Spending the past three days in London significantly reminded us of our years living as New Yorkers. Minus the landmark royal buildings, we found the two cities to have many uncanny resemblances in their architecture, the characteristics of the neighborhoods, and the flooded sidewalks. Some notable differences between the two cities are that although London is also heavily populated, you barely hear any cars honking and rarely see litter on the streets. Also, unlike the Big Apple, London has managed its homeless population. Finally, London is even more cosmopolitan than New York drawing a mass ..read more

The notable differences between the south and north of Puglia will immediately strike you. While the southern region of Salento gains points for its untouched purity, simplicity, lack of foreign tourists, and its slightly "rough around the edges" charm, the north of Apulia (the Italian name for Puglia) is more heavily populated by tourists, a touch more sophisticated, and more easily manageable for Americans who don't speak Italian since most Italians speak English in this region. Valle d'Itria is packed with bustling towns, infinite restaurants specializing in seafood dishes, and beaches at e ..read more

We spent seven incredible nights in the boot's heel of the Italian peninsula's Salento region of Santa Maria di Leuca, a perfect base to explore the south of Italy and its dozens of towns worth visiting. Unlike Napoli and the Amalfi Coast, Puglia is not saturated with tourists, yet. This region of Italy has slowly gained popularity over the past few years and will surely become another tourist magnet, so visit soon. The pace here is unbelievably tranquil, with slow starts to the day ending with late dinners and music pumping into the night from the various summer parties. Ancient ruins mingle ..read more

There's no place on earth like the Amalfi Coast of Italy. The striking beauty of this coastline transports visitors into a constant state of awe. Lemongroves, vineyards, and villas dot the lush mountains overlooking the glistening sea below. While most of the towns themselves are overridden by tourists who are dropped off by the droves of ferries that bring them in throughout the day, once you figure out how to avoid them (visit the various towns early in the day or later in the evenings) then you'll have mastered the art of vacationing here. The level of beauty is unparalleled to other places ..read more

In La Jolla, locals refer to this month as "May Gray" because of the looming marine layer that hides the sun. However, when you focus on the vibrant food scene in San Diego, it's hard to feel gloomy! This month I enjoyed dining in restaurants I haven't yet visited while exploring new fun activities. With so many incredible food options and endless exciting activities in my backyard, it's hard to focus on gray skies! Below are the food & fun findings I delved into with vigor and joy, now you too can enjoy these vetted recommendations. The Whaling Bar (La Jolla) In 1949 The Whaling Bar eme ..read more

We've visited various areas of Mexico over the years, and probably have traveled to this favorite country of ours at least one dozen times. This is the first time that we took advantage of our proximity to Baja, Mexico, and decided to embark on an adventure to Valle de Guadalupe, just over a two-hour drive from San Diego. The landscape in Valle de Guadalupe is like none we have seen in the many Mexican coastal towns we have vacationed in. Instead, Valle is a stunning contrast to the blue waters we are used to, boasting endless views of bright green vineyards that are surrounded by rolling hill ..read more

My endless pursuit of great food in San Diego comes with several rewards: discovering new restaurants that I love, gathering with friends over delicious food that we experience together for the first time, sharing my favorite findings with my awesome readers, and giving my high heels purpose beyond collecting dust in my closet. I'm not sure when my love affair with food began but if I had to guess it would be in my grandmother's kitchen. Grandma always filled her pots with delicious homemade concoctions and her home always smelled safe and inviting. Since my early twenties, I began dabbling wi ..read more

Let's face it, once we hit our forties we've grown out of our willingness to be uncomfortable. We're more fixed in our ways and often have higher standards than we did in our twenties. Coachella, an annual music festival held in the middle of the Coachella Valley is a bucket-list-worthy experience, yet with scorching afternoon temperatures and evenings that drastically cool down, huge crowds, and an inhumane amount of walking required to get around, the desert music mecca tends to attract younger crowds who don't kvetch when removed from their comfort zones. Despite these obstacles, yes, even ..read more

I love everything about Mexico - the culture, the food, the people. We've visited Tulum, Cancun, Mayakoba, Holobox, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and Puerto Aventuras over the years. We can't get enough of the warm hospitality, alluring beaches, and wonderful cuisine the country offers. One of the perks of living in San Diego is its proximity to the many coastal towns of Mexico. On this memorable trip, we took a two-and-a-half-hour flight from San Diego on Alaska Airlines to Puerto Vallarta. We then picked up our car rental from Enterprise and then made the easy fort ..read more

March has dragged by at a torturous pace, the days stalled while each weekend felt a world away. This slow pace was mainly due to our son's college decisions finally coming in after months of awaiting his fate. We all know the cliche that time flies - I'd like to add that it does, except in March. One of my favorite ways to pass the time during a slowly moving month is by dining with good friends who entrust me to choose our dining destination. It's such a reward for me to introduce our friends to a fabulous spot they may not have enjoyed otherwise. March may have lagged, testing my patience f ..read more