Ten years ago the Paso Robles wine region was home to only 35 wineries, that number has since grown to more than 200. As Matthew Liberty noted in a guest post for Carpe Travel, Paso Robles is not so much an up and coming region since its already up there, but that seems to be
My kids teach me a lot. Sometimes I think they teach me more than I will ever be able to teach them…especially when it comes to life. Children don’t filter themselves, their thoughts or what they loudly blurt out in a crowded airplane or elevator. They live life without filters and have this built-in tolerance
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” If you’re one of the ‘50% of U.S. travelers expected to leave unused vacation days on the table this year’ I’m talking to you. When I was working in an office for someone else and had two weeks of vacation to use, I used it.
I have yet to visit London but it’s on the list. So I was excited to have Laura Abrar offer to share her list of things to do in London with kids as a guest a post. Do let us know in the comments what other things to do in London with kids you suggest. By
I was recently asked what my proudest accomplishment was that I achieved while traveling. I had never really thought about that. My first thought, getting over my fears and just traveling. I mean, that’s pretty big, right? But when I stopped to really think about it there is one instance that has given me the
Wine tasting in Tuscany? How Montalcino wine tasting at Caparzo turned out to be the best day of the Tuscan wine experience.
There are so many things to do in New Orleans. Our editor has some recommendations on how to eat and drink like a local in New Orleans.
Traveling to Paso Robles? Some great tips from a local insider on where to eat, where to go, what to do in Paso Robles and some great Paso Robles Wineries.
Sometimes the worst decisions make for the best stories…like driving 11 miles from Telluride to Ouray via Imogene Pass.
A lot of the basic safety rules we teach kids apply when traveling but I sat down with a child safety expert to get a few more Travel Safety Tips For Kids.
Our frequent readers (thank you!) may recall a post I did last year about a trip to New York City that included a stop at Italian Wine Merchants (IWM). I was on a hunt for a New York City wine tasting and much to my disappointment, I didn’t quite get it. Well, my snarky and punchy post did generate a response
What To Do In Boston? A City Tour is a MUST – who to use and what to see.
By Barbara Nunn, Contributing Writer In early October I found myself traveling to Boston and Cape Cod for a week with some good friends, simply to enjoy the fall foliage and soak in all the history Boston has to offer. The journey to Boston didn’t start off well though. We were causalities of the American
By Valerie Quintanilla The food, the culture, and of course the people are nearly as intoxicating as the wines of Piedmont Italy. All have now firmly planted themselves in my heart and soul. Yes, if home is where the heart is, then mine has certainly found a new one. Travel to Piedmont, Italy is an
By Valerie Quintanilla I wanted to hike in Lake Como, but Mother Nature had other plans. Luckily I had a day of hiking and wine tasting in Barolo Italy planned with Kerrie from Australia. We started the near the bottom of La Morra at a small, colorful chapel. The day’s itinerary included a trip up
By Valerie Quintanilla Tuesday morning started low key. I had no Piedmont wine tours planned so I thought I’d just hike it out a bit, write, read, and have a leisurely day in Neive. Returning from my morning walk I found Leslie getting ready to head to Ornella’s vineyard, Pasquale Pelissero, to help her prepare
By Valerie Quintanilla Saturday morning started bright and early with a quick breakfast at my B&B (they just kept bringing food – such is the theme here!) Then, I was off with Robert for a wine tour in Barolo at Giovanni Rosso. We picked up Drew and Jamie from DC, then headed for the hills
By Valerie Quintanilla If there is a heaven and we each get our own version, mine would mirror Piemonte. Calgone, take me away. In 2009 I had a business meeting with an Italian colleague visiting Denver for a project. I told her of a pending trip to Italy and how excited I was to explore
Day two of my travel to Lake Como brought more rain. Ah well, it wasn’t pouring as it had in Milano or Bellagio (or my first 18 years in Vancouver, Wash.) I still had hiking on the brain and no way was I missing it. Things to do in Lake Como My plan for the
According to the FBI the summer months of July and August have the highest rates of burglaries, usually about a 10 percent increase over other times of the year. Why? Simple, summer vacation. However, with the increased usage of social medi and sharing our whereabouts all day, every day – including our travel schedules – we
Per our adventures in Carlsbad, CA I wanted to share a few recommendations on places to stay in Carlsbad. I did include the one we stayed at and a few we checked out for our next trip since there will be more. Many more. I told The Husband I could live in Carlsbad. And for
By Leo Parker, guest blogger We all know that some countries have a great reputation for producing high quality wines – we’re looking at you France, Italy and Spain – but it’s fair to say that for every country that has a great reputation for wine production, there is another which doesn’t get the credit
So are airport x-ray scanners safe for laptops? The answer is no. At least according to me they aren’t. On my first jaunt to Russia I chose only to take my laptop and iPhone, forgoing the iPad. I mean really, that should be enough, right? But no. It happened to me. What everyone says isn’t
Altar at the Dom (cathedral) By Teresa Kao Sunday started out with a little surprise: the Austrian version of Daylight Saving Time! It probably wasn’t bothersome for most people because all the stores and many of the restaurants are closed on Sunday. I assume other sorts of businesses like banks are, too. This meant a
By Teresa Kao, guest blogger After the stretch of beautiful weather we’ve been having, it was bound to happen eventually: rain. So on a rainy day in Salzburg things to do? Salzburg Things to Do on a Rainy Day My first stop was the train station. I hoped to gain a bit more understanding of
By Teresa Kao I had a particularly ambitious plan for today so decided to try the hotel breakfast. It wasn’t cheap at 14 Euros but it was excellent. I had ham and cheese on semels (a local roll about the size of a bagel but less dense), scrambled eggs, several glasses of orange juice, and
We’ve made three trips to Russia since November and really have only been able to experience a little taste of what Moscow has to offer. On the list of things to do in Moscow – Red Square, The Kremlin…and shopping. Things to do in Moscow It was a Sunday when we first went exploring in Moscow and
Next stop on the Playing Italy Train: NYC for wine tasting at Italian Wine Merchants.I read Sergio Esposito’s Passion on the Vine over the New Year’s holiday in 2010/11, finishing the book in two days. I was enamored with the lifestyle, the food and of course the wine. With every page, I could almost smell and taste
My recent Italian travel companion, Lisa from Canada, introduced me to a whole new Italy — one that starts and ends with cooking. Don’t misunderstand, I heart Italian food, but I always thought it was too difficult for little old me to make it with any semblance of decency. Then, I sat down in Sorrento
The last of my Mondavi visits this trip to the Napa Valley was to Charles Krug Wineryin St. Helena. There are still more Mondavi family wineries to visit next time though…I had not realized how excited I was to visit Charles Krug Winery until we were driving down the long, olive tree lined driveway to
A visit to Newton Winery was a must on our visit to Napa Valley. They produce wines we’ve only enjoyed out and about, but never at their winery so this trip we made it priority. I had not realized just how far up Spring Mountain Newton was when I booked the 11am Newton Winery tour,
I don’t believe in coincidences. When people say something to me it feel like there’s a reason. So, when TWO different groups of people recommended I visit Regusci Winery when were in Napa Valley it was a clear sign we needed to head that way. Regusci Winery in Napa Valley Now, to be honest, both groups of
After having read The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty, I became a little obsessed with the Mondavi family, it helped that I loved their wines. So, during one of our Napa Valley wine vacations, I made it a point to sip in a little more Mondavi than I
I’m mildly obsessed with Robert Mondavi and his family’s story in the Napa Valley. The Mondavi family really helped shape what the Napa Valley wine industry is today by introducing higher quality wine making equipment and techniques to the area. They also put the Napa Valley on the wine map for the rest of the wine world through strategic
Today officially marks the first day of Fall. For many of you it still feels like summer but for those of us in Colorado Fall is right outside our windows. The leaves are just starting to change in the Front Range and are starting to peak in mountains. There are only a few weeks left
Today I start my Piemonte wine tours.I don’t think words can truly describe Piemonte (“Piedmont” to Westerners). Somehow breathtaking, beautiful, and awesome all seem quite hollow. The land showcases rolling hills, acres and acres of vineyards (150,000 acres to be exact) and gorgeous colors. I can truly say that my first one tour in the
There are so many things to do with kids in New York City with a visit to Central Park being just one of them. You could spend a week exploring all of the things to do in Central Park with kids, but I wanted to save you some time in case you don’t have a week. Here
Elaine and Princess One in New York with Elmo New York City has always meant shows and/or work for me. That was until this summer when we took Princess One into the city before heading into New Jersey for a family reunion. I now had somewhat of an adventure on hand; how to do New
By Meredith Bagnulo This summer, my husband and I decided to visit his parents in Lincoln, California (near Sacramento). But instead of flying, we thought a road trip with our kids, ages 6 and 8, would be a most excellent adventure! We’ve only done one long family road trip before when our kids were much younger.
If you’ve been to Golden, Colorado then you have more than likely toured Coors Brewery – or at least seen it – but have you checked out the second largest brewery in Golden? If you haven’t hit Golden City Brewery then you’re missing out. On Friday and Saturday afternoons the beer garden is crowed with
