Modified from story written by William J. Purpura and originally appeared in AAA's Home & Away magazine.

Bobbie Thomas’ path to NBC’s Today show is best described as unconventional. During her three years of graduate studies, she volunteered as an advocate and counselor at the Valley Trauma Center in Van Nuys, Calif., a rape crisis treatment facility.

Later she served as the West Coast editor and columnist for two national teen magazines, J-14 and Twist. Soon, Thomas found herself moving from print to television, doing work for Fox, CNN, VH-1, MTV, ABC, Style Network, E! News and Extra.

Her work is part fashion, part beauty and part female empowerment. ... Read More

New York City is known for its many great restaurants and especially great Italian places. You can now add another spot to your “must eat” list, but this one goes beyond other restaurants that merely offer a dining experience.  

Eataly, N.Y., is not only one of the world's largest artisanal Italian wine and food marketplaces, but it also has a wide selection of outlets that serve Italian foods created from the many products on hand. Famous TV chefs Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich are among the partners behind the operation, and other top New York City chefs and suppliers contribute to the various offerings. ... Read More

You don’t have to be a shopaholic to enjoy a sneak peek into those mysterious showrooms where clothing designers pitch their concepts to retailers. My curiosity got the best of me, so I signed up for a behind-the-scenes tour of New York’s Garment District, intriguing because these wholesale showrooms are normally closed to the public. ... Read More

As a writer traveling on assignment to the Big Apple, I couldn’t help but notice that a handful of artisanal chocolatiers and innovative bakers had set up shop in the Bowery area of the East Village. With visions of bonbons and other decadent delights beckoning from charming window displays, I set out to conduct some firsthand research. I feel compelled to share my sugary findings with AAA TravelViews readers. ... Read More

Much of my responsibility for AAA involves driving to travel destinations, but not necessarily experiencing them. So, I decided to take a scenic drive trip in my territory with time to enjoy it. From New York City, I drove up I-87 and traveled the Route 17 corridor through the southern part of New York State, a route brought me through the beautiful landscape that is the Sullivan County Catskills. Along the way, I ventured off the highway to sites of interest.... Read More

 
Question: My husband and I were hoping to take our 3 kids (ages 7,9 and 12) on a driving vacation this August. We were hoping to combine Cedar Point, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cooperstown and Niagara Falls. Since we will be leaving from Chicago, can you suggest an order of attractions or are we planning to visit too many different spots in the course of 9 days? Also, which side of Niagara Falls would you recommend?

Answer: This sounds like an ideal vacation for your family and nine days may be... Read More

Question: Darrell asks: I am going to New York and would like to see a Broadway show. I can order tickets online but I have heard that before the show starts there is a period of time when they sell cheap tickets. Can you tell me anything about that?

Answer:  Yes, discount Broadway theater tickets are available at the TKTS booths in New York City, ... Read More

It’s your first trip to New York City, and you’re only staying for 48 hours. What to do? That was our challenge, and we managed to pack a week’s worth of sightseeing into two exhilarating days.

The first morning, we flew into LaGuardia and checked into the Casablanca, a wonderful little boutique hotel on 43rd Street, steps away from Times Square and the Theater District. From here, we could ... Read More

It is a truly fab time to be a Beatle fan. The new Rock Band: The Beatles is out this week and is creating a massive amount of buzz as it will turn on millions of new Beatle fans among the young  gamer generation.  On the very same day, the newly re-mastered and digitized catalog of the Beatle albums recorded from 1962-70 is being released and the smorgasbord of options (sets or individual, stereo or mono) is enough to keep us Beatlemaniacs up all night for weeks, listening for the 101st time to each song for yet another subtle nuance. I have been an... Read More

     This post, the last in a series, has been contributed by Vonnette Monteith, whose family won a Best Western 'Retro To Now' Road Trip.

     Boston is one of our all time favorite cities and we were happy to have an excuse to visit it again.  The kids made a few stipulations after having me drag them all over for the last four days.  No walking and nothing historic!  I hated to break it to them that they would have to spend the entire day with their eyes... Read More