A tourist and a participant in Brazil's Carnival

It was near midnight and the rain-drenched streets had already stained my white satin slippers. A Napoleon-style hat, adorned with golden...

A $2.55 elephant encounter in Thailand

It was, unquestionably, the best $2.55 I've ever spent on vacation.

Moscow on the cheap

Boasting posh restaurants, luxury boutiques and a flock of millionaires who indulge in them, Moscow is considered one of the most...

Hop aboard for Albania coast

Somewhere on Earth there must be a cheaper, easier, more exotic cruise, packed with even more beautiful sights and filled with more history,...

Camping across Europe in a van

We're packing the mobi for a madcap trip across Europe to see as much as we can in 18 days. If this trip goes badly, it's our daughter's...

Finding high-end vacations for less

Everybody loves a deal, and the emergence of several deal-centric luxury travel websites suggests that affluent people -- or those who...

Lessons of a family vacation in Spain

My husband, Tony; my daughter, Callie, 15; and son Zeke, 12, and I spent 10 days traveling in Spain in July. Callie had been living with a...

San Francisco vs. San Diego: Which is the better getaway?

Every year, millions of people find themselves craving a vacation from greater Los Angeles. Many of these people don't want to cross state...

Inner Julia Child, please come out now

Until recently, the closest thing I'd come to a cooking class was watching the demo station at Trader Joe's. After seeing "Julie & Julia," I...

Hollywood discovered Guadalupe Dunes decades ago

Beneath untold tons of sands, the ancient Egyptian city is no longer intact. But what remains is in good condition. Shielded from the...

San Francisco's Presidio snaps to attention

For any San Franciscan worth his salt, the 1,491-acre wooded site known as the Presidio -- and its fate -- has been part of their lives...

San Francisco's flower power days

It's a bittersweet experience, chasing down hippie history in San Francisco. But at least the geography is simple.

San Diego's naval side

Since World War I, the Navy has been big in San Diego -- so big, in fact, that locals and tourists alike tend to take it for granted. But...

Brides could be walking down the vineyard aisle

More wedding bells could ring at Napa Valley wineries after a tough economic year that has some saying yes to a proposal to revise rules...

Budget-friendly weekend escapes

Want to travel more but spend less in 2010? It's not wishful thinking. If a cruise or a European tour isn't in the cards, you can tap the...

So many wineries, so little time

Even if you spit, hire a designated driver and plan your route with the efficiency of a mom navigating Costco, there are only so many...

Oasis of the Seas: Does size really matter?

"Wait'll you see the ship!" Myra, the Royal Caribbean check-in agent, gushed as I prepared to board the Oasis of the Seas. "We're going to...

Victoria is latest queen in Cunard's lineage

The rising sun peeked under red-orange clouds splayed over the Caribbean port of Cristóbal and backlighted the small armada of ships...

The repositioning cruise fare game

Without too much effort, even a novice can snare a great fare on a one-way repositioning cruise.

Getting into shipshape on a macrobiotic cruise

Recently, a kid named Sandy Pukel, whom I haven't seen since high school, tracked me down through Facebook. Turns out he is no longer a...

Cruises that fit the (modest) bill

Colin Markland relishes the feel of an ocean breeze as it musses his white hair. The 80-year-old retired doctor lives in Charleston, S.C.,...

Water, water everywhere on Oasis' deck

"Think of bouncing up and down in the back of the school bus," Scott Butler says. "Now think of 135,000 gallons of water bouncing up from...

Oasis of the Seas' food options

When Oasis of the Seas is sailing at capacity, the food staff will prepare about 35,000 meals a day, from pizza and burgers to the $75...

First-timer finds that there might be something small cruises

When a trusted friend told me she loved her last cruise, my curiosity piqued. After all, she lives in a downtown loft and knows her Claret...

Once around the British Isles

Invaders have long stormed Britain's shores from ships. Now, increasing numbers are storming ashore -- waving wallets instead of swords --...