Discovering Fjords and Kilts Aboard Holland America’s Eurodam, Part 1
As the Eurodam slowly drifts past castles, lighthouses and tiny islands, I relax in a leather recliner at the Crow’s Nest bar, looking back on a wonderful 10-day “Fjords and Kilts” cruise through the north Atlantic. My adventure began on Friday in Copenhagen, Denmark, where I boarded the 930-ft.-long ms Eurodam. Launched last month, the [...]
Greg’s Getaway – Rustic Beach-Front Charm at Ventura’s Pierpont Inn
I’ve stayed in lots of beach-front hotels, some five-stars and some motel-like. But until a recent stop at the historic Pierpont Inn in Ventura, I had never encountered anything on the waterfront with such a mixture of luxury and rustic charm. Opened in 1910, the Pierpont Inn was designed by legendary architect Sumner P. Hunt, [...]
Greg’s Getaway – Art and Hidden Treasure in Laguna Beach
Some towns have a swagger, but Laguna Beach has a sway, kind of like an artist’s brush or a palm tree waving in a summer breeze. Located near the sands of Southern California, the city was made for weekend getaways. Like many, I visit Laguna each summer for the annual Festival of Arts and Pageant [...]
Greg’s Getaway – The Eurodam
MS Eurodam Takes to the Water for European Summer Fun Nothing says travel and adventure like a cruise ship. It can be easy, relatively inexpensive, and simple or luxurious. There are cruises for families, couples, singles, friends, business people, and more. And with exotic new ports opening all the time, it’s no wonder cruising has [...]
Greg’s Getaway – Mazatlan
Just when it seemed the sunset couldn’t get any more beautiful, it did. I pulled a half-empty Pacifico beer from a pile of ice in the sand and put the dark amber bottle to my eye, watching the giant flaming orb refract through the glass, before slowly sinking into the Pacific Ocean. Maybe it was [...]
Greg’s Getaway – Venice Beach
Venice Beach is a colorful menagerie of California beach city sights and sounds. It’s been called everything from eclectic and beautiful to weird and wild. But one thing it can’t be called is boring. I recently snuck away to the village and stayed a couple nights at the Inn at Venice Beach, a charming 43-room [...]
Greg’s Getaway – Barefoot Luxury on the Big Island of Hawaii
It was one of the most exotic and unique rooms I’ve ever stayed in. Built upon an ancient field of black lava rock, it looked like a hut on the surface of mars. But with secluded beaches only steps away, it was a true Polynesian paradise. My getaway to the Kona Village Resort began after [...]
Greg’s Getaway – Lake Constance, Swiss Style Part 2
The boat drifted down the Rhine River toward Lake Constance. I relaxed on deck with a plate of stroganoff, a cold beer and a front row seat to a classic Swiss countryside speckled with rolling hills, marshlands, charming hamlets, farms, chalets, colorful harbors, and the distant white peaks of the Alps. After stops in both [...]
Greg’s Getaway – Lake Constance, Swiss Style Part 1
In April of 1944, the tiny town of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, was mistaken as German territory and accidentally bombed by Allied planes. The town, which is the only sizeable chunk of Swiss territory on the north bank of the Rhine, survived -just as it has since medieval times. I visited Schaffhausen last summer, at the start [...]