It's quite the debatable question in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries. To make matters more confusing, not only are there multiple rating systems (Forbes, AAA, etc.), but also the standards upon which the stars are designated are completely arbitrary...
Either give me more wine or leave me alone. Oh Rumi, how I echo that sentiment. Before you ignite a passionate affair with California Wine Country, there are some things to take note of to maximize your Napa (and Sonoma) experience. DOs 1) See, swirl, smell, sip, and...
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast.” –Ernest Hemingway 48 Hours in Paris — Often dubbed as the “City of Light,” Paris is a cosmopolitan cradle...
I'm a luxury traveler. But what does that mean? The immediate image that comes to mind may be first-class flights, opulent hotels, and a general air of grandeur, and while all that may be true, the question is much more complex and nuanced. The reality is that as the...
To celebrate 75 weeks of The Cultureur, I wrote my favorite 75 travel tips. And now to celebrate 150 weeks, I bring you part II of the original list with 25 new tips, totaling my top 100 TRAVEL TIPS that are sure to make you a travel ninja. As always, feel free to...
"At twenty years of age, the will reigns; at thirty, the wit; and at forty, the judgement." -Benjamin Franklin According to good ole Ben, I was at the cusp of will and wit yesterday and am at the cusp of wit and judgment today. I'll take that. Yes, as you guessed, I...
ICELAND. I touched down in the beautiful country after a 12-hour flight from Seattle to Reykjavik. While up in the air, I received an email from a lovely reader asking what I take with me on the plane and if I had any tips on how to survive temporary imprisonment,...
I sat on my sofa on a rainy Saturday evening, staring out into the glittering lights of downtown SEATTLE and reflecting on the past few years in the Emerald City. Without ever having been to Seattle before, I had secured a place for it on my Top 10 Cities I Want to...
Leavenworth, Washington (Cascade Mountains) Close your eyes. Imagine an old quaint Bavarian-themed village nestled in the Cascade Mountains in Washington. Open your eyes. You'll find yourself in Leavenworth -- a tiny enchanting town of less than 2,000 people located...
A new year. A new series. I'm introducing EAT, PLAY, STAY this year as an ongoing series that highlights destinations around the world and offers my itinerary for the trip, giving you information on where and what to eat, where to play and what to see/do, and where to...
Thoughts of Detroit BEFORE visiting: bleak, dark, crumbling, bankrupt, and fractured Thoughts of Detroit AFTER visiting: edgy, trendy, creative, united, and progressive Disclosure: I'm part of the Buick Media Influencer program, but all opinions are my own and...
"Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten." - Chinua Achebe (of Things Fall Apart fame) Another annual series on The Cultureur comes to a close -- last year, it was Destination Anywhere: 100 Reasons to Travel and this year, it's Around the World in 52...