NADI, Fiji Islands — “That’s Tom Hanks’ island, in ‘Cast Away’ the movie,” said the passenger sitting nearby, on the rear deck.

We’d seen him standing in line, a college kid in a red shirt, packing and repacking a knapsack while we waited to board the early morning ferry out of Viti Levu, largest of Fiji’s 330 islands. Leaning over the railing, he pointed at the horizon and a faint grey-green shape.

“Its real name is Modriki, and it’s small, just 100 acres,” he said. “But the beach is awesome. Tourists can’t wait to go.”

No surprise there. For most South Pacific travelers, nothing rivals Fiji’s sandy beaches, palm-shaded gardens, starry nights and Melanesian hospitality. We’d island-hopped over the years, tried a dozen different beach resorts, and liked most of them. Until 2019, when we joined a hiking group for a long look at the island’s mountains.

Finally last fall, with COVID in decline and Fiji open for tourists, we hopped a plane and headed back, this time for another look at what makes the country tick. Finding hotels wasn’t easy; Fiji is to Australians what Hawaii is to Americans. But we crossed our fingers, found five with rooms and struck gold at three places begging for a repeat visit.

The Fiji Orchid, a stately manor house near Viti Levu’s northwest shore and the former home of Hollywood actor Raymond Burr, star of the detective series “Perry Mason,” felt nothing like a hotel and everything like a home away from home. With an inviting living room and framed memorabilia, it beckoned at the end of a very long day.

Hotel Manager Deepika Dimlesh arranged an authentic Fijian dinner, and co-owner Gordon Leewie told tales of Fiji life in the early days. Though Nadi (NAN-dee) International Airport was 20 minutes away, our bure (BOO-ray, room, house), one of six in the lush tropical garden, was as quiet as a cemetery.

“We’ve had guests who stayed for weeks,” said Dimlesh at dinner. “One was even writing a book. But most are international travelers, businessmen flying through. We tell them, if you have a layover don’t try to sleep in the lounge. We’ll pick you up, you can use the pool, eat dinner or go to bed, and we’ll drive you back.”

Curious about Lautoka, Viti Levu’s second-largest town on the northwest shore, we hired tour guide and driver Kesho Goundar, who (like many Fijians) speaks Fijian, English and Hindi. Stopping at the town’s huge covered market, he bought a couple of kava “sticks,” the gifts we would need – for the chief – if we visited a village.

Then it was on to the Sabeto Mountains and the Garden of the Sleeping Giant. A popular park, it was founded by Burr, a worldwide orchid collector. Hundreds of orchids, planted along the trail to the summit, a huge head-like rock, are the highlight of a visit. And the adjacent forest — a tower of vines, shadowy branches and strange flowers — was a set waiting for a movie.

The next day we headed upcountry to Navala Village, the country’s last thatched village, driving past barnyards, gardens, sugar cane fields, villages, the occasional manufacturing plant and Methodist, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Catholic-oriented primary schools.

At first glance Navala looked empty, until guide Mark Navaroka came out to collect our $25 entrance fee and a kava stick for the chief.

Turning onto the Nausori Highland Road – not another car in sight – we lurched uphill over a rocky, pot-holed track for more than an hour, each hill steeper than the one before, until we rounded the top, a photographer’s delight. Finally, around the corner, we passed two hunters on horseback with rifles and dogs.

Moving to Viti Levu’s southwest corner, we checked into the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, a 35-acre landscaped property on Natadola Bay. And instead of salesmen in suits, the hotel was as busy as a country club on a holiday weekend. Dads and kids played volleyball; moms worked out at a fitness center. We spotted kids racing hermit crabs, and others learning Fijian words and Polynesian dances. Menus at the hotel’s several restaurants listed continental and some Fijian dishes, and our favorite, the lively Toba Bar & Grill, took our order in five minutes and served the food in 10.

Coaxed into trying the Jet Ski “experience,” we flew over the waves, riding tandem behind two watersports guides. But the skis were trumped by the hotel’s Coral Planting project, headed by marine scientists Lawaci Koroyawa and Luke Romatanababa. Joining them in the water, we learned how to plant healthy corals onto damaged reefs.

Most memorable was the river cruise with Singatoka River Safari. Wide and long, the river winds through an endless valley, weaving past rocky hills, farms and meadows. Children splashed in it and men scrubbed their horses, waving as we passed. Pastoral and peaceful, it was a nod to an older century.

The 35-mile-long trip ended at a village, with a tour, lunch at the community center and a kava ceremony — shared cups – with the chief and town fathers. Kava is calming, some say. Just more weak tea, say others.

How many villages are there, we wondered. “Hundreds, but that’s not all,” said the hotel’s desk clerk. Each indigenous Fijian family belongs to a village that owns the land its on. It’s like a clan, she explained. And only indigenous Fijians can own land. So add all the villages and their land and it’s nearly 90% of the country. “The government makes Fiji’s laws, but the villages rule themselves. That’s why they’re important.”

As our last week approached, we took the ferry to Lomani Island Resort – yes, an adults-only beach resort – on Malolo Lailai island, a single hour’s ferry ride to the mainland and Nadi International Airport. You can stay overnight and still make it to the airport on time.

But it wasn’t the beach that earned the gold star. It was the charming cottages, each with a private yard and plunge pool. The smiling waiters and creative, chef-designed meals, served at candle-lit tables. The “double-X” swimming pool and the water sports center.

“It’s peaceful here,” said Shelley White, the general manager, when we met at the cocktail hour. “And quiet. But with Nadi next door, we stay busy with weddings and anniversaries, and lately, even business retreats. We can order everything we need and get it delivered the next day,” she said.

“Still, we love to have visitors like you, people who know this place and like it,” she added, with a puckish smile. “Let me know the next time you travel. I might decide to come along.”

If you go

Fiji Airways flies from Los Angeles, with Fijian attendants and quality service, and includes dinner, breakfast and snacks. Departures leave just before midnight and arrive at 5:30 a.m. Fiji Airways also flies from San Francisco and Honolulu.

Air New Zealand flies from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu

American Airlines flies from Los Angeles and San Francisco

United Airlines flies from Houston

Delta Airlines flies from Los Angeles and Seattle

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Leading vacation rental company Airbnb is updating its Extenuating Circumstances Policy, including renaming it the Major Disruptive Events Policy “to better reflect its purpose.” This will provide greater flexibility for travelers who may need to cancel their reservations when unforeseen circumstances, such as natural disasters, extreme weather events and government-imposed travel restrictions, affect their ability to complete their stay.

Under this updated cancellation policy, guests can cancel reservations and receive refunds in cases of “foreseeable weather events,” such as hurricanes, that would result in another covered event occurring, such as large-scale utility outages. According to Travel + Leisure, the policy already applies to other “unexpected major events,” such as declared public health emergencies, including epidemics, but excluding COVID-19. This revised policy, which will go into effect on June 6, overrides individual hosts’ own cancellation policies.

This updated policy also applies to mid-trip cancellations, making it so that travelers can receive refunds for the unused portion of their stays in the event of a covered cancellation.

However, it’s important to note that Airbnb’s policy does not cover all unforeseen incidents, such as injuries, illnesses or government-imposed requirements, like jury duty or court appearances.

“The changes to this policy, including its new name, were made to create clarity for our guests and Hosts, and ensure it’s meeting the diverse needs of our global community,” Juniper Downs, Airbnb’s Head of Community Policy, said in a statement. “Our aim was to clearly explain when the policy applies to a reservation, and to deliver fair and consistent outcomes for our users. These updates also bring the policy in line with industry standards.”

The introduction of this revised policy aligns with Airbnb’s recent efforts to bolster travelers’ confidence in booking home-share stays. For example, earlier this month, it banned indoor security cameras in its rental homes worldwide due to privacy concerns, and, in 2022, instituted a permanent ban on parties, a move which was initially instituted temporarily during the COVID-19 crisis.

Last year, to crack down on fraudulent listings, the company introduced a “verified” status and badge for its rentals in an effort to reassure customers that the specified property does actually exists at the address indicated and that the host is reliable.

In 2022, Airbnb also updated its policies and platform to provide greater pricing transparency, displaying total costs, including fees, in user searches and altering its algorithm to rank listings with the best total prices higher in the results. At the same time, Airbnb provided “guidance” to hosts, encouraging them to set only “reasonable” checkout requests and requiring them to be displayed in the listing.

“Guests should not have to do unreasonable checkout tasks such as stripping the beds, doing the laundry, or vacuuming when leaving their Airbnb,” the company wrote in a statement at the time. “But we think it’s reasonable to ask guests to turn off the lights, throw food in the trash, and lock the doors — just like they would when leaving their own home.”

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A captain flying on a commercial airline’s largest aircraft can bring home an average of $348,252 a year, based on recent pilot contracts that passed over the last year.

That’s just the best of the best when it comes to being a commercial airline pilot — a career that comes with years of high-earning salaries and benefits. But to get there, pilots need to invest into training and flying hours, which can often come with mounds of debt. ATP Flight School estimates it costs $108,995 to become a pilot when starting with no previous experience or $86,995 when starting with a private pilot certificate.

So what are the top commercial airlines for pilots to earn the big bucks? Here’s a list of a few.

American Airlines

At American, first-year pilots are at a flat rate, Tajer said. A first-year, first officer at American would be paid $116 an hour in 2024 under the new contract. Depending on how often that new commercial airline pilot would fly, that could mean an average $114,180 annual salary starting out, Darby said.

On average a major airline first officer in their first year flying the smallest aircraft may bring home $98,616, according to Darby.

Pay scales are based on a variety of factors, including each year of service, the type of aircraft the pilot flies and the rank of the pilot.

“It’s a good job,” Tajer said. “Each year you’ll get a pay raise because of the length of service and that goes out to 12 years. If you stay as a first officer, you’ll get an annual increase for your longevity up to 12 years and then you’ll cap out your pay per flight hour.”

Southwest Airlines

At Southwest, it is the only airline that pays per trip and a formula is used to calculate how much the pilot makes.

Southwest also only flies Boeing 737 airplanes — a difference in how other airlines get paid. First officers or captains at other major airlines, like American, can see pay bumps if they upgrade to larger airplanes.

A first-year, first officer would make approximately $133.76 an hour at Southwest, under the union’s calculations. Darby estimates that to be about $11,370 a month on average.

Top-of-scale captains at Southwest make $364.52 an hour, but Southwest believes this to be closer to $368.01. That would mean about $371,808 on average per year, Darby said.

Pilots are not paid during boarding or getting to their flight. Pilots sometimes work 10 to 12 hours a day but are only paid for when they are flying.

“What it boils down to is everybody’s competing for the best pilots, the most experienced pilots and that experience translates to safety,” Southwest Airlines Pilot Association president Casey Murray said. “When customers purchase tickets, that’s what they’re buying.”

Delta Air Lines

At Delta Air Lines, the Atlanta-based airline which nailed down its contract before all other airlines early last year, a first officer flying its smallest aircraft can make an average of $109,212 annually, according to Darby.

Pilots at Delta are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association. The deal raised their pay by more than 30% over four years. The union of about 15,000 pilots voted in the contract in March.

Flying their largest aircraft, a captain can make $420,876 a year on average.

United Airlines

United’s pilots who are first officers in their first year on the smallest aircraft can bring home a similar salary — $114,696, according to Darby’s estimate.

In July, United Airlines pilots reached an agreement for a new four-year contract, providing a cumulative increase in total compensation of as much as 40.2% over the life of the agreement.

On the other side of the scale, senior-most captains flying United’s largest aircraft can make a salary of $424,920.

Other commercial airlines

At JetBlue Airways, a first-year pilot can make $99,000. Top of the line, a captain at JetBlue flying its largest planes will make $303,840 on average.

At Allegiant Air, a first-year pilot might make around $55,356. A senior captain on average makes $222,696 flying its largest airplanes.

Spirit Airlines’ first officers starting out on the smallest aircraft make $92,868 a year. For captains flying the largest aircraft, that’s an average of $297,876 a year on average at Spirit.

Alaska Airlines pilots flying the smallest aircraft in their first year make $107,844 in the first year. As a senior captain, they can bring home $326,640 on average flying the largest airplanes at Alaska.

©2024 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

This South Florida city has starred countless times on the silver screen and television and is always coming up in popular music, too, with many of these Miami-centric works becoming downright iconic.

All of this has painted such a vibrant picture of the city, that whether or not you’ve ever crossed over the city limits, you have years of stored-up visions of what this city will be like when you finally get there.

Considering all of this, when you visit for the first time, there’s a bit of pressure to find the Miami you have always envisioned. I recently visited the city for the very first time and I tried to capture the essence of the city that I had dreamed of while also trying to see a couple of surprises along the way.

Sunrise start

I know you’re on vacation, but you simply have to wake up before dawn and take in a sunrise during your trip to Miami, preferably on your first morning. Darkness gives away to soft light as the sun slowly rises above the Atlantic Ocean, streaking the sky in hues of pink, gold and blue, casting a soft glow over the water and the sand below.

On your way back from the beach, make sure to grab a photo with one of the iconic neon lifeguard towers — it is the golden hour after all.

News break

Famed for its prime role in revitalizing South Beach during the heady days of the ’90s, News Cafe is open 24/7 and located at the heart of South Beach (8th & Ocean Avenue). You’re probably going to pass it anyway so you might as well pull up a chair outside and chill for a bit.

Back in the day, this cafe was frequented by the glamorous, the fabulous and everyone in between as it served up one of the first slices of European cafe culture on South Beach — and today the pulse of the neighborhood still beats strong here.

Enjoy a Cuban Club and a Paper Boy (their take on the bloody mary) as I did, or a frosty, citrusy Frozzie Rossie cocktail as the sidewalk in front of you becomes a runway full of locals on bicycles or rollerblades, wide-eyed tourists, wanna-be influencers and drivers showing off their shiny cars.

Art Deco up close

If you’re anything like me, you may know that Art Deco is synonymous with South Beach, but do you know the stories behind the style and the facades? That’s where the Miami Design Preservation League’s expert guides come in as they take travelers on daily jaunts through the Art Deco District each morning at 10:30 AM. The guides tell the stories behind each building (you’ll see Art Deco, Miami Modern and Mediterranean Revival on the tour), endearing you to their efforts to preserve these special buildings.

Eat old school

For more than a century, Joe’s Stone Crab has been drawing in crowds from far and wide for its famed crustaceans and no trip to Miami is complete without a stop here. Located in the vibrant heart of South Beach, Joe’s is famed for its succulent stone crab claws plucked from nearby waters, alongside an array of other mouthwatering dishes. Think of it this way: everybody is going to ask you if you went to Joe’s, so you might as well!

… and new

Sushi may not be the first thing that pops into your head when thinking of Miami, but why wouldn’t it be great here? Enter Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, which is an oasis of Japanese cuisine situated within the historic Plymouth Hotel South Beach (just past the retro-cool lobby and beside the beautiful pool). The menu is overseen by sushi master Toshi Ueki and chefs Bruce and Eric Bromberg and boasts a tantalizing selection of traditional sushi and sashimi, expertly crafted to perfection. Oh, and there’s also a much-loved version of fried chicken. You’ll feel cool slinking into one of their booths, but not intimidatingly so.

Say adios to South Beach

Wynwood. Little Havana. Downtown. Little Haiti. Key Biscayne. Coconut Grove. Coral Gables. It doesn’t matter where you go, but you have to get outside of South Beach during your time in Miami because it’s only a small — albeit shiny — part of this spectacular city.

My time in South Beach was punctuated with spells in Wynwood and Little Havana, where I was able to get a taste (literally) of two entirely different sections of the city and sip (literally) up slices of its unique story.

To live up to the level of hype that has been thrust upon Miami is almost impossible, but this city made it look like a breeze.

Tribune News Service

Noise is my nemesis, quiet being one of my cherished but most elusive of holy grails.

So when deciding where to go for a much-needed vacation at the beginning of March, I decided to spend it at a luxury resort, The Somerset on Grace Bay in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. Fingers crossed that I would find a modicum of peace and serenity.

I had viewed online photos and videos of the property. It certainly looked beautiful, but would it achieve my high standards for low decibels?

This was my third trip to T&C, my first to The Somerset.

It’s not the newest “kid on the block” (it was built in 2006). Shinier “kids” have arrived on the scene — a few of which I have visited — but there is something more genteel, relaxed and intimate about this property. It immediately felt like home. The Somerset oozed charm, without the noisy bells and whistles that many resorts display, mistaking intense activity and helicoptering attention for thoughtful but unobtrusive service.

Part of the charm resided in the configuration of the Spanish Mediterranean style of architecture of yellow stucco capped by the red clay roof. The four-story residences, housing one- to five-bedroom suites, formed a horseshoe shape allowing each unit to have an unobstructed view of Grace Bay Beach. With its miles-long shoreline of silky white sand, Grace Bay is listed among Tripadvisor’s “Best of the Best” beaches for 2024.

I arrived at night after a 90-minute flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so I didn’t see the crowning centerpiece of the property until early the next morning. I opened the floor-to-ceiling drapes in my one-bedroom suite, stood out on the terrace and gaped in amazement at the stunning lap and infinity pools that seemed to flow straight into the ocean. An employee was carefully cleaning the pools while another was setting up the chaise lounges with pristine white covers and rolled towels.

Key to a great resort vacation is the staff. It turns out that many of the employees have been there since The Somerset opened — a good sign. They understand understated hospitality but deliver it with ease and a kind of natural friendliness, as if you’ve known them all your life.

There’s a gym onsite, which I didn’t use because I wanted as much sun and sand and water as I could possibly squeeze into my short stay. But I did avail myself of a sublime massage on my suite terrace. Yuli, a therapist all the way from Bali, knew exactly how to knead those stressed muscles into submission. While working her wonders, the sound of birds and the ever-present warm island breeze kept us company.

Each of the 53 accommodations is uniquely decorated. My 1,500-square-foot suite was airy, modern and immaculate. The kitchen offered every imaginable culinary gadget, Viking and Bosch appliances, and a separate glass wine refrigerator. The king-size bed was mercifully comfy in a massive bedroom bracketed on one side by a Juliet balcony and on the other by the ensuite bathroom and separate closet room.

I may have been the solo traveler there, but had the pleasure of meeting a host of couples young and senior, many with their children or grandchildren. The resort is known for its Caicos Kids Club designed for children ages 3 to 12. While parents grab a bit of free time, an array of supervised activities such as arts and crafts, treasure hunts and beach games occupy the little ones.

For bigger kids like myself, the sea offers endless adventures. Although I was almost enticed into parasailing, I opted for less height and more splash on one of the Hobie Cats that the resort provides. I even let out a few hoots when I first straddled what felt like a trampoline on wings with a sail attached. It was a particularly windy day, and the youthful Navigator steered the craft out into the wild blue yonder. It was thrilling, and a bit scary, when a huge wave danced all over me. But I survived to tell the tale.

Then as my reward for being so brave, I plunked myself down on a beach chaise lounge strategically placed near the water’s edge and munched on a grilled shrimp salad washed down by an intoxicating coconut rum punch served by a waiter from The Somerset’s poolside restaurant. Watching the swimmers, kayakers, parasailers, sailboats and sunbathers was entertainment enough.

Once the headiness of the drink wore off, the sunny beach beckoned me for a long, leisurely stroll.

Grace Bay itself stretches about three miles, but it connects seamlessly with two other beaches so one could conceivably walk for about 12 miles. I didn’t count my steps, but I viewed various properties along the way — some very modern, others a bit worse for the wear — and I liked that the area was not overcrowded and the resorts were spread out so a sense of privacy prevailed. But for me, my Somerset “home” was where I wanted to cocoon. So back I went for my last evening meal at Barbetta. Grilled mahi mahi with asparagus, saffron infused potatoes followed by crackling creme brûlée.

While checking out the last morning of my stay, a couple was just arriving. The woman asked me, “Is it quiet here?”

“Yes,” I said truthfully, “and peaceful.” She turned to her husband with a big smile and said, “That’s exactly what we need.”

A fitting end to my holy grail pursuit and a positive introduction to theirs. Maybe on my next trip I’ll try the parasailing. Fingers crossed.

(For more information, visit thesomerset.com.)

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A trip across the pond has many amazing things to offer, like landmarks, history, food, art and museums — the experience alone can benefit the entire family. However, the No. 1 reason people don’t go on vacation is the cost.

Being strapped for cash shouldn’t deny you the luxuries of experiencing European culture. Whether you need a passport or have to update one, can’t find the time to take off more than a week from work, or the cost isn’t appealing, you can still visit European-inspired sights right here in the United States.

Here are five cities that have a European feel without the long flight.

New Orleans

Highly influenced by French and Spanish ways of life, New Orleans is a melting pot of cultures with a rich history. It was settled by the French and turned over to the Spaniards to settle a war debt. Spain ruled from 1763 to 1803. The city has boisterous music, authentic cuisine, art and museums to explore.

Tarpon Springs, Florida

Tarpon Springs has the look and feel of Greece; according to Tarpon Arts, it has the highest concentration of Greek Americans in the country. These residents contribute their culture, food, clothing, experiences and more to the city.

Montpelier, Vermont

Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the U.S., with a population of just more than 7,000 people. The connection between America and France is on display, giving the quaint town the feel of a French countryside village with shops, green hills, farmers markets, European architecture and more.

Holland, Michigan

When given a name like Holland, you have to live up to your namesake. That is exactly what this little city in Michigan does. It’s dressed with cobblestone streets much like the ones in Europe and nostalgic countryside architecture. The city has authentic Dutch windmills, beaches, food and art — giving the perfect balance of a European, beach and small-town feel.

Solvang, California

After being settled by the Spanish, a small population of Danish people came to Solvang for new beginnings. The city which is not far from Santa Barbra, has transformed into a Danish haven. Nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang is happily cultured in its European roots and proudly brings its residents and visitors authentic bakeries, eateries, museums, art and more.

Experiencing European culture doesn’t have to break the bank. Until you can accumulate the necessary funds to afford a trip overseas, taking a small vacation in the U.S. is the perfect substitute.

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©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Next time you’re planning a vacation, a travel credit card could defray some or all of the costs if it packs the right incentives. Typically, cards with higher annual fees provide the most value with perks like ongoing rewards, free checked bags, airport lounge access or other benefits. But even cards with low or no annual fees make it possible to earn some value toward travel, if you can qualify.

These cards generally require good credit (scores of 690 or higher), and even if you’re eligible, it’s not worth pursuing one if you can’t pay off the credit card bill in full every month to avoid steep interest charges. And if you’re working toward paying down existing debt, it might not be worth chasing points and miles until you’ve made progress on that front.

But as long as travel credit cards align with your financial goals, their potential savings merit consideration — even if you travel just once or twice per year. Explore the flexibility of a general-purpose travel credit card to book travel anywhere, or a branded credit card to book travel with a favorite hotel or airline. Either option may offer money-saving benefits toward your next trip.

Valuable features can lower costs

Offers will vary among general-purpose travel credit cards and airline- or hotel-branded credit cards, but some savings opportunities may include:

Perks

If a credit card offers a lengthy list of perks, the value can quickly add up. Here are some features to look out for:

• A sign-up offer: Travel credit cards generally come with lucrative sign-up offers that let new cardholders earn a pile of points or miles by meeting a minimum spending requirement. It’s easier to snag if you can strategically time a credit card application around planned purchases during a heavy-spend month or season.
• Free checked bags: Some airline credit cards offer free checked bags, which can add up to real savings when applied per person on a round trip. This is one way that Doug Figueroa, a content creator at the YouTube channel Zorito y Doug, makes up the cost of the $150 annual fee on an airline credit card. “The savings are $70 round trip per passenger listed in the same reservation,” he says.
• TSA or Global Entry credit: Some travel cards issue a credit (up to $100) when you use them to pay for a TSA or Global Entry application fee. These expedited airport security screening programs can save time while traveling.
• Travel credits: Depending on the card’s terms, travel credits may be used to save money on a variety of travel expenses like rideshare services, airfare or accommodations.
• Airport lounge access: You can skip the pricey airport food with some travel credit cards that offer complimentary airport lounge access. Austin Maxwell, a South Carolina-based content creator at the blog The Maxwells Travel, uses a travel credit card to avoid those costs. “I’m saving $20 to $30 every time I go to the airport because I don’t have to buy food or drinks during a layover or preflight,” he says.
• A companion ticket: Some airline credit cards cover the cost of a ticket for a friend or family member. Depending on the card’s terms, you may have to pay taxes and fees on the fare, the companion ticket may have an expiration date and/or a spending requirement may apply.
• Automatic elite status: You may earn elite status without much effort on some hotel-branded credit cards. Elite status can add up to valuable savings if the program offers free food, bonus points or suite upgrades.
• Free nights: If your favorite hotel has a branded credit card that offers annual free night awards, it can stretch your vacation budget.

Protections and other benefits

A travel credit card that offers trip delay or cancellation insurance, lost baggage insurance, rental car coverage or other protections may also be of value to you. To qualify for these benefits you typically need to pay for the trip or covered purchase with the eligible credit card. Read the terms carefully to understand the extent of your coverage.

Figueroa says he saved $90 over three days with his card’s primary rental car coverage on a trip to Miami.

“Once you make the online reservation, you must decline all insurance offered by the rental company and pay for everything with your [card],” he says.

High-value reward redemptions

Points or miles on some travel credit cards might lose value if they are used for non-travel redemptions like cash back, gift cards or other options. Travel redemptions typically offer the best value, and you might squeeze out even more value with a general-purpose travel card that allows points to transfer to airline or hotel partners. It’s a strategy that Maxwell uses often to his advantage.

“It’s even better if there’s a transfer bonus associated with that,” he says. “Credit card companies offer transfer bonuses — 15%, 20%, 30% bonus — if you are to transfer points to a specific airline.”

He says he has also transferred points to hotel partners to book hotel rooms with them. “It would be the equivalent of getting a hotel room at $120 that’s actually valued at $500,” he adds.

To determine whether to redeem rewards for travel or transfer them to a partner, compare costs by checking the credit card’s booking platform and the partner’s website. Also factor in whether rewards transfer on at least a 1:1 ratio, meaning that you’ll get the equivalent value in points or miles transferred.

The article How a Travel Credit Card Can Be Your Ticket to Big Savings originally appeared on NerdWallet.

The MBTA Board of Directors unanimously greenlighted the program during its monthly meeting Thursday, receiving loud applause from advocates who say the initiative will bring them major relief.

The program, set to launch later this spring or in the early summer, will provide half-priced tickets and passes to riders across the beleaguered network who are between the ages 26 and 64 and have an income under 200% of the federal poverty line.

The board also voted for a contract “reset” with Chinese firm CRRC that now calls for the final new Red and Orange Line trains to be delivered by the end of 2027.

Under the updated terms, the MBTA will pay as much as $148 million more to account for higher-than-expected costs linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions, swelling the total contract value to more than $1 billion.

The agency also agreed to forgive about $90 million in penalties that the manufacturer faces for delays so far. Another $37 million in damages would remain in place, but the updated contract would set incentives that could effectively dismiss those charges as well if CRRC meets new targets.

As for the discount fares, the cost to roll out the program, which will also apply to the RIDE paratransit service, is expected to be between $23–$26 million next fiscal year, an amount that is projected to grow to $52–$62 million by FY29.

MBTA Advisory Board Executive Director Brian Kane raised concerns around the implications of the program, tying it to the agency’s continued financial and transparency problems.

Kane, speaking to the board Thursday, echoed similar comments he made last month in a segment on WBZ’s Keller @ Large.

“There’s no funding source dedicated for it in the long term,” Kane said in late February. “Gov. Healey has put $45 million in her budget, just because it’s in the governor’s budget doesn’t mean it’s going to actually pass. The legislature has to do what they do. But there’s no money in year two, and the costs for this program rise to about $100 million after five years.”

Healey allocated $5 million for research on low-income fares in this fiscal year’s budget, with MBTA staff taking “significant steps toward program implementation,” according to officials. Those efforts include developing interagency partnerships with the state Registry of Motor Vehicles and Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

Steven Povich, senior director of fare policy and analytics, in January said he believes riders will be able to get through the enrollment process within five minutes. Officials are creating a tool that will check an applicant’s participation status in other low-income state programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, he said.

Discounts will apply to anyone making under 200% of the federal poverty limit, which translates to about $30,000 for a single-person household or $60,000 a year for a family of four. Officials estimate roughly 62,000 current T riders will meet the threshold.

The program’s implementation comes during a time when the agency’s budget gap could grow to $652 million in the next fiscal year, when pandemic relief funds that have been helping the agency offset its significant loss in fare revenue and high cost of federally mandated safety fixes run out.

The benefits of taking a vacation can differ depending on the person. Travelers might want to explore a new world, scope the party scene in a different city, use the time to connect with family and friends, or get some much-needed rest and relaxation.

The latest vacation trend is sleep tourism, which replaces packed itineraries with pillow and relaxation menus. According to HTF Market Intelligence, this industry is estimated to increase by $409.8 billion by 2028.

“We’ve said before that sleep has a public relations problem in this country,” ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton told Good Morning America. “We think of it as a luxury but it’s really a medical necessity.”

Although sleep tourism is somewhat new, hotels around the world are taking advantage of the need for a good night’s rest. The Hotel Figueroa in Los Angeles has launched its Rest and Recovery Suite that features light therapy, Molekule air purifiers, customized Pluto Pillows and more.

Popular hotel chain Hilton has introduced more sleep amenities throughout the years. One of its popular vacation spots, the Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Italy, offers pillow menus, while the Conrad Bali in Indonesia has an additional paid experience called “Sway,” featuring a 60-minute sleep therapy session while suspended in cocoon hammocks.

“Travelers engaging in sleep tourism are taking that extra step and seeking out unique experiences, amenities and environments that help them achieve their sleep and relaxation goals,” Amanda Al-Masri, the vice president of wellness at Hilton, told Fortune Well.

If you’re looking to get the most out of a sleep vacation, here are the top five retreats in the United States, according to Time Out, that offer relaxing suites perfect for a night or for extended stays:

• Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort in Lanai City, Hawaii
• Mountain Shadows Resorts in Paradise Valley, Arizona
• Castle Hot Springs in Morristown, Arizona
• Smyth Tribeca in New York
• Carillon Miami Wellness Resort in Miami

“Prioritizing sleep can be challenging in the modern world, but doing so can open up a whole world of benefits, including greater productivity and focus as well as slowing down the aging process,” Dr. Marc Milstein, a leading researcher who recently wrote, “The Age-Proof Brain,” told Well Connected.

©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Thinking of cruising around French Polynesia with Windstar Cruises? Now, you can add on a stay at Marlon Brando’s private island after your sailing.

Windstar Cruises is launching a new offering in partnership with Pacific Beachcomber, a company that operates seven hotels in French Polynesia. One of those properties is The Brando, a private island eco-resort on the atoll of Tetiaroa with 35 private villas, white sand beaches and a 5-mile-wide lagoon.

Through the collaboration, Windstar guests can now book a two-night stay at The Brando after sailing aboard the Star Breeze, which recently replaced Wind Spirit and doubled the small-ship line’s capacity in the region.

The luxury post-cruise add-on will be available for booking starting May 1. It’s only open to guests staying in Star Breeze’s top suites: the owner’s suites, as well as the Broadmoor and Sea Island suites.

After sailing around French Polynesia with Windstar, guests will disembark the ship in Papeete. Then, they’ll board a small plane for the 20-minute flight to The Brando. While there, they’ll enjoy daily excursions, spa treatments, beach equipment and more. Then, they’ll be flown back to Papeete. Rates start at $6,900 per person based on double occupancy.

“This collaboration not only further enhances our commitment to providing unparalleled luxury and most romantic experiences for our guests in French Polynesia, but also allows us to extend the Windstar experience seamlessly from sea to land, providing our guests with exceptional hospitality throughout their journey,” says Christopher Prelog, president of Windstar Cruises.

The late American actor first purchased the atoll in the 1960s. In 1999, he asked his friend Richard Bailey, chairman of Pacific Beachcomber, to help him develop the property into a resort. Together, the two men began drawing up plans for a luxurious but environmentally friendly haven.

Brando died in 2004, but his family gave Bailey permission to carry the late actor’s vision forward. In 2014, that plan finally came to fruition when The Brando opened to the public. Since then, it’s been a hot spot for celebrities, with guests ranging from Barack and Michelle Obama to Britney Spears and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Since February, Windstar has offered Pacific Beachcomber’s InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa in Papeete for pre- and post-cruise stays. During their sailing, Windstar guests can also book a one-night stay in an overwater bungalow at Pacific Beachcomber’s Intercontinental Bora Bora Le Moana as a shore excursion.

“We are delighted to extend a warm invitation to Windstar Cruises’ guests to discover our secluded island havens, including The Brando, an eco-resort unlike any other nestled in the heart of French Polynesia,” says Bailey. “Together, we aim to deeply immerse our guests in the vibrant Polynesian culture and the untouched splendor of our natural surroundings.”

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Wow.

The view from the Pololū lookout, up on the north end of the Big Island of Hawaii, is a sweeping vista, and every step down its steep trail introduces you to an entire family of exceptional views.

But first, let’s talk about green. There’s green, and then there’s Hawaii green, a riot of greenesses. The great greens seen all over the island greet you on the Pololū trail too; they make you want to bring some lava home to start your own garden.

The acute angle of the Pololū land was shaped by the Kohala volcano, which cut a series of valleys into the high cliffs, Pololū Valley among them. Get to the valley floor — you won’t hurry, because it’s steep —and there’s a peaceful, mini-forest walk to the rocky beach, as lovely at ground level as it is high above. Pololū has a black-sand beach, but we arrived after a series of storms, so the shore was swept and then strewn with rocks and fallen trees, good to sit on and gaze at the inviting, albeit rough, ocean.

Truly ambitious (read “crazed”) strollers might continue hiking up into the mountains — there are trails — and up and down to the other Kohala valleys beyond, but we’d hiked Pololū before and knew that though it was a half-mile down, it was, magically, 30 miles up. (Popular remarks heard on the way up from fellow hikers: “Ooof,” “Wow!” and “Man!” The hike is called the Awini trail, which looks suspiciously like “whiny.”)

Going down, you risk becoming Humpty-Dumpty. Going up, you’re The Little Engine That Could. But it bears repeating: Any exertion at Pololū is worth it. The sea-eating cliffs, the dramatic beach vistas, the hillside greens — it’s a meal for the senses.

Speaking of meals, you might have sparked your appetite zipping down and up Pololū. Now’s the time to ask what’s for lunch. Head back on Highway 270 to Hawi, the small town you passed through on the way to those views. Hawi (pronounced “ha-vee”) might be the quintessential Hawaiian small town. Years ago, my girlfriend Alice and I house-sat there for seven weeks and delighted in its warmth and appeal. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit some local businesses hard, but lucky for all, Bamboo survived and still thrives.

Bamboo the restaurant was once Bamboo the hotel, housing sugar-cane plantation workers more than 100 years ago. Then it changed clothes and was a dry-goods and grocer, and finally, a restaurant.

Bamboo wears its history well—walk in, and you’ll be bathed in color. There’s a near-theatrical feeling to the place, but it’s not forced. There is art everywhere and a profusion of bright hues. If the paintings, wall hangings and flamboyant, ceiling-hung umbrellas aren’t enough for your eyes, pop up to the gallery above and browse the work of local artists, from serving platters carved from local woods to striking ocean-themed paintings. There’s a gift shop at restaurant level too.

Dazzling as all these artworks are, your principal mission is food. Well, perhaps drink too, since Bamboo makes hardy mai tais available for the thirsty. Our table of four lunched a bunch, one with a Hawaiian barbecue pork sandwich, another with grilled fresh ahi on organic greens. Alice and I both said “aloha” to the Aloha Vietnam sandwich, which planted that day’s ahi catch on Hawaiian sweet bread, joined with sweet and sour Asian coleslaw, fine fries and a Thai sweet chili aioli both sweet and savory.

Everything is served with a side of good cheer from the servers to restaurant owner Joan Channon, who stopped by the table to wish us well. Or maybe to get a bite of my great sandwich — I was protective. We all shared some white chocolate passion fruit cheesecake and dark chocolate mousse torte. I’d like to say we shared because we are noble and bountiful, but we were also glowingly full from the main courses, and dessert lit the final candle of goodness.

Do cruise the main drag of Hawi, which has lots of other small shops and businesses. If you’re there on a Saturday, they have a fun farmers market with farm goods, prepared foods and local crafts. And if you have a sweet tooth that won’t quit after Bamboo, they sell local Tropical Dreams ice cream in the shop across from the restaurant, which is OK … if by “OK” you mean fabulous.

By the way, if you still hunger for another hike and lunch on the beautiful Big Island, consider the Kilauea Iki trail in Volcanoes National Park. It’s a 3.3-mile walk, first on an overlook trail through those astonishing, almost primeval Hawaii greens, then down to the otherworldly crater for a hike across the blasted and crumpled lavascape, and then back up through the overgrowth.

Magical. Eat lunch at the historic Volcano House and consider yourself blessed.

If you go

Pololū Overlook and Beach Trail:  About 8 miles past Hawi in North Kohala, look for the end of Highway 270. The road dead-ends at the overlook, which has a very small parking lot, sometimes overseen by rangers and volunteers, who often have to help drivers turn around. There are also roadside parking spots that you can pull into before you hit the lot.

Bamboo Restaurant: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and for dinner from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at 55-3415 Akoni Pule Highway in Hawi; www.bamboorestauranthawaii.com.

AUGUSTA, Ga.—Ever since Bobby Jones organized the first Masters at Augusta National in 1934, the international tournament has become the holy grail of every golfer hankering to play on its hallowed links or at least snag a coveted ticket to walk the 18-hole course alongside the greats of the sport: Woods, Mickelson, Scheffler, McIlroy and Fowler.

Georgia’s gift to the golfing universe is the Masters, and the Masters certainly helped put Augusta on the map. Well, that and perhaps a few famous folks from this city of 202,000, including the great rhythm and blues master and Godfather of Soul James Brown, singer and songwriter Amy Grant, Metropolitan Opera soprano Jessye Norman, actor Laurence Fishburne, wrestling star Hulk Hogan, and Danielle Brooks, the Oscar nominee for her performance in the movie remake of “The Color Purple.”

With Masters week approaching — it takes place April 8-14 — it’s good to know there’s more to Augusta than golf and a celebrity or two.

Among the fun facts about the Garden City, as Augusta is known because of its profusion of private gardens and dazzling spring flowers, is that it was named after Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales, a title now held by Prince William. The princess was the mother of King George III, and James Oglethorpe, who established Georgia in 1736, attempted to win royal favor with the crown, so he named the former trading post after her.

Augusta was also the second capital of Georgia, sharing that honor with Savannah, Louisville, Milledgeville and Atlanta, the now permanent home of state government. The Medical College of Georgia, the state’s first medical school, is in the Garden City, and although it has changed names several times over the past few years, it is now and will always be affectionately known to Georgians simply as MCG.

While it may not be politically correct to write of such things, at least 10 Confederate generals, including Maj. Gen. Joe Wheeler and Lt. Gen. James Augustus Longstreet, were either born, once lived in or are interred in Augusta. To top that, two of the three Georgians who signed the Declaration of Independence, George Walton and Lyman Hall, are buried downtown on Greene Street. The third, Button Gwinnett, is buried in Savannah.

Quick hits: The Augusta Chronicle, first published in 1785, is not only the oldest newspaper in Georgia, but also in the South. Actress Jayne Mansfield lived in Augusta, as her husband Lt. Paul Mansfield, was stationed at Camp Gordon, later to become Fort Gordon. North Augusta is not in Georgia but over the Savannah River in South Carolina. And golfer Larry Mize is the only Augustan to ever win the Masters.

The Georgia-born Ty Cobb, the first player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, kickstarted his professional career in 1904, playing for the Augusta Tourists of the South Atlantic League. While he played for Detroit in 1905, he maintained his home in Augusta until 1932. His first wife, Charlotte “Charlie” Lombard was from Augusta, and four of their five children were born here.

Other high-flying tidbits about the city add to its singular character, including that brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright created one of the first commercial flight schools near what is now Daniel Field, one of Augusta’s two airports and where most golfers park their jets while they’re playing Amen Corner at Augusta National. Peter Carnes, who launched the first hot-air balloon flight in America in 1784 in Philadelphia, lived in and flew hot-air balloons in Augusta.

That’s enough trivia to whet your appetite to visit Augusta, either during the Masters or any time of the year. But once you get here, you need to know where to eat and stay as you uncover more minutiae of the marvelous city.

Eats and drinks, Augusta-style

Augusta is all about food, and its restaurants offer everything Southern from grits and gravy to pecan pie to soul food shacks to fine dining. Try Finch and Fifth for brunch, lunch, dinner and happy hour for fabulous charcuterie and Georgia specialties such as boiled peanuts, Vidalia onion dip or shrimp and grits. For unique dishes of fried pickled okra (you read that correctly), smoked chopped brisket or chili garlic shrimp, then reservations-required Noble Jones, known locally as NoJo, should be on your radar screen.

Frog Hollow Tavern, touted as a “modern restaurant meets bar,” is downtown on Broad Street and is the place to try regionally grown ingredients that make up dishes that include buttermilk-fried quail or braised Berkshire pork shoulder with collards and mac-and-cheese. Laziza Mediterranean Grill offers an international menu of Mediterranean-inspired goodies of gyros, kebabs and yummy baklava.

For dining and libations with a view, try Edgar’s Above Broad, a snazzy rooftop restaurant in downtown for breakfast, lunch or dinner, for Southern palate showstoppers of deviled eggs, pimento cheese dip, blue crab dip and pulled pork nachos.

Beck’s on King’s Way in the heart of Augusta is known for its seafood, including oysters raw and baked with ingredients of jalapeno, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses, and herb butter. You can also get Scottish salmon, blackened grouper or a shrimp burger, all with the perfect side of pimento-cheese hush puppies.

That first meal of the day is important, so try starting it out at Brunch House of Augusta for biscuits smothered in pork or turkey sausage gravy, chicken and waffles, or the Garden City breakfast bowl with an omelet over stone-ground grits. Lunch at Brunch House is salads, burger and pasta, but French toast stuffed with Dutch apples, strawberries or blueberries is also on the menu.

Stays, Augusta-style

Old is the new cool in Augusta, and you have a choice of historic hotels and inns to lay your head at night. The original setting of the iconic Partridge Inn Augusta, managed by Curio Collection by Hilton, is an 1836 home that has been carefully restored and remains intact inside the inn. For the past 100 years or so, it’s been a hotel that has seen the likes of presidents, luminaries of every sort and, of course, Masters golfers. Set high atop the gently sloping, verdant hills of the Summerville neighborhood, the hotel also houses the 8595 Restaurant and Bar with its Southern cuisine and that is known for its “Best of Augusta” lavish brunch on Sundays.

The Olde Town Inn, in Georgia’s oldest neighborhood of Olde Town, has only five rooms, each one decorated in period furnishings and each with a full bath and fireplace. Brimming with charm and character, the inn was built in 1896. One of Augusta’s best kept secrets is that the Fox’s Lair, a cozy underground bar, is downstairs in the basement and features live music.

Another small bed-and-breakfast is the Queen Anne Inn, a Victorian-style home built in 1894. With its wide porch, balconies and soaring chimney and turret, it’s a quiet place to step back in time and unwind. The downtown inn is close to restaurants, museums and attractions, so park the car and put on your walking shoes.

If a historic inn isn’t quite for you, nearly every chain hotel is located either in or near Augusta, among them the Augusta Marriott, the Hyatt House Downtown Augusta and Crowne Plaza North Augusta.

Now that you’re armed with a basic blueprint of Augusta’s history, legend and lore, and whether you’re moseying on down, over or up to Augusta to either play or just watch the Masters, know that April is a wonderful time of the year to visit, as the city practically glows with billions of azalea, dogwood and magnolia blossoms as Georgia spectacularly welcomes spring. Much like the Masters, nature is another of Georgia’s gifts to the universe and is best experienced firsthand.

If you go

Plan your trip to Augusta by visiting Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.visitaugusta.com or calling (706) 724-4067.

Visit the Masters Tournament at www.masters.com.

Augusta Regional Airport is served by two major carriers, Delta Air Lines (www.delta.com or (800) 221-1212), with flights to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and American Airlines (www.aa.com or (800) 433-7300), with flights to Charlotte, Washington-Reagan and Dallas Fort-Worth.

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©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

As soon as I arrive on Kauai or Maui, I hightail it to a local market, poke stand or food truck to get my two scoops of raw, marinated ahi tuna over brown rice. The velvety smooth chunks of freshly caught fish, sometimes topped with strands of dried seaweed, melt in your mouth. And the savory seasonings add just the right amount of kick to make these little bowls of joy “off da hook”, as the locals say.

Poke, which means “to cut” in native Hawaiian, is usually ahi, marinated and topped with a wide variety of flavors, from limu (seaweed) to California (with avocado, of course), shoyu and spicy. Poke can be made with other seafood too, such as kimchee shrimp, furikake salmon or miso tako (octopus).

It’s typically served in bowls over white or brown rice or greens and dashed with favorite toppings, but poke can assume other forms too: poke nachos, tacos, tostadas, even poke musubi.

If you’re hooked on poke like me, make plans to head to the islands soon for the fourth annual Kauai Poke Fest in June. The festival, held at the Koloa Landing Resort on the island’s South Shore, was named one of the top five food festivals in the U.S. last year by USA Today’s 10Best — and it’s up for that honor among specialty food festivals again this year.

This popular one-day event invites professional and amateur chefs to dish out their favorite creations in a competition that seasons and serves more than 500 pounds of fresh ahi. Hosted by James Beard award-winning chef Sam Choy, the so-called Godfather of Poke, the festival celebrates Hawaii’s most famous dish with live entertainment, food and drinks and poke demonstrations, in addition to the poke competition.

The poke fun runs from 3 to 7 p.m. on June 8, with a farmers marketplace that opens at 2 p.m. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, whichsupports the needs of those displaced by the devastating Maui wildfires last summer. Find tickets ($90 to $115, ages 21 and up only) and more details at KauaiPokeFest.com.

Want to find the best year-round poke in Hawaii? Ask the locals about their favorite spots, then set your sails for a foodie quest that leads to authentic Hawaiian hole-in-the wall shops, friendly local markets and family-run outfits whose quality poke offerings will surprise you.

You’ll find plenty of suggestions below, but before we get to that, let’s talk fish.

Two of the best-known types of tuna are bluefin and ahi, which is the species typically used for poke bowls. Ahi is the common name for yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus). If you love scientific names, there are three species of bluefin tuna – Atlantic (Thunnus thynnus), Southern (Thunnus maccoyii), and Pacific (Thunnus orientalis).

These tuna are among the most powerful fish in the ocean and have torpedo-shaped bodies built for speed;  some species can even reach 47 miles per hour. They are hugely popular with sport fishing charters and a lucrative catch for commercial fishermen — a bluefin tuna sold in Japan in January for nearly $800,000 and individual fish prices can reach into the millions for this prized fish.

A fascinating way to see ahi and other tuna fresh off the boat is to take a guided tour of the world-famous Honolulu Fish Auction — the only fresh tuna auction in the United States. You’ll see how Pacific tuna gets from the dock to restaurants and retail markets in the islands and back on the mainland, and you’ll find out what auction buyers look for in fish quality and the art of tuna grading.

The tour begins dockside with the fishing vessels and a discussion of how the fish are harvested and handled to preserve quality and safety. After learning about daily life on a fishing vessel, you’ll head for the auction floor to learn about how the fish are inspected to insure seafood safety and how a fish auction works.

Tours ($25-$35) are held from 6 to 7:30 a.m. on select Saturday mornings by reservation. Find details and reserve your spot at hawaii-seafood.org/auctiontour.

Meanwhile, here are some insider tips on where to find some of the best poke in the islands:

Foodland, Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Oahu

You’ll find 34 locations of this supermarket across the Hawaiian islands. It’s popular among locals for its no-frills poke counter, which serves up generous portions of ahi, mussel and octopus poke at very reasonable prices. Find Foodland locations at shop.foodland.com.

Ono Seafood, Oahu

This hole-in-the-wall spot in Honolulu is famous for its classic shoyu ahi and spicy ahi bowls. It’s very popular so be prepared for lines. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 747 Kapahulu Ave. in Honolulu; onoseafood.site.

Off the Hook Poke Market, Oahu

Build your own ahi poke bowl with distinctive flavors like Japan Deluxe (miso sauce with ginger and shisho leaf), Kilauea Fire (chili miso sauce, jalapeño, crushed red pepper) and cold ginger poke. Their miso ginger tako (octopus) poke is also tasty — and popular. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday at 2908 E. Manoa Road in Honolulu; www.offthehookpokemarket.com

Tamashiro Market, Oahu

This fish market features a poke counter with incredible variety, including spicy kajiki scallop poke and limu poke. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and until 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at 802 N. King St. in Honolulu; tamashiro-market.weeblyte.com.

Poke Fix Hawaii, Oahu

This tiny, off-the-beaten-path spot is known for its creative poke combinations and Instagram-worthy presentations. Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily (closed Wednesdays) at 334 Seaside Ave. #108 in Honolulu; instagram.com/pokefixhawaii.

Tamura’s, Oahu and Maui

A popular spot for local poke-lovers, this chain has three markets on Oahu and Maui. For nineyears running, Tamura’s has been named the best spot for poke in Hawaii Magazine’s readers choice awards. The markets — in Wailuku on Maui and Wahiawa and Hau’ula on Oahu — open at 8 a.m., but poke hours vary by location; tamurasmarket.com.

Kahuku Superette, Oahu

Located a few miles from Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s famous North Shore, this little local market serves up some of the best shoyu and limu poke bowls on the island. Portions are hefty and the prices are reasonable. The market is open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends at 56-505 Kamehameha Highway in Kahuku.

Fort Ruger Market, Oahu

This deli/market near Honolulu’s Kapiolani Community College has been around since 1935. It’s known for its delicious, sashimi-grade poke and other Hawaiian-style snacks. The market is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at 3585 Alohea Ave. in Honolulu.

Alicia’s Market, Oahu

This market offers a wide variety of poke bowls, including wasabi masago, sweet onion shoyu and limu ahi. Open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday at 267 Mokauea St. in Honolulu; aliciasmarket.com.

Redfish Poke Bar by Foodland, Oahu

This poke bar has two Honolulu locations, both offering sizable signature bowls and custom poke bowls with 10 styles of ahi, two of hamachi and three of salmon. The Kaka’ako location at 685 Auahi St. opens at 11 a.m. daily, while the poke bar at the Wayfinder Waikiki, 2375 Ala Wai Blvd., opens at 6 a.m.; redfishpoke.com.

Nico’s Pier 38, Oahu

The fish market’s restaurant, which is open for breakfast and lunch only, offers ahi poke “nachos” with kabayaki, green onions and spicy aioli. Marlin is the featured fish in the au poke bowl (shoyu or spicy), in addition to more than a dozen different poke selections. The poke counter opens at 9 a.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday at 1129 N. Nimitz Highway in Honolulu; nicospier38.com.

Poke on da Run, Oahu

The “mauka to makai” (mountain to sea) nachos combine freshly fried won ton chips topped with twin scoops of kalua pig and ahi poke topped with spicy aioli and green onions. Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at 909Lehua Ave. in Pearl City.

Kaohu Store, Maui

This small convenience store serves up arguably the best poke on Maui. Buy poke by the pound or grab a bowl of their poke specialties, like chili pepper poke or lipoa poke, made with a local seaweed that tastes like cucumber. Opens at 6:30 a.m. weekdays at 1833 Kaohu St. in Wailuku; instagram.com/kaohustore.

Like Poke?, Maui

This popular food truck — so popular, you’ll want to arrive early, before they sell out — is in a new location in Wailuku. Opens at 10:30 a.m. Monday-Saturday; facebook.com/like.poke.1.

Kilauea Market, Kauai

Poke is just one of the rainbow of offerings at this fresh fish eatery and fish market. Chose from sesame or spicy ahi, tako poke and sesame aku or brown or jasmine rice. Open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday at 4270 Kilauea Road in Kilauea; kilaueafishmarket.com.

Koloa Fish Market, Kauai

This very popular South Shore market is famous for poke bowls and offers more than half a dozen varieties, from wasabi ahi to smoked marlin. Get here early and be prepared to wait in line for a great lunch. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday at 3390 Poipu Road in Koloa; koloafishmarket.com.

Hanalei and Kealia Poke, Kauai

This poke shop is located in the historic Ching Young Village in the funky surf town of Hanalei on Kauai’s North Shore. They also operate the Kealia poke food truck next to the town’s Big Save market, featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” TV show. The Hanalei poke shop opens at 11:30 a.m. Sunday-Friday and noon on Saturday at 5-5190 Kuhio Highway in Hanalei.

Da Poke Shack, Island of Hawaii 

This Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern-approved shack offers a wide selection of poke flavors from spicy garlic sesame to sweet miso and honey with roasted seaweed. Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 76-6246 Ali‘i Drive in Kailua-Kona; https://dapokeshack.com/

Poke Market, Island of Hawaii 

This Hilo poke shop offers upscale poke bowls with untraditional poke ingredients, such as salmon poke with unagi truffle sauce, and sides that include sweet potato salad. Open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Saturday at 41 Waianuenue Ave. in Hilo; pokemarkethi.com.

Suisan Fish Market, Island of Hawaii

A longtime Hilo fish market, Suisan serves up traditional Hawaiian poke, kimchee tako poke and lemon shoyu scallop poke. Open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday at 93 Lihiwai St. in Hilo; www.suisan.com/our-services/fish-market-fish/.

Umekes Fish Market Bar & Grill, Island of Hawaii

This popular restaurant offers poke flights, poke nachos and poke lettuce cups with avocado poke and a unagi drizzle. Or you can go all in with a Makai platter with three poke choices, four ahi cakes, four raw oysters, sashimi, furikake sashimi, ahi katsu and four shrimp with garlic or spicy aioli with unagi. Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at 74-5599 Pawai Place in Kailua-Kona; umekesrestaurants.com.

Vimifuso charger proves its worth: I recommended the Vimifuso 140W USB charger as a gift idea last year. I’ve had a chance to use mine for several months now and have been so pleased I feel I did not do it justice before, so I am correcting that now.

So many devices we depend on every day need USB charging, including headphones, Bluetooth speakers, computers, household gadgets of all types and, of course, tablets and phones. The six-port Vimifuso makes charging them so very easy, all from a single device, and it offers other benefits I did not fully appreciate until I had more experience with it. It also checks all the quality and safety boxes with FCC, UL and CE certification, which makes recommending it even easier.

I love that it uses an AC cord to connect to the wall, and is not a heavy, bulky device with retractable prongs that is prone to fall off the wall socket. Plug the cord into the wall, connect the charger and you are ready to go. I travel quite a bit and this has proven especially handy in hotel rooms. I have enough cord to put the charger on the nightstand or on the bed with me, and then my USB charging cables extend the reach so I can keep my devices close at hand. There is also no worry about yanking the charger off the wall when picking up the phone or tablet. It is a sinking feeling when you are at a trade show and wake up to a phone at 10% rather than 100% because charging stopped. That never happens with the Vimifuso.

There are four USB-C ports and two standard USB-A ports, so it is unlikely you will ever experience a situation the Vimifuso cannot handle. This versatility has paid off in ways I did not expect. I was with a friend who was using his MacBook to catch up on emails as I charged my iPad and he said, “Darn, I am about to run out of power and I forgot my cord.” Looking at the MacBook and seeing the USB-C power port, I said, “I’ve got you covered” and connected the Vimifuso’s 65-watt USB-C port to his MacBook with a USB-C cable. My friend looked at the charger and said, “What is that thing? Something tells me I have to get one.” He travels even more than me, and he has one now too.

The Vimifuso charger sells on Amazon, and when I decided to revisit it I was expecting to recommend it at the $45 price. When I checked Amazon it was 30% off with a checkbox coupon, which I hope holds for a while for the sake of anyone who wants one. For about $30 you will be a very happy camper, especially if you travel, charge lots of devices or have multiple family members charge their phones from a single outlet or charger.

Q. We disconnected from cable TV and installed an antenna. The TV is fine, but there is no way to access a guide to see what programs are broadcast, or what channel or times. We would also like the ability to record. Can you recommend something to remedy our problem?

—R.G., Sheboygan, Wisconsin

A. There are multiple HDTV tuners available that will record on a USB flash or hard drive. I have used the Mediasonic HomeWorx models successfully for years, and they feature an on-screen program guide. The free phone and tablet app TV Listings Plus is phenomenal and I highly recommend it to TV fans. Learn more about TV Listings Plus at guidepluslabs.com.

(Contact Don Lindich at www.soundadvicenews.com and use the “submit question” link on that site.)

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

It was raining on and off and as far as I could see there was just gray, brown and bleh.

About five miles from Jay, it was still brown. But as I glimpsed the trails in the distance for the first time I thought: Hope. But then: Oh come on, it’s probably got the consistency of cement.

Then I got up the hill to the base of Jay and my slopeside room at the Hotel Jay. In the air? Snow. Not just a hint, but a true effort. Could it be that winter had found me?

The next morning I rose to the most incredible sight: Hardcore, full-on, dress-right-for-it winter. First chair and first run through a good six inches of lighter powder, I realized something.

The Jay Cloud isn’t folklore: It’s a real thing. There, for my three-day visit in this winter of snow lovers’ despair, I lived in a snow globe. In full, more than 17 inches of snow fell; light and skiable. The wind blew strong but the Jay lifts — for the most part — got me where I wanted to be. And while just down the hill brown mud and gray trees still ruled, I lived my best winter life.

And it’s not a one-off thing. In this year (or should I say these years) of lack of true winter, the Jay Cloud is up there, showing up often, acting all chilly and most of all, giving those who want to dip their toes into true winter a chance to find it in even the roughest of seasons.

Jay Peak Resort (jaypeakresort.com) sits way up in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, about four miles from the Canadian border. Leaving from Boston proper, it’s a little under four hours but an easy ride; you barely make a turn (and have a chance to stop at the Hooksett Plaza for fresh made cider doughnuts at the Common Man doughnut shack). But that’s not why Jay gets these unique storms when almost everyone else is bone dry.

It’s the Jay Cloud that does it. And a visit this time of year — ski or not — offers a chance to feel the elements, see the beauty of nature and even learn about how weather works.

First, Jay is way up north and that usually means colder temps, which is certainly a help. But more so is how Jay sits. The mountain’s peaks are along a northeast/southwest line which sets it diagonal to the northwest winds that regularly sweep through the region.

When those winds hit Jay, they come in with few speedbumps since Jay sits pretty much alone as a high peak there. As the wind moves up the mountain, it gets colder and turns any moisture it may have on hand into snow: light, sweet beautiful powder most times.

I’d been told that many times. But to see it in real time? Wow.

I was out with a bunch of younger friends who immediately dove into the steep tree runs. Me? I powder turned my way down the incredibly well-maintained cut trails, loving it all just as much. My friends would pop out at the bottom, covered in snow like me and with grins that reminded me of what the kids in “Rocket Power” looked like when they pulled off a victory.

And it never let up.

Jay isn’t just for skiers though. Their slopeside lodging is comfortable, efficient and has great deals this time of year.

And at the base is perhaps the most unique thing you’ll ever come across at a ski resort: A huge, vibrant water park. It’s weird, wild and wonderful – as the Jay Cloud does its magic just outside, folks in bathing suits ride water slides, a lazy river, try surfing and more.

The dining is great, too. You can find American gourmet at Alice’s Table, top notch pub fare at the Tower Bar, burger glory at the aptly-named Sis Boom Burger and many more choices.

A must? Miso at Miso Hungry (https://www.misotohkome.com). Available out of an old tram car at the base, it’s authentic Japanese and incredibly delicious. It’s also like a balm to the soul. Sit in that whirling snow at the slopeside firepit and savor your miso — I promise it’s the perfect blend of hot and cold.

As I left, I thought well, I guess I’ll be driving in snow for a while. Not at all. Just a few miles south of the access road, it was back to brown and gray.

But that’s okay. Next time, in Jay I will trust. The Jay Cloud is a real-world snow globe that Mother Nature just loves to shake. Head up and jump into it. Jay and its Jay Cloud are open daily through mid April and weekends until they say uncle. It’s the most dreamlike you’ll feel in a real life winter setting.

Spring break is just around the corner, and many Americans will soon flock to Mexico’s white sand beaches and bustling cities to enjoy their time off. But those opting for a road trip will need to sort out their car insurance coverage first. Mexico legally requires all drivers, including American tourists, to have liability insurance, and failing to purchase enough insurance could land drivers in jail should they cause an accident.

Standard U.S. auto insurance policies won’t cover drivers south of the border, so it’s vital to purchase Mexican car insurance before making the trip.

Liability car insurance is crucial when driving in Mexico

Many large U.S. insurance companies partner with Mexican insurers to offer Mexican car insurance to their customers. Plans are flexible, starting at a single day of coverage and going for as long as a year. Another option is to purchase insurance from a U.S. broker that specializes in Mexican car insurance.

Mexico requires drivers to hold 100,000 Mexican pesos (around $5,800) for bodily injury and death liability coverage and 50,000 Mexican pesos (around $2,900) for property liability damage. If you’re caught driving in Mexico without this minimum coverage, you may face a fine of at least $200. If you cause an accident while driving uninsured in Mexico and cannot pay for the damages you caused, you could face jail time. That’s because in Mexico, all car accidents are considered criminal offenses, not just civil matters.

“If you don’t have insurance and you cause an accident, you can be held by the authorities,” says Geoff Hill, vice president of business development at Baja Bound, a California-based agency that specializes in Mexican auto insurance. “If you’re at fault, they will hold you until you can come up with the money to pay for the damage you [caused]. If you had insurance, you wouldn’t be on the hook for that.”

Oscar Arrieta, an Allstate insurance agent in El Paso, Texas, stresses the importance of having strong liability coverage above all other protection while driving in Mexico. The country’s liability insurance requirements are likely not enough to protect you and your finances if you cause an accident. “To me, protecting your vehicle is secondary,” he says. “It’s [about] the damage you create.”

Arrieta recommends a policy that has at least a $300,000 combined single limit, which is one larger liability limit to cover both bodily injury and property damage. Baja Bound only sells policies that start at that $300,000 limit and go up to $500,000 in liability coverage.

Other types of car insurance coverage worth having in Mexico

Because there’s a possibility that a car accident could land you in jail, many Mexican insurance policies include legal assistance coverage. This benefit can help you find and pay for an attorney and post bail, up to your policy’s limit.

Mexican insurers also typically offer hands-on support at the scene of an accident. If you’re in a car accident, an adjuster from your insurance company will arrive at the accident to examine the scene and determine how to proceed with other drivers’ insurers. That’s a big difference from how things work in the U.S., where adjusters won’t get involved until later.

Even though it’s legally required, only a small portion of drivers in Mexico have car insurance, according to Mexico’s National Commission for the Protection and Defense of Users of Financial Services. And those who do might only satisfy the $2,900 property damage liability coverage requirement.

That is why you should also consider buying physical damage coverage and theft coverage which, combined, offer similar coverage to collision and comprehensive insurance in Mexico. These cover the cost of repairing or replacing your own car after it’s stolen or damaged in various situations, up to its current market value. Some U.S. insurance companies offer limited insurance coverage in Mexico, as long as you’re within a certain distance of the border, so check with your insurer to see if damage to your vehicle is covered in Mexico.

But no matter what, if you’re driving in Mexico, it is crucial to purchase liability insurance coverage at the very least — even if your insurer will cover damage to your car while driving in Mexico.

Mexican rental car insurance

If you’re planning to rent a vehicle for your trip, the best move will be to do so once you’re in Mexico. Many U.S. rental companies restrict or prohibit their cars from being driven into Mexico. The coverage options available at Mexican rental counters will all comply with the local minimum requirements, so that will be one less thing to worry about when your only concern should be finding the best taquería in town.

The article Driving to Mexico? Make Sure You Have the Right Car Insurance originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Raise your hand if you love dealing with liquids and carry-on bag restrictions when flying. Your hand didn’t go up? You’re not alone. Two-plus decades of juggling various bottle shapes and airline-dependent luggage rules have taken their toll on many of us. I don’t know a single traveler who isn’t completely over it.

Factor in product availability and lost itinerary time searching for replacements, and packing becomes even more of a logistical puzzle. As someone who carries most of my life on the road for long stretches of time using only a personal item and a carry-on bag, I’ve devised a few tricks over the years which have served me well. Following are my top tips to save space so you can pack more of what you want.

Alternatives

When perfecting your personal care packing, keep all your options on the travel table. Product formula, tools, application method and storage containers are all fair game. Everyone has at least one frustration that arises every trip. For my husband and me, it’s shaving cream. I don’t mind using soap. He does. Airline compliant cans cost the same as large ones for his preferred brand, and their size is still significant. He’s tried the solid bar and brush approach to shaving and isn’t a fan. Recently, I pitched him on unpressurized shave gel. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! It gives him the experience he wants and decants easily into alternative storage.

I’ve had additional wins with both nail and dental care. For starters, the new glass files on the market have one side that serves the same function as a four-way buffer. Not only does this reduce my kit by one item, but it saves cash as well. Miniature buffers are priced at a premium compared with large ones, and they need frequent replacing. A second search found nail clippers half the size of my old set. Minimizing my nail brush took a bit more effort. The smallest ones I’ve found on the market still have curved handles which make packing other grooming items problematic. My solution? Sawing the entire handle off a toothbrush and using a lighter to burn off the rough bits. This one tiny tool lets me deal with both nails and laundry stains.

A shortened toothbrush for dental use is too much wrist strain for me, but I have had a rather exciting breakthrough on dental floss. Miniature boxes still waste a degree of space, and require restocking more often than I’d like. To address this, I remove the floss spool from the inside of a regular container and the metal cutting tool from the top. Using two round covers from an extra contact lens container, I cut corresponding slots on each cover for the floss to come through and press the cutter onto the outside edge of one cover. Placing the spool inside and securing both covers together with electrical tape produces a usable solution a fraction of the original size.

Decanting

Further downsizing can be achieved by rethinking your product receptacles. Traditional travel bottles have their place but can be too large for the amount of liquid you need. With creative decanting, you can bring more of what you want in the brands you prefer. For those with special hair and skin concerns, this is a game changer.

Cosmetics containers designed for industry use are available in a range of sizes far smaller than the airline limit, and they don’t need to be purchased a thousand at a time. Multipacks in manageable amounts are readily available online. These spray, pump and roller bottles provide compact, usable storage without the need to spend more per ounce just to get packaging that will fit in your liquids bag. Clear lip gloss squeeze tubes allow for precise application of product, plus a view of how quickly it’s being consumed. They’re also well-suited for more viscous fluids not easily dispensed otherwise.

Sometimes, you’ll want to think even further outside the box in order to fit essential toiletries into odd spaces. Dawn Dewitt, professional body painter and frequent traveler, counts on craft supply departments when it comes to packing toiletries. Round, flat bead tins with screw-on lids are her container of choice for transporting solid deodorant, which she decants from the standard packaging. It means applying with fingertips, which isn’t for everyone. For Dewitt however, it’s worth the extra trouble. This downsizing hack helped her take an extended trip to Portugal with only a small backpack and a day pack. Says Dewitt, “It lasted a whole month, with leftovers to spare!”

Tools

Some of your products will easily decant directly into the opening of your chosen vessels. Others won’t. That’s when it’s helpful to have some specific decanting tools to make the job easier. The three main items I use for more technical decanting are a mini funnel, a small silicone cosmetic spatula, and a needleless syringe about the size you would use for children’s medication. Thinner liquids can funnel easily into smaller tubes, but more viscous ones are more easily transferred by adding them into the syringe tube first and using the plunger to push them through. When it comes to getting every last drop out of a makeup or lotion tube, the skinny silicone spatulas are absolutely your best friend.

Designed to function like the ones used to thoroughly remove cake batter from a mixing bowl, they let you thoroughly scrape the inside of the packaging. You might need to cut the tube to get every last bit, but doing so can mean skipping a trip to the store before your flight. These spatulas can also save you serious money on a regular basis, even if you aren’t taking a trip. I purchased a four pack for $5 online, while my funnel and syringe were included with one of my cosmetic container orders.

Consumption

How quickly you use up various products plays a huge part of your personal packing equation. If a small tube of topical ointment for insect bites lasts you a year or more at home, chances are a tube one third the size will last a few months abroad. Ditto with things like eye drops and concealer. On the other hand, some supplies are consumed more quickly. For example, my husband’s a runner who consistently uses medicated body powder. As a couple, we also keep mouthwash in supply for dental hygiene. While full-size versions of these are a no-go on planes, we do pack the full airline-allowed amount versus the miniature tubes we carry for other supplies.

For long trips, it’s helpful to remember that after a few weeks, you’ll be replacing basic items from the local economy anyway. So it’s best to make your peace with alternative brands of toothpaste, deodorant and other essentials ahead of time. On the other hand, heading to a remote location and packing as though you’ll only need to handle a 12-hour flight delay is an exercise in hubris. Decide carefully.

With any trip, there are things to consider which will be specific to you and your itinerary. How far away will you be from retail infrastructure, and for how long? How difficult will it be to find replacements based on public transportation, time restrictions and other factors? Do you want to spend your limited time searching for things not readily available? Which items will be available where you are staying, such as shampoo, soap and supplemental wound care supplies?

While there’s much to consider as you develop your packing plan, having what you need without interrupting your vacation is worth its weight in gold. Certain commonly accepted travel wisdom would have many believe that traveling in a space-efficient manner means packing as you would for a remote mountain hike. I respectfully disagree. With a bit of effort, it’s not only possible to bring what you want, but save space and money as well.

(Lifestyle and travel expert @MyschaTheriault blends thrift and luxury to live well for less around the world.)

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

If I had a point for every time I got asked about the best way to use points for travel, I’d have enough to fly around the world — twice. After over a decade in which I turned an interest in loyalty programs into a full-time job, I know how to stretch my points as far as possible.

Used correctly, points can be more valuable than cash. You can use them for everything from a staycation at an extended-stay hotel to a first-class trip to the Maldives. You can plan a cross-country road trip with motel pit stops or literally fly around the world. The key is to know what your points are worth and use them wisely. As a general rule, you should aim to get at least 1 cent of value out of each point (though that won’t always be possible).

If you’ve been saving up your points and wondering how best to use them for travel, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about maximizing value from your points and miles:

1. Use points and miles for international business- and first-class tickets

International business- and first-class tickets typically offer the highest-value return for your points and miles. For example:

—A round-trip business-class ticket to Europe typically costs between 80,000 and 140,000 points or miles, while a cash fare for the same route will typically set you back about $5,000.

—An economy-class ticket to Europe typically costs between 30,000 and 60,000 miles round-trip, with cash fares often going as low as $400 during the off-peak season.

As you can see, you’re more likely to get more value for your miles on a premium cabin redemption than on a coach redemption. However, international business- and first-class travel doesn’t just provide the highest redemption value for your rewards — it’s also something most people can’t afford without points and miles. That’s why they’re considered to be the best use of points and miles for travel, as they allow you to keep your expenses low and access travel opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.

Some of my best mileage redemptions have been flying business and first class. It’s a memorable experience that I’ll never take for granted, and the few times I’ve been able to share it with family members have been equally rewarding. Starting your trip off on a comfortable note with a flatbed seat that lets you rest and enjoy a flight is a special experience that’s worth the splurge.

2. Book luxury (or all-inclusive) hotels and resorts

Luxury hotels can also offer a tremendous return on your points. The Maldives, for example, is a popular destination for maximizing hotel points. Hotels in the Maldives can go well over $1,000 per night, making them a great place to use hotel points and free-night awards.

But one aspect that often gets overlooked is that these “free” luxury hotel stays often come with many additional expenses. Even if you don’t pay for your hotel room, food can be expensive in these remote destinations, and boat and seaplane transfers can cost over $500 per person. Unless you were planning to pay out of pocket for the room anyway, you may not save much money on this type of redemption.

A high-value alternative would be to book all-inclusive hotels closer to home (i.e., Mexico and the Caribbean). Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott all have all-inclusive resorts that require a reasonable amount of points. Hyatt’s all-inclusive hotels start at 12,000 points per night (in the off-peak season). You can easily accumulate enough points for five free nights using the welcome bonus from the World of Hyatt Credit Card* or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

To elaborate, the World of Hyatt Credit Card currently offers up to 65,000 bonus points — you can earn 35,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months of account opening, plus up to 30,000 more points by earning 2X points on purchases (that normally earn 1X points) during the first six months after opening the card (on up to $15,000). The Chase Sapphire Preferred, on the other hand, currently offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.

It’s worth noting this 12,000-point rate is for two people per room. Hyatt charges an additional 6,500 to 22,000 points per night for each additional person staying in the same room. That said, the great thing about Hyatt’s all-inclusive hotels is that all meals and accommodations are included, making it possible to check out with a $0 bill. That’s not always possible at luxury resorts, where even a trip to the minibar can put a serious dent in your wallet. All-inclusive hotels like these are ideal for budget-conscious travelers who want to enjoy themselves without going overboard.

3. Use hotel points for low-category extended hotel stays for families and large groups

There’s more than one way to get value out of hotel points, and I’m a firm believer that extended-stay hotels can be an excellent use of points.

Extended-stay properties tend to be some of the cheapest hotels, often requiring a fraction of the points required by their luxury counterparts. But lower redemption rates don’t impact value. In fact, these affordable hotels often offer high-value perks that will improve your hotel experience.

For example, complimentary breakfast is typically standard at these types of properties, along with free or cheap parking. Thanks to larger beds and additional sofas, these properties can usually accommodate more than two guests per room. This makes extended-stay properties ideal for families and large groups, allowing them to fit into one room instead of two.

4. Look for great deals on peak travel bookings

During peak travel seasons — including summer, spring break and the holidays — everything from airfare to hotel rates skyrocket. This can be a great time to utilize points and miles to keep your costs down.

It’s worth noting that an increasing number of airline and hotel loyalty programs — many of which are highlighted in Bankrate’s travel toolkit — are moving toward dynamic pricing. That means redemption rates will fluctuate based on the cost of airfare and room rates. However, you can still put your points and miles to good use in spite of dynamic pricing.

Hotel loyalty programs serve as an example of how these redemptions can work out favorably. For example, a stay at the Westin New York Grand Central over Christmas and New Year’s could cost well over $6,000. The same stay could run you roughly 480,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, giving you a value of 1.25 cents per point. That’s a fantastic value for a Marriott redemption, if you’re able to get the points.

Award pricing goes up during peak travel season, but that doesn’t mean the math won’t add up favorably. It’s always a good idea to compare redemption rates against cash prices to determine if that’s the case. Recently, I was able to book a $750 domestic United flight for just 20,000 Aeroplan points, getting me well over 3.75 cents per point on a peak-travel economy-class ticket.

5. Travel during off-peak seasons and be flexible with your travel dates

While expensive peak-season travel bookings can increase the value of your rewards, off-peak award redemptions can save you points and miles.

Case in point: American Airlines is one of the few major airlines that still publishes an award chart, which includes off-peak travel dates for its own awards and partner awards. You may be able to save around 20% on an award ticket by traveling during the off-season. For example, a one-way economy class fare to Europe typically costs 30,000 miles on the airline. The same award costs about 22,500 miles if you’re willing to travel during off-peak dates.

The same goes for fare-based programs like Southwest Rapid Rewards. By searching through the airline’s low-fare calendar, you can score incredible deals on off-peak award tickets. If you can afford to be flexible with your travel dates, you can stretch your points and miles even further by booking off-peak travel.

6. Look for sweet-spot redemptions with different airlines and hotels

Sweet-spot awards are one of the best-kept secrets of airline and hotel loyalty programs. A “sweet spot” refers to an award that’s offered at a significantly lower price compared to most other programs. Familiarizing yourself with sweet-spot redemptions is a great way to get more travel out of a limited points or miles balance.

For example, United MileagePlus often requires over 160,000 miles for a round-trip business-class ticket to Europe. Meanwhile, fellow Star Alliance carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) requires just 88,000 miles for the same flight. ANA typically gives you a free stopover on these awards itineraries too, allowing you to book multiple trips for the cost of one.

Award tickets to Hawaii are always in demand, and even off-peak travel from the West Coast can cost 40,000 AAdvantage miles or more round-trip. However, British Airways Executive Club has a sweet spot for West Coast travelers starting at just 13,000 Avios each way.

Air France and KLM’s joint loyalty program, Flying Blue, doesn’t get much mainstream recognition, but it’s packed with sweet spots that can save you miles and cash. For instance, you can book a ticket between the U.S. and North Africa for just 100,000 miles. Considering most other programs require 160,000 or more miles for the same award, that’s a fantastic deal.

7. Take advantage of consecutive-night discounts

Numerous hotel loyalty programs offer the fourth or fifth night free when you book consecutive nights. By booking longer stays, you can stretch your hotel points much further.

As an example, Marriott Bonvoy offers the fifth night free on award stays for all members, while Hilton Honors limits this benefit to those who hold their co-branded credit cards and those who earn Silver Elite status or higher. Additionally, IHG One Rewards provides the fourth night free on consecutive-night bookings for members with an IHG co-branded credit card like the IHG One Rewards Club Premier credit card.*

8. Redeem rewards for good-enough value when needed

While following the above advice will ensure maximum value for your points and miles, you should use your rewards however you see fit. If redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points for a New Orleans ghost tour makes you happy, then go for it. If using your American AAdvantage miles for a rental car keeps cash in your pocket, do it.

While the best way to use points and miles usually involves redeeming them for international business- and first-class flights, the best way for you to use your own points and miles may differ. Your rewards are yours to use, so you may want to ignore what the influencers are doing and do whatever works best for you.

However, points and miles devalue over time — they may even expire after an extended period of time — so the absolute best way to redeem them is as quickly as possible, for the best value you can get. Don’t hoard them, and don’t let them accumulate and devalue before you have a chance to use them. Further, consider redeeming them for lower-value awards like gift cards if they’re about to expire and you’re not able to keep them active.

The bottom line

The best way to use points and miles for travel comes down to your personal preferences. However, by redeeming them strategically, you can stretch their value further. Take advantage of sweet spot awards, splurge on luxury travel and redeem your points either during peak or off-peak travel seasons.

By planning ahead and comparing cash rates to award prices, you can save money on travel and make the most of your points and miles.

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FAQs

—Credit card points and miles are types of credit card rewards that you can earn for all eligible spending with your card. These types of rewards structures are usually a feature of travel credit cards.

—Whenever you swipe your travel rewards credit card, you’ll earn points or miles for all eligible purchases. For example, you might earn a higher points or miles rate for select types of purchases (such as airfare, rideshares or dining) along with a fixed rate on all other purchases.

—Many points and miles cards allow you to redeem your rewards for different types of travel, cash back, merchandise and gift cards, but redemption options will vary from card to card. Since credit card points and miles are usually a feature of travel credit cards, you’ll typically get the best value for travel-related redemption options.

—The information about the World of Hyatt Credit Card and the IHG One Rewards Club Premier credit card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

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©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

ATLANTA — Peak wedding season starts in May, which means it’s almost time to start planning bachelorette parties. If you’re in the middle of preparing for a memorable event but don’t know about the location, don’t worry — we can help you with that.

Las Vegas, Nashville and Miami are most common for the bachelorette scene. However, if you and your crew are fans of the outdoors or want something different and unique, there are other options that can be just as fun as dancing in a bar.

Here are three bachelorette party destinations for nature lovers.

Sedona, Arizona

Although there aren’t white sandy beaches, Sedona has red sand and rocks that make for a lovely backdrop for any picture. If you’re looking for a fun, laid-back vibe or thrill-seeking adventure, this is the perfect place to be.

Rent a pink Jeep and explore the mountains or take a spa day at one of the many resorts. If you and your friends really want to party it up, Scottsdale is almost a two-hour drive away, with downtown locations bustling with bachelorette festivities.

Stowe, Vermont

The Green Mountain State is known for many small towns and their unique charms. A popular stay hosting bachelorette and wedding parties is Edson Hill — a boutique luxury hotel sitting on 38 acres. It features a five-star restaurant, spas, brew tours and an adventure package designed to bring the most fun for your event.

Whether you stay at a resort or in a cabin, be sure to venture out and experience all Stowe has to offer, from trails to waterfalls, before diving into the local culture of the art and food scene.

Big Sur, California

Big Sur is camping in style, with endless beauty of the mountains and fresh air. If you want a cozy experience filled with hiking, food and glamping, the mountains of California are the way to go.

When you’re tired of smelling like firewood and want to relax elsewhere, you can take one of the many trails or a short car ride to the coast and enjoy beaches with private vibes.

When on the hunt for the perfect bachelorette location, your destination should be as unique as you are. Sedona, Bug Sur and Stowe are just a few places offering outdoor experiences to build perfect memories leading up to your wedding day.

©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Tourism in Egypt was roaring back with a vengeance in 2023: The land of the pharaohs welcomed 14.9 million international visitors throughout the year, a record number since the pro-democracy uprising of 2011. For a country mired in economic woes, the visitor boom painted a promising trajectory.

That was threatened on Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel and sparked a war alongside Egypt’s northeastern border a little more than 200 miles from Cairo. Almost five months later, the country has tempered its tourism expectations. And yet it’s continued to see growth in terms of international arrivals.

Egypt’s minister of tourism and antiquities, Ahmed Issa, says tourist arrivals were up 6% in the first seven weeks of 2024. That’s below the ministry’s projected 20% growth for the year, which would have ultimately meant 18 million annual visitors. “If it weren’t for the war, we would have much bigger numbers,” Issa says.

Who’s staying home is potentially even more important: Americans. The makeup of current visitors favors lower spenders who come on shorter trips, primarily from Europe, versus U.S. travelers who tend to stay longer and splurge. (Egypt’s tourism revenue reached $13.6 billion in the financial year ended July 2023, up 27% from a year earlier.) At a time when other major streams of revenue, such as Suez Canal receipts, have been slashed because of the Israel-Hamas war’s impact, drawing more U.S. visitors — who stay an average of 13 nights and visit multiple regions in a single trip, according to Egyptian tourism and antiquities minister Issa — remains paramount to Egypt’s overall economy.

In fact, Egypt is likely poised to enact a currency devaluation very soon in a bid to tackle the economic crisis; should that come to pass, it could yield significant deals for international visitors.

U.S.-based tour operator Abercrombie & Kent, which offers luxurious 10-day Nile cruises from $8,995 per person, and upscale travel agency Egypt Tourism USA, which also arranges trips to Jordan, say bookings aren’t coming in as fast and furious as they did last year, as Americans are taking a more cautious approach to traveling in the Middle East. London-based Jacada Travel has seen American tourists’ inquiries bounce back by 60% in January 2024 compared to September 2023, with particular interest in Nile cruises for later this year.

Google data on destination demand, analyzed by Bloomberg, paint a similar picture. Overall search volume for hotels and flights from the US to Egypt in the period from Oct. 7 through Feb. 2, 2024, is down 16% from the previous year and has yet to rebound to prewar levels. That’s a more significant drop in interest than seen by other Middle Eastern countries: Searches for the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, for instance, were down 1.3% and 8%, respectively.

But additional data suggest the fears may be misplaced. According to sentiment analysis from Spain-based tourism intelligence company Mabrian Technologies, Egypt has had a perceived security index of 86 out of 100 in recent weeks — a figure that represents how international visitors to the country describe their experiences on social media. That’s an improvement from 68.9 in mid-December 2023, though still below prewar levels of 92.4 in September 2023. A score of 100 means no complaints about safety were included in online posts about the destination.

In that regard, Egypt is ahead of its regional rivals: Tourist safety perception was lower in Turkey (84), Jordan (83.6) and Qatar (81.6) during the same period of February 2024, according to Mabrian Technologies data. (There’s no data currently available for Israel as tourism activity hasn’t yet returned there.)

Attraction and infrastructure upgrades

Now may be an opportune time to visit Egypt if you’re seeking to avoid the crowds and score deals, with Google data showing hotels priced 18% to 25% lower than usual. And it would mean contributing to the local economy. In 2019 tourism represented at least 9% of Egypt’s gross domestic product and employed 2.4 million people. You’d also be among the first to see a host of improvements in various parts of the country.

“Egypt spent 22% of its GDP over the past seven years on infrastructure,” says Issa, adding that the country is making improvements to draw 30 million visitors by 2028. “The quality of the infrastructure in Egypt today can sustain four or five times (the number of tourists it received in 2023).”

In a couple of months, visitors to Egypt can expect to find a wider deployment of hop-on, hop-off electric buses stopping at nine sights within the Giza pyramid complex; several new restaurants in the Giza compound also have opened over the past three years. A few miles away, the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum will be opening fully this year.

East of the pyramids, five archaeological sites are undergoing renovations, part of a plan to entice short-haul visitors to opt for multiple Cairo city breaks. Restoration is also underway at the 500-year-old Ottoman Mosque and at the palace of Muhammad Ali, who ruled Egypt in the early 19th century. Those are in addition to two restored towers now open to visitors at the Citadel of Cairo, an iconic 12th century landmark in the city’s skyline that was once the seat of government, as well as the new Imhotep Museum in Giza, which houses more than 300 archaeological pieces representing various dynasties.

Visiting will mean keeping an eye on government travel warnings. For Americans, the State Department advisory for Egypt hasn’t changed since July, when terrorism and potential attacks on tourist locations—including in Cairo—bumped it to Level 3: Reconsider Travel. The advisory’s areas of concern, however, are away from the major destinations, including beach resort hub Sharm el-Sheikh.

The safest approach for travelers heading to Egypt this year is to leave the planning to the experts, who can advise guests or make changes to itineraries if the situation should suddenly change. For those who plan on a luxury Nile cruise in the back half of the year, planning early will be key.

“Some of the top ships are sold out for October 2024 already,” says Alesha Walton, head of Middle East trip design at Jacada Travel. “So moving fast affords the best weather and room availability.”

©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A quaint stretch of wine country located mostly along a one-mile roadway, Yountville is home to some of the world’s most recognized restaurants, several of Napa Valley’s most distinguished tasting rooms and a couple of surprises that will quickly elevate your weekend away. Read on for an itinerary ripe with accessible luxury experiences in a town created with ease and comfort for locals and visitors alike.

Plastered with large, white block letters that announce “Market” across the top, the delicious yet unpretentious Ciccio has changed hands without losing favor. It’s still under its original ownership, but Meadowood chef Christopher Kostow has taken charge. In a town known for Michelin stars — Thomas Keller’s famous French Laundry has three — standing out is no easy task, but Ciccio does it with ease, offering a down-to-earth approach to fine dining in Yountville.

Don’t miss Ciccio’s popular gnudi ($28) — a puff of housemade, cream-filled pasta that is neither gnocchi nor ravioli and whose cacio e pepe treatment offers flavors of burnt peppercorn punctuated by Pennyroyal cheese. It’s just one of many clever options on the menu, which includes short lists of pasta, pizza and mains. If you order the Pork Chop Milanese ($42), perfectly crusted and cooked to perfection, accompany it with a side of wood-fired broccolini ($15). And the focaccia ($8) served with garlic butter is a must.

The dive bar next door, Pancha’s of Yountville, was recently sold and awaits reopening — still as a dive bar — but Ciccio sits on a stretch of road peppered by some of Yountville’s most impressive wine and food options. In the scant mile between The Restaurant at North Block (where you can also book a room) and Keller’s other pride and joy, Ad Hoc, it’s hard to go wrong. RH Yountville is hard to miss with its sparkling patio chandeliers. R+D Kitchen doubles as an outdoor bar and chic hot spot with a veggie club sandwich ($19) — cucumber, French feta, avocado and pickled onion — that will have even omnivores craving more.

Between meals, wine tasting is a popular adventure. Yountville lies in the heart of Napa Valley, after all, and its founder, George C. Yount, was the first person to plant grapes in the region in 1839. So our first stop is Cornerstone Cellars, where you can pair your wine tasting flight ($50) with a cheese or charcuterie board — and a bit of shopping.

Yountville requires that new tasting rooms devote space to non-wine uses in an effort to diversify its walkable downtown. So Cornerstone, for example, shares its building with Tina Stephens, a casual clothing shop. JCB Yountville next door offers a similar tasting room-meets-retail shop experience with branded JCB jewelry, luxury candles and more. Handwritten Wines pairs a stylish shopping space with its tasting lounge, where the Bread and Butter wine tasting experience ($100) includes four wines, white truffle potato chips, Bouchon Bakery baguettes, artisan butters, Coppa Salame and P’tit Basque cheese.

Priest Ranch, whose bacon and wine pairings ($85) have made it a local fave, has retail space in its tasting room and a restaurant next door. Head for the Kitchen at Priest Ranch, and you can pair your smashburger ($18) with a glass of Priest Ranch cab.

Meanwhile, Honor Market takes a different approach to the hybrid model. This gas station-meets-bottle shop sells a variety of local vinos plus coffee and hot dogs in an indoor-outdoor setting that is much too chic to be called a convenience store.

There are almost as many high-end hotels in Yountville as restaurants and tasting rooms — and again, you can hardly go wrong. But the Napa Valley Railway Inn stands out for one charming reason: Its rooms are housed in converted,100-year-old railway cars from the town’s original depot. The bright red exterior makes it hard to miss, even tucked, as they are, into a quiet corner of a parking lot.

Prefer a bird’s eye view of the valley? Consider a loftier vantage point by taking a hot air balloon ride ($280 and up) with Napa Valley Aloft, one of the original balloon companies to provide agricultural aerial tours here — and, weather permitting, those balloons launch from a lot at the neighboring V Marketplace, just steps from the inn.

We’ve concentrated on eating, drinking, shopping and soaring, but the town also has an immersive art scene. The annual Yountville Art, Sip and Stroll on May 18 combines all our favorite things — art, wine and delicious bites — in the heart of town. And the Yountville Art Walk proffers a stroll-worthy, year-round display of 38 outdoor sculptures by artists from around the world. (It’s also a good way to stretch your legs between tasting appointments.)

With most of the pieces placed along the main drag, it’s easy to do a self-guided tour of the art walk. Pick up a map at the Yountville Community Center or Welcome Center (at 6516 and 6484 Washington St., respectively), then keep your eyes open for the QR codes at each sculpture location to access more information. There’s a free audio tour option, and Yountville Arts provides docent-led tours ($25), as well.

And afterward, there will still be time for more sips and bites.

If You Go

Ciccio: Open from 5 to 9 p.m. daily at 6770 Washington St. in Yountville; www.ciccionapavalley.com.

RH Yountville Restaurant: Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends at 6725 Washington St.; www.rh.com.

R+D Kitchen: Open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Sunday at 6795 Washington St.; www.rd-kitchen.com.

Cornerstone Cellars: Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at 6505 Washington St.; www.cornerstonecellars.com.

JCB Tasting Salon: Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 6505 Washington St.; www.jcbcollection.com.

Handwritten Wines: Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 6494 Washington St.; https://handwrittenwines.com.

Priest Ranch Tasting Room: Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 6490 Washington St.; www.priestranchwines.com.

Honor Market: Open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at 6795 Washington St.

Napa Valley Railway Inn: Rooms start at $245 per night. 6523 Washington St.; www.napavalleyrailwayinn.com.

Napa Valley Aloft: Hot air balloon rides ($280 and up) are offered daily, weather permitting. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and until 3 p.m. weekends at 6525 Washington St.; www.nvaloft.com.

Yountville Art, Sip and Stroll: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18. Admission to this art, wine and food fest is free. Tasting packages ($40) include a glass and four wine tasting tokens; www.artsipstroll.com.

Yountville Art Walk: Find details on these public art installations at the town’s welcome center, https://townofyountville.com and https://youraudiotour.com/tours/72/.

This is shaping up to be another monumental year for travel, and already some significant trends are emerging.

American Express Travel recently released its 2024 Global Travel Trends Report, revealing that 84% of respondents are planning to spend more or the same amount of money on travel in 2024 compared to last year.

What’s more, 77% care more about having the right travel experience than about the cost of the trip.

As far as what’s driving the continued surge in travel demand, American Express Travel identified four notable trends.

Traveling for sporting events

Travelers are excited to see their favorite sports in person this year. According to American Express Travel, 67% of millennial and Gen-Z respondents are interested in traveling for sporting events in 2024, compared to 58% of all respondents.

Three-quarters of respondents who plan to travel to a sporting event in 2024 will spend at least three hours getting there and most (58%) will be traveling for soccer, basketball or Formula 1 racing.

The top cities for sports travel this summer are New York (30%), Miami (27%), London (26%), Las Vegas (25%) and Paris (25%).

Making travel a priority

More than seven out of 10 respondents (72%) said they would rather save money for a major trip than spend it on going out with friends, and 65% are more interested in taking a major trip in 2024 compared to previous years.

Perhaps surprisingly, younger travelers are more interested in working with a travel adviser to plan and book their trip, with 58% of millennial and Gen-Z respondents seeking a trusted travel professional compared to 52% of all respondents.

Traveling solo

More than two-thirds of travelers (69%) are planning on taking a solo trip in 2024, including 76% of millennials and Gen-Zers.

American Express Travel also found that 66% of respondents planning on traveling solo are planning a trip centered around self-love and treating themselves and 60% of respondents planning on traveling solo this year intend to take two or more solo trips.

Traveling on a whim

Nearly eight out of 10 travelers (78%) indicated that spontaneous trips appeal to them and a sizable 68% of respondents agree that they like to leave unplanned time in their trip to experience local culture and activities.

The study found that millennials and Gen-Z travelers are more likely to book a last-minute trip, with 77% having done so before compared to 65% of Gen-X and 52% of baby boomers.

“People are traveling to make memories in 2024. While everyone’s motivation for booking a trip is unique —whether it’s taking a solo getaway to recharge or embarking on an expedition cruise or safari — the trips that are trending are sure to be transformative, and our American Express Travel Consultants are here to build dream itineraries and help every step of the way,” said American Express Travel President Audrey Hendley.

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Even if you’ve never been to Miami, you’ve sort of already been to Miami.

This South Florida city has starred countless times on the silver screen and television and is always coming up in popular music, too, with many of these Miami-centric works becoming downright iconic.

All of this has painted such a vibrant picture of the city, that whether or not you’ve ever crossed over the city limits, you have years of stored-up visions of what this city will be like when you finally get there.

Considering all of this, when you visit for the first time, there’s a bit of pressure to find the Miami you have always envisioned. I recently visited the city for the very first time and the following is an account of how I tried to capture the essence of the city that I had dreamed of while also trying to see a couple of surprises along the way.

Sunrise start

I know you’re on vacation, but you simply have to wake up before dawn and take in a sunrise during your trip to Miami, preferably on your first morning. Darkness gives away to soft light as the sun slowly rises above the Atlantic Ocean, streaking the sky in hues of pink, gold and blue, casting a soft glow over the water and the sand below.

If you’re standing on South Beach like I was, odds are you’ll be surrounded by a mix of early risers and up-laters all with different motivations for visiting Miami and all pinching themselves that they’re taking in this special sight with their own eyes. On your way back from the beach, make sure to grab a photo with one of the iconic neon lifeguard towers—it is the golden hour after all.

News break

Famed for its prime role in revitalizing South Beach during the heady hedonistic days of the ’90s, News Cafe is open 24/7 and located at the heart of South Beach (8th & Ocean Avenue). You’re probably going to pass it anyway so you might as well pull up a chair outside and chill for a bit.

Back in the day, this cafe was frequented by the glamorous, the fabulous and everyone in between as it served up one of the first slices of European cafe culture on South Beach—and today the pulse of the neighborhood still beats strong here.

Enjoy a Cuban Club and a Paper Boy (their take on the bloody mary) as I did, or a frosty, citrusy Frozzie Rossie cocktail as the sidewalk in front of you becomes a runway full of locals on bicycles or rollerblades, wide-eyed tourists, wanna-be influencers and drivers showing off their shiny cars.

Art Deco up close

If you’re anything like me, you may know that Art Deco is synonymous with South Beach, but do you know the stories behind the style and the facades? That’s where the Miami Design Preservation League’s expert guides come in as they take travelers on daily jaunts through the Art Deco District each morning at 10:30 AM. The guides tell the stories behind each building (you’ll see Art Deco, Miami Modern and Mediterranean Revival on the tour), endearing you to their efforts to preserve these special buildings.

Eat old school

For more than a century, Joe’s Stone Crab has been drawing in crowds from far and wide for its famed crustaceans and no trip to Miami is complete without a stop here. Located in the vibrant heart of South Beach, Joe’s is famed for its succulent stone crab claws plucked from nearby waters, alongside an array of other mouthwatering dishes. Think of it this way: everybody is going to ask you if you went to Joe’s, so you might as well!

… and new

Sushi may not be the first thing that pops into your head when thinking of Miami, but why wouldn’t it be great here? Enter Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, which is an oasis of Japanese cuisine situated within the historic Plymouth Hotel South Beach (just past the retro-cool lobby and beside the beautiful pool). The menu is overseen by sushi master Toshi Ueki and chefs Bruce and Eric Bromberg and boasts a tantalizing selection of traditional sushi and sashimi, expertly crafted to perfection. Oh, and there’s also a much-loved version of fried chicken. You’ll feel cool slinking into one of their booths, but not intimidatingly so.

Say adios to South Beach

Wynwood. Little Havana. Downtown. Little Haiti. Key Biscayne. Coconut Grove. Coral Gables. It doesn’t matter where you go, but you have to get outside of South Beach during your time in Miami because it’s only a small—albeit shiny—part of this spectacular city.

My time in South Beach was punctuated with spells in Wynwood and Little Havana, where I was able to get a taste (literally) of two entirely different sections of the city and sip (literally) up slices of its unique story.

Get out on the water

If you’re wondering when this piece is going to leave dry land, the time is, well, now. I hooked up with Watersports Paradise—known for boat tours, yacht charters and boat rentals in addition to any other active water pursuit you can think of—for an unforgettable adventure through Miami’s waterways.

We saw opulent Millionaire’s Row and plied the waters across Biscayne Bay to marvel at the splendor of Star, Palm, Hibiscus and Venetian Islands with the occasional burst of speed to get the heart racing. The stories of fun times on Monument Island had me dreaming about the weekends I would spend there if I lived in Miami. And okay, I’ll admit it: I set the highlights of this excursion to the “Miami Vice” theme song when I posted it on social media.

Where to stay in Miami on a first trip

Before you even touch down in Miami, there’s the little decision of where to lay your head. And as one of my previous points makes clear: Miami isn’t all beaches. South Beach is just one section of Miami (Miami Beach to be precise) and the city is home to a dizzying array of diverse neighborhoods, all perfect for getting a true feel of the city and almost all could make a great base.

When it comes time to start thinking about where and what type of South Beach hotel you’d like to stay in during your first trip to Miami, among the factors that loom large, two words stand head and shoulders above the rest: Art Deco.

I mean, you can’t come to Miami for the very first time and not stay in a historic hotel with the flourishes of Art Deco design, can you? And the hotel certainly has to have a fantastic pool, right?

I couldn’t imagine it any other way and so that’s why I’m glad I posted up at The Plymouth Hotel South Beach.

Located a stone’s throw from the Miami Beach Convention Center and opposite Collins Park and its superb Bass Museum, The Plymouth has over 100 rooms splashed with sophisticated touches and is a true poster child for Art Deco. So much so that Barbara Baer Capitman used a photograph of the corner exterior of The Plymouth on the cover of her 1988 book Deco Delights.

Stepping inside, you’re immediately enchanted by the seamless blend of historic Art Deco charm and contemporary luxury, with the overall atmosphere being a blend of boutique and beach-adjacent vibes.

Speaking of the beach, guests get exclusive access to The Plymouth’s private stretch, just a block away between The W and The Setai. Like many great hotels, the lobby is perfect for lingering and I loved hanging out among the lush leaves and a stirring mural by the acclaimed Ramon Chatov while watching the happenings at the bar or the aforementioned Blue Ribbon Sushi.

Then there’s the 1940s Art Moderne pool area, one of the most perfectly formed bodies of water in the city. With its distinctive harlequin tiles and inviting peach and brown colors, it’s a quintessential Miami backdrop. (Go on, strike a pose.) Like many first-time visitors to Miami, I left knowing this certainly wouldn’t be my last visit and The Plymouth’s pool was a big reason why.

In summary, to live up to the level of hype that has been thrust upon Miami is almost impossible, but this city made it look like a breeze.

©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Back in the 1970s, the Wentworth in Jackson, N.H.  stood vacant, dark, run down and yet somehow still glamorous.

I’d think: I bet some rich person built that for his family back in the golden age (Pretty much on the nose: The original Wentworth was built in 1869 as a wedding gift for a wealthy man’s daughter).

I’d imagine it as the scene of posh parties and wealthy visitors. Correct again: The Wentworth was one of the most beloved of the many grand hotels in Mount Washington Valley in the late 19th century and then, at the start of the 20th, a summer draw for wealthy Jews, who were often banned by resorts because of their faith.

Even in its decay, I could tell it was once special. Wouldn’t it be nice, I’d think, if it was open and made beautiful once again?

Dreams come true. The Wentworth Jackson (thewentworth.com)  has been reopened since the mid-1980’s. After being purchased by Atlantic Equity Partners in 2021, it was treated to a multi-million dollar refresh and upgrade. The result: The Wentworth is posh, pristine and an historic gem.

I got a chance for a late winter visit recently.

The Wentworth starts out with the best amenity a resort can have: Location. Tucked into the village of Jackson, it nestles up to Jackson XC (one of the world’s most beloved cross country ski areas) on one side and the famed – and protected – Jackson Falls on the other.

Its main building is an inn setting with cottages around the grounds for a more private stay. We chose the main building where, in our suite, we had plenty of space and our own massive hot tub.

The main lobby is open and comfortable with a crackling fire. Paintings dot the walls in the lobby – as well as the hallways on the upper floors. There are original stained glass windows, and visitors will find lots of historic information throughout.

Next to Jackson Falls is a cool little mini outdoor museum showing how the region developed and how the hotel played a role

The hallway on our floor featured a guest pantry with free coffee, juice and muffins in the morning, candy, snacks and drinks all day and at night the highlight of it all: Fresh baked cookies with house made ice cream.

We dined one night at Alpine Tavern, the hotel’s more casual bar where our bartender made us delicious and locally inspired cocktails and where the casual fare like the fondue comes from local sources as well. We loved the comfortable leather chairs at the bar itself. Outside the bar stood a pavilion that in this winter season was converted to a skating rink. I could imagine my grandkids skating there.

The next night we dined at the hotel’s 1869 Room restaurant. I’d been told by local friends it is a must even for folks not staying there. The chef and team lean into local fare and it shows. We had breakfast there daily – a full buffet on weekends and a continental with plated choices on weekdays – all included in your stay.

We skied and shopped and bopped all around the Valley. On the second day I realized that the Wentworth is the kind of place you could pull in, park your car and never use it. Within easy walking distance is that cross country skiing, the village of Jackson, the fun J-Town Deli, a beautiful walk up and back down Jackson Falls, and nature itself.

Did it live up to those long ago dreams? After skiing hard in soft snow, we hopped into our private hot tub, cookies and ice cream from the pantry as our fuel, and soaked in the view of Jackson Village, the cute historic post office and other lovely sites spread out below.

Now this is a special setting. Golf, hiking, relaxing and local sourced food in the summer? I’ll be back to realize that youthful dream once more.

Inflation has hit most of the economy, but that’s hardly the case with airfare. Not only are airfares down 6% year-over-year based on January 2024 prices, but they’re even down 15% versus a decade ago. That’s according to consumer price index data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published in February. Some experts predict airfares to international destinations will drop even lower in 2024.

According to the American Express Global Business Travel Air Monitor 2024 report, prices on certain international routes may drop as much as 12%.

Here’s how AmEx GBT anticipates average economy airfares will change in 2024 versus 2023, for a sampling of regions:

• South America to North America: Drop by 11.9%.
• North America to Central America: Drop by 7.8%.
• North America to Asia: Drop by 7.5%.
• Asia to North America: Drop by 5.2%.
• North America to Europe: Drop by 3.5%.
• Europe to North America: Drop by 1.2%.

So, why are airfares dropping?

Existing airlines are offering more flights and routes

2023 was a huge year for travel, with several records broken. The U.S. State Department issued a record 24 million passport books and cards during the 2023 fiscal year, signaling increased interest in travel abroad.

Katy Nastro, a spokesperson for airfare tracking website Going, has seen an increase in international flights booked as well.

“For example, in 2023, almost 14% more people flew between Costa Rica and the U.S. than pre-pandemic,” Nastro says.

Last year’s high traveler volume has prompted airlines to increase flight schedules to other parts of the world. For example, Delta Air Lines announced that — in light of a record-setting summer 2023 — it would launch its largest-ever transatlantic schedule for summer 2024. That includes new daily service from New York to Naples, Italy, beginning in May, as well as more flights from the U.S. to Paris; Venice, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; and Dublin.

For travel from North America to Asia, there are 5.5 million more airline seats for sale in the first half of 2024 versus the same period in 2023. That’s a 35% year-over-year increase, says Jeremy Quek, principal global air practice line lead at AmEx GBT.

“More availability in turn can help with pricing,” Nastro says. “Heading into 2024, in theory, this should reduce overall prices.”

Budget airlines are bringing down prices

New, smaller airlines (particularly low-cost carriers) are also competing for customers, which helps bring down airfares industrywide.

For example, Norse Atlantic Airways is a Norwegian low-cost airline that started flying to the U.S. in 2022. Now it operates 13 routes between the U.S. and five European cities. Come May 2024, Norse will launch summer flights between New York and Athens, Greece.

A return to normalcy after COVID-19

Quek says much of the phenomenon of falling airfares is a post-COVID-19 pandemic recalibration, considering so many airlines reduced schedules in 2020.

“Airline schedules, especially on long-haul international flights, are set at least six months out,” Quek says. “Restarting a route can take even longer. As countries announced border reopenings, airlines were constrained on how quickly they could reintroduce flights.”

And it’s not just schedules returning to normal, but airfares too. Airfares originating in the U.S. hit all-time highs in May 2022, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, when the summer of “revenge travel” was in full swing. Quek says this year’s price decreases are largely a return to pre-pandemic equilibrium rather than an extraordinary drop in prices.

Airfares are falling, but don’t wait to book

Though airfares are falling, don’t delay booking in hopes that they’ll fall further. Going advises booking two to eight months out for international travel.

“Airfares tend to increase the closer you get to booking,” Nastro says. “In reality, it is far more likely for airlines to sell tickets at higher prices at the last minute.”

The article Airfares Have Dropped. Here’s Why They Could Go Even Lower in 2024 originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Come the colder months, Colorado’s dude ranches offer all kinds of activities, including gliding across the snow on cross-country skis and galloping through the powder on horseback. There’s also dog sledding, sleigh rides, tubing and more, says Courtney Frazier, executive director of the Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Association.

“You’ll love the evening campfires and cozy cabins,” Frazier says. “Some of our ranches also have full spas to relax in after a busy day of exploring the Rocky Mountains.”

Saddle up: Here are five dude ranches that are perfect for winter escapes with amenities that include a private ski mountain, a top-notch culinary program and a murder mystery weekend.

C Lazy U Ranch

The C Lazy U near Granby couldn’t have a more idyllic setting. Days on the 8,500-acre ranch start with “Cowboy Coffee” traditions around an outdoor firepit with the nip of the alpine air and end with toasting s’mores. In between, there are horse and sleigh rides through the winter wonderland. Plus, a Zamboni is used to groom a pond on the property so you can skate in the open air or join a pickup hockey game.

Guests can also go fly-fishing in Willow Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River. Some sections build up ice shelves, but the creek is still flowing and the fish are still biting.

Three daily gourmet meals are a part of the all-inclusive rate (expect to pay $587 per person/night or more) and the winter dining menu includes carmel apple venison, pheasant cordon bleu, duck confit perogies and rose glazed pink prawns.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa

Go dashing through the snow — on a sleigh, cross-country skis, or with a pair of snowshoes strapped to your feet. Devil’s Thumb Ranch near Granby is a rustic-luxe winter playground with some unique offerings, including cozy rides in a heated snow cat that traverses the snow-covered Ranch Creek Valley.

The resort also has fat tire bikes that can plow through powder, and Winter Park Ski Resort is just 10 miles from the ranch if doing laps on the slopes is on your mind. After playing in the snow, book a spa treatment and slink into a copper soaking tub or enjoy a heated river stone massage. Rates vary widely, depending on lodging, meal and activities booked. Expect to pay at least $460 a night for lodging for two people.

Vista Verde Guest Ranch

Old West meets luxury at Vista Verde, an all-inclusive dude ranch near Steamboat Springs. The culinary program is worth writing home about, with winter dishes that include carrot cake waffles with walnut syrup, Cuban sandwiches and gnocchi with short rib ragu.

At dinner, add a wine pairing. The guest ranch’s cellar, with more than 90 selections, has received accolades from Wine Spectator.

There are plenty of ways to work up an appetite. The ranch has a fleet of fat tire bikes, plus snowmobiling excursions, tubing, and backcountry ski touring. There also are plenty of groomed trails for beginners. Three-night stays in late winter start at $2,295 per person.

Three Forks Ranch

Near the Colorado-Wyoming border, Three Forks Ranch bills itself as being the “West Kept Secret.” The 200,000-acre ranch has an exclusive partnership with the Mayo Clinic, a healthcare nonprofit that staffs the wellness facility with certified coaches who can provide nutrition advice and personal training.

A stay at the all-inclusive resort includes spa treatments (guests staying three nights can pre-book two services). The ranch also offers private skiing on a mountain that gets blanketed in snow and has 20 runs. Heated snowcats deliver guests to the summit. Nightly rates start at $1,995 per person.

Sundance Trail Guest Ranch

Sundance Trail’s guests have a few options for winter visits at the ranch near Red Feather Lakes. The Country Inn stay includes lodging, meals and morning horseback rides. Or, select the bed-and-breakfast route.

Guests enjoy horseback rides through the Roosevelt National Forest, cozying up by the fireplace and stargazing in the jacuzzi. Gather a group of 8-12 people and the ranch will provide a Murder Mystery getaway. Between meals and horseback rides your group can try to figure out “whodunnit.”

Bed and breakfast nightly rates start at $230 per two-person suite or $170 for single occupancy.

Before marrying my husband Benjamin, I had a habit of setting New Year’s resolutions of lofty goals-turned-faded letdowns. From publishing books to running marathons, those big dreams led to late nights, missed deadlines and self-inflicted exhaustion. A realist at heart, Benjamin taught me to crumple date-induced ambitions and simply find motivation in myself rather than a flip of the calendar.

That is until recently.

Tiptoeing toward us was 2024 holding a mirror of tired reflections. Coffee was my fuel and bedtime was my bestie, as we juggled four jobs between the two of us. Oddly enough, we’re wired that way, taking on more than we should because we’re driven by ourselves.

And so, we ironed out that crumpled sheet of blankness and wrote in bold letters: “Relax. Rest. Recover. Reconnect. Rejuvenate. Restore.”

That was our goal, to get away for four days and come back new and improved.

Enter Arizona. The proximity to San Diego made the spontaneous getaway uncomplicated, not to mention, we heard of two properties that had the power to push the reset button on life.

Tucked into the untamed Sonoran Desert, CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa would start our path to wholeness, followed by Castle Hot Springs which would continue our journey to healing in the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains. Two nights at each resort are what we dedicated to unplug from the world and reconnect to ourselves.

Simplicity was our priority, not budget. And so, we flew via JSX hop-on jet service. As first timers, we learned that the public charter traveled to 40-plus destinations including Scottsdale. Gone were the security lines, the crowded terminals and the hidden fees, meaning we could park and arrive just 20 minutes before takeoff. Included in the $279 ticket price were cocktails, Wi-Fi, business-class legroom, and oversized baggage. Trust me, we were carrying some serious baggage (figuratively, of course).

The past year wrung us out, and now Arizona was hanging us out to dry with a bad start.

Somehow the rental car agency had “sold out” of vehicles. For over two hours, we stood in line hoping for a set of wheels that would take us to utopia.

Mentally, I was at a dangerous place and on the verge of getting ugly, the type where my husband walks away and pretends I’m a stranger. Stepping out of line, I went directly to the parking garage and showed an attendant our reservation. To my surprise, he handed us a set of keys and we were off — that is until we were stopped five minutes later for potential car theft.

Back to the airport we went, waiting another 45 minutes for a vehicle we hadn’t reserved, costing double the original price. And of course, things got ugly. That’s when a text message arrived from our house sitter, informing me that my pet turkey had gone missing.

Teetering between anger and sadness, I had nothing to say. Traffic was at a standstill, we hadn’t eaten all day, and my pre-booked meditation class was starting in five minutes.

And so, I bit down on my knuckles and screamed.

“Well, this is certainly off to a good start,” Benjamin said.

Everything I had aimed to quell was boiling at the surface, and now all I wanted to do was wash away the day.

Somehow, CIVANA sensed that, greeting me with a pool where I swam laps alone at sunset.

Within minutes, I could feel the stress dripping off my body. The setting certainly helped, a 1960’s mid-century modern hotel in a town appropriately named Carefree.

Originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s understudy, Joe Wong, the property resurrected in 2018 as CIVANA Wellness Resort. The $40 million dollar facelift was tight, with 144 neutral-toned rooms in stone, wood, and glass reflective of the desert.

Never did I expect cactuses to be so esthetically soothing, saluting the marbled sky and fading into the starry night. Webbing out from the 20-acre resort were pebble-framed trails that led to the café, restaurant, fitness studios and 22,000-sqare-foot spa.

Boldly launching during the pandemic, CIVANA is clearly the cool kid on the block, luring wellness-focused millennials with its price point and mindset that self-love is okay.

Apparently, women got the memo. Bachelorette parties, girls getaways and sister retreats left my husband saying, “I feel very alone.”

In my opinion, that was actually the point, for us to be (or at least feel) alone in our united solidarity. CIVANA went out of its way to do that through their pillars of discovery and nourishment. Starting with the latter, we dined at Terras with mouths-wide-open during dinner of eggplant hummus, seared scallops and Faroe Island salmon.

“I think I need some carbs,” I whispered.

The veggie-forward menu had gluten free, grain free, dairy free and other “free” (not to be confused with “complementary”) options; an entrée alone runs about $50, but throw in the resort perks, and the price tag doesn’t seem so heavy.

Included in the $500+/- nightly rate are bikes, hiking trails wellness guides, aqua therapy and over 100 movement, personal growth and spiritual classes. I opted for yoga, cardio strength and “Band and Buns” while Benjamin zenned out with breathwork, meditation and sound-healing.

In true “us” form, we packed our schedules with classes and spa treatments. Of course, there were gardens and labyrinths to quiet the mind, open the heart and ground the body. Benjamin explored them. I did not, because I was too busy running to my next class. Like students on campus, we would wave in passing or meet up for lunch over smoothies and antioxidant bowls.

Shaking my empty water bottle, I tapped my forehead.

“I already feel so hydrated. … Oh, look, they have hard Kombucha!”

Despite our resolutions, we were on vacation after all — a time to let go, raise a glass, and toast to the fact we were reaping the benefits of our environment. Others got it, eating breakfast in bathrobes, sipping post-spa margaritas and ditching workouts when suffering and leisure no longer aligned.

I was sad to leave CIVANA, having just awakened the 2.0 version of myself. As we packed the car for Castle Hot Springs, I felt healthy, alive and poised for what was next. During the hourlong drive, we passed spiny saguaro cactuses, wild donkeys and a world of Winnebagos. Tumbleweeds rolled across desert plains, as if each one had a destination and a deadline.

“Is this where they filmed ‘Breaking Bad’?” I asked.

My husband didn’t respond, but rather mumbled something about our rental car being put to the test. In our wake was a plume of dust, leaving behind any sign of civilization. Thoughts of his tire-changing skills crossed my mind, along with my sudden desire to adopt a burro.

And then, there it was, an oasis thriving in the barrenness. Greeting us at parking was a valet who whisked us via golf cart through a private gate, down a palm tree-lined pathway, to Arizona’s first luxury resort. At the center of the 1,200-acre property were pools and ponds dotting manicured gardens and vibrant lawns so perfect, you’d swear you were living in an AI post.

Castle Hot Springs existed to help people come up, and then slow down with mindful activities, rugged nature, and soft adventure. While rates were three times that of CIVANA, it was one-size-fits-all with an inclusive experience covering tours, meals, gratuities, resort fees, in-room amenities, valet, cart service and endless activities. Hiking, archery, paddleboarding, biking, horseback riding, pickleball, gardening, stargazing, wine-tasting, yoga — you name it, and they had a personal guide to take you from adventure to relaxation.

The diamonds of this jewelry box, however, are the hot springs that have been replenishing souls since 1896. From the Yavapai Tribe who soaked for medicinal purposes, to the prospectors who sold the land to the Murphy brothers for development, word spread of the healing waters and fertile soil in the Bradshaw Mountains.

The Rockefellers, Wrigleys, Vanderbilts and Roosevelts all escaped to this sanctuary of well-being, which pioneered Arizona’s first tennis courts, golf course and telephone. In 1943, it served as a military rehabilitation center for injured veterans, including future president, John F. Kennedy.

Despite its curative properties, Castle Hot Springs went up in flames in 1975. For over 40 years, the charred resort sat desolate, ready for someone to resuscitate its heart so that it might once again breathe life into others. Along came Cindy and Mike Watts, who first spotted the land while flying over during quail-hunting season. For around $2 million, they purchased the skeleton resort with only three buildings remaining. After a five-year historic restoration, Castle Hot Springs finally had the resurrection it deserved, today earning accolades matching some of the best hotels in the world.

Understandably so. Designed with luxury and relaxation in mind, 30 bungalows and cottages boast stone tubs, covered decks, telescopes and indoor-outdoor fireplaces. Each room is strategically located at the water’s edge so you can fall asleep to the sound of the babbling creek.

Clearly, we had found our healing place. Pulling back the curtains, my husband inhaled deeply and closed his eyes.

“Oh look, a hiking trail,” I clapped behind him.

Alas, it was, and 17 of them to be exact. From aerial walkways and agave farms to canyon caves and mountain summits, we explored as many as we could in between yoga, massages, biking, rock climbing and farm tours. The latter ignited an unparalleled appreciation for the kitchen, where the chef and farmer work in unison; so much so, that they create the daily 4-course tasting menu together.

During our tour through the “living pantry,” we tasted leafy greens and fragrant herbs that made their way from farm-to-fork later that night. With over 3-acres under cultivation, the team of agronomists harvest more than 150 varieties of crops each season. Nova Scotia halibut with beluga lentils or Colorado lamb with pistachio butter and sweet potato fondant? Choices, choices.

If only we had more time and doggie bags to take home the feeling of Castle Hot Springs every time life turned south. It was the type of place that coated you in experiences over accommodations, memories over moments. We felt it during our bike tour, cruising down a network of single-track trails, mining roads and narrow canyons. It hit us again during our multiple soaks in the thermal pools.

We slept deep that night, so deep in fact, that we awakened, and it was time to go … at noon.

Driving back to the airport, we once again sat in silence. Only this time, I wasn’t thinking about rental cars and traffic and the meditation class I was about to miss.

Instead, I was thinking about the miracle of an oasis that withstood the flames of the past to now extinguish the pain of the present. I thought about how those restorative waters had the power to plunge me out of exhaustion and emerge me anew with a deeper understanding and appreciation of loving myself. I thought about how cultivating wellness — from the food that I eat to the hours that I sleep — is a purposeful journey, not a prescribed destination. I thought about how two resorts in the Arizona desert revealed the importance of staying aligned in 2024, versus reaching a point of pushing reset.

Grabbing my husband’s hand, I gave it little squeeze. “Well,” I said, “this is certainly off to a good start.”

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Marlise Kast-Myers (marlisekast.com) is an author and journalist based in San Diego. She and her husband live at the historic Betty Crocker Estate where they run Brick n Barn (bricknbarn.com)

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

In their rural landscape are black, horse-drawn buggies instead of trucks and tractors. They are driven by men with straw hats, suspenders and beards. The women wear bonnets and modest, ankle-length dresses.

Roughly 384,300 Amish people live in 32 states and four provinces in North America, reports Elizabethtown College, where Amish studies is a specialty. The college is in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, home to the nation’s largest Amish population at 44,315.

These Christian families typically live without electricity, motorized vehicles, telephones and other modern conveniences. Contact with outsiders is not a priority; but interactions are not one-dimensional, cookie-cutter experiences either.

Amish encounters, and how hard you have to work to find them, in part depend on location. Communities with a high concentration of Amish families approach tourism with varying degrees of interest, creativity and commercialism. Consider the examples of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.

Wisconsin: root around on your own

My wintry Saturday drive ended 40 miles north of Madison as I cut east toward Dalton, population 203, for a glimpse and taste of Amish life. Thick-legged workhorses hauled ice from a pond. Others clip-clopped more daintily while pulling buggies on snow-packed hills.

Roughly 10% of Wisconsin’s 25,000 Amish residents live between Highways 22 and 73; Barry Road is one popular shopping route.

First stop, farm-based Pleasant View Bakery, south of Barry Road. In the commercial kitchen were pans of just-baked cinnamon rolls. Cherry mash — chocolate under and over a vanilla filling with chopped cherries — roused my curiosity; I bought one-half of the last pound and also left with a cherry pie, pumpkin bars and a dozen cookies.

Next, Mishler’s Country Store, where household provisions arrive in bulk and are packaged into portions suitable for the average family. Sets of wind chimes, made by the Amish in Indiana, tinkled outdoors. Fat heads of cauliflower, blemish-free and 89 cents each, filled a shopping cart indoors.

On a bulletin board were signs and business cards for clock repair, rides, welding, stump removal and more. On shelves were Amish cookbooks, home medicine remedies and seasoning blends that included ones for homemade bacon and bologna.

I left with cauliflower, a garlic bulb, bags of teeny bow-tie pasta and chopped pecans. Eggs were not in stock, but the clerk eagerly gave directions to a farm with chickens.

Last stop, Mast’s Bent and Dent, which stocks an unpredictable mix of nonperishable foods that are near, at, or past “best by” dates. Don’t expect signage; I drove past the farm-based business twice before nailing the location.

The treasure hunt of merchandise from overstocks and liquidations was excellent at this well-organized store. Vinaigrettes, toothpaste, mouth guards for sleep, Dolly Parton cake mixes, keto products and oodles of other items were deeply discounted.

Adding a stop or two for bedding plants would be logical during spring. There are at least a dozen greenhouses in the rural neighborhood. The countryside is similarly abundant with woodworkers who build kitchen cabinets, furniture, birdhouses and cutting boards — and they might sell items for Amish craftsmen from other states.

Businesses are listed by address at travelmarquettecounty.com. Or visit the Princeton Amish Country Store for a one-swoop purchase of everything from honey to rocking chairs.

It’s all an easy day trip from Madison or stretch the getaway into an overnight stay closer to the Amish enclave. A good match for lovers of the outdoors is the lodge at Mecan River Outfitters, near Princeton. For a modern, lakeshore resort vibe, check out Heidel House in Green Lake.

Another large Amish settlement is in the southwest, within the attractive hills and valleys of unglaciated Wisconsin. Particularly pretty are 17 miles of County Road D, between Cashton, population 1,108, and La Farge, population 730; driveway signs denote farm family businesses.

Kathy Kuderer describes the people in the area as “Old Order Amish”; they use gas or kerosene lanterns for light, and a wood stove for cooking and warmth. Kuderer, a recent retiree, was raised in the area and for 30 years led tours and sold Amish products at her shops.

Another option: Amish vendors sell bakery, baskets and other wares at the Saturday farmers market in Viroqua, population 4,504, from May through October.

Boxes and pallets of whatever is in season — bedding plants, veggies, potted mums — are sold spring to fall at the twice-weekly Growers Produce Auction; add quilts and furniture at the Memorial Day and Labor Day auctions.

In this more remote part of Wisconsin is a mix of bed-and-breakfast inns and mom-and-pop motels.

Illinois: an elevated Amish profile

Seventy miles east of Springfield, an Amish settlement of 4,500 is the eighth largest nationally. Arthur, a village with 2,231 residents, is where I stopped for a springtime introduction and overnight.

Meals at Amish farms are arranged for groups, but as a solo traveler, I wasn’t accommodated because there were no group reservations for me to join. So I indulged at the buffet at Amish-owned Yoder’s Kitchen, eating chicken and from-scratch noodles, casseroles and pot pies.

It’s easy to explore the area because self-guided audio tours provide narration. That’s one way to discover fourth-generation Green Meadow Farms, which offers buggy rides, and Beachy’s Bulk Foods, which grinds peanut butter to order.

George Fritz, a Skokie native, operates the Wood Loft, which has Amish-made merchandise. About one-fourth of the store’s furniture and one-third of the quilts are made locally.

“The Amish have been in the area for 100 years but work quietly,” said Fritz, a former Amish cabinetmaker’s employee. “Each farm made something separate — the doors, for example.”

The Wood Loft helped address the question of “how can we help market you because you can’t market yourself,” Fritz said.

“You can’t make a decent living doing any one thing,” Ed Coller, Arthur’s former economic development director, said of small-town life. “The Amish came here for the farmland, which was swampy and tough to farm, but they made it work.”

Penn Station Theatre, which opened last year, hosts productions including Amish-themed musicals. The Illinois Amish Heritage Center, open on Saturdays, is a campus of Amish-built structures and has demos of sheep-shearing, corn-picking and lumbering.

Although national chain hotels are nearby, I preferred a homey suite in an Amish-built cottage at Martha’s Vineyard, which included breakfast.

Indiana: showtime in Shipshewana

Amish-made decor was abundant when I checked into the 155-room Blue Gate Garden Inn in Shipshewana, population 841, about 130 miles east of Chicago. The area’s 20,000 Amish are the nation’s third-largest Amish community; that doesn’t include Mennonites, whose lifestyles are somewhat less restrictive.

At the inn is a restaurant, theater and conference center, where I encountered quilters on a six-day stitching retreat, organized three times per year by Gay Bomers of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Frequent flea markets brought visitors to Shipshewana a century ago, and buggies fill grocery store parking lots today. Much of the downtown is walkable, and gift shops stock locally made products.

My group’s first supper away from the inn was at an Amish farm and was served family style. At least four farms offer this. We ate “poor man’s steak” or breaded ground beef patties with mushroom sauce; chicken marinated in an Italian dressing; noodles boiled in chicken broth; and sweet corn, frozen from summer. For dessert, there was apple pie and canned peaches.

We peppered the meal, served in a simple shedlike building, with questions about Amish life:

How fast does a horse and buggy travel? Figure one hour for 10 miles.

How long are Sunday church services? They’re 9 a.m. to noon.

Is it hard to be Amish? “We grew up like this and don’t think anything of it,” answered our amused hostess, with a shrug.

Afterward, we saw the inside of an Amish home, which was cozy but not lavish. Inspirational messages were plentiful, in needlepoint and on walls. A bookcase was stuffed with titles so worn that binders were torn and peeling.

Cucumbers, gladiolas, honey and maple syrup are common products on the area’s 2,100 farms of 10 to 49 acres. Most families take on other work too; we visited cottage industries through Back Roads Amish tours, but you can also explore on your own.

Lambright Country Chimes began with a semitrailer truckload of discarded square metal tubing. Now there are three dozen variations of wind chimes shipped throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Teaberry Wood Products, a Mennonite business, began with wooden puzzles made from sawmill scraps. Now most work is handcrafted baskets that look woven.

Racks of narrow to extra-wide noodles are made and dried at Dutch Country Market. Ten flavors of honey come from harvesting beehives maintained by the owner and other local residents.

Plain Foods, a wholesale business, produces jams, butters, mustards, pickles and salsas under the Mandy’s Harvest label. The work began with a family recipe for apple butter.

Silver Star Leather, a former harness shop, uses exotic animal pelts (think elephant, ostrich and cobra) to make purses, belts, gun holders and other goods. Pelts, from creatures that died of natural causes, come from as far as South Africa.

Cinnamon caramel doughnuts are popular at Rise ‘n Roll Bakery, which began by selling treats from a porch, using generations-old recipes. Now there are 15 Indiana locations.

It’s an early-to-bed vibe in Shipshewana, with rare exception. Blue Gate Theatre presents wholesome, Amish-themed productions, such as “Half-Stitched: The Musical” and this year’s “When Calls the Heart.” The new Blue Gate Performing Arts Center accommodates larger audiences, for nationally known touring acts.

If you go, a few rules are basic when shopping at Amish farms. Stop if serious about making a purchase, but not just to gawk and interrupt. Shop with cash, not credit cards. Ask before taking photographs. Don’t visit on a Sunday.

Mary Bergin is a freelancer.

Far above accidents or injuries, travelers are concerned about civil unrest and terrorism while traveling, according to Global Rescue’s Winter 2024 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey.

The survey, which asked over 1,500 current and former Global Rescue members about their travel concerns in late January, revealed that 36% of travelers are most concerned with civil unrest and terrorism, a three-fold increase from spring 2023.

One quarter of respondents are most concerned with having an accident or getting sick during their trip, a decrease from the spring 2023 survey, in which 50% of travelers reported this as their biggest concern.

Seven to 9% of travelers reported trip cancellations, robbery or theft were their biggest concerns, while 5% each feared testing positive for COVID-19 and increasing natural disasters.

Additionally, 34% of respondents noted that recent global crises such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza are more likely to encourage them to purchase extra travel protection that involves security extraction or other conflict-specific protections.

“We’re seeing an understandable increase in traveler concern worldwide. Nevertheless, international trip takers continue to travel anyway despite the rising threats of civil unrest, war, and terrorism,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies, the world’s leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services, and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“Traveler uncertainty generally increases traveler demand for emergency medical and security services,” Richards said. “Last year, traveler purchases of security and extraction services increased by 36%, and we expect that will continue in 2024. We’ve seen this traveler behavior since the war in Ukraine, and we’re seeing it continue following the attacks on Israel.”

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Maui’s Ka’anapali Beach topped the U.S. ranking — and came in at No. 4 on the global list — for the second year in a row. And California got a nod on the “best of the U.S.” list for La Jolla Cove and Santa Monica State Beach.

Find the full lists — including the world’s most sustainable beaches, from India’s Havelock Island to Cyprus’ Nissi Beach in Ayia Napa — as well as travel tips and recommendations at tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Beaches. Meanwhile, here’s a peek at the top 10.

Top 10 Beaches in the World for 2024

1 Praia da Falésia, Olhos de Agua, Portugal

2 Spiaggia dei Conigli, Lampedusa, Italy

3 La Concha Beach, San Sebastian-Donostia, Spain

4 Ka’anapali Beach, Lahaina, Hawaii

5 Grace Bay Beach, Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos

6 Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles

7 Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia

8 Eagle Beach, Palm-Eagle Beach, Aruba

9 Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Florida

10 Varadero Beach, Varadero, Cuba