I had the great fortune of being on a trip organized by Trafalgar Tours, specifically, its Be My Guest program, which opens usually closed doors and permits travelers to utterly savor the tastes and notions of a region. On my trip, I visited gorgeous Tuscany in Italy.

Normally, I avoid group tours, but I was so busy laughing and learning on this trip that none of the usual tour group dynamics—monotone guide voices, instantly forgotten facts, half-stabs at visiting anywhere, etc.—were able to seep in. And joy of joys, there always seemed to be red wine to sip and fried zucchini flowers to munch on. ... Read More

Thousands of visitors are expected to fill the streets of Indianapolis throughout the week leading up to Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012.

While many of those out-of-town guests will dedicate their time in the Circle City to football-related activities, it’s important to realize that Indianapolis has many other types of attractions and offerings. ... Read More

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

San Francisco is one of the world’s great restaurant cities. In addition to a plethora of Four and Five Diamond establishments, it offers a global smorgasbord of savory delights, not to mention the bounty of nature’s table by way of the greater Bay Area’s many organic farms.

But I’m here to help answer the question of where you can turn when you need to fill your stomach without relying on an expense account or owning a wallet that faints at the thought of Gary Danko or The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton. What if you just want to eat some good, well-prepared food that won’t break the bank? Keep reading; I have some recommendations. ... Read More

Tailgating has two definitions according to Wikipedia. One involves driving too closely behind another vehicle, which as a professional driver and a AAA employee, I do not condone. 

The other is a social event that takes place around the tailgate of a vehicle and “involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food.” While correct, this simple definition lacks the tradition, the spirit and the overall sense of camaraderie that tailgating brings to fellow sports fans. ... Read More

Things don’t always go as planned. Two years ago, when I was 38, I ran down the ramp at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium and crossed the marathon finish line in just under four hours. Perfect, I thought. Two more years, and I’ll be 40 and in prime condition to finally qualify for the Boston Marathon.

But that was then. Now, as my Aer Lingus flight taxied toward the gate in Dublin, Ireland, things had changed. I was now 40 and still had my Boston Marathon dreams but qualifying in Dublin wasn’t on my mind. ... Read More

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

One of America’s memorable entertainers has his heart pinned on the Wolverine State. It is a chilly night and Ann Arbor is wrapped tightly in a bone-drilling early-winter blanket of cold. Inside the Blind Pig, though, upstate New Yorker Julia Nunes has the heat cranked up as she delivers husky-voiced sets of rock vocals to an adoring college-age crowd.

As good and edgy as Nunes is, she’s no Ann Arbor anomaly. The city’s bars, theaters, art studios and restaurant kitchens are teeming with her kind of explosive talent, which explains why southeast Michigan is such a draw for those in search of all things artful. ... Read More

Hitting the Winter Park Farmers Market is one of the best reasons I can think of to get up bright and early on a Saturday morning. Tackling my laundry? Not exactly an incentive to roll out of bed. Cleaning the house? I can certainly think of more exciting things to do. Strolling around with coffee in hand, eyeing the fresh fruits and veggies and beautiful displays of plants? Now that’s more like it. ... Read More

Baltimore is known as the Charm City – and I must admit, I was charmed by it.  Since I was tasked with shipping my son’s vehicle to Germany at the Port of Baltimore, I thought I might as well spend some time poking around the city. 

It was a pleasant, stress-free six-hour drive from Cleveland to Baltimore. As always, the AAA TripTik provided accurate, easy-to-follow directions. (And I still don’t trust a GPS.)

My home for my two-night stay was the Hampton Inn Downtown Convention Center. This Three Diamond hotel is located across the street from Oriole Park at Camden Yards and close to a couple of attractions that I was planning to visit. Public transit stops are just a few blocks away.... Read More

Santa Fe has long been known as the place to visit for art lovers who wish to browse the 250 galleries situated throughout the small, accessible city, located on Canyon Road near the Plaza and the historic Railroad District.

But for lovers of the culinary arts, Santa Fe promises a similar bounty of restaurants to explore and enjoy. ... Read More