The mission of The New7Wonders Foundation, founded by Swiss-born Canadian Bernard Weber, has the express aim of documenting, maintaining, restoring and reconstructing world heritage under the motto: “OUR HERITAGE IS OUR FUTURE.”
On July 7, 2007 (07.07.07) the New7Wonders Foundation announced that The Great Wall of China(China), Petra (Jordan), Christ Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Piccu (Peru), Chichen Itza (Mexico), the Colosseum (Italy) and the Taj Mahal (India), were the New Seven Wonders of the World (which we wrote about here).
Now the Foundation is asking for our vote again but this time on The New Seven Wonders of Nature. The 28 finalist are [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
As we traveled cross country on our 2600 miles, 10-day family road trip to Ontario, Canada we found our smart phones indispensable in making our trip a little smoother. With the assistance of GPS capability, a map app, the RoadAhead app and Yelp applications, we were able to enhance the overall organization and quality of our time on the road mostly by avoiding the formerly common incidents of not being able to find a restaurant, gas station, rest stop or lodging when we needed it.
I have found RoadAhead to be an oh-so-smart road travel tool. The GPS [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
With Anne-Marie in Chicago and me in Southern California, we seldom get a chance to get together in person. Though we do spend a lot of time on Skype, discussing our editorial calendar and the like, it’s just not the same thing… When my family and I planned a cross-country road trip from California to Ontario, Canada, we knew we would spend a few days with Anne-Marie and her family before they also headed up to Canada. Their destination, however, is Montreal, Quebec, so we will part ways somewhere in southern Ontario.
Here we are, both [...]

Pack your stuff in a box instead of a suitcase? Not a crazy idea. Actually, we like it a lot… I see several advantages to the UPS Luggage Box. I like the concept of shipping my luggage instead of lugging it around through airports.
There are indeed some good reasons to love the Luggage Box:

Stick your tongue out at the airline companies for making air travel so unfriendly by diverting the luggage fee to another type of “shipping” company. UPS promises competitive rates with that of the airlines.
No standing in long cattle lines to check luggage at airport. More time for [...]

By Sylvia Sabes, Guest Author
I’m in love with Paris, which is nothing original; Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Josephine Baker were all here before me. I figure I’m still in pretty good company with Mick Jagger moving up the street and Johnny Depp seen haunting our ‘hood.  It is not lost on me that these people are all known for their somewhat wild lifestyles. I’ve been told that its a personality thing, but I prefer to blame it on Paris.
Like some religious fanatic, I love this city so much that I now proselytize on its behalf, which means twice a week I [...]

If you are lucky enough to find yourself in L.A. this weekend, you should definitely drop by UNIQUE Los Angeles, a gift market featuring 200 independent artists, designers and merchants. So, it’s on tomorrow and Sunday (Dec 13 & 14), from 11:00am to 7:00pm. Details and directions HERE.
So wish I could make it…

Here’s one that won’t be mistaken in the luggage carousel… I wonder how you would pack in a bag like this. Requires a whole new packing protocol!

Via Yanko Design

As mentioned in my previous post about this visit, there is nothing like a neighborhood stroll – on foot, s’il-vous-plait – to get me out of my suburban rut. Virginia Highland does not disappoint. Of particular arresting interest on this visit, was the Bella Cucina Artful Food boutique.

This gourmet store was as delicious on the eyes as it was on the palate. The gorgeous rustic farmhouse setting entices all the senses. There are treasures to behold in every corner.

Ok, so I was a little out of my element here at L5P (you know, short for Little 5 Points) but this was fun. Oh and got a great grab-to-go vegan lunch at the Sevananda Co-Op.

I just came back from Turkey, on an educational school trip organized by my daughter’s school. I’ve long been curious about Turkey and it didn’t disappoint. However, being on an schedule-packed school tour with other parents and students, there certainly wasn’t much time or opportunity for us to go awol to discover fancy restaurants, boutiques and less traveled sites. But still, we were fortunate and privileged to be bathed in the culture, being hosted by a number of Turkish families (fab, fab, fab food and unbelievable hospitality). Thank goodness that we did get to spend a couple of hours in [...]