I always dreamed of staying in a French chateau, sipping wine beside a serene lake. And while I knew this day would come, I didn’t think it would be in the Palm Springs desert. But this is exactly what I discovered on a recent getaway to The Chateau at Lake La Quinta, the only lakefront hotel in the Palm Springs …
World-renowned Nashville has always opened its doors to an astonishing musical mish-mash of Western, Country, Hillbilly, Honky-Tonk, Swing, Rockabilly, and Blues ala BB King. It is home as well to gifted musicians who sing or play instruments from cowboy guitars to passionate Hoedown fiddles, and fervent songwriters with talent to share. Musicians and songwriters fully understand that to perform and …
When most folks think of Cajun Country, if they think of it at all, it’s probably Lafayette, Louisiana. But most people visiting Louisiana make a stop in New Orleans, and Lafourche Parish, just 45 minutes west of the Big Easy, is a more accessible, more authentic Cajun experience than its more well-known and commercial cousin several hours away. But it’s …
The Ranch at Laguna Beach is the best of both vacation worlds. Set in a lush canyon, next to a flowing stream, the resort offers guests a classy, rustic atmosphere. And located a few hundred yards from the Pacific Ocean, it also boasts a California beach feel. In other words, The Ranch is one of my new favorite hideaways. A …
Most recent plaudits for John McCain focus on flashes of character on his campaign trail when he condemned crazed birther and racist attacks on candidate Obama. I’d like to jump in the Way-back and travel to when McCain earned a “maverick” label. Give Senator McCain praise for his early efforts at campaign finance reform, done across the aisle with then-Senator Russ Feingold. It was …
IPO Transparency Takes a Hit “The evil that men do lives after them, The good is oft interred with their bones…” Updated, Shakespeare’s Mark Anthony might have included mischief done while scrambling for campaign funds as the finance sector obliges those doing its bidding. That mischief stumbles on like a zombie. This tortured comparison came to mind after reading a …
One of the most anticipated projects in recent Los Angeles history is finally complete. On July 2 the hotel portion of the new $1.2 billion Wilshire Grand Center mixed-use development opened for business, joining the project’s other components, which completed last month. Located on the former site of the historic Wilshire Grand hotel, which closed in 2011, the new 73-story tower stands 1,100 ft-tall, making it …
My father died while I was roaming through Northern Italy. He was 52. He passed away peacefully in his sleep in his home in Florida. I found out about it at the American Express office in Istanbul three weeks later when I opened a letter my brother sent me. This was 1970. There were no computers, no smartphones, no Skype. …
There is nothing like sleeping in an ocean-front room and awakening to the sounds of waves crashing against the sand. It is one of the finer things in life. And it is exactly what I experienced recently on a memorable getaway to The Inn at Laguna Beach.
You would never guess that you didn’t have to leave the mainland USA to find an Island with lush gardens, oceanside views and fabulous food all minutes away from downtown San Diego. I wondered what exactly we were heading towards, an Island in the middle of a city? It sounded slightly absurd, never-the-less, we drove onto the property of Paradise …
