ArcaMax

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By Lesley Frederikson

The sound of 32 adults holding their collective breaths in the frigid air of the Arctic tundra can be thick with anticipation, and that is how our first polar bear encounter began. A curious adult had spotted us from its resting spot on an icy pond and after sniffing the air carefully decided to meander our way to ...Read more

By Candyce H. Stapen

How did we learn to love winter? By dogsledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and exploring snow-blanketed national parks. Such off-the-slopes activities enabled my family and me to enjoy the snow and the cold without downhill skiing. Although my kids can gleefully maneuver black-diamond mountain trails, I fall ...Read more

By Nicola Bridges

If the travelers in your life are anything like me, they'll love getting the luxury of a new bag of any kind under the tree: a suitcase, a hip sack and perhaps a stocking-stuffer luggage tag. From sturdy suitcase sets to trendy totes and essential packing accessories, too, here are some current road-tested favorite ...Read more

By Nicola Bridges

Staying cozy and comfy in all kinds of climates can make or break the enjoyment of any trip, both on the journey -- no matter the mode of transportation -- and at your destination. Anyone who travels will love to receive these favorites as go-to travel gifts.

Danner Fleece Collection, Wild Rye: First and foremost for ...Read more

By Nicola Bridges

If your kids love camping, they'll love getting gifts of games and gadgets for outdoor play and adventurous fun. From kid-play fake campfire s'mores to night-vision and glow-in-the-dark games, here are some favorites for tots to teens, many that are fun for the whole family to enjoy outdoors.

What's Next? A Life-size ...Read more

By Nicola Bridges

Speaking as someone who is constantly on the go, with bags packed and ready to leave at a moment's notice, I know for sure that it's the little things that make traveling easier, safer, more efficient and fun. It's why I love getting stocking stuffers that elevate my time on the road, whether globetrotting or going ...Read more

By Nicola Bridges

Devouring travel books takes me to places I've never been and might not get to. I love any kind of travel literature, from memoirs and destination must-sees to books about photography and art-centric coffee-table books. I love the look of gloriously visual global books beckoning a lazy perusal.

Here are some of my ...Read more

By Victor Block

Only in New York City would a neighborhood be known as SoHo, meaning south of Houston Street. Only in New York City would Houston be pronounced "how-stun." These eccentricities fade, however, in light of this Lower Manhattan district's colorful history, architectural splendor, superb shopping and dining opportunities, ...Read more

By Fyllis Hockman

"So where are we going," I asked my husband. "You'll see," he slyly replied.

So began our surprise road trip adventure, sponsored by Guess Where Trips' Tiny Towns Tours. Heading out from Washington, D.C., I giddily prepared for a day of -- well, I had no idea. What I did know was that there were five envelopes. The "...Read more

By Jim Farber

If you have ever wanted to go time-traveling, this is the moment and Los Angeles is the place. Within an easy stroll's distance along Wilshire Boulevard it is possible to visit three museums that can transport you to the prehistoric past of woolly mammoths and saber-tooth tigers, then beam you to Hollywood's vision of a ...Read more

By Jim Farber

Only two years separate the 1975 opening of Pasadena's Norton Simon Museum and the hillside campus of the ArtCenter College of Design in 1977. The Norton Simon is one of the most highly visible museums in the world since it shows up every New Year's Day as the televised backdrop for the Tournament of Roses Parade. ...Read more

By Nicola Bridges

Ice festivals conjure images of castle carvings, igloos and snowmen with perhaps an enchanted ice maze. Far from that man-made carved winter wonderland, however, is a thrilling ice festival of a different caliber where daring ice climbers scale giant frozen mountain waterfalls and ice pillars with just a pair of ice ...Read more

By Bonnie and Bill Neely

We were in Washington, D.C., for a special performance of The Washington Ballet at the Dupont Underground, and as long as we were there, we wanted to take in as much of the nation's capital as we could. There was plenty to do.

Like most visitors, our first stop was the National Mall to visit each of the dramatic...Read more

By Athena Lucero

Of the umpteen Little Italies scattered throughout the United States, San Diego's vibrant 48-square-block Italian neighborhood is the biggest in the nation. Famous for its celebrated dining scene and year-round Little Italy Merkato Farmers Market, it's surrounded by San Diego Bay, San Diego International Airport, Little ...Read more

By Victor Block

Betty Gordon and her husband, Don, were looking forward to a wide range of leisure activities and sightseeing opportunities as they checked into their vacation hotel. When they departed several days later, they had enjoyed everything on their wish list.

They had taken dips in the property's swimming pool and checked out ...Read more

By Victor Block

As a lifelong resident of Washington, D.C., I recently enjoyed a display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, that recalled the heyday of my hometown team's only two World Series championships in 1924 and 2019. Artifacts from those games are part of the vast collection that makes the ...Read more

By Fyllis Hockman

The year was 1954. For the first time in six years, the New York Yankees were not in contention for the World Series. But I didn't care. I spent the early school year racing home to watch my heroes on our tiny black-and-white TV set. I knew not only all the players -- Andy Carey on third, Mickey Mantle in center, Hank ...Read more

By Candyce H. Stapen

A bounty of good food awaits at the Delaware shore, a popular year-round escape for Washingtonians and other Mid-Atlantic residents, and the off-season proved to be one of the best times for a seaside culinary journey to the Rehoboth Beach region. The lack of crowds made getting table reservations easy, and the ...Read more

By Jim Farber

On Dec. 16, 1896, a successful mining investor and land speculator named Griffith J. Griffith donated 3,015 acres of land to the City of Los Angeles. Named in his honor, Griffith Park is an LA landmark, home to Griffith Observatory and the Autry Museum of the American West, both of which are hosting exhibits as part of PST...Read more