I'm ashamed to admit this, but in the past, Memorial Day has been more about a three-day weekend filled with family BBQs, the start of summer and a day off from work.

Like all Americans, I learned at a young age that Memorial Day is meant to honor the...

Who says America doesn't make stuff anymore?

From cars to coffee, hot sauce to jumbo jets, we've got 10 great places to see how the proverbial sausage is made -- and the cheapest flights to get you there.

A week in Paris. Nothing thrilled me more in the run-up to this trip than saying, "I'm going to Paris for a week to hang out with my daughter!" We had three goals: art, food and fashion.

Thankfully, Nell is better able to manage relaxation than I am and there...

The steadily increasing stream of states and countries legalizing gay marriage has dramatically changed the lives of LGBT people and their loved ones in recent years.

Although lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have been getting married in their own private ceremonies for many years, that they can now have...

I'm currently in the middle of Poland, on the Vistula river. Somewhere between Warsaw and Gdansk. I'm part of the film and photography crew following the Belgian explorer Louis-Philippe Loncke as he kayaks the entire Vistula river -- nearly 1000 km -- after having climbed the Tatras Mountains...

The recent fire at the Villagio shopping centre in Doha, Qatar has shocked and saddened people the world over. There's no making sense of tragedies such as this. Having just recently returned home from an unforgettable trip to this wonderful city, I was left speechless when I heard...

How Fast Between "Build it..." and "They Will Come?" In the case South Carolina and Boeing, pretty darn fast. In the movie "Field of Dreams," it was an Iowa cornfield. In North Charleston, it was a Carolina swamp. Either way, from saw grass to million-plus square foot airline...

When I logged on to check my bank balance from Egypt last September, as I often do when I travel, I was horrified: Someone had used my debit card to sign up for a Match.com account.

Someone knew my debit card number, even though I still had the card. The...

America is a melting pot, and barbecue, that most American of foods, is just as diverse.

You might be tempted to spend the summer grilling in your backyard, but when there are so many different kinds of smoked meats to try from sea to shining sea, why not explore all...

At some point, we've all imagined dropping everything, leaving it all behind and going somewhere far, far away. Maybe you've been thinking there's more to life than your nine-to-fiver, or you're feeling the urge to check off some travel-related items on the bucket list before you get "too old" or...

I'm sitting in the main reading room of Paris' Bibliotheque Historique, at a green leather-topped desk under painted wooden beams that have been holding up the soaring ceiling for hundreds of years. I am listening to another French institution, the chanteuse Juliette Greco, be interviewed; it's part of the library's...

Green resorts come in all shapes, sizes and personalities. Some are so informal and free of embellishments that you might mistake 'em for a youth hostel. Others are so upmarket and saturated with fuss that wearing Manolo Blahniks by poolside is de rigueur.

Then there's the more uncommon green resort...

Lots is happening in Austin, Texas between spring's South by Southwest and fall's Austin City Limits Festival. Whether you're a visitor, new Austinite or long-time resident, here are some things you shouldn't miss this summer if you want to keep cool, keep entertained and keep yourself happily fed and watered.

As summer approaches, many might not be thinking about ice-scapes or glaciers -- unless maybe to cool off at the thought of them. We imagine the beach is a more likely dream destination for many in the coming months.

Nevertheless, with a summer of sports and the Olympics round the...

We love home decor, interior design and architecture here at Oyster -- after all, aren't they all huge parts of a hotel stay experience? Our staffer Jen sought out the six most beautiful spots to soak in some gorgeous interior design. Check it out below, then tell us: Where would...

Have you ever hugged a giant portabella mushroom? I hadn't either until I visited Stingray City in Grand Cayman. If you love unique animal encounters, I would suggest taking a trip out to this close encounter with the fish kind in the blue waters of the Caribbean.

Stingray City is...

London is a touristic city by definition. If you are planning to visit the British capital this summer, bear in mind you would hit the massive touristic crowds who come to watch the Olympics or those who come to celebrate with the British nation the Queen's...

Growing up with a total of seven dogs, two cats, one rabbit, a tarantula and a host of other animals including turtles, hamsters and fish, I definitely developed a love for animals at an early age. Yet no matter how hard I tried to dress my dogs in capes and...