A Coincidental Impact
New York City ©Jan M. Smith I often wonder if anyone actually reads the travel, food, and wine stories I write. With stiff competition to capture attention, and with over 2 million blogs (and countless other stories) posted each day, it’s no surprise the question of reaching and impacting an audience is on a writer’s mind. Have you ever wondered the same about something you have posted? Without feedback via social media or website, it’s realistic to think a posted [...]
Revitalized Palm Springs Attracts Multi-Generational Visitors
It was the spring of 1975, and folded notes were being passed between classmates during high school homeroom announcing Palm Springs the destination for spring break. My brand new orange Honda Civic sped down the highway for a first-time visit to the desert oasis. I can still remember arriving at the Palm Springs Travelodge to a spectacle of shoulder to shoulder teenagers bobbing in the pool with their picture-perfect Coppertone sunburns. That first spring break visit was an introduction to [...]
Active or Idle, Cruising Offers Best of Both on Sea Days
Princess Cruises Crown Princess in Aruba. pc: Jan M. Smith© When it’s time to plan a vacation, is the amount of activity or idle time part of the decision making? It is always at the forefront of my family as we determine our next getaway. As the cruise experience has always been positive and pleasurable for our family, it was a unanimous decision to sail again. Millennials through Baby Boomers best describe my family. Cruising offers the opportunity to meet [...]
How Travel Planner, Milk and Honey Travels, is Changing the Way Honeymoons are Being Planned
Surprise Honeymoon reveal gifts from Milk and Honey Travels pc Julia Fay Photos Could you or would you let someone else plan your honeymoon? If your answer is yes, would you let it be kept a surprise until the day you married and then reveal the location at the wedding reception? This is exactly what my daughter and her new husband decided to do when they got engaged last year. The only caveat was that I would be the point person to [...]
Pack for a Purpose Offers Inspired Travel
French novelist Marcel Proust is credited with saying, “The real voyage of discovery consists in not seeing new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Ever since my children were old enough to understand, they were exposed to travel which opened their eyes to the people, cultures and societies of the global community. Our family travel always included a lesson of giving back to the region we were visiting. Twenty years ago it was hard to find an opportunity to deliver [...]
The Wine, Food and Vibe of Paso Robles Wine Region
Wine country getaways are one of the best ways to spend a weekend together with friends and family. Finding a location with a combination of fantastic wine, food, and vibe is a bonus. Paso Robles in Central California offers all of this and more. Paso Robles is an easy five-hour drive from the Temecula Valley, my hometown and home to its own wine region. It's easy to stay local for a wine experience in my own backyard, but so much [...]