Travelling Tuscany: Fashionable Florence and the Chianti Countryside

Teeming with legendary works of art and architecture, walking through the city of Florence is like walking through a vast, outdoor museum. The cathedral church, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as the Duomo, is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site; the famous Uffizi Gallery houses works by Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci; […]

The Dorset Manor: Ste. Anne’s Sister Spa

Ste. Anne’s Country Inn & Spa, widely regarded as Canada’s favourite destination spa, is branching out with its new sister property, The Dorset Manor. Located in the historic town of Port Hope about 90 minutes outside of Toronto, the Dorset was previously owned by Ste. Anne’s founder Jim Corcoran (when it was known as the […]

Travel in Ontario: Blue Mountain Village

Blue Mountain Village, located approximately two hours northwest of Toronto, is known primarily as Ontario’s top ski destination resort, however, it has plenty to offer during the green season as well. And although the area is perfectly suited for a fun family vacation, Blue Mountain also has definite appeal if you are in the mood […]

Fun in the Sun in San Diego

San Diego, the second largest city in the State of California, has a myriad of tourist attractions, from trips to Sea World or Balboa Park, a stroll on Coronado Beach or a visit to the annual comic book convention, Comic-Con. A visit to nearby La Jolla and the city’s Gaslamp district also provides two very […]

Glitz and Glamour: Historical and Modern Places to Stay in Hollywood

Like the city itself, hotels in Hollywood are the stuff made of legend. Whether being used as a long-term residence for young starlets chasing the dream, or as a crash pad for rock stars in pursuit of Bacchanalian revelry, hotels in this celebrity-centric locale exude star power in their own right. And so, without further […]

The Ranch at Live Oak in Malibu: Unplugged and Recharged

Within every generation there is a counterculture that seeks to challenge societal conventions. In the 1960s, psychedelic guru Timothy Leary famously urged young people to “Turn on, tune in, drop out” – that is, detach themselves from their surroundings with the use of LSD. It is hard to imagine this message resonating with today’s hyper-caffeinated […]

Vancouver: Laid Back on the Left Coast

With the 2010 Winter Olympics becoming a distant memory, it is a good time to visit Vancouver, now that the dust has settled. To be sure, the city has gone through a major metamorphosis over the past several years. With its massive redevelopment, some say the city that was nicknamed “Vangroovy” is now a mere […]

Lake Austin Spa Resort: Southern Comfort

Lynn Burshtein Austin, Texas, regarded as the live music capital of the world and home to some of the best barbecue in the South, also lays claim to one of the world’s most popular destination health spas, Lake Austin Spa Resort. Consistently ranked at the top of readers’ polls in magazines such as Condé Nast […]

Rancho La Puerta – The Original Destination Spa

Long before health spas became trendy getaways and yoga pants were considered fashionable street wear, there was Rancho La Puerta. Founded in 1940 by Edmond and Deborah Szekely in the Mexican border town of Tecaté, “the Ranch” is the template for the modern health spa resort. This place is a far cry from the mass […]