Dwight Brown

Trinidad is legendary for its joyous, festive, 'round-the-clock, hard-partying Carnival celebrations, but what goes on in Tobago? This serene haven is where Trinidadians and smart travelers go when they want to decompress on beguiling beaches.

A festive atmosphere defines Trinidad, population 1.5 million, which is long...

Sometimes Puerto Rico feels like a Caribbean island, other times more like America's 51st state. Hit the beaches, historic town squares or the tropical rainforest: It's the Caribbean. Drive around on its elaborate highway systems, and it's an all-American adventure.

Start your trip at a tropical resort
The

There's something about Antigua that feels like times gone by. You know, when people treated each other with grace and respect. When strangers passed you on the street and said hello. Before the world became too over-developed and incivility was the norm. Genteel Antigua feels unspoiled, unfettered and ripe for...

Miami's hotels offer three distinct luxury experiences: classic grandeur, zen elegance and chic boutique. Each is distinguished by location, accommodations and atmosphere.

Coral Gables and the venerable Biltmore Hotel
In the 1920s, developer George Edgar Merrick envisioned a classy, planned Miami community and wooed North Easterners to 10,000 acres...

Anyone connected to the film industry will tell you that the Toronto International Film Festival is the best film festival in the world. What they fail to mention is that it's also the perfect attraction for a lively vacation.

TIFF leads the pack for three key reasons. First,...

Tourists flock to Aruba, a Caribbean island 19 miles off the coast of South America, for the pristine, white-sand shoreline and placid, clear waters. But when you consider the island's culture, history, nightlife, restaurants, sports and dramatic desert terrain, alluring beaches are just the opening act.

The Beach Scene-...

St. Lucia is an earthly, verdant, mountainous paradise perfect for exploration and vacations.

Located in the Caribbean's southeast Windward Islands, St. Lucia has a volcanic, tropical landscape, with steep dramatic valleys and dark sand beaches--it resembles Hawaii. Prolific banana trees (which provide a year-round harvest) have replaced sugar cane...

Remember when Fort Lauderdale was crowned the ultimate party town for rowdy frat boys on spring break? Times have changed. Gone are the throngs of adolescent revelers (they're in Cancun). Gone are the hippy swimwear boutiques that used to line Fort Lauderdale Blvd, aka Route A1A, the shoreline drive. Adults...

Miami is often portrayed as a mere playground for twentysomethings. In fact, this versatile city/county offers bliss to mature, moneyed adults seeking luxury, culture, a quiet refuge, fine dining and sophistication with their sunny vacation.

Key Biscayne -- A Tranquil Isle Near Downtown Miami

800-acre Crandon Park...

Barbados is the good-time Island. This easternmost Caribbean isle is south of the hurricane belt (good weather), has average 84-88 degree temperatures (warm sun), and is inhabited by friendly people (fraternizing with locals is a joy). Tony resorts (from boutique to big) are plentiful, cultural sites abound (steeped...

Puerto Rico boasts 272 miles of coastline, diverse beaches (calm waters to pounding surfs), a world-renown rain forest, tasty cuisine (if you don't gain ten pounds in P.R., you haven't lived!), friendly people and a swinging nightlife. Travelers can choose between an idyllic resort getaway, and a vibrant...

Curaçao, part of the Caribbean's Netherland Antilles Islands, is just 35 miles north of Venezuela and well south of the hurricane belt. It's a vibrant, arid isle, largely populated (150,000) by African and Dutch descendants and also home to people of 40 different nationalities. Add to the mix...

Arawak, Taino, Carib and Ciboney tribes inhabited the three main U.S. Virgin Islands--St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. Then in 1493, Christopher Columbus explored the isles and named them for Saint Ursula and her virgins. Spain, the U.K, Netherlands, France and Denmark ruled the archipelago for 400 years until...

For three decades the Guinness World Records has ranked the 11-day Montreal Jazz Festival as the largest in the world. But does size matter? Yes, if you have an impressive roster, conveniently located venues, international music lovers on a good vibe and a vibrant host city.

Musicians Galore

TV news reports have depicted Jamaican government forces battling a drug gang in the Tivoli Gardens section of Kingston, a city on Jamaica's southeast coast. That mayhem caused the State Department to issue a Travel Alert for that Kingston, which expires June 23. Tivoli is only one section of a...

If you're thinking of a Florida vacation, but would rather skip the over-populated, see-and-be-seen sands of South Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami offers a quieter, more family-friendly and adult-happy alternative. Same sun, shores and waters ... fewer thongs and six-pack abs.

Sunny Isles Beach

The Haulover Bridge, completed...