Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, the official tourism marketing and management organization for Pinellas County, is telling the world that the destination is “Still Shining,” and ready to welcome visitors. After recently weathering two major hurricanes, the beach community has worked tirelessly to resume operations at many favorite locations with nearly 80% of the destination now open and eager to welcome guests – including accommodations, attractions, restaurants, museums, shops and more. “It’s important for everyone to know that St. Pete-Clearwater is Still Shining and ready as always to welcome residents and visitors to our beautiful beaches, amazing arts and experiences, and delicious Read more
Australia/New Zealand/PAC
It’s that time of year. No, not Halloween. No, not the even scarier U.S. election. It’s time for travel magazines and online publications to issue their suggestions on where we should go in 2025. One of the first off the mark was National Geographic, a publication I have written for in the past. Nat Geo’s top 25 destinations for 2025 has some intriguing destinations including Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Greenland and Los Angeles. Here’s what they said about L.A. “L.A.’s cultural scene is getting a jolt of new energy. Destination Crenshaw, the largest public/private Black art program in the U.S., Read more
As a travel writer lucky enough to roam around the world and lucky enough (and then some) to stay in some of the most amazing hotels, I can’t complain for a moment. But after visiting with the owner of The Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, Italy, I have to say I’m a little wistful that I haven’t had a chance to try this sumptuous property. A new hotel with all the bells and whistles is great, but the places that speak to me most are the ones with great history, amazing settings, and a true sense of place. As Read more
I always knew I was ahead of my time. Okay, all joking aside, I was happy to read in Travel + Leisure magazine that a poll of 2,000 U.S. travellers found that Maui is the most romantic place on earth. The magazine said that FunJet Vacations recently released the findings of a poll it conducted with Talker Research looking into the most romantic destinations in the world. After polling 2,000 “general population Americans” to find out their preferred spots for romance, it turned out that Maui led the way, with 34% of respondents naming it the most romantic destination in Read more
Chicago has been named the best big city in the U.S. for the eighth year in a row, and Victoria has been awarded best small city in the world for the second year running. Conde Nast Travel today (Oct. 1), issued a variety of lists of top cities, best hotels, top islands and more with its 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. My home state of California came out looking strong, with San Diego being named the number two big city in the States and San Francisco finishing sixth. For International Large Cities, Montreal came in ninth and Vancouver fourth, so kudos Read more
