Travel

Most sustainable mezcal brands

Spend a few minutes talking to any mezcal aficionado these days and conversation will inevitably turn to sustainability. Many brands have built sustainability into the very core of their identities, business practices, and farming techniques. This is partly to do justice to the generations of Mexicans who operate the palenques (mezcal distilleries). But many in the business also fear runaway unsustainable practices as the spirit grows more popular abroad. “[Mezcal] was sustainable because it...
Tags: Travel, Mexico, US, Sustainability, Canada, Oaxaca, Mezcal, All, Matador Network, Richard Betts, Betts, Sierra Norte, Sombra, Del Maguey, Bonfanti, Sustainable Mezcal

Return to Mexico

Last year we spent 5 weeks in Mexico covering nearly all the Yucatan Peninsula and loved it so we said we would like to return and see more and we have This time we wanted to come to Mexico City and visit the last of the pyramids on my bucket list Teot
Tags: Travel, Mexico, Mexico City, Yucatan Peninsula

Where to Relax After Awards Season, from Mexico to Hawaii

Sundance and the Grammys. Here’s where to trip a little light fantastic and celebrate in style, forget disappointments and, best of all, reconnect with loved ones or yourself. FAMILY GETAWAYS Disney magic: Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland, Anaheim, Calif. The Disneyland Resort is expert at handling VIPs and the 948-room Grand Californian is its […]
Tags: Travel, Mexico, Awards, Hawaii, Disneyland, Montage, Anaheim Calif The Disneyland Resort

The history of the margarita

No drink can bring the same energy to a crowd of people like a margarita. The bright and balanced drink hits all the right levels of sweet, sour, salty, and boozy. It’s the most-loved cocktail in the US, according to a Nielsen survey, and it has been since Nielsen started polling bargoers on cocktails in 2016. The margarita has, in nearly every metric, taken over America. It’s also been bastardized beyond belief. A classic margarita is made with two ounces of blanco tequila, one and a half o...
Tags: Travel, Texas, Mexico, New York City, US, America, Hilton, Smithsonian, Dallas, Nielsen, Santa Fe, King, Mariano, All, Lee, Martinez

History of the tres leches cake

In March of 2008 , I found myself in a pizza restaurant in Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras. I was part of a Habitat for Humanity trip, and it was my first time out of the country. I wouldn’t have expected to find a pizzeria in this rural town in the mountains of Central America, but there we were. I wasn’t complaining, though. A long day of digging foundations and hauling wheelbarrows of dirt had left me with a formidable appetite. Plus, it was my birthday. I wasn’t expecting any kind of recogni...
Tags: Travel, Asia, Europe, Mexico, Turkey, Austin, United States, Middle East, Brazil, Miami, Mega, Albania, Honduras, Istanbul, Central America, Latin America

The 7 Best Swimmable Beaches of Cabo in Baja – 2019

Which resorts have swimmable beaches in Cabo San Lucas and the tourist corridor? Where can you walk out of your hotel room in Los Cabos and go for a swim in the ocean? At most beach resort areas around the world, the answer for where you can go swimming from the beach would be "most of them," but for Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, and the corridor in between, there's a very short list of swimmable beaches. If you just pull out a map of the region, you'll start to see why. The Sea of Cortez...
Tags: Travel, Mexico, Hilton, San Jose, Baja, Pacific Ocean, Beach, Beaches, Mexico Hotels, Mexico Travel, Cortez, Travel Life, Baja California, Cabo San Lucas, Marina, Baja Peninsula

History of the torta de tamal

The base of Mexican street food is the diet of the Ts: tortillas, tacos, tortas, tlayudas, tostadas, and tamales. The T diet is something I’ve heard more than once and something you’ll also hear and experience if you stay in Mexico City, Oaxaca, and other parts of Mexico for long enough. And among those many Ts you’ll find the torta de tamal, sometimes called guajolota, which is a magical combination of bolillo (a short French bread also called pan frances in some parts of Mexico) and tamales...
Tags: Travel, Mexico, India, US, Mexico City, Central America, Oaxaca, Maya, All, Mexican Food, Tamales, Mexica, Tamale, Mexico City Oaxaca, Tono Balaguer Shutterstock, Mexican breakfast

Word of Mouth: Mexican Food in Los Angeles 

Tradition, family values, memories and experimentation collide for some of the most exciting dishes To learn about the complexities of Mexican cuisine, starting anywhere in Mexico will—of course—lead to incredible discoveries of distinct dishes and the equally remarkable people making them. Regional cooking in Mexico is as diverse as the beautiful ingredients from seafood in Baja to moles in Oaxaca. With the large Mexican and …
Tags: Travel, Food, Design, California, Mexico, Restaurants, Los Angeles, Seafood, Baja, Dining, Oaxaca, Mexican Food, Mexican Restaurants

Best destinations for LGBTQ weddings

So far, 29 countries in the world have legalized same-sex marriage — with two more (Costa Rica and Taiwan) preparing to do the same. And just as numerous countries around the world have become increasingly more progressive in the previous years, so have wedding destinations normally frequented by heterosexual couples. From typical beach destinations like Mexico to the more underground ventures like Iceland, there are more places than ever open to giving you and your partner an unforgettable w...
Tags: Travel, Garden, Europe, Greece, Mexico, Boston, America, Spain, Barcelona, Taiwan, Canada, New Brunswick, Ireland, Italy, Manchester, New Zealand

Getting to know our Southern Neighbor Mexico

Given the political noise of illegal immigrants building border walls poverty drugs and violent crimes the Mexico we have visited thus far seems to doing just fine. Mexico City has a population of 21 million the infrastructure and buildings are simila
Tags: Travel, Mexico, Mexico City, Southern Neighbor Mexico

Mar del Cabo Opens in Los Cabos, Mexico

Mar del Cabo debuts on Mexico's Baja Peninsula with a new look after a $4 Million renovation of the former Marbella Suites. Located midway between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, the European Plan boutique hotel is now the sixth property of Velas Resorts and its only EP offering.
Tags: Travel, Mexico, Cabo San Lucas, Baja Peninsula, Velas Resorts, Los Cabos Mexico, San José del Cabo, Cabo Opens

Best things to do in Illinois

Just as there’s more to life than money, there’s more to Illinois than Chicago. Known as the Prairie State for the thousands of square miles of open prairie that encompass the state, Illinois is wide open once you venture beyond the crowded confines of the big city. It offers many beautiful places to see, quaint towns to photograph, and breathtaking parks to stroll through. The best way to see everything Illinois has to offer is to hit the road and explore. Here’s where to start. Enjoy natur...
Tags: Travel, London, Mexico, Indianapolis, Chicago, Lincoln, Illinois, St Louis, All, Midwest, Mississippi River, Abraham Lincoln, Springfield, Market House, Collinsville, Galena

In celebration of romance: beautiful pink places around the world

In celebration of Valentine’s Day and the month of romance, we highlight our favourite pink places and natural phenomena around the world, from taking in the sunsets over the iconic romantic city of Venice to witnessing the glorious cherry blossom season in Japan – and we recommend the most luxurious, romantic and special hotels to […] The post In celebration of romance: beautiful pink places around the world appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.
Tags: Travel, Asia, Europe, Japan, Australia, Mexico, India, Attractions, Italy, Venice, North America, Oceania, Regions, Going Out, Speciality Travel, Leisure Travel

Family ski trip to Mammoth Lakes, CA

“C an we move here?” That was my daughter Layla’s first reaction, stamping through moonlit snow and into the Village at Mammoth, the gas log fires and twinkling holiday decorations making it feel suddenly as if we’d walked into wonderland. I’m with you baby, I thought. I had to admire her 11-year-old sense that anything was possible. Then again, over those 11 years we’d spent seasons in so many one-of-a-kind places (think Puerto Escondido in Mexico, or the Alpujarra region in Spain) that her s...
Tags: Travel, Winter, California, Mexico, US, Los Angeles, Spain, Things To Do, Patagonia, John Muir, Venice, Mica, Ansel Adams, Snowboarding, Bette Midler, Usgs

Travel News: February 14, 2019

Delta Bolstering Service for Brazil’s Carnival Travel Pulse For travelers who want to experience Brazil’s famous Carnival, Delta Air Lines is offering nonstop seasonal service between New York City and Rio de Janeiro. The flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to Rio de Janeiro–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Brazil will operate overnight southbound as before, but the service will now return northbound in the morning.   Dollywood to open ‘wild’ new land foc...
Tags: Travel, Usa, New York, Mexico, New York City, Tennessee, Dolly Parton, Ihg, Brazil, Rio De Janeiro, John, Smoky Mountains, News And Deals, Kennedy International Airport, Dollywood, Kimpton Hotels Restaurants

The best savory breakfasts

There are two types of people in this world: those who like sweet breakfasts, and those who like savory breakfasts. The latter prefers to leave the cavities and the inevitable sugar crash to the former. Around the world, savory breakfasts are generally more prevalent than sweet, and even the countries with the best sweet breakfasts can’t compete with the best savory breakfast traditions. These are the best countries for savory breakfast lovers. South Korea Photo: Early Spring/Shutterstock...
Tags: Travel, South Korea, Japan, UK, England, Mexico, Scotland, Southeast Asia, Singapore, Turkey, Iran, Breakfast, Thailand, Ireland, Korea, Bulgaria

JetBlue flights for just $39

There’s nothing more romantic than whisking your Valentine away on a last-minute vacation, so JetBlue has you covered with a two-day flash sale, ending at midnight on February 13. The sale offers one-way fares for as low as $39 between cities in the US, as well as Mexico and the Caribbean. While JetBlue hubs that are close together are obviously the cheapest options, there are some great long-distance fares available, too. Here are some of our favorites. Las Vegas to Long Beach for $39 Atlan...
Tags: Travel, Mexico, Boston, US, Sales, Atlanta, Mexico City, Long Beach, Las Vegas, Newark, Jetblue, Caribbean, Richmond, Orlando, All, Fort Lauderdale

The Top Luxury Hotels in Mexico City

Way back in 2008 we launched our Mexico City section and at the time we only featured five hotels. Mexico City has come a long way since then and it's now routinely touted in magazines as the hot place to go this year. Back when we posted our first reviews there were very few leisure travelers at these top luxury properties. It was mostly business travelers. More than a decade later, a lot of vacationers have discovered its close by charms. Mexico's capital still has a long way to go before yo...
Tags: Travel, Usa, Mexico, Canada, Mexico City, Marriott, Four Seasons, Mexico Hotels, Luxury Latin America, Top Hotels, Chapultapec Park, Hilton Hyatt, San Angel, Ritz Carlton Mexico City, Las Alcobas, Polanco

Scuba sites in Baja California

Baja California is famous for its dramatic landscape of boulder fields, cactus-studded mountains, and nearly 2,000 miles of rugged coastline. While Baja may be arid and earth-toned above water, below the surface it transforms into a colorful and biodiverse ecosystem. Nicknamed the world’s aquarium by Jacques Cousteau, this region is one of Mexico’s most impressive destinations for dive travel, yet it’s often overlooked by tourists in favor of the Yucatán. If you want these stunning sites all ...
Tags: Travel, California, Mexico, Pacific, Central America, Neptune, Scuba Diving, La Paz, Galapagos, All, Cortez, Baja California, Cabo San Lucas, Espiritu Santo, Gordo, Jacques Cousteau

Linguistics and Indigenous Languages.

I don’t usually bring stuff here from the Log, since I figure most people interested in language follow it already, but this post by Christian DiCanio is important enough I’ll make an exception. It’s about UNESCO’s International Year of Indigenous Languages and calls for linguistic research on such languages; here are some of the points made: Dutch phonetics and syntax are not inherently more interesting than Bengali phonetics and syntax. Bengali has a far more interesting consonant system (if ...
Tags: Mexico, Uncategorized, Unesco, Linguistics, Burkina Faso, Bengali, Laura McPherson, Christian DiCanio, Seenku, Bathrobe J W Brewer

winter hike: beaver lake and port alice

We've had so many gloriously cold and sunny days! I don't know if that's unusual for January and February or if I was oversold on the rain, but I love it. The temperature will range from around -3C to +4C (mid-20s to about 40 F), which barely qualifies as cold, and combined with bright sunshine, is some of my favourite weather.Last weekend, we hiked in the Beaver Lake Recreation Trail -- the first time I've ever hiked in winter. There was a dusting of snow and it was cold enough to wear a parka....
Tags: Travel, Mexico, Personal, Newfoundland, Scandinavia, Allan, Vancouver Island, Laura K, Port McNeill, Port Alice, Life In A Small Town, Beaver Lake Recreation Trail, Gros Morne Park, Legion Hall

Spending a Day in the Artsy Community of Todos Santos, Mexico

One of the many reasons why I enjoyed my first sailing experience with Crystal Cruises was thanks to the emphasis they place on the destinations. After all, we travel to see and experience new places and meet new people, and that was of primary importance throughout my voyage. Every day brought new sights and adventures, but one in particular was especially memorable – a day spent in Todos Santos, Mexico. Before leaving home, I booked the Todos Santos Crystal Adventures Shore Excursion for our ...
Tags: Travel, Mexico, Destinations, La Paz, Baja California, Hotel California, Todos Santos, Todos Santos Mexico, Pueblo Magico, Todos Santos Crystal Adventures Shore Excursion, Eagles Band

La Serena, Its Giant Lighthouse and the Pacific Ocean

I’m glad I took a chance on La Serena—it paid off. You never know, with coastal cities. Sometimes, the beach locals rave about is small and dirty, sometimes you end up in a tiny, overpriced town along with hordes of tourists, sometimes port cities are run down and dodgy. But La Serena is lovely. I didn’t have a map, so after dropping off my backpack in the spare bedroom, I headed straight to what looked like the main avenue, Francisco de Aguirre. There were two signs: “Plaza de Armas,” straight,...
Tags: Travel, Mexico, Oregon, US, Santiago, Chile, Brazil, Guatemala, Pacific, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Coquimbo, La Serena, South America 2018-2019, La Serena Much, Francisco de Aguirre

Weekly Roundup, Friday 8 February 2019

Exciting news! We’re offering a new Scotland tour in September (details immediately below), and this time we not only have a ride on this, the “Harry Potter” steam train, but we also, in the other direction, have a photo stop where we can photograph the train crossing the famous Glenfinnan viaduct. Good morning Lots of touring news this morning. Our new Loire Valley Land Cruise in September has proven to be popular, with three people already signed up and another four expected to be joining th...
Tags: Travel, New York, Science, London, Sweden, Obama, California, North Korea, Mexico, France, Scotland, China, Germany, Trains, Miscellaneous, US

Viceroy Los Cabos Stylish Luxury Resort in Baja

My welcome drink in the lobby of Viceroy Los Cabos was a colorful refreshment in what looked like a plastic bag, with a straw sticking out of the top. This spin on Mexican street stall practices seemed an odd choice in this day and age when plastic bags and straws are getting banned all over the world. "The bag is made of corn starch and will decompose," a staffer said when she saw me frowning. "The straws are made from avocado pits." Things are not always what they seem at the new Viceroy Los...
Tags: Travel, California, Mexico, San Jose, Baja, Los Cabos Hotels, Mexico Hotels, Awesome View, Baja California, New Hotels, Top Hotels, Los Cabos, San José del Cabo, Viceroy, Baja Sur, Los Cabos Resorts

How to Stay Healthy When You Travel to Mexico and the Caribbean

No one likes to get sick, especially while on a vacation away from home, even more so in a country where you don’t speak the language. Perhaps you’ve planned the holiday six months out, anticipating time on a beach, not beside a hotel room toilet. If you don’t get many vacation days, getting sick is even harder to stomach. Fortunately most food you eat is safe Is Canada a No Vacation Nation? As a Canadian I think of myself as lucky when it comes to vacation time. But if I look at a 2017 E...
Tags: Travel, Health, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Canada, United States, Ireland, New Zealand, Brazil, Vaccines, British Columbia, Alberta, Caribbean, Expedia, La Paz

Tallest observation decks

Observation deck pictures are always tricky. Even if you’ve got a steady hand to hold a panoramic shot, inevitably some school group or busload of tourists will wander into your frame and give your picture a nice, fanny-packed blur. Such is the challenge with visiting Chicago’s Willis Tower or the Space Needles of the world, where hundreds of other people are clambering for the same 360 degrees. But in many tourist-packed cities and lesser-known destinations, you’ll find observation decks tha...
Tags: Travel, New York, Texas, California, Mexico, La, Virginia, America, San Francisco, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Manhattan, Lake Erie, Houston, Seattle, Golden Gate Bridge

Where to eat in Tijuana, Mexico

Tijuana sits at the crossroads of Mexico and the US. Its best-known landmark is probably the US border, the most frequently crossed port of entry in the world. Referred to as “The City of Migrants,” Tijuana is where Mexicans can live and commute to the US for work, and where Americans can escape for a night or two without getting too far from their comfort zone. For migrants coming from the South, it’s the last stop before entering the US. Yet Tijuana, one of the fastest growing cities in Me...
Tags: Travel, California, Mexico, US, Los Angeles, Italy, San Diego, Baja, Chinatown, Mediterranean, Tijuana, All, Durango, Mexican Food, Caesar, Mexicali

Word of Mouth: Mexico City Drinking + Dining

Natural wines, melding cuisines and plenty more to taste in the Mexican capital Distrito Federal, Mexico City, now formally Ciudad de México, is a dynamic and quickly evolving destination full of dichotomies, tradition and innovation. Whether attending Zona Maco, Design Week, or at any other time of the year, food is guaranteed to be a big part. While street food and family-style restaurants are essentials …
Tags: Travel, Design, Mexico, Hotels, Restaurants, Museums, Cafes, Mexico City, Wine, Dining, Word of Mouth, Distrito Federal Mexico City, Zona Maco Design Week

Best burgers in New York City

Burgers are tried and true, and you can’t go wrong with eating one for your next meal. They’re envisioned by many outside of the United States as the standard American food, and we within the US embrace that wholeheartedly. In New York City alone, you can’t walk a few blocks without passing a place that includes burgers on its menu. As the home of Shake Shack, we’d be remiss not to mention it, and while the now-international chain is delicious in its own right, there are plenty of other place...
Tags: Travel, Mexico, New York City, US, Brooklyn, United States, Manhattan, Burgers, Bronx, Detroit, Long Island, Lucky, Derek Jeter, All, New York Ny, Astoria