Once upon a time an enterprising rock climber launched a line of clothing for extreme sports. He named it “Patagonia,” a word that triggers a visceral reaction in adventurers and wannabes. Even the armchair traveler experiences a shiver visualizing one of the wildest regions on earth, a faraway place with strange creatures, rugged terrain and […]
Oh, Canada! Traveling Coast to Coast by Luxury Train
We could have flown from Toronto to Vancouver in five hours (catching glimpses of the countryside miles below through the clouds), but Canada—the second largest country in the world–deserved a closer look. And, having experienced luxury trains in Australia and Peru, we were eager to travel on VIARail’s The Canadian, ranked among the world’s top […]
England’s Woburn Abbey
As I drove through England on a balmy day in late May, I found it hard to concentrate on driving on the “wrong” side of the road because the countryside constantly drew my attention. Meadows and crops in all shades of green covered the hills like patchwork pieces stitched together by tidy hedgerows, with fields […]
Orlando: Golf Till You Drop
The Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center is a good place to begin an Orlando odyssey, especially after a winter hiatus when your home course is snowbound. The extraordinary Florida-themed hotel has 1,406 guestrooms ringing a 4 ½-acre glass-domed atrium. Many rooms have balconies overlooking the climate-controlled interior. Shops and restaurants are set among tropical […]
Orlando: Magic Kingdom for Adults
My breath whooshes out, sending a cascade of bubbles toward the water’s surface. One of the passing sharks turns and cruises toward me, mouth agape in an exceedingly toothy grin. He’s so close I could touch him—if it weren’t for the mesh barrier. When he loses interest I swim over to a window, where my […]
The Calumet Legacy
When Oxbow scored his gate-to-wire victory in the 2013 Preakness Stakes, it raised hopes throughout the racing world that Lexington’s historic Calumet Farm was making a comeback. In the past, the iconic farm on Versailles Road had fielded more classic race winners than any other farm in Thoroughbred history, including victors in eight Kentucky Derbys, […]
Australia Wine and Golf
Americans often lump New Zealand and Australia together, even though they are 1,000 miles apart. Both countries are peopled by friendly folk, but they dislike being named in the same breath and are fiercely competitive in the things that count—sports, wine, food and the wow factor of their countries. We flew from Auckland, New Zealand, […]
Delightful Duo–St. Kitts and Nevis
The sky was streaked with the tangerine and lavender of sunset when our plane touched down on St. Kitts. Caught in brilliant silhouette was the volcano on the neighboring island of Nevis. We’d only been in the air 45 minutes from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the islands appeared–long, skinny St. Kitts looking like a […]
Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic
I kept my eyes on the ball until it vanished in a flurry of horses’ hooves, swinging mallets and shouting riders. A whistle signaled the chukker’s end, and I resumed my conversation with the fellow sitting beside me in the stands. “The games are not all that different,” I said, “except for the danger. Golf’s […]
White Witch Golf Course, Jamaica
Jamaica offers a quick fix for the winter blues. Montego Bay is easy to get to and offers enough good golf to keep you busy for a week or more, starting with the White Witch Golf Course at Rose Hall. Opened in 2000, the course is named for one of Jamaica’s most famous legends, “the […]
