Mountain City's Travel Blog

One of the most coveted holiday destinations in the world, Italy’s Lake Como, just keeps getting more extraordinary. For centuries, the glacial lake located in the northern Italian region of Lombardy, surrounded by the majestic Alps and near the Swiss border, has been famous for its crystal-clear waters, lush greenery, and picturesque landscapes. The serene, scenic… and cooler environment has been attracting...

A trip to Vietnam is a feast for the senses, with exotic scenery, scents, sounds, fascinating history and culture. It’s also a literal feast. Vietnamese cuisine is a foodie favorite, and it doesn’t have to be high-end cuisine. In fact, one of Vietnam’s can’t-miss destinations is also home to one of the country’s most vibrant street food scenes, offering mouth-watering insights...

Ireland has St. Patrick’s Day, Scotland has…Robbie Burns Day. Scotland’s most celebratory day is in honor of its national poet. If everyone’s a little bit Irish on March 17th, then on January 25th, the date of Robert Burns’ birthday in 1759, everyone’s a little bit of a Scot. Throughout Scotland and among Scottish communities dispersed around the world, January 25 - Robbie Burns...

Are you ready for an amazing wave of travel excitement? I hope so. It’s time to hold onto your sunhat: because it's Wave Season!  Imagine crystal-clear waters, exotic landscapes, enchanting lagoons, the scent of vanilla, a place with a slower, mindful pace. Imagine the dreamy paradise of the South Pacific!  Tahiti. Bora Bora. Moorea, Fiji, Marquesas, and more. Rather than choosing just one...

Japanese arts and crafts are cherished souvenirs from a trip to Japan. And now, one of the country’s most treasured and elegant crafts has a new future – thanks to a luxury jeweler best-known for its aspirational robin’s egg-blue boxes. Tiffany & Co. Japan has launched a new initiative to help preserve gold leaf art skills in Kanazawa, the celebrated home...

 It couldn’t come at a better time. The thrills of the holidays have passed, and cold weather, cabin fever, and the doldrums of winter are descending. Everyone needs something to look forward to. Welcome, Wave Season! It’s the catchy name for the cruise travel equivalent to Black Friday. But instead of just a day, it’s a whole season of the best cruise...

 Zodiaks, kayaks and submarines, oh my! Expedition ships are opening up a whole new way of cruising and experiencing the world – even parts of the world you may think you already know! We sailed on board a Viking expedition cruise of the Great Lakes. Both of Viking’s two expedition ships, the Viking Polaris and the Viking Octantis, were designed specifically to...

Have you resolved to travel more and to focus more on your health? You can do both by taking a holiday where you can practice the latest activity touted to benefit your mental and physical health. ‘Wild swimming’ is swimming in the open water, whether river, lake or the sea – regardless of the temperature. Swimming with the snow and...

The EU’s Capitals of Culture program was designed to showcase the cultural riches of European cities that might not otherwise get the attention they deserve. Every year, new cities are designated that represent the incredible diversity of Europe’s landscapes, history, and resulting unique lifestyle heritage of different parts of the union.  A year-long calendar of events brings visitors from their...

A river cruise on the Rhone allows you to indulge in French cuisine, culture, scenery and lifestyle – and you’re going to want to take the best of the best of the region home! Our river cruise on the Emerald Liberte on the Rhone took us from Lyon, north on the Saone river, then down the Rhone to some of...

The all-inclusive trend keeps growing! All-inclusive resorts used to be all about packaged beach vacations. But more and more people are tuning into the benefits of all-inclusives, especially the ease of paying upfront once, then putting your wallet away and not having to think about keeping to your holiday budget, even as you enjoy food and drinks, entertainment and activities...

They’re calling them ‘Bubbles of the Sea.’ Celebrating with sparkling wine is a year-round event on many cruise lines. But Hurtigruten is taking celebratory sparkling wine to another level: down. Norwegian coastal cruise line Hurtigruten is sister cruise line of eco-conscious expedition cruise line HX / Hurtigruten Expeditions. Its ‘Bubbles of the Sea’ (or ‘Havets Bobler’ in Norwegian) program involves submerging...

This time of year,  I love to reflect on all of the highlights of the past year and the special moments. The quiet moments. The eccentric and adventurous moments that filled 2023. At the same time, it’s a time to look forward to the year ahead. To 2024. Whether your 2024 dreams take you to near or to far off lands, my...

Winter chalet popups by celebrity tastemakers are making the coldest season warm and cheerful for travelers across North American hotels and resorts in the IHG family, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Vignette Collection and Hotel Indigo. Until the end of February 2024, every hotel and resort in IHG is transforming into a welcoming winter wonderland with larger-than-life...

Mexico is more than beaches. It’s also a country rich in folklore, traditions, culture, history, nature and cuisine. And some of Mexico’s towns have such a concentration of significance and authentic experiences for visitors, they’ve earned the label “Magical.”  As of 2023, 177 towns in Mexico have been designated “Magical Towns,” or “Pueblos Magicos” by the Mexican government. The program empowers...

Take a break from planning Christmas festivities and shopping and treat yourself to Christmas cheer, Fairmont-style. Get into the spirit of the season with a dozen merry programs at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts throughout North and Central America– from ugly sweaters to a Thirsty Elf, a Home Alone tribute in New York, and Holiday Hula in Hawaii.  In a nod to...

A Christmas market river cruise in Europe may be the very best way to capture the magic of the season. Our Viking Christmas on the Rhine river cruise from Switzerland to the Netherlands took us to four countries, each with its own Christmas markets, traditions, flavors and specialities.  WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE with highlights of some of the best Christmas markets...

Most of us are pretty careful about sun exposure when we travel on beach vacations these days. It’s hats and sunscreen all the way to protect our skin from the sun’s rays. But how about protecting the ocean we love to visit from the chemicals in our sunscreens?  The rise of "reef-safe" or "reef-friendly" or “ocean-friendly” sunscreen claims has a lot...

The newest Four Seasons resort will change the face of one of the Caribbean’s most popular islands.  Famous for affordable, all-inclusive beach resort vacations, the Dominican Republic’s latest resort will put it on even the most discerning luxury traveler’s map.  The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Dominican Republic at Tropicalia is underway on 60 acres of pristine beachfront of Playa Esmeralda...

Not the Eiffel Tower. Not Rome’s Colosseum. Or even Barcelona’s magnificent Sagrada Familia cathedral by Gaudi. The attraction voted Europe’s best in awards dubbed the “Tourism Oscars” also earned the title of Europe’s Leading Beer Tour Visitor Experience 2023.  Ireland’s Guinness Storehouse is one of the highlights of a visit to Dublin, and walks visitors through the history and the making...