesoff

There is a truism amongst ski resort operators that unless skiers see snow or other skiers with slats on the rooftop of the car heading north, they think there is no snow and they opt for dinner and a movie instead.

BY NEW YORK TRAVELIN’ GAL MAXINE ALBERT

It’s January 2012 and we’ve all made our resolutions and promises to make this the best year yet! And we’re going to keep them - of course we are. I love this time of year – the city is aglow with an aura of hope and renewal. We’re all snugly dressed in our warm winter wear. If we’re lucky we see a snowflake or two and head to the nearest fireplace for a hot toddy. The majority of the holiday tourists have left so it’s the perfect time for New Yorkers to enjoy our sparkling city.

By Dorri Olds

When I told people I was headed to Mexico City I was met with friends’ furrowed brows and warnings to be careful. The idea that it’s a dangerous place full of drug lords is totally false image. As a native Manhattanite I wasn’t worried, besides, I’d done my research. Mexico City has a sophisticated system of video surveillance cameras to deter crime. It is a cultural metropolis that welcomes more than 12 million visitors a year. It houses 160 museums, 100 art galleries and 500 movie theaters. Foreign Policy magazine ranked Mexico City as one of the world’s top 10 cultural destinations. I was gung ho to go.

By Laurie Heifetz and Richard C. Murray

In Manhattan, people talk about location, location, location. On the Caribbean island of Dominica, it’s all about nature, nature, nature -- which is why it is called “the nature island.”  Its scenic landscape is so beautiful that you soon understand why the island was chosen for many scenes of “Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3: “Dead Men’s Chest” & “At World’s End.”

By Marc Kristal

If you visit Peru, your guide will undoubtedly tell you certain things, many of them food-related. You’ll discover that there are, thanks to the 28 microclimates, some 3000 varieties of potato grown in the nation. That the distinctive Peruvian gourmet corn, with kernels nearly the size of incisors, is raised in a specially demarcated region similar to the ones set aside for growing top-grade Cuban tobacco and grapes for champagne. That Puno’s rain forests produce the best organic coffee in the world, and pisco, the incomparable national beverage, was developed by Italian immigrants who were trying to distill a Peruvian variant of grappa. And that there are roughly 5000 Chinese restaurants in the country, and chifa, as the cuisine is called, is Peru’s most popular food.

By Alexandra Kastleman

The luscious tropical agriculture surrounds you on your ride down the bumpy road leading to the Pico Bonito Lodge. The sounds of the rocks bouncing against the tires remind you that you are far from the concrete jungle of New York City and deep into a blissful tropical one. Since it is early morning, the clouds are heavy as they sit atop the mountains that fill the National Park inhabited by the many species of birds, bugs and animals. By the time the sun burns off the fog, a strong visual takes into effect, as you look deep into the superlative jungle forests.