I’m a foodie and beef is my comfort food. There. I said it. BUT, as a volunteer with the ASPCA and a HUGE animal advocate, I’ve learned so much about commercial farming practices that I’ve decided to eliminate, or seriously stem, animal products from my diet.  So I wanted to share some of my insights with you about raising animals for food and eliminating meat from your diet.  I’ll stop short of saying I’m going …

Yeah, I travel a lot. A LOT! But what you don’t see in my cheeky posts is that I’m a very anxious traveler. I mean a full blown stress ball! I’m usually popping some anti-anxiety meds a few days before my trip because my stomach is literally in knots. And as an OCD trip planner, there are some things I do to try and eliminate any situations so I can enjoy stress-free travel, especially when …

You all know I’m a sucker for a beautiful beach destination. So when Belize came up as a trip opportunity, I was intrigued. I’d mainly heard about the country as a diver’s paradise, and being a non-diver, I knew that just meant there must be beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear blue waters. What I didn’t expect was to fall in love with the inland rainforest and some really cool resorts in Belize. If …

Cancun is perhaps Mexico’s most famous playground, but if you want to get out of the Spring Break-style beach party crowd, head south to Riviera Maya, just south of Playa del Carmen. Hospitality brand Grupo Xcaret has opened three luxury Riviera Maya all-inclusive resorts (two with AAA 5-Diamond status) that are stunningly beautiful and unique. Xcaret translates to “small inlet” in the Mayan language, and these properties are among the most scenic I’ve ever seen, …

Until recently, I was a river cruise virgin. That was until I was invited to sail with Riverside Luxury Cruises on the Mozart, once considered one of the most luxurious ships (and I would still agree with that today). I was familiar with a Viking cruise, but I was excited to try a new line. Riverside Luxury Cruises is a relatively new player in the river cruise market, after purchasing the entire fleet of river …

I get asked this a lot. “Where’s your favorite place?” “What’s the best place you’ve been?” I thought I’d tell you about the places I’ve been that left a lasting impression. That’s actually a bit misleading. I LOVE everywhere I go. Because I love to travel and I find something interesting or memorable in every destination. Even the bad experiences, of which there are few (although a “hike” through an unexpected rather buggy, really muddy, …

Imagine the joy of sitting at a charming French café, relishing the gentle breeze with a delicious brie-topped baguette in one hand and a glass of exquisite champagne in the other. Now, picture doing all of this while aboard the world’s largest sailing ship, powered by the wind and your own spirit of adventure. This was my recent experience on board a Club Med cruise on the newly refurbished Club Med 2 sailing yacht. Club …

Our recent family safari trip was by far the best trip I’ve ever taken. And while the planning and logistics of getting to South Africa were mildly stressful, putting together a safari packing list proved to be the greatest source of angst. We were traveling shortly after the hype of the pandemic when lost luggage was the headline, so we all committed to travel with pack light with carry-ons only, despite traveling during the winter …

I FINALLY made it to Capri! I’ve spent a lot of time in Italy but never made it to the Amalfi Coast or Capri (shameful, I know). So after our recent Windstar Cruise from Barcelona to Rome, we decided to tack on a few days and visit Capri. We had one experience on Capri that was truly the highlight of our 2-week European trip. You’ll have to read on to learn what it is – …

Hopefully you’ve read my article on planning a South African safari, so now I want to tell you about the best safari lodge in South Africa, Arathusa Safari Lodge. My brother and SIL had stayed at the lodge a few years ago so why reinvent perfection? I’m a bit OCD when it comes to trip planning, and especially about where I’ll be staying. I’m a homebody because I love my creature comforts (and my creatures) …