Anne Z. Cooke

The Urban Tavern, serving hearty American cuisine on O'Farrell Street, in San Francisco, is one of the Bay Area's most inviting new restaurants. The space, bistro-casual with rustic ceiling beams and contemporary sculptures in flaming colors is the first sign to passers-by that something's afoot within. Delicious aromas...

"Piece of cake," says Jerrod. He sees the overhead light blink on and stops by my seat. "These Alaska pilots do it every day. Snow is like mother's milk to them."

Out the window, I can see the Chugach Mountains, the string of peaks looking like mounds of whipped cream....

"Better late than never" is the mantra skiers live by, one to wax your skis on. After weeks of irrepressible and unwanted sunshine, late season snow storms have blown in from the Arctic, blanketing a few lucky ski resorts with the driest, creamiest powder snow you ever fell asleep thinking...

They'll take pesos or dollars in Mazatlan. Even euros, if it comes to that. But smiles are Mexico's most wanted currency. It's the medium of exchange that makes everybody happy. The people I talked to when I was there last month -- from waiters and taxi drivers to museum directors,...

Images and video by ©Steve Haggerty/ColorWorld

You wouldn't have dared go eye-to-eye with King Kamehaha, not if you wanted to live another day. In pre-European Hawaii, even a glance at the royal face was taboo -- "kapu" in Hawaiian -- an offense punishable...

Get Your Slice of the Big Apple Here

They said it couldn't succeed. Timeshares and vacation club memberships? Never. Not in New York City, the town where cultural events and symphony concerts trump roller coasters and theme parks....

Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience! We were traveling through Great Falls, Montana last week and just happened to arrive while the mighty Missouri River, swollen by rain and melting snow, was roaring through the top of Ryan Dam as if that steel and concrete structure was no more than a...

If you've been to Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, raise your hand. Nobody? Then it's high time for an eye-opening adventure. But first, reserve a place in the sun at the Sheraton...

ONBOARD THE SS ADRIENNE, France (Part 3) -- When you cruise with French Country Waterways, daily shore excursions are part of the experience. In France's Champagne region, this means visits to some of the Great War's most tragic battle sites. On...

"What happened to the good old days -- 20 years ago -- when flying was a pleasure and the airlines tried to do the right thing for their customers?" asked Paul Cook, who sent me the following email about his recent experience with United Airlines. Cook, who was traveling with...

ONBOARD THE SS ADRIENNE, France (Part two) -- Our barge cruise is underway at last. Our captain, a long-time veteran with French Country Waterways, welcomes us with a champagne toast and an overview of...

Why "bad?" Because killer headlines get more attention. And Buenos Aires, my new favorite city, deserves it. Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires is vibrant and colorful, upbeat and stylish. For the first time since I invested in a laptop small enough to carry, I mailed...

What's the question I get most when people hear I'm a travel writer?

Right away they want to know which country I like best. Or what's my favorite hotel. Or which culture's cuisine is the most original.

What that says is most people don't really know what travel...