A Visitor's Guide to Nashville

With a nickname like “Music City,” Nashville is clearly a mecca for music and the breeding ground for many of the music industry’s brightest stars. It’s also home to incredible cuisine from Southern fare to BBQ, as well as some of the country’s best emerging chefs. Grab your cowboy hat and consider a weekend getaway […]

Summertime, and the Living is Easy in Santa Monica

Enjoy the fresh air, sunshine and ocean breeze during a healthful getaway to Santa Monica. Outdoor recreation in this beachside city is a must and complemented by relaxation and nutritious food. Countless cafes peddle raw food and cold-pressed juices and yoga culture is out in full force. The local dry cleaners offers a special on […]

Portland: Weird in the Best Way

Portland is one of the world’s great towns for beer, weirdness, craft food, funky neighborhoods, forest hikes and much more. It’s endlessly entertaining and intriguing, easy to walk or explore by bike and most locals will tell you the frequent rain is merely a bonus. Did I mention that Oregon wine country is less than […]

Daytripper: Highwood

Tucked behind Highland Park, Highwood is a small, but vibrant town, replete with ethnic eateries, groceries, antique shopping and festivals. Featuring a convenient train stop, bicycle paths in neighboring Fort Sheridan, and colorful storefronts that might make you think you’ve arrived in Italy or Mexico, Highwood is well worth a day trip. La Casa de Isaac Feel […]

Macau Marvels: An Enchanting Island Off China’s Southern Coast

There’s a long history of European and Asian fusion in this former Portuguese colony off the Southern coast of China. Macau is the biggest gambling center in the world, with seven times the gambling revenue of Las Vegas. But look past the casinos, and you’ll find that Macau is not just materially wealthy but rich […]

Texas Two-Nighter: Heat Up Chilly Evenings with a Weekend Getaway to Dallas

You can probably still hum the theme song to the 1980s hit show “Dallas.” And who can forget the ultimate cliffhanger—who shot JR? But if you think Dallas is just ten-gallon hats, rodeo-ing cowboys and feuding oil families, think again. It’s not Jock Ewing’s Dallas anymore. Dallas is a hip, fun, vibrant and contemporary city—with tons going on. We recently […]

College Town Tours: Big Ten

Taking your high school junior to tour one of the Big Ten schools? Use our guide to enjoy the sights and tastes of some of the best college towns around. From bike races in Bloomington to ice cream in Iowa City, may the best college town win your child’s heart University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign […]

10 Reasons to Take a Whisky Tour of Scotland

Scotch whisky was my fiancé’s thing—until we went to Scotland together. Then it quickly became “our thing.” While touring distilleries and tasting some of the world’s most iconic single malts in two different regions of the country, I came to appreciate the myriad, complex flavors of Scotch. At the same time, we took in breathtaking […]

Take Time Off in Toronto

With arts festivals like Luminato and the Toronto International Film Festival and museums like the Art Gallery of Ontario, there’s no denying that Toronto is one of the most culturally vibrant cities in North America. It’s the fourth largest city on the continent—bigger than Chicago—and great to visit any time of year. Plus, it’s close […]

Daytripper: Andersonville

Once upon a time, Andersonville was home to Swedish immigrants. Today, this quaint Chicago neighborhood boasts restaurants serving cuisine from around the world and enough shopping to fill up a long afternoon. Furniture fanatics and antique collectors will delight in the many home décor shops. Plus, it’s just a short drive from the North Shore […]