Downtown Los Angeles, a once-deserted city center, has come to life again — after years of neglect — as a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood full of new arts, entertainment and food venues. Locals and tourists are flocking to the City of Angels center to enjoy Lakers games, concerts, plays, museums, bars and restaurants.
Here are some places to check out on your next visit downtown:
STAY
Ritz Carlton, 900 West Olympic Boulevard
Rising above the modern L.A. …
–Five Destinations from the Author–
1. Mayan World:
This year it’s all about the “Mundo Maya” or “Mayan World,” which is mostly centered in Guatemala, Belize, southern Mexico’s Yucatan region and Honduras. As the Maya calendar comes to a close at the end of 2012, the Mundo Maya gears up with spiritual celebrations and specialized tours focusing on Mayan culture. Trek through the emerald Petén jungle to …
“I believe in the transformative power of travel,” Andrew Zimmern began when he got up on stage. He had just finished showing a clip from a recent episode of Bizarre Foods, the hit Travel Channel show that made Zimmern the travel celebrity he now is.
People were eager to hear what Andrew Zimmern had to say, and even in the sensory-overload setting of the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Expo, all eyes seemed to …
I arrived in Brussels with a half empty suitcase, a few dozen Euros and a mission: to scour the Belgian capital for the best chocolate money could buy and to fill my suitcase with the rich, creamy fruits of my labor.
With dozens of shops, workshops, tastings and an even an entire museum devoted to chocolate, however, Brussels can be a bit overwhelming— even for serious chocoholics. As it does with most things, the city …
Ski holidays are to winter what the beach is to summer. They’re fun, family-friendly and give you the chance to revert back to childhood for some good old fashioned frolicking in the snow. While the snow-bunny herds flock to the fashionable ski resorts – where crowded slopes and booked-out accommodations mean that skiers pay a premium for powder – why not pack your skis and head to one of the lesser known destinations. Just like …
When Marcus Aurelius founded Vienna (then Vindobona), he did so with the sharp foresight of a realtor — location, location, location!
While Vienna itself has an incredible offering of tourist attractions, it is beautifully located in close proximity to a number of different sites. These new and exciting locations give you respite from the hustle-and-bustle tourism of Vienna, and all are convenient day trips away from the Gateway to the East. Four day-trip locales stand …
Valparaiso, for want of a better word, is a shanty town on the coast of Chile. Starting from its docks, sitting in that all too commonly found water, colored grayish brown by the offal of container ships, it extends up scattered hills away from the sea. The city grows up with them; it’s a bit all over the place – disjointed and beautiful. It makes up a sort of patchwork cloth of a city, with …
Bed, treats, water dish and leash: Pooch needs a suitcase too. More and more people are packing up their dogs and taking them on vacations.
Pet lovers want to travel with their dogs for both practical and sentimental reasons. Many dog-loving travelers head to California resorts for a trip to share with their four-footed furry friends. The mix of tourist-oriented hospitality, year-round warm weather and miles of beaches in California creates an exceptionally dog-friendly state. …
Mouthwatering piña coladas aside, the largest island in the Eastern Caribbean has a ton to offer every kind of travel enthusiast. From its old-world charm and stunning beaches to its vast array of adventure options, making the trek to Puerto Rico will satisfy even the most severe case of wanderlust.
Get adventurous.
Snorkeling and zip lining? Kayaking and cave exploration? Canyoning and surfing? Yes, yes and yes. Options abound for thrill-seekers, so allot a …
Over 10 million Americans travel with their pets every year, according to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA). Most of the travel (76%) is done by car, but that still leaves a whooping 2.4 million pets flying somewhere every year.
When it comes to traveling, sometimes it’s the simplest and most basic mistakes that put your pets at risk. So if you already know what to do to keep your pet safe, maybe it’s …
Europe is not only a land of architectural marvels but also one of culinary wonders. But exploring the gastronomy of some European countries can be a challenge for vegetarians and vegans. Meat very often dominates the menu and the concepts of vegetarianism and veganism are still somewhat alien, especially in countries like Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal.
Consider the reaction I got from a waiter in a Brussels café last summer. After quickly scanning the …
I lolled back in my pool side lounge chair, opened my eyes, glanced out at the navy blue strip of ocean I could view through the railing slipping silently past as we cruised to our next gorgeous Caribbean port, and lazily mulled over whether to apply more sunscreen, move into the shade, or possibly just go visit the soft serve ice cream dispenser.
Then I checked out what my girlfriends were doing. One was deeply …
We’ve all had it happen to us — you think you’ve packed everything you need for your vacation, only to discover at some point along the way that something, or several things, have been left behind. Or worse, your luggage gets lost altogether in the endless abyss of airline travel only to appear again (if you’re lucky) two weeks later, looking like it’s been to the moon and back, which it very well may have. …
Though best known for their colorful Carnival, Aruba has all kinds of cool festivals, annual events, and visitor-inclusive celebrations happening all year round!
Though Carnival lasts for three months, it really doesn’t matter when you visit Aruba as there are all kinds of gala events going on all year-round. And you need never worry about the weather for outdoor festivals: Aruba is outside of the hurricane belt and boasts a balmy average of 85 degrees …
