The steaminess of summer has finally worn off and most of the country is getting that first cool nip in the air, which means it’s time to crack open that pumpkin beer, break out your decorative gourds, and get outside to see America’s annual show of fall colors. READ MORE
The major move makes it easier to earn points for free nights at more than 6,700 hotels.
It’s a done deal: Travelers who’d been in the Starwood Preferred Guest and Ritz-Carlton Rewards loyalty programs are now Marriott Rewards members. The world’s biggest hotel brand wrapped the long-promised combination the three programs after setting an August 18 deadline for the cutover. “The programs now
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From serene scenery to magical memories, awaken your senses with a perfect balance of adventure and wellness at Six Senses Zighy Bay, where rugged mountains dive into sleepy azure waters. Enjoy what it means to be timeless. In the infamous words of the inimitable Spice Girls “a-zig a-zig ahhhhhh” – they were surely talking about this Six Senses stunner (and you won’t be able to stop humming this when there).READ MORE
There are some authors that are forever tied to specific locations: Jack Kerouac: North Beach, San Francisco. Maarten Troost, Vanuatu. Ernest Hemingway, Havana, Cuba and Hunter S. Thompson, Aspen, Colorado. And there’s no better way to pay tribute to these luminaries than by following in their footsteps—literally. Visit home towns, tour cities of inspiration, or walk the steps of fictional characters to breathe new life into these writers’ timeless words.
Julia Child: Rouen, France
Paris is the perfect starting point to feel Julia Child’s presence. It was here that she studied at Le Cordon Bleu, and you can attend one of their many culinary workshops during your visit. Another activity? Exploring the narrow aisles of E. Dehellerin, where Child often shopped for kitchen supplies. But it was in the smaller French city of Rouen where she first found her fondness for fine foods. As described in My Life in France, the lunch she and her husband shared at La Couronne upon arriving in 1948 was “the most exciting meal of my life.”
J. Maarten Troost: Vanuatu
J. Maarten Troost spent two years in Kiribati, when his then-fiancé accepted a position on the island, during which time he wrote The Sex Lives of Cannibals. He ended up returning to the Pacific, this time landing in Vanuatu and penning Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu. To experience Vanuatu Troost-style, you’ll need to immerse yourself in the culture of the island and stay a bit off the tourism grid. Head to the capital city of Port Vila and immerse yourself in the daily markets. Of course, if you are looking for beautiful beaches and adventure, Fiji won’t disappoint either.
“No one who claims this to be a small world has ever flown across the Pacific.” —J. Maarten Troost, The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific
Jack Kerouac: North Beach, San Francisco
Although he never resided in the city, Jack Kerouac, a pioneer of the beat generation and forefather to the hippie generation, features San Francisco in one of his most widely read books, On The Road. Today, the city’s North Beach neighborhood is essentially a Kerouac temple—you’ll see artwork and window displays at every turn. It is home to The Beat Museum, where you will find memorabilia and original manuscripts of the author’s. Don’t leave the neighborhood without seeing the 60-foot-long, pedestrian-only thoroughfare, Jack Kerouac Alley. You can follow the poetry-inscribed bricks to City Lights Bookstore, where Kerouac would often hang out with the likes of Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg.
“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” —Jack Kerouac, On the Road
Ernest Hemingway: Havana, Cuba
With the ability for Americans to travel to Cuba comes comes a new way to experience a piece of Ernest Hemingway, as he penned seven of his books there (including For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea). Ten miles outside of Havana is Hemingway’s former home, now a Cuban government-run museum called Finca Vigía (“Lookout Farm,” named by Hemingway). It is here that he wrote his Pulitzer Prize- and Nobel Prize-winning novel, The Old Man and the Sea. The 23-karat gold Nobel Prize medal resides at the Sanctuary at El Cobre, where it has been (with the exception of a short period when it was stolen and returned) since Hemingway gifted it to the people of Cuba. While on the island, you would be amiss not to pick up a fishing pole—or at least be a spectator at the fishing event that Hemingway founded, the annual Ernest Hemingway International Billfish Tournament, one of the oldest fishing tournaments in the world (usually held in May or June). After a long day casting lines, head over to one of Hemingway’s two favorite watering holes, La Floridita or La Bodeguita, and enjoy a cocktail.
“Then he looked behind him and saw that no land was visible. That makes no difference, he thought. I can always come in on the glow from Havana.” —Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
Hunter S. Thompson: Aspen, Colorado
To understand Hunter S. Thompson, author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and father of gonzo journalism, head straight to Aspen. First stop: Hotel Jerome. The hotel’s J-Bar served as Thompson’s official campaign headquarters when he ran for sheriff, and his unofficial mail sorting area after his daily stop at the post office. He had late-night parties in the hotel pool, and the first of his two funerals was held in the Grand Ballroom (the second was at his ranch). For those looking to pay a more spiritual homage to the writer, a shrine dedicated to Thompson is located near the Gunner’s View run at Snowmass. Updated each President’s Day, it features magazine covers, Tibetan prayer flags, and bottles of his favorite whiskey. After searching for the shrine, warm up with your own drink at Woody Creek Tavern, Thompson’s former watering hole, which is adorned with pictures and press clippings of him.
“At the top of the mountain, we are all snow leopards.” —Hunter S. Thompson, Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child In the Final Days of the American Century
by MEG REINHARDT
There are some authors that are forever tied to specific locations: Charles Dickens and London. Walt Whitman and Brooklyn. Ernest Hemingway and Cuba. And there’s no better way to pay tribute to these luminaries than by following in their footsteps—literally. Visit home towns, tour cities of inspiration, or walk the steps of fictional characters to breathe new life into these writers’ timeless words.
John Steinbeck: Monterey, California
To capture a piece of John Steinbeck’s writing, head to California’s bayside town of Monterey. First stop: Cannery Row, formerly Ocean View Avenue, but renamed for Steinbeck’s 1945 novel. Then take a stroll down Main Street, noting buildings 201 and 247, which are featured in East of Eden. While in the area, take the 17-mile drive to Steinbeck’s birthplace, Salinas. Here you can visit the National Steinbeck Center, which houses first-edition books, interviews, and artifacts.
“Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.” —John Steinbeck, Cannery Row
Christopher Isherwood: Berlin
In 1930, novelist Christopher Isherwood settled into the Berlin neighborhood of Schöneberg. He immersed himself in the nightlife to write the novel Goodbye to Berlin, which was later adapted into the Tony Award-winning musical Cabaret. Although none of the bars from Isherwood’s era are still open, you can swing by retro cocktail bar Sally Bowles (named after his famous character) to get an idea of what he might have experienced. Isherwood would most likely still find comfort in today’s Berlin—a destination for creative, young people.
“Berlin is a skeleton which aches in the cold: it is my own skeleton aching.” —Christopher Isherwood, Goodbye to Berlin
Mark Twain: Hannibal, Missouri
Mark Twain was able to tell the stories of the mighty Mississippi River and its people like no other author—no surprise, since he practically lived on the water for part of his life. As he wrote in Life on the Mississippi, “When I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades… to be a steam boatman,” and he eventually did serve as a steamboat pilot for two years in his twenties. A stop in the author’s hometown of Hannibal, Missouri will bring you to the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, and the Huckleberry Finn House, where the “real” Huck Finn (Tom Blankenship) grew up. From there you can take a steamboat tour on the river, and drive along Great River Road (a National Scenic Byway) which follows the river. Before leaving town, stop off at the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse for a panoramic view of both Hannibal and the great Mississippi.
Charles Dickens: London
Charles Dickens showed his affection for England’s capital by featuring the city in each of his novels. To fully immerse yourself in Dickens’s London, set off on foot, starting at the Charles Dickens Museum, his home-turned-museum where you can view a sampling of the 100,000-item collection that includes manuscripts, rare editions, and personal items. It was here that he completed The Pickwick Papers and wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. Next set off for Marshalsea Prison, where Dickens’s father was imprisoned when Charles was a young boy—and the setting of Little Dorrit. Continue on to visit the Palace of Westminster, which appears in 14 novels. Your journey should now take you through Covent Garden, the main vegetable market in Dickensian London. Two plaques are dedicated to Dickens, the first marking the offices where he published his periodical All The Year Round, and the second where he worked as a child. Visit The Old Curiosity Shop, a 16th-century store constructed from the recycled wood of ships. Many consider the London landmark to be the inspiration for the novel The Old Curiosity Shop, with its crooked ceilings and uneven floorboards. Cap off your day by resting your feet at The George Inn, where Charles Dickens was a frequent visitor.
Walt Whitman: Brooklyn, New York
Walt Whitman spent time in Brooklyn throughout his life, including a stint as editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from March 1846 until January 1848. Although the original Eagle building has long been torn down, a new building and plaque dedicated to Whitman now stands in its same spot in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood. During his time at the newspaper, Whitman was an avid supporter of Fort Greene Park, designed by the famed Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (who also designed Central Park and Prospect Park). One of Whitman’s most famous poems, “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry,” was inspired by his travels between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Literature buffs should pay a visit to Brooklyn Bridge Park, featuring pier railings inscribed with lines from the poem.
“Cross from shore to shore, countless crowds of passengers! / Stand up, tall masts of Mannahatta! stand up, beautiful hills of Brooklyn!” —Walt Whitman, “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry”
Jon Krakauer: Alaska and Mount Everest
To fully understand Jon Krakauer and his sources of inspiration, it helps to have a sense of adventure. Take off for Alaska and visit the replica bus from the film adaptation of Into the Wild, found at 49th State Brewing. Just outside of Denali National Park, you will find endless trails for hiking and camping—but be safe, and report your location before going off alone, (learn from Chris McCandless, the subject of Into The Wild.) If that’s not enough thrill for you, you’ll need to put in plenty of training for the ultimate mountaineering expedition. Krakauer successfully climbed Mount Everest in 1996, and this would serve as his inspiration for Into Thin Air.
“It was titillating to brush up against the enigma of mortality, to steal a glimpse across its forbidden frontier. Climbing was a magnificent activity, I firmly believed, not in spite of the inherent perils, but precisely because of them.” —Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
by MEG REINHARDT
We all deserve a good vacation, but every seasoned traveler knows there is a certain point where happiness peaks and homesickness starts to set in. A new study from the University of Tampere in Finland has pinpointed how long your next trip should be to maximize enjoyment and return home refreshed.READ MORE
Travel agent—it’s a job that seems to have gone the way of the television repairman or switchboard operator. Butwe are different—more aptly we design travel —with resources far beyond the basics of organizing flights, lodging, and tours. We produce trips that you can’t just book online, trips for travelers, not tourists. And discerning travelers, at that.
Rome, Italy’s Eternal City is one of the world’s most beautiful and inspiring capitals.
Artistic Riches
Few cities can rival Rome’s astonishing artistic heritage. Throughout history, the city has starred in the great upheavals of Western art, drawing the top artists of the day and inspiring them to push the boundaries of creative achievement. The result is a city awash with priceless treasures. Ancient statues adorn world-class museums,READ MORE
What are the major differences between tipping in America and tipping in the U.K.?
Frank Laino has been working in European hotels since he was a teenager. The British-Italian dual citizen started working alongside his uncles at the Hotel San Pietro in Positano, then moved back home to London, where he worked his way up before landing at The Stafford, where
Officials at the Transportation Security Administration thought they had the solution for long lines at airports: “PreCheck” – It has not worked as planned.
It has not worked as planned.
Customers who apply for the program, which requires a fee of $85 and a background check, say they continue to face long waits to obtain the PreCheck clearance. Such delays could grow worse because the number of people signing up for PreCheck has more than tripled in the last few months, climbing to 16,000 a day on average in May, agency officials said.
That surge has led to long delays in processing applications. Dozens of passengers who have recently tried to sign up for PreCheck say they have been given appointments for the in-person interviews needed to complete the process that are weeks or even months away.