The phrase "desert oasis" is thrown around a lot, but when it comes to the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, the words have never rung so true. Located just outside Palm Springs, in the city of Palm Desert, this sprawling, 450-acre sanctuary boasts 884 guest rooms, 101 suites, five spectacular outdoor pools, two 18-hole championship golf courses, 20 tennis courts, a 38,000-square-foot luxury spa, and a high-tech JW Entertainment Zone arcade.

Arkansas has shed its undeserved Dogpatch reputation. Northwest Arkansas has become prosperous, with a wealth of places of interest for tourists, and offering some of America's most beautiful nature, along with cultural events, and many craft and antique fairs. The new Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport serves as the gateway to Ozark towns and villages, such as Bentonville, home of Walmart, and Eureka Springs, as well as Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas.

Originally started in 1914 by two women, Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales as a typing school with one typewriter and one student, Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island has grown into a major university that gives degrees from MBA to degrees in hospitality and culinary arts.

People say never give away the whole thing, the whole story, but with Madison Eats Food Tours, the reveal is necessary. The tour guide met us at Garver Feed Mill and supplied e-bikes, those rentals one now sees in various urban areas. Then he mapped out our journey. It would take three hours, slowly riding through various neighborhoods, parks, greenery, bike trails and urban side-streets, with just a handful of stops in-between for food. An amazing concept, one that certainly existed in other cities, but Madison was a place characterized by miles and miles of bicycle trails.Outdoorsy vibes already seemed to occupy everyone’s psyche. So it was perfect.

Leaving the busy city streets behind, we suddenly crossed into a coastal forest of eucalyptus and pine trees. After a few winding turns, we found a hidden fortress spread across 1,491 acres, perched high above San Francisco Bay. It was here that my family and I checked into The Lodge at the Presidio. Located inside a 250-year-old army post, the boutique hotel beautifully balances history and luxury—framing the international orange towers of the Golden Gate Bridge perfectly to serve as our ultimate urban home base.

With incredible stories to tell, the remarkable roadway is as earthy as a blues singer, as touched by fatigue as an aged opera singer, and as wonderfully passionate as a Hollywood diva, and conveys surprising charm around its every bend.

After a 60-minute cruise across the San Pedro Channel, we spotted the rugged island’s iconic round Catalina Casino and its tiny harbor full of colorful boats. We had made it to Catalina and our getaway to The Avalon Hotel was before us. Our journey to the island began aboard a Catalina Express high-speed catamaran, slicing smoothly through the deep blue water. After disembarking, we walked 15 minutes through town to the hotel, where we found a property so idyllic and charming, it reminded me of a Hallmark movie set.

Mount Rainer was sacred to my family. It was where my parents had their first date, picnic prepared by mom's mother. This time the joke was on my dad. He had thought that the elegant picnic basket, full of delectables, was made by my mom, later realizing she could barely boil an egg. Today, she can.

The Blue Ridge Mountains, and the infamous parkway that runs through them, are famous for many things: scenic drives; nature tours; hiking trails; fall foliage; farmer's markets; historical sites, and so much more. And yet none of that covers the most interesting attribute of this Roanoke region in Virginia's Blue Ridge, the city known as the gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and its Franklin County neighbor. It's the "Moonshine Capital of the World." Before, during, and after Prohibition, bootlegging reigned supreme. And it's no slouch in today's world either.

Known as "The Jewel" of San Diego, La Jolla is famous for its unique geography that combines rugged sandstone cliffs, hidden sea caves, and pristine beaches. But besides all of its natural beauty, the town is also home to the 113-year-old Grande Colonial, one of the most historic and charming hotels around.