Wine and Spirits Travel

The morning started with breakfast in the executive lounge at the Ocatilla section of the Arizona Biltmore . The selection rivaled many restaurant buffets. I sat down with my croissant, yogurt and fruit alongside Susan Campbell, my friend and fellow travel writer, and Becky Blaine of the Biltmore. Ocatilla was opened in 2009 as a preferred club for guests who wanted a more personalized experience. The section has its own pool and executive lounge, with access available for all staying in the building. Everyone also gets extra amenities, such as complimentary shoe shining, clothes pressing, coffee with your morning paper and a concierge available to you at all times. I was surprised to learn just how much American history was in this Waldorf Astoria property. It had been designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and owned by William Wrigley, giving this Phoenix hotel some Chicago ties. To further the connection, the Cubs have spring training in the area and baseball fans

A few months ago I wrote about the Stories Beat Stuff contest to win trips to New Zealand. The first phase of the competition is complete and now it’s time for Tourism New Zealand to get on to the second – and give away more trips. Things have gotten even more exciting as the prize value has increased from $20,000 to $30,000 and there are two more experiences for you to compete for. The key to the competition is how far you are willing to go for a trip of a lifetime. In this case, you need to make a video or take a picture explaining exactly what you would trade for that trip. Then, you need to get as many votes as possible. Ask your friends to help out too because you can bring three friends along on this trip at no cost to them! I’m really excited about this contest because I’m still planning a trip of my own to New Zealand. While I don’t have to trade anything for it, I’d love to hear more about what adventures I should add to my trip. Here are the two new ones added t

I had spent virtually no time in the Phoenix area of Arizona and I was excited about this trip for a number of reasons. Susan Campbell and I met by email two years ago when we were both trying to get money from a publisher who hadn’t paid us. We struck up a cyber-friendship and always talked about going on a trip together. Our available dates never seemed to coincide. Finally, she received an invitation to The Boulders and I to the Arizona Biltmore and Sanctuary at Camelback . With the help of the Phoenix area tourism board, we were able to put together this trip. My travel was uneventful, despite reports of a rare impending snow and sand storm coming to Phoenix! . Susan’s flight from Montreal was delayed just enough to have us come in around the same time and we met for the very first time in front of the Thrifty Car Rental desk in Phoenix. Since we both have photos with our stories throughout the internet it was easy to spot each other and we were ready for our advent

I spent most of my life in New York, but the truth is I spent very little of that in Manhattan. As a teen, I would go in on my school breaks for shopping or theater, and as an adult it was mostly a trip into the city to see a play, have dinner, or meet friends for drinks. I had never spent four days staying there before and I was determined to finish it with as much as possible. My daughter Sam met me in the morning at my friend Liza’s and we headed over to drop my things at The Library Hotel . I had stayed at two of this brand’s sister hotels previously (Hotel Elysee and Casablanca) and absolutely loved them. This one proved to be just as unique. With an evening social hour (great wine and cheese spread) and a big European breakfast, you can’t possibly get more for your dollar in New York. Plus, there’s also the indiivudality of the hotel. This one – “Library” – has each floor dedicated to a subject and each room to a subdivision.  My room was 20th Century History and was fil