Rothenburg captivates and dazzles during December with a buzzing Christmas market and the celebrations put on by a plethora of year-round Christmas shops surrounded by half-timbered houses, colorful gabled buildings and brightly lit trees dripping with ornaments. Shop windows display beer steins, wooden nutcrackers and German-made Teddy bears.

Hand-carved...

Fun and festivities can be found at The Munich Airport Center's highly popular winter market. It's in full swing for the holiday season with 50 outdoor market stalls, a large ice skating rink (skates are gratis) and Bavarian curling.

Decorated with more than 400 Christmas trees, the market is...

There are hundreds of fairytale castles in Britain. To this day, some of the castles are family homes with a portion of the castle providing hotel lodging. In some cases, the accommodations might be in the castle's hunting lodge or coach house. Be sure to do a little research before...

The summer crowds are gone on Mount Desert Island, and Bar Harbor with its six six distinctive villages, is gearing up for the just-around-the-corner leaf peeping season.

Settled in 1763, Bar Harbor is elevated slightly above Frenchman Bay and nestled between the 47-acre Acadia National Park, and Atlantic Ocean. Most...

The B-52s, famous for their quirky and unforgettable New Wave dance-rock tunes in the late '70s and '80s, will perform at bergen PAC, Wednesday, August 8 at 8 p.m.

Memorable and creative...

One of my favorite German getaways is Dinkelsbuhl. Each July, a magical children's festival takes place in this lesser-known town on the Romantic Road south of its more touristy neighbor Rothenberg ob der Tauber.

There are similarities between Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg in that both towns still...

There is a distinct difference between the millionaires and billionaires on Nantucket. The billionaires rarely leave their splendid compounds outfitted with home theatres, pools and staff. They arrive in their Learjets, and their food, friends and staff are flown in too. Personal chefs plan and prepare daily menus...

Forget about calories and stop by L.A. Burdick Café and chocolate shop for some obscenely decadent chocolate menu items.

With a scorching heat wave in NYC, ordering an iced chocolate is a must; it's refreshing,...

Wentworth by the Sea's claim to fame is the Treaty of Portsmouth.

In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt sought out a setting similar to the summer White House in Sagamore Hill. The prerequisite was to find a warm and inviting hotel, where Russian and Japanese diplomats would negotiate the Treaty of...

Does the Francophile mother in your life have an appreciation for products from the continent? Here are my top three picks for Mother's Day, ranging from $80.00 to $500 and a must-have extra for under $20.

Sleeping with Yves Delorme
Since we spend a third of...

Now you can learn how to make your own perfect, piping hot pizza at Pizza a Casa Pizza School in Manhattan. Mark Bello, owner and preeminent pizza-maker, teaches how-to classes at his pie-making business on Grand Street.

Students jump right in making dough for light and crispy 12-14-inch...

Knitting is a centuries-old pastime. In the past decade, it has made a colossal comeback. It's hard to pinpoint where knitting started, but it more than likely was introduced by Arabian sailors and merchants who sailed and traded throughout the Mediterranean.

For many, knitting is a form of therapy...

Colonial St. George is lovely slice of Bermuda that offers not only the visual delights of pastel homes, but also an alluring history. It's a place I plan to return to again and again.

All you need is a little hunger for history and this UNESCO World Heritage...

Last week, I spent four blissful days at Elbow Beach Resort & Spa on the South Shore of Bermuda. At one time, this landmark property was considered the grand dame of Bermuda, where well-heeled guests, honeymooners, and preppy spring break ivy leaguers mixed and mingled.

Today, Elbow Beach...

Queenstown, New Zealand is the "Adventure Capital of the World." This international resort town is located on the south island and is situated beside a promontory reaching far out into Lake Wakatipu.

Thrill seekers gravitate to the bungee-jumping capital for the maximum adrenalin rush. For those who have no sense...

Standing on the dock at a marina in Bas-du-Fort, Guadeloupe, Alain, a Belgian transplant, pointed his finger at a group of islands on the French West Indies chart.

"You must sail to Terre-de-Haut, it's a mini St. Barts, but not many people know about it," he says. Soon after, my...

I discovered Marin County-based Branch Handmade while perusing Etsy shops. Ashley Redmond is an interior designer and co-owner of the hand-screen housewares and apparel textile business. It has been going strong since launching in 2008. (The textile line is sold in over 40 boutiques nationally and abroad.)

Sausalito is in San Francisco's backyard and it happens to be one of my favorite small American towns. It immediately begs the question: "Wouldn't it be cool to live here?" Residents live in bungalows on hilly streets with beautiful bay and skyline views. From San Francisco, simply cross the sometimes...

The Windward Islands are at the southern end of the Caribbean island chain. For experienced sailors, it is thrilling to sail among the four main islands: Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenada. They are far enough apart to allow for open ocean sailing and they lie across the easterly...

Not many people go to the tiny island of Barbuda. The out of the way leeward island in the British West Indies is accessible to those who make the effort: The 11-mile long powder soft beach is specked with crushed pink coral.

For the most part, Barbuda is unspoiled, remote...