Travel Blog Planet

Southern Belle Riverboat The best way to view Chattanooga’sTennessee River is to float along it and the best water transportation by far is the Southern Belle Riverboat.  A classically constructed riverboat that would make Tom Sawyer proud, the Southern Belle is a 500-passenger, climate controlled, double decker boat that travels from downtown Chattanooga and along the winding Tennessee River.... Read more »

The sweet Brannan Cottage Inn in Calistoga, CA I recently took an excursion to Calistoga with my cousin who was visiting from the East Coast. I needed to do some lodging research and to get out of the foggy, cold, San Francisco summer. I’m more of a Sonoma girl at heart, but I adore Calistoga, on the Nothern edge of the Napa Valley Wine Country. It is a funky, unpretentious western frontier town... Read more »

Today’s guest post comes from Andrew Couch from Grounded Traveler. Andrew is an American who has been traveling back and forth to Germany for half of his life. He moved on a leap of faith to Germany nearly 3 years ago and has since started building a life there. He is a software developer by trade, although he also has a degree in International Studies and is always planning the... Read more »

New York City is chock full of hotel options, but I have no doubt the soon-to-be-open W New York – Downtown will stand out. W Hotels are known for their stylish luxury and this new location is no different. A Room at the New W New York - Downtown Located minutes from the New York Stock Exchange and 1 World Trade Center, in the city’s Financial District, the W New York – Downtown is... Read more »

Situated on the shore of Lake Tekapo, the Church of the Good Shepherd is possibly one of the most photographed churches in New Zealand. The church was built in 1935, and features a window behind the altar that frames a stunning view of the lake and mountains.  Read More →

The Welcome Center at Smuggs When I go on a summer family vacation, I’m looking for nice accommodations, fun kids’ activities, good on-site restaurants, and at least one great place to swim.  I’ve written about Smugglers’ Notch before, and when I heard about all of the activities located on property, I was really surprised!  Here’s just a sampling: Eight heated pools Four... Read more »

From Daiwa Sushi and temple sightseeing to traditional Japenese bathhouses and retail therapy in Ginza, Tokyo local Keiya Utsumi offers suggestions on what to do in his hometown.    Written by Keiya Utsumi   The quintessential eastern capital, Tokyo is overwhelming, and first-time visitors expecting an Asian version of New York City are in for a surprise. There’s a kind of commercial energy... Read more »

In "The Show" they use clean balls for batting practice. - Crash Davis You know that summer is winding down when parks are no longer filled with little kids swinging big bats, but are instead overrun by the collective gut of the 35 and over slow-pitch leagues. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t get to your local park as often as possible.  I’m actually in a 35 and over league... Read more »

You should have tasted the avocado I think it’s obvious by now that I don’t do fru-fru. An upscale restaurant, expensive for the sheer fact that it can be expensive, is the last place you’ll find me. Except for today. I’m currently in southern California on vacation, and since we were flying into SNA where I have a journalism friend, I came in early enough to meet her for lunch... Read more »

A lovely view from the Incline Railroad For over a century, visitors have flocked to Chattanooga to ride the historic Incline Railway, which climbs Lookout Mountain on a really steep, mile-long journey.  Known as the steepest passenger railway in the world, the Incline Railway has been designated a National Historic Site as well as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Since 1895,... Read more »