Category Archives: BREAKFAST

THE SANTA MARIA, A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL & GOLF RESORT IN PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

It’s brand new and utterly wonderful. The Santa Maria Hotel & Golf Resort opened in February, 2018, and is already Panama City’s first-choice stay for golfers, business persons and luxury travelers. Located in the exclusive Santa Maria Panama community—eight miles from Panama City and seven miles from the Tocumen International Airport—the resort perfectly suits contemporary […]

CAL-A-VIE HEALTH SPA, AMERICA’S MOST PERFECT DESTINATION SPA

The second I win the lottery, I’m calling Cal-a-Vie and booking an extended stay. Why do I love the spa? Here are just a few of the many reasons: LOCATION Nestled in a valley surrounded by lavender scented hills, Cal-a-Vie sits 40 miles north of San Diego and seven miles inland from the Pacific coast […]

TEN REASONS KIDS LOVE ATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND

Cross my heart, Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas is the tip-top, absolute best resort in the Caribbean for kids of all ages. Why? Many reasons. Here are ten: 1. Atlantis sports what is probably the greatest waterpark on earth. Covering 141 acres, the wet and wonderful playground includes 18 different thrilling, chilling water slides, two splashy […]

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING APPLE MUFFINS

AUTUMN. APPLES. ABUNDANCE. ACTION PLAN: Make ABSOLUTELY AMAZING  (gluten-free, low-calorie, nutrient rich, healthful and wholesome)  APPLE MUFFINS.     ABSOLUTELY AMAZING APPLE MUFFINS Yield: 12 muffins. 1/2 cup and 1/3 cup gluten-free oats 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon allspice Big pinch nutmeg Big pinch cloves 2 eggs 2 […]

LIZ’S WHERE Y’AT DINER & GREAT GRITS

Who serves the best grits in the United States? This is a rhetorical question because I know the answer. It’s Liz Munson at Liz’s Where Y’at Diner in Mandeville, Louisiana.                 On the other hand, everything served at Liz’s is special—not just the grits. I love the biscuits […]

THE TRAILS, GRIFFITH PARK, L.A.

The Trails is an insider’s favorite place to stop for breakfast, lunch, coffee and/or tea before or after hiking in Griffith Park (Los Angeles),

PARADORES, SPAIN & TORTILLA ESPANOLA

Travelers adore Spanish Paradores for a multitude of reasons. First is location. The Spanish-government owned and operated inns are sprinkled throughout Spain in spots most useful to tourists. Some are near major tourist attractions in large cities. Others grace small villages. And a few sit in far-flung, remote areas with little other choice of accommodations. […]

CÁCERES, CULINARY CAPITAL OF SPAIN, 2015 & MIGAS

The food of Cáceres rocks! The restaurants are rad! The take-home edible souvenirs are wicked and wow! No wonder a jury composed of top representatives from Spain’s hotel, restaurant and publishing industries, declared the city “The Culinary Capital of Spain, 2015.” The city, in the province of the same name, sits in the sparsely populated […]

INVERLOCHY CASTLE HOTEL & SHORTBREAD

Glory be. Inverlochy Castle Hotel just won the 2015 Scottish Hotel Award for Hotel of the Year. The property double dipped the prizes by also claiming Restaurant of the Year. Let me tell you why. Built in 1863 as a private home named for the nearby 13th century Inverlochy Castle, the baronial mansion has been […]

HOUSEBOATING AND EGG STRATA

I trace my love of houseboating to the 1958 film Houseboat. In the film Cary Grant lives on a houseboat with his motherless kids and Sophia Loren, a symphony-conductor’s runaway daughter masquerading as a housekeeper. So romantic. So fun. Made me (and every woman and man in 1958 America) want to trade lifestyle—and spouse—for the […]