Recent featured travel blog posts

Debbie and I are in Manhattan most weeks, for work and to visit our son, and we still love showing people around.

Here are our honest picks for the best things to do, the ones worth your time, the few we would skip, and how to see the city without cramming your days.

KLM let us add two nights in Amsterdam on the way to Scotland, at no extra airfare.

Here is how the stopover works, what we did without the big museums, and which airlines run the best programs.

Midtown is more than a place you pass through.

We walk you through the best of it, cluster by cluster, from the observation decks and Grand Central to our favorite tacos by the Garden.

New York has five first-class observation decks, and we have been up all of them, cameras in hand.

Here is our honest take on each one, who each suits best, and which we would pick if we could only do one.

We went up the Empire State Building on a busy August evening.

Here's what the visit was really like, what tickets cost, the best time to go, and how the granddaddy of observation decks compares to the newer ones.

London was the first European city we visited, and we keep going back.

Here is everything we have learned to make your first trip go smoothly, from the ETA and the Tube to where to stay and the best day trips.

The Vessel is open again at Hudson Yards, safety nets and all. We finally climbed it on a quiet Monday.

Here is our honest take on whether it is worth it and how it compares to the Edge next door.

While The Royal Mile is touristy, it's also the historic heart of Edinburgh.

Here's our honest walk from the castle down to the palace, with the closes, St Giles' Cathedral, Victoria Street, and the best free stops along the way.

Visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia was a real highlight of our stay in Edinburgh. It's a floating palace, a museum, and a glimpse into royal life you won't see anywhere else.

We walked the whole ship, from the Queen's private rooms down to the gleaming engine room, and even stopped for tea and scones aboard. Here's everything you need to know before you go.

Scotland is hard to beat if you are looking for beautiful places to photograph.

These are our favorite spots, plus tips you can use on any camera.

We visited Glamis and Balmoral on back-to-back days, and we loved them both.

But if you only have time for one, they are very different visits. Glamis is the true castle with the interior tour included. Balmoral is the working royal home out on Deeside.

Here is our honest comparison, including the difference in what you pay and what you get.

Balmoral has been the royal family's Highland retreat for generations, and since 2024 you can finally step inside.

We spent a day on the grounds of Queen Elizabeth II's favorite home. Here's what to see, what it costs in 2026, and whether the interior tour is worth booking.

Rhinebeck is a perfect base for your Hudson Valley visit.

The village is small enough to walk in twenty minutes. But Route 9 runs right through it, so the FDR sites, the Vanderbilt Mansion, and Kingston are all a short drive away.

We toured Eleanor Roosevelt's home at Val-Kill on a quiet July morning, from the ranger-led cottage tour to the pool where FDR once swam with a king.

Here's what to know before you go, plus how to pair it with the nearby FDR Library.

If you enjoy history-oriented travel, join me on my bucket-list journey and dive into the story of King George VI and his time at Glamis Castle, where he fell in love with Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon and experienced the warm family atmosphere there.

This is what it felt like to stand in the very rooms that played a unique role in the history of the British Royal Family.

We planned this drive down to the last pull-off, then barely looked at the plan.

The road from Edinburgh through Glencoe is so beautiful you just stop when it moves you.

Here is how to do it well, from the rental car to the Three Sisters.

We planned one perfect day on the Isle of Skye. Then the rain came in sideways and changed everything. Here is what that wet, wild day taught us.

You also get our full route, driving times, and honest tips for the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, and the Quiraing.

We've toured a lot of castles, and this one surprised us. Here's our honest take on the new Inverness Castle Experience and whether it's worth your time.

We walk through both towers, the rooftop views over the city, and the displays that stood out. We also share who will love it and who might want a more traditional castle.

The Johnnie Walker Experience is one of Edinburgh's most popular things to do. We went as whisky beginners and walked out glad we did.

Here is our honest review of the tour, the drinks, and who it is really for, plus how it stacks up against the Scotch Whisky Experience nearby.

A firsthand guide to visiting Glamis Castle in Angus, Scotland.

We cover why the castle is worth the detour, its 650-year history and its royal connection as the childhood home of the Queen Mother and birthplace of Princess Margaret.

We walk you through the guided castle tour room by room, the Italian and Walled gardens, lunch at the Castle Kitchen Restaurant, and full info on 2026 tickets, hours, and driving directions.

We also talk about nearby stops in Stonehaven and Dundee, including the RRS Discovery.

We finally visited the Frick Collection after its big renovation, and the timing was perfect.

Here is everything we learned, from tickets and hours to the brand-new second floor and that surprising age rule.

Plus our honest take on whether it is worth your time.

Debbie and I are huge Springsteen fans, so we had a feeling we would enjoy the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music. We just had no idea how much.

Here is everything you need to know before you visit.

Top of the Rock is the deck most people will tell you to visit first, and after finally making it up there ourselves, we understand why.

Here is everything we learned about tickets, timing, and the open-air view you cannot get anywhere else in the city.

The Chase Sapphire Lounge at JFK Airport is an upscale lounge with many refined features.

The lounge serves top-notch food and drinks.