I spent just one short night at this lovely boutique hotel last week. I had to drop off my daughter at LAX early the next morning, so Manhattan Beach looked like an excellent choice as a place to spend a day and evening together before her two week séjour away from home (I will totally set aside the fact that her departure — she’s 10. And a half — was waaaaay harder for me than it was for her).
Anyhoo, a little bit of research unveiled the Belamar Hotel – only one L  – Hotel. I always, always read reviews on [...]

I had a lovely evening last night with fellow succulent women Michelle and Susan. Susan had recommended the Artisan Hotel to us before, for its lounge and restaurant. Us locals usually shun the glossy and highly commercial Las Vegas Strip venues in favor of independent local gems. These are few and far between, but as this city is growing up, there are more and more to be found. The Artisan Hotel is one such find. It took me a couple of years before I actually found the right excuse to make it inside. And even though I had not heard [...]

I have been come across this “story” in 3 different magazines just this past weekend. So, in case, this is news to you, here is the scoop about this now historic gem.

The Philip Johnson‘s Glass House, is one of 28 National Trust Historic Sites. It was a remarkable achievement when it was completed in 1949 and still looks stunning today and fills me with wonderment. Its exterior walls are of glass with no interior walls touching the exterior. The 47 acre estate in New Canaan, Connecticut includes 11 structures. Among them, the Guest House, Lake Pavilion, Painting Gallery, Sculpture Gallery, [...]

I haven’t checked to see if the Venice Biennale is on the list of “1000 Place to See Before You Die” book, but it should.

The 2007 exhibition is the 52nd of such to held in Venice every two years. The first one happened in 1895 and has been promoting contemporary and modern art ever since.
It is an inspiring exhibit that touched us to the core when we visited with the kids two years ago. Whether we loved what we saw, hated it, rolled our eyes or were in awe, this was an impactful experience for the kids (ok, for us [...]

Loved the strong architectural flair of Phoenix and Scottsdale. After 14 years of cookie cutter architecture in Orange County, CA and in Las Vegas, this was refreshing. Sure, Phoenix has its strip malls too (my personal vexation in the urban landscape), but most of these are designed with a twist, something new and refreshing to delight the eye.
This is not surprising, since Frank Lloyd Wright designed and established Taliesin West there, a self-sustaining community of apprentices and architects who would learn and practice the philosophy of organic architecture by sharing in architectural work, building construction, and the related arts. His [...]

Well, still not really a road trip. We  reached our destination, chilled by the pool and went out in the evening to enjoy the town. There was the First Fridays Artwalk  going on in the Arts District in downtown  Phoenix and we were determined to hit that. The event is organized by Art Link Phoenix which “promotes the downtown Phoenix arts scene by hosting numerous events intended to grow the arts community”. The First Fridays Artwalk has grown to become the largest monthly artwalk in the United States, with 100 arts venues open free to the public.
Let me be honest. [...]

Ok, well, not officially a road trip. More of a getaway weekend for the family from one desert to another. We spent this last weekend discovering Phoenix and Scottsdale, a 5 1/2 hour trip from Henderson, NV.
We were delighted to stumble upon the quaint little town of Wickenburg, AZ on Highway 60.  It’s a historical mining town which boast of its rich western heritage. In fact, it’s also known as the Dude Ranch Capital with four ranches that offer the “ranching experience” for the gentile folk.
We stopped for lunch and actually had to choose.  Yes, even on a Thursday at [...]

THE CURE FOR THE COMMON TOUR ™
The GoCar is the first GPS-guided tour car that launched in San Francisco in April 2004.  As the “first ever storytelling car”, it’s evidently the most fun way to tour San Francisco, San Diego and Miami.
The GoCar looks like a tiny yellow two-seater car, but is actually a three wheeled moped that carries two passengers required to wear helmets. The “integrated” tour guide system provides running commentary in a choice of five languages. The GoCar takes you to spectacular places few visitors get to see on their own. It’s like having a local show [...]

Well, same thing happens every March. I end up panicked, faced with the task of organizing our family’s summer: camps, obligatory summer school, family visits, leisure travel… How can I fit it all in and coordinate it so that it schedules correctly? Oh, and then I’m working with special wishes, demands and budgets. I feel like a flight controller at O’Hare.
This year, I am quite excited at the idea that we could be choosing a Volunteer Vacation. Indeed, I just found this great company that organizes such vacations for families: www.CrossCulturalSolutions.org. It’s still expensive, but I think that it would [...]