Dear Manhattan-American:

I am planning a trip to New York in June. I have not visited it for 40 or so years. Friends have informed me that Manhattan is now very gentrified and has lost its edge, and I should concentrate on Brooklyn. What is your take on this?

—  Nancy from Denver, CO

Dear Nancy:

Brooklyn, ugh. Isn’t that the place where people who can’t find an apartment to rent in Manhattan decamp to? There is nothing in that borough that is better than in Manhattan. So go ahead, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, take in the view, and immediately turn back.

P.S. If you haven’t visited in 40 years, no doubt you have lost your edge as well.

Death Manhattan-American:

I am from Oregon and very proud of my Irish ancestry. I believe the name ‘Paddy Wagon’ stems from New York. Is the name a slur, something that I should take offense?

— Declan Fallihee of Portland, Oregon 

Dear Declan:

Prisoner vans were called paddy wagons because back in the day the police force primarily comprised Irishmen. If you are seeking things to take offense about, there are a great many more that ought to get your Irish up.

Dear Manhattan-American:

I am an ABC (American Born Chinese) married to a Euro-American male. We’ve never been to NYC before. We have two weeks for our vacation, and I want to explore every inch of Manhattan. The problem is that my husband is terrified to visit Harlem in fear that he will stand out. Is there anything I can say that will alleviate his concern? He is not a racist, just worried.

— Suzy Chang-Larkin, Kansas City

Dear Suzy:

For my entire adult life I have lived in Manhattan. I have never been to Harlem. I believe they have three attractions: Sylvia’s and Red Rooster restaurants and the Apollo Theater. I would be more concerned about traveling to Harlem via our dirty, rat-infested, homeless-sheltering subways than by being in Harlem. Take an Uber, cab, or bus there and back and both you and your husband should be fine.

Meet our Manhattan-American: Susan Breslow

This installment of our advice column comes from Susan Breslow, the Web’s foremost expert on romantic travel. In fact, she breaks out in hives when the words “family travel” are mentioned. A widely published travel journalist, Susan’s assignments have led her from Alaska to Zimbabwe. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler, Departures, National Geographic, and other major magazines and she is the author of Destination Weddings For Dummies and I Really Want a Dog. She served as president of the New York Travel Writers Association and is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers Editors’ Council. As the former marketing director of New York Magazine, she originated the highly successful “City Weddings and Honeymoons” section, which was spun off into the freestanding New York Weddings magazine. Susan holds a Master’s Degree in Journalism and a B.A. in English and studied Multimedia Technology at New York University.

Read more about Susan.

See the list of Susan’s articles here.

Readers,

Feel free to direct any question of your choice to our advice team at **@tr**********.com . T-Boy has an illustrious team of writers with an acute understanding of their ancestral homeland.

The post Dear Manhattan-American by Susan Breslow appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Depending on where you travel, you may come to realize that leaving home was a terrible mistake. That’s because every destination with a public relations budget endeavors to attract tourists and drive revenue. Yet every destination doesn’t deserve a visit from you.

A world of tacky, boring, bland, too hot, too rainy, and too cold destinations is eager to seize your vacation dollars. I’m here to expose five of them, although I acknowledge there are many, many, many more. You may not agree with the following selections; I acknowledge one person’s misery (mine) may be another person’s joy.

MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina

Freak Week

Everything crude, tacky and low-rent about America comes to spin its wheels in Myrtle Beach during Bike Week. Miles of fast-food joints and miniature golf courses lure tattooed grandpas on deafness-inducing hogs and their red-hot mamas straight off Walmart mobility scooters. Add in families with too many children under the age of ten, battalions of bleached blonde bimbos in Daisy Dukes, enough rebel flags to upholster every plantation from Fort Sumter to Jacksonville, and you’ll discover that for at least one week a year Myrtle Beach is a visual, auditory, and gustatory assault.

BERGEN, NORWAY

A Whale of a Bad Time

A coastal town with a pungent fish market, a harbor, and a row of historic, gable-roofed structures, Bergen is Norway’s second-largest city. What is there to do? Ride the funicular to the top of Mount Floyen… to look down at the fish market, the harbor, and the old buildings. If you get hungry, don’t try the whale meat. It will take hours to get rid of minke mouth taste. Alternative pescatarian picks await, as well as reindeer and (yes) moose meat. Fortunately, there is also a McDonald’s nearby. As for accommodations, avoid the trendy but terrifying Hotel Oleana. My room boasted a shower with a graphic evoking the famous scene in Psycho. Pining for the fjords? You can take a half-day roundtrip cruise from the port. Trust me: that’s long enough.

ARUBA

Bland Strand of Sand

If all you want on vacation is a beach, well, I have nothing more to say to you. If you like culture, variety, appealing cuisine, and activities other than picking sand out of your crevices, take Aruba off your bucket list. One redeeming aspect: Aruba has casinos. With a little luck, you can win enough money to pay for an earlier flight home to save yourself from dying of boredom.

ORLANDO

Family “Fun”

For any sentient childfree adult, hell is located in this desiccated patch of central Florida. Screaming childrens’ noxious and bacterial excrescences are expelled from every orifice, showering the innocent visitor drawn by exorbitant Disney prices and brain-dead attractions. One memory stands out. We were in Epcot, naively hoping to find something international that wasn’t ersatz. A tow-headed Opie tromped over our shoes and underscored the futility of our search by shrieking, “Maw! We already done France.”

CHINA

More a Poo-Poo than a Wu-Wu Experience

A vast nation with a complex history and culture that span millennia, China still belongs on the casual traveler’s skip-it list. The attractions for which it’s most famous — the Forbidden City, Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, and the Yangtze River are each disappointing in their own way.

Spanning 180 acres and containing nearly a thousand buildings, the Forbidden City is crowded and overwhelming. Just try finding a clean bathroom, a place to sit for a few minutes, or a decent snack on the premises. Thanks, Communist Party.

And forget the city of Beijing. Until China gets its pollution under control, it’ll be a rare day when the entire gray city doesn’t look like it needs to repeatedly go through a car wash. The Yangtze River isn’t much cleaner. Plastic flotsam and Styrofoam jetsam are floating companions to ships that ply the dirty gray-green water.

The Great Wall? More like the Great Staircase. If you went on vacation to escape your Peleton, you’ve found an Asian equivalent. Unless you’re being chased by Mongol hordes advancing on the Badaling entrance, plant yourself in the adjacent café and use their bathroom rather than the public one, which has a long line and revulsion at the end.

As for China’s terracotta warriors, they’re assembled inside a square edifice the size of several airplane hangars and displayed on a sunken floor. Viewers are so far away that it’s difficult to discern their individual features. Fortunately, you can get a lot closer to the models in the gift shop and even pick up a palanquin, which is really the only way to travel.

And don’t get me started on the food. Your corner Chinese restaurant with a C rating cooks more appetizing fare. At least they de-bone fish before serving and keep the most disgusting pig parts off the menu.

The next time you start thinking about a vacation to one of these places, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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If you thought America’s cradle of history was just for kids, you’re only partially right. Junior citizens are mostly absent from the site during certain months — May, September after Labor Day, October, the first half of November, January, and February — leaving its attractions for adults to explore in peace. So hoist up your britches and grab your tri-corner hat: here’s how grown-ups who want to explore Greater Williamsburg beyond its colorful history can enjoy a visit.

It Can Be Intoxicating

Booze flows through Williamsburg as freely as the James River. If you enjoy alcoholic beverages, there’s plenty to sample along the Williamsburg Tasting Trail. Compare craft beers from a half dozen breweries; visit the Williamsburg Winery, largest in the state and site of the tasty Café Provençal; or experience honey-based vintages at the Silver Hand Meadery.

It Can Be a Learning Experience

While it’s fun to stroll Duke of Gloucester Street or ride along it in a period horse and carriage, you can also master an 18^th-century skill during a visit. The Weaving Workshop teaches attendees to use a loom and complete a cotton tea towel in two hours’ time that they can take home to show their handiwork. There’s also an Ax Throwing program and instruction to Fire a Flintlock Musket. Colonial Williamsburg aims to offer more hands-on programs teaching 18^th-century skills in the future.

It Can Be A Madhouse

The most unusual, and unsettling, preface to the excellent Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg is the reconstruction of the Public Hospital of 1773, the first institution in America exclusively devoted to treating the mentally ill. The small but chilling exhibition includes a former cell, a straitjacket, and devices used at the time to treat “idiots, lunatics, and other persons of unsound mind.” After viewing, “escape” to view the nearby fine folk art collections.

It Can Tempt Shoppers

Along Gloucester Street you’ll see painted shingles outside buildings that announce the blacksmith shop, the apothecary, the milliner, and other tradespeople. Costumed interpreters explain what they made and how they operated. The Prentis store sells souvenirs, many made locally. Goods range from soft lavender powder and yarn to hard iron tools to recreations of important documents that articulate the early days of America’s freedom.

Adjacent to the Historic Area, Merchants Square contains a variety of shops and restaurants. Favorites include The Precious Gem, a fine jewelry store with an impressive selection of colored stones, and the William & Mary Bookstore & Cafe. In addition selling rah-rah merchandise, it has a concentration of American History books, a small Apple section, and a Starbucks. Bargain shoppers can head to Williamsburg Premium Outlets.

It Can Be Relaxing

Although some couples eschew spas, others adore them. If you desire a facial or gentle pummeling, the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg can supply practitioners and emollients. Elsewhere, the Williamsburg Salt Cave offers an unusual and more passive experience; guests are seated in a recliner inside walls of imported salt alleged to foster wellness. A session lasts for 45 minutes. Just don’t lick the walls.

The post Why Visit Williamsburg, Virginia? appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Since US travelers have ample domestic beaches to bake upon in summer, Mallorca has other charms to explore in the off-seasons. Spring and fall are glorious, with mild, sunny days (although some rain may fall). Consider a few of the reasons to sample Mallorca after the sunburnt hordes disperse:

Outstanding Island Hotels

You may not intend to spend a lot of time in your room, yet across the island, Mallorca boasts several hotels that are worthy destinations themselves.

• If you start or end your vacation in Palma, consider Summum Prime Boutique Hotel, a new property that is walking distance to the capital city’s attractions and contains an exceptional lobby restaurant. Bonus: In-room amenity is a jaunty Panama hat to shield you from the sun.
• Feast on the treasures of the sea at Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa. Perched on a cliff above impossibly blue waters, this ultra-luxury hotel holds an annual olive oil tasting and picks the best one to be served in its restaurants until the new crop reveals itself. Feast al fresco on grilled octopus, traditional red prawns with garlic, fried calamari plucked from the sea, and leave room for a dessert sampler.
• Opened spring 2019, Hotel Finca Serena embodies modern luxury. Occupying a privileged spot in the highlands, it overlooks hundreds of acres of green that you can view with a cool drink on the terrace or nearby in a hot-air balloon. The service and quality of the restaurant yield a dining experience on par with a Relais & Chateaux inn.
• Another haute hideaway for privacy seekers, Belmond La Residencia Hotel has a tiered layout topped by a colorful penthouse suite designed by British fashion designer Matthew Williamson.

• Still need to commune with a sandy shore? At Iberostar Grand Portals Nous, the beach is small but adjacent to a sheltered cove for easy swimming. Lounge chairs and palapas are provided.
• Som Dona is a new, reasonably priced hotel on the Manacor coast, and it is limited exclusively to female guests.

On the Water

Although it may be too cold to swim off-season, there are still ample opportunities to sail. Port Calanova not only has a sailing school, rental boats and sports equipment, it also features a restaurant and 21 guest rooms that overlook the water.

From there, one popular destination is upscale Port Adriano, which has restaurants and a small shopping mall beside the marina designed by Phillippe Starck.

Scrumptious Seafood

Although Spain is paradise for pork lovers, Mallorca also delights those who love freshly caught seafood. Red prawns are a specialty as are squid and octopus. Tapas tempt taste buds with creative combinations of ingredients and flavors.

Many restaurants specialize in the dish most associated with Spain, paella. One place to dine on it with a view is Ca’n Josep overlooking the port of Pollença. The owner also makes his own vermouth and limoncello, so ask for a sample.

Get even closer to the earth’s bounty by visiting producers such as Aubocassa, where olive oil is extruded rather than pressed, and the Son Sureda Ric vineyard, which holds wine tours and tastings on Sundays.

Island Treasures

Pollença’s Teixits Vicens is a family-run textile factory that weaves and dyes 70% cotton and 30% linen into ikat cloth and then fashions it into distinctive garments, accessories, and home goods for sale in its airy, light-filled store.

For many shoppers, the name Mallorca is synonymous with pearls. Man-made yet lustrous and desirable, Majorica pearls have been crafted on the island for more than a century. They’re created by coating a glass ball with layers of lacquer and are available in a variety of sizes, settings, and colors, from bright white to fashionable gray to dramatic black.

Art & Artists

Mallorca’s mountains, sea, and sunsets offer inspiration to the painter and photographer. Three major ones settled here: Original hippie nomads Yannick Vu and Ben Jakober (pictured) established their eponymous Foundation in Sa Bassa Blanca Museum at the end of a long and winding lane in Alcudia surrounded by well cultivated nature. Having lived and worked together for decades, they co-sign the works created.

May, when the Rose Garden is in bloom, is an ideal time to visit. The couple’s oversized animal representations punctuate the Sculpture Park. Other works are displayed in the Moorish-style structure the couple built in the 1970s. And their intriguing collection of paintings of royal children by Old World Masters is exhibited in an underground gallery.

Joan Miró’s architect-designed workshop in Palma, the Pilar and Joan Miró Foundation, reveals an environment custom-tailored to the artist’s creative needs and aesthetic. The Surrealist’s tools, inspirations, works in progress, and completed paintings are on display.

Sporting Life

Rafael Nadal, at age 33, is one of the tennis world’s winningest champions. The Spanish player still has many years ahead to add to his copious collection of silver trophies housed at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor.

Visitors enter his Museum Experience through a tunnel that flashes a light-and-sound show. Arriving in the basement space, they’re welcomed by a Nadal talking hologram that invites them to participate in the room’s competitive digital games. There’s also an array of sports gear, loving cups, and tributes to other outstanding athletes. We admired the display of ungently used tennis racquets by other greats; strings on one of Ivan Lendl’s look as if they had been clawed by a wild animal, revealing that player’s force and fury.

The adjacent sports complex, where kids and adults come to play and improve their game, contains 26 tennis courts with different surfaces, a fitness center, spa, café, and overnight accommodations.

Across the island, cycle tourism is popular, and we spotted groups of spandexed men and women of all ages channeling their inner Tour de France competitor.

Those who prefer a leisurely sport can choose from 22 golf courses on the island. Alcanada, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., is the most picturesque one, overlooking the Mediterranean. Non-players can take in the view from its restaurant terrace and relax with a drink and a snack. Do choose your table carefully though; cigar smokers are out in force.

Inland or by the sea, Mallorca exposes visitors to a sunny side of Spain. So once you’ve marveled at the treasures of world-class Barcelona and Madrid, treat yourself to time on this charmed island.

The post Mallorca Beyond the Beach appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Invite a group of your closest friends and family members along to honor the occasion or simply celebrate à deux. Wear what you like, a bikini top and shorts or go full out like Beyoncé, who had a custom white gown, heavy on the bling, created for her vow renewal.

To learn more about these romantic occasions, pick up a copy of The Complete Guide to Vow Renewals, an Amazon ebook that I wrote with co-author Geri Bain. This step-by-step guide can walk you through the planning process and help you to creatively envision all the elements of your event. If the idea of enhancing a vacation with a vow renewal appeals, these are some outstanding places to retie the knot:

Hawaii. Combine a Waikiki vacation with a free vow renewal on the beach that integrates ancient customs, music and dance. The sunrise ceremony takes place every Monday and Thursday morning at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort and is also open to guests at sister resort, Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach.

Caribbean. If you’ve never been to a Sandals all-inclusive resort, it deserves consideration. Several of the adults-only properties — including ones in Grenada, Barbados, and St. Lucia, now feature romantic and quite luxurious overwater bungalows among the lodging choices. The brand’s basic $300 Retie the Knot vow renewal program, available in all its outposts, includes a planner, the location, orchid bouquet and boutonniere, chairs with cushions, prerecorded music, a signature cocktail, wedding cake, and commemorative certificate. They also throw in breakfast in bed and a complimentary photo. Bring more friends, and the resort furnishes more goodies. Couples with children under age 18 can enjoy a similar offer at Beaches resorts.

Arizona: If you and your significant other are still over the moon in love, consider a location that resembles the orb. The Boulders is set among megalithic rocks and towering saguaro cacti outside of Scottsdale. Stage your event in a meadow clearing or by a waterfall. If your group is small, consider renting a private villa that can sleep 6-8 overnighters and celebrate right there. The living area leads to a spacious patio complete with an outdoor gas grill and gas fireplace, where they can cook up a feast for you.

French Polynesia. For many couples, it’s the dream destination of a lifetime. At Four Seasons Bora Bora, you can arrive at your ceremony in an outrigger canoe and say your vows on the beach or in the chapel overlooking the lagoon and Mount Otemanu. For an utterly romantic finale, let the canoe be your transportation to a tiny private island, where you’ll be welcomed with Champagne and served a customized dinner for two as you toast the sunset, each other, and the years you’ve shared.

Las Vegas. Sure, you can renew your vows in front of an Elvis impersonator on the Strip, but you can also opt for something classier. Just about every good hotel has a chapel. The Wedding Salons at Wynn Las Vegas feature a vow renewal package that includes a dedicated event consultant, officiant, use of the dressing room, roses, music, a photo session and a webcast so the folks at home can be with you in spirit. If it’s not too hot, opt for the pretty outdoor Primrose Courtyard; otherwise choose one of the two chapels.

Ireland: You need not have royal blood to retie the knot at 800-year old Ashford Castle in County Mayo. Ceremonies can be held in castle gardens if weather permits or the George V dining room, the underground wine cellar, the drawing room, or an opulent event room on this 350-acre estate. If your guest list is long (and plenty of Irish cousins are on it), Oak Hall in the heart of the castle is available. For something even more historic, Ballintubber Abbey, founded in 1216, is nearby. For the ultimate in privacy and romance, book the one-bedroom Hideaway Cottage on the water’s edge of Lough Corrib.

Mexico. The historic colonial town that everyone loves, San Miguel de Allende features a number of scenic backdrops. At Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, you can renew vows on the lawn, in a rooftop terrace, inside the garden restaurant or at an amphitheater. And yes, strolling mariachis are an option.

Florida. On a northeast barrier island, the AAA Five Diamond Award-winning Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island has a seaside vow renewal package that includes a private outdoor ceremony, fresh flowers, and a Champagne toast beside the Atlantic Ocean beaches. In case of bad weather, the resort prepares a backup location. While the hotel seems grand, the property is welcoming and comfortable. Everything that happens here happens with a coastal twist. The clean, fresh sea air and natural beauty of the island wash over guests, making The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island a casual, yet elegant refuge.

New Hampshire: A grand dame of a hotel, family-friendly Omni Mount Washington Resort at the base of 6,288-foot Mount Washington offers celebratory locations that include a garden, terrace, veranda, conservatory, and ballroom. Active couples and guests can tackle Bretton Woods ski area in winter, go on trail rides in warmer months, and slide across the zip line in all seasons.

Toronto: In the past few years, Toronto has seen the construction of numerous world-class hotels including Shangri-la, Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and the new flagship of the Four Seasons hotel group. All are professionally run urban sanctuaries with stylish restaurants and event spaces. But for a top-of-the-world experience, there’s nothing that compares with 360 Restaurant in the CN Tower that stands at more than 1,000 feet tall and revolves while you dine. Not for the acrophobic or vertiginous, just for those dizzy with love.

The post 10 Romantic Places to Renew Your Wedding Vows appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The line “Made in China” was synonymous with cheap, poorly made, disposable junk for
many years. Today, as the world’s largest economy, the country produces and exports a
vast range of goods, from Apple computers to Trump neckties.

As a traveler to China, what’s worth buying when you visit? Americans are permitted to
bring in $800 worth of goods duty free, and there are a surprising number of places
to shop and unique souvenirs to collect.

Follow this journey from a superstore in Beijing to the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xian to the priceless
gems of Hong Kong and discover the riches of China along the way. (Photo by Susan Breslow)

Perhaps your first foray into shopping in China takes place inside one of Beijing’s humongous SOGO
department stores. This Japanese chain offers a quick study into what China’s exploding
middle and upper classes covet. Photo by Susan Breslow

Promptly at 10am, employees open the doors to a world of luxury heretofore unknown in China.
International brands, from Armani to Zegna, tempt shoppers to part with their Yuan. There’s
a pharmacy and grocery in SOGO’s basement and a food court on the top floor.
Photo by Susan Breslow

In addition to clothing, cellphones, and computers, the many levels of SOGO Beijing feature
household goods. Items such as this bed pad, unfamiliar in the West, shed a light on how
Chinese households decorate. Photo by Susan Breslow

The Chinese have a tradition of being generous gift givers, and SOGO offers a large selection of
giftware. Many items depict animals that represent the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac.
Photo by Susan Breslow

Not all commerce takes place in skyscraping towers. On the street level, entrepreneurs display
their wares. Photo by Susan Breslow

Sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and lettuce are driven directly from a farm and sold from the
back of a truck in one of Beijing’s ancient rundown hutongs (connecting courtyards).
Photo by Susan Breslow

A variety of convenience foods and just-add-water items fill the shelves of this small store inside
the hutong. Photo by Susan Breslow

They say no trip to China is complete without a visit to the Great Wall. I say: When it’s teeming
rain and you discover that this UNESCO World Heritage Site is more like the Great Slippery
Staircase of China, take shelter in a nearby café and souvenir shop and wait until the rest of
your party come to their senses. Photo by Susan Breslow

Plate collectors who buy a disk that depicts Xi Jinping and his wife could get a lot of use out of it,
as now he can be president for life. Photo by Susan Breslow

Retro-traditionalists can add a Chairman Mao plate to their collection, or one that depicts scenes
of ancient China. Photo by Susan Breslow

And would any trip to China be complete without a relic of the Buddha? A fishtail enhances the
cover of this small box. Photo by Susan Breslow

If you are on an organized tour, it’s likely that you will be taken by bus to large craft shops. This
building is a gateway to a mini-course in jade, teaching just enough to create the desire to
possess some. On the top floor there’s a restaurant where your group can be served
a traditional Chinese menu.

Although much for sale in China is mass-produced, artisans in traditional crafts continue to turn
out work of astounding beauty. This tour leads past jade carvers at work and into a room
where the varieties of the treasured mineral are on display and described.
Photo by Susan Breslow

Talented artisans create sculptures of astounding beauty and skill, such as this herd of wild
horses. Photo by Susan Breslow

Think you can leave without buying a bangle, a bauble, a bead? This large jewelry store features
a massive selection of traditionally styled bracelets, earrings, and other bijoux.
Photo by Susan Breslow

If you visit China on a Viking Cruise, you will have the time and luxury to shop aboard. Tailors can
custom-make a silk garment to your size and specifications, a jeweler can help you pick out a fine
strand of pearls, and the tea shop can acquaint you with the varieties of the beverage and the
beneficial effects of each. Photo by Susan Breslow

In 1974 a group of farmers outside of Xian stumbled upon a few Terra Cotta Warriors. It turned out
that there were thousands of them, and each soldier was unique. They had been created more than
2,000 years ago and buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang to ensure he would rule in the afterlife.
Bottom: Today you can amass own your own private troop, although mass-produced ones
lack individuality. Photo by Susan Breslow

Should you desire a life-size Terra Cotta general or another statue modeled on a long-ago officer,
this shop outside the dig will gladly package and ship one to your home overseas.
Photo by Susan Breslow

Almost lost among the warriors and cavalry was this little lady with her pet dog, an enduring
reminder that if you find something and fall in love with it, buy it on the spot. You will not
pass this way again. Photo by Susan Breslow

However, if you do pass this way again, make sure it’s in a palanquin, a private chair designed
so you can be carried upon the shoulders of four strong people willing to indulge you.
Photo by Susan Breslow

If Shanghai is on your itinerary, shopping in this open-air agora near the Ming-era Yuyuan Garden
is a pleasant way to browse a variety of products, from silk scarves and bed linens to chopsticks,
porcelain bowls, teas, and toys. Photo by Susan Breslow

When you come all this way, it’s a shame to not see Hong Kong. This magnificent city on Victoria
Harbor is simply dazzling — and the countless jewelry stores everywhere from the Bund to the
airport are intended to separate you and your remaining cash.

Unless, of course, you’re like my friend, who announced on the first day of our journey:
“I’m not buying anything. As soon as the plane lands in New York, I’m heading to Chinatown
and getting all my souvenirs there.” Photo by Susan Breslow

The post Made in China appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Taliesin West should be an inspiration for everyone who faces another birthday and thinks: I’m too old to follow my dream. Frank Lloyd Wright, who had achieved public acclaim back east for his architectural designs (as well as public disdain for his scandalous affairs), was 70 years old when he arrived with a few apprentices in the foothills of Scottsdale Arizona’s McDowell Mountains in 1937.

Today more than 100,000 visitors a year come to see Wright’s winter home and laboratory in the desert 25 miles from Phoenix. Guided tours introduce the curious to Wright’s private quarters, the drafting studio, the music pavilion, the cabaret and other treasures raised from the sand. Tickets are essential, and reservations should be made in advance. Tours meet beside this tilted landmark. His apprentices crafted the desert masonry by hand using local sand and soil and embedding them with rocks.

Petroglyphs left by ancient Native Americans of the Southwest — the O’odham, Piipaash, Hopi, Yavapai, and Apache — enhance the mystique of the location. The nearly 500-acre expanse is dotted with saguaro cactus, creosote, chain-fruit cholla, ironwood, palo verde trees, and other flora of the Sonoran Desert.

Taliesin West consists of multiple structures, each differently designed yet all organic to the landscape. On the tour, guests are invited into Wright’s office and encouraged to take a seat while the guide discusses the surroundings. Angled windows, irregularly shaped doors, spaces that lead visitors from dark and contracted hallways into wide, expansive rooms without right angles are all elements in Wright’s original concepts.

The triangular pool wasn’t merely for swimming; way up in the hills, it was a dependable source of water in case of fire.

Whether by choice or budget, Wright worked with inexpensive and sometimes free building materials. Learning that Gump’s department store in San Francisco was about to discard a shipment of broken Chinese porcelain figurines, he salvaged them. These objects of curiosity were painstakingly reassembled by his apprentices with varying degrees of success and are displayed around the grounds.

Wright’s own bedroom is surprisingly modest; originally it had no roof so that he could observe the stars from his narrow bed. The two beds separated by a thin wooden wall were not his-and-hers; both were his. The one on the left offered more privacy and was used by the septuagenarian for naps.

Influential during the architect’s life as well as after this death, Olgivanna, Wright’s third wife, occupied the bedroom next to his. Both faced a small, enclosed grassy meadow decorated with Wright’s sprites, geometric statues of bonneted females with crossed arms.

LEFT: Wright had instructed his acolytes to arrive in the desert with two things: a sleeping bag and a tuxedo. Guests at his Saturday night black-tie gatherings included the movers and shakers of the day: Henry and Clare Boothe Luce; Ayn Rand, whose novel The Fountainhead was inspired by Wright; Buckminster Fuller; Walter Cronkite; Mike Todd and Elizabeth Taylor; Margaret Sanger; and a host of other luminaries. The living room where they sipped cocktails was enclosed using repurposed glass from a Phoenix building being demolished.

RIGHT: The cabaret theater, completed in 1950, was one of the last buildings at Taliesin West designed by Wright. The drop-leaf tables folded out, and on Saturday nights dinner was served on them to honored guests. First-run movies followed.

LEFT: Never boring, Wright eschewed right angles in favor of more creative geometry. There’s a story that he was asked to identify himself in court and he replied, “I am America’s greatest architect.” When his wife told him not to be immodest, he protested, “But I am under oath!” Wright died in 1959 at the age of 91. Today Taliesin West is a National Historic Landmark and also the home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the School of Architecture. )

RIGHT: Wright’s work and influence spread near and far from Taliesin West, from the lobby of the Arizona Biltmore that features a stained glass window he designed to the unique, mollusk-shaped Guggenheim museum in New York City.

All photos by Susan Breslow.

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Consider Kennebunkport, Maine for your fall getaway. Less than 30 miles from Portland, this coastal town has been welcoming arrivals for generations.

Best of all, you can stay longer for less by taking advantage of three-nights-for-the-price-of-two deals at several of the state’s best hotels.

Kennebunkport Calls

The best known of the local families are the Bushes. George and Barbara built a sprawling family compound on a piece of land that stretches into the Atlantic Ocean. However, unless you’re expecting an invitation from the 41st president and his wife, you will need a place to stay.

The destination’s best lodgings belong to the Kennebunkport Resort Collection, where if you stay two midweek (Sunday-Thursday) nights after Labor Day, the third night is free. The package includes complimentary breakfast each morning.

In the Center of It All

Kennebunkport is small and walkable, with a diverse selection of shops and restaurants. Like to shop? You’ll find stores selling crafts, tons of T-shirts, toys for both dogs and humans, and edibles. Our favorite purchase was a sweet blueberry spread with no added sugar.

If you want to see this maritime town the old-fashioned way, horse-and-carriage rides are available and kinda romantic, especially when you have a warm blanket to protect you from autumn’s chill.

Local Lodging and a Good Deal More

Kennebunkport accommodations range from an historic house to an ocean-view inn to a luxe beach club.

Closest to town, the Kennebunkport Inn, once a tea merchant’s mansion, has stood overlooking Dock Square since 1899. Its cozy atmosphere pays homage to the Inn’s nautical past. Foodies with a taste for seafood and tasty cocktails enjoy The Burleigh restaurant inside.

As the Inn is a member of the Kennebunkport Resort Collection, you can stay two midweek (Sunday-Thursday) nights and get the third night free as well as breakfast each morning. Nightly rates start at $99 through December 28, 2017.

Cape Escape

Two miles from the center of town, Cape Arundel Inn & Resort is so close to the Atlantic that the ocean will be your lullaby. Its 31 guest rooms are scattered around the property. Some are in the Main House, an updated 19th century Victorian mansion on Ocean Avenue. Others are in the Club House, tucked away on 15 wooded acres.

Rockbound Bungalow units are comfort personified. Rooms are decorated in soothing blues and grays. King-size beds with a quilted velvet headboard are sheathed in Frette linens. And the necessity of life, wi-fi, is complementary. Our room also had a gas fireplace and 27” TV, its diminutive size perhaps an admonition to pay more attention to each other.

The room’s French doors lead to an ocean-view balcony overlooking a small lawn and the Atlantic beyond. From your deck, the George and Barbara Bush compound is visible. Rates start at $129 per night and the three-for-two offer with free breakfasts is valid through December 28, 2017.

By the Beach

For most of the year it’s too cold to swim in the ocean this far north, yet couples who adore the shore still can choose a sophisticated beachfront resort, frolic in the sand across the street and eat well.

The Tides Beach Club personifies seaside chic and features the island’s most luxurious rooms (two suites feature Jonathan Adler designs). There’s also a vibrant bar and restaurant. Rates at the three-nights-for-two price start at $219 daily through October 28, 2017.

Perfect Poké

Although you can certainly savor a lobster roll in the restaurant at the Tides Beach Club, you may want to try something more creative — and that applies to its dining as well as cocktail selections.

One of the most inspired offerings is a scrumptious tuna poké in the round. Layered and flavored with avocado, wakame, soy and wasabi aioli, it’s topped with fried wonton slices. It’s the kind of dish everyone ought to share, but no one wants to.

Something Else That’s Fishy

Another terrific place to savor the Atlantic’s bounty is David’s KPT restaurant in the center of town. Choose a table overlooking the marina from the enclosed deck, and prepare to be delighted.

While you await your main course, garlic knots will be delivered. Tasty as they are, resist! More goodness awaits.

Split a lobster roll on a buttery toasted bun perhaps, and then indulge in the smoky mac and cheese, adding lobster… it’s Maine, after all. If there’s room for dessert, choose anything with a tint of blueberry.

This 200-seat restaurant is part of The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel, steps from Dock Square. The three-for-two night lodging deal is in effect and rates through December 28, 2017 start at $109 per night.

More Maine Meals

No trip to Kennebunkport is complete without sampling a few of its restaurants and local specialties. There are so many that it’s worth sticking around for an extra day.

Delight in blueberry pancakes, lobster in all forms, blueberry smoothies, corn chowder, cheddar cheese, blueberry pie, oysters and other species drawn from nearby waters.

The seafood and local products are such high quality that the best preparations are often the simplest.

Dining Room with a View

What’s a trip to Kennebunkport without a romantic dinner at a table for two? If you like elaborate creations, you’ll enjoy dinner at Ocean restaurant in Cape Arundel Inn.

A table by the window is the perfect place to watch the ocean as dusk turns to night. Return to Ocean in the morning for a satisfying complimentary breakfast cooked to your specifications and spend another day savoring this charming village by the sea.

For more information or reservations, visit Kennebunkport Resort Collection or phone (800) 573-7186.

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