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As long as I can remember my passport has always been full of the colorful entry and exit stamps from my travels around the world. From a very young age I knew that I had the travel bug and the deep need to go places that most people would not think of. When I had kids I started traveling with them as soon as they could sit up. And I never had a screaming child or one that misbehaved. More about this later. I love an adventure and I’m always looking for the next place that will leave a lasting impression on us and the people we meet. Each trip we also like to bring needed books or supplies to one of the remote places we visit. Most of all I want to share how I plan my trips and how...Continue Reading >>

This Just In

Etiquette 101: Dress Codes from Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com

  Rule 1: Leave the Fanny Pack What makes an Ugly American ugly? Is it the timbre of our voices? Or the way we travel in herds? Or is it (as we suspect) our love of sweatpants, baseball caps, and yes, fanny packs, no matter the occasion or place? While it can sometimes seem that the world has fallen victim to a sort of sartorial globalization, where jeans are welcome anytime, anywhere, the truth is-of course-more nuanced. What works in surprisingly laid-back Singapore will be greeted with looks of horror on the streets (or in the boardrooms) of Paris. And ladies, while you can (and should) pile on the gold and jewels in Greece, quirky and stripped-down is the way to go in Germany. So here ...Continue Reading >

Babar and Me and the Deep Blue Sea from Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com

 I love wonderful stories of places I want to go. When I found this story I wanted to share it with my readers. Enjoy! The Andaman Islands, closed to foreigners until 1995, are the ultimate tropical mystery in that cabinet of wonders called India. Tony Perrottet loses himself in a place of unearthly perfection, where crabs climb trees, elephants swim, and man has barely left his mark "Just don't swim in front of him," whispered Sanjit Biswas, a worker at the jungle lodge where I was staying in the Andaman Islands. "That can spook him." My guide from Bangalore nodded in solemn agreement. "Rajan's a little bit fussy. Sometimes he just won't go in, and nobody can really force him." Okay, I thought, ...Continue Reading >

Airline Award Search Strategies

In my years of being a travel junkie I have never flown coach. I have planned ahead and got the award seat I wanted. This year I did not plan ahead and when I was having trouble redeeming my award miles. I came across this article. When it comes to cashing in miles, knowing the secrets of how, when and where to search can mean the difference between a decent award and an amazing one. When it comes to playing the game of miles, knowing how to redeem them and when to search for awards is as important as staying on top of all the promotions that will help you rack up the miles. If you're lucky, a quick search using the airline's online booking tool will bring up the award flight you're looking ...Continue Reading >

My Life with Full Suitcases from Condé Nast Traveler on Concierge.com

I love to travel, I love to shop, I love to buy things from places that took me a long time to get to. I buy to remember where I have been. Enjoy this story taken from my favorite magazine, Conde Nast Traveler Sometimes there's nothing as transporting as the perfect piece of clothing from a far-off land. Joan Juliet Buck explores the magic and meaning of the treasures in her wardrobe In Ireland back when newscasters opened the evening news by announcing, "The time is approximately eight o'clock," my godfather's wife Ricki would bundle the guests into two Opel station wagons and lead the way up into Connemara, to Millars's shop in Clifden, so that the Mexican musician and the French movie ...Continue Reading >

Etiquette 101: Smart Talk

I truly enjoy reading Conde Nast Traveler. I share these stories to help us all be a better guest in a foreign county.  First Do No Harm...Every country has its subtle taboos and unspoken codes, but when you get down to it, it's what you say, not how you say it, that really gets you in the door (or kicked out). Our guide to the most dangerous topics around the world rates them according to our own alert system, from highest to lowest risk, followed by a few safe subjects that might put you back on solid ground. THE MIDDLE EAST In a part of the world where nearly every facet of life has become wrapped up in politics and religion, keeping things personal and avoiding the global is more than ...Continue Reading >