24 Hours…in NYC

NYC at Night; Empire State Building

The song ends, “the best that you can do is fall in love…” While it is meant to bring Dudley Moore and Liza Minelli  together at the end of “Arthur“, the concept isn’t lost on me as I stand on the balcony of my 15th floor hotel room, overlooking the iconic Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.

New York City is a little bit of everything in 34-square-miles: it’s inspiring, exciting, daunting, sexy, stunning, inviting, disturbing, dream-like and mesmerizing. It can blow a 5-year-old’s mind, as she watches the characters of “The Lion King” come to life before her eyes, or bring out the kid in any adult during the tree lighting in Rockefeller Square every December. New York can be complicated – it can cut a young business owner’s dream in half with 50% less funding or forbid a blind date’s dream of love when the ex walks in the door. It can also be the city where dreams come true.

Dancers pirouette on Broadway, entrepreneurs invest on Wall Street, restaurant owners taste-test in Chelsea, artists inspire in SoHo, students co-habitate in the Upper East Side, historians investigate on Ellis Island, tourists stop and gaze at buildings as if they don’t have tall steel structures where they’re from. Whatever borough you’re in, there’s something new to see, do and feel. Continue Reading…

Travel…Through the Eyes of a 12-Year-Old

Seat 13A, through the eyes of a child

As adults, we inherently worry about everything. We make things more complicated and often spend too much time analyzing something as simple as why he won’t call, why she said what she did, or whether forgetting where we put the car keys means early signs of Alzheimer’s. We take the easiest task and over-complicate it, and we’re good at it. But sometimes it takes a child’s mind to remind us about the simpler things in life… and how simple things can really be…

I make a point to spend as much time with my nephews (12- and 14-years-old), given my busy schedule. When I’m traveling, we communicate via text messages and we have one very specific rule: Wherever I go, I bring back a pin from my destination. For an easy $2, we get a memory. They have a corkboard on their bedroom walls with all the pins I’ve brought back from cities around the world. It’s our “thing”, and it’s simple.

Yesterday I took time out to watch the 12-year-old’s hockey practice. I went to the rink, and after practice we were going for pizza. A perfect evening. Time alone will open your eyes to what’s happening in their lives — math homework, substitute teachers, class photos and sports try-outs. He asked where I was off to next and I replied, “New York.” He reminded me to bring back a pin and then stopped and asked, “Mel, do you like what you do?”

“Yes, I love it. But it’s hard work,” I said. And then, the 12-year-old looked at me and said, simply:

“What’s so hard? You write essays all day about places around the world, and the people are nice to you because they want you to write something nice about them.” Continue Reading…

Politics Power Moment: Me and Sen. Kennedy

Who says women can’t … do just about anything? This is the question posed by the editors of ForbesWoman, and I challenge you all to consider finishing the statement. Here’s my ending:

My ‘power’ moment came in 2002, when I was standing outside the doors to the House Floor, watching then-president George W. Bush give the first State of the Union address after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. After four intense years working toward my master’s in journalism, I was awarded a fellowship as a Washington DC correspondent. My beat: Politics, baby. I was covering Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including Sen. Ted Kennedy and Rep. Barney Frank, two key legislators in a very pivotal time in our country.

I was petrified to leave Boston. I had a great apartment, amazing friends and a job that paid the bills. But after many sleepless nights, a petition for a leave of absence from the company I was working for, and an unforgettable party thrown in my honor, I packed up the rental car and drove to Washington, DC. My mission: to attend the State of the Union address.

My mentor and then-editor of Fortune Magazine’s Washington bureau said to me, ‘This is Washington. If you want it, don’t stop until you get it. Make yourself known, and fast.’ And so I did. Continue Reading…

Hotel ‘Bucket List’: Luxury Hotels Around the World

If there’s one thing I love it’s a good hotel. The fine pressed-linens, the smell of the freshly-cleaned room, the views from top floors, the shine of marble in the lobby, and the attention to detail – from smiling check-in desk agents to personalized pillows – all play a part in a successful hotel stay.

As I prepare for some upcoming trips to new hotels, I started thinking about my hotel wish-list — my ‘ bucket list’ of hotels, the hotels I must stay in before I kick it. Here they are, in no particular order. If you’ve stayed at any of these hotels – or have hotels to add to this list – please let me know!

St. Regis Hotel, New York

St. Regis, New York: This one seems so simple, but still so far away. I’ve always had a fascination with the St. Regis. I remember the first time I saw the entrance to this hotel in Manhattan -the gold, the marble, the fountains; so grand and exquisite. I vowed one day to stay at the St. Regis, but only when I could afford to do it right. Note to the St. Regis: When I do finally get my room at the hotel, you can be certain I’m not leaving for the duration of the stay.

Four Seasons Lana’i, Hawaii: The beauty of this hotel has captivated me since I was first introduced to it by my friend Stacy at Elite Travel International. I’ve never been to Hawaii, and didn’t have a huge desire to go until I saw this hotel. Admiring the Pacific Ocean from the balcony at this hotel would be magical.

Tango Mar, Costa Rica: My plan is to do a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, but then I found Tango Mar and thought, why not combine yoga with spa? Continue Reading…

24 Hours…in Sedona

Red Rocks at Dusk: Sedona, Arizona

It started off as a simple getaway: three days in Arizona, one of which would be spent at the Hilton Sedona spa, the other two days would go-with-the-flow, mood depending.

I arrived in Phoenix early Friday morning, Aug. 28, and spent the afternoon driving through Camelback Mountain and enjoying the scenery. That evening, I met one of my favorite people, the owner of SingleMindedWomen.com, for dinner.  We dined on steak, drank wine and reminisced like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years… a wonderful way to start your vacation.

The next morning I was on my way to Sedona by 8 a.m. The sky was a clean slate of blue, the heat was just peaking at its morning high and the radio was programmed to some of my favorite stations. Me and my rental KIA SUV were off down I-10 toward Flagstaff, next stop: Sedona.

The two-hour drive was desert-like, and no surprise: driving through Arizona leaves a lot to be considered, unless you’re into cactus. Turning off the road on Rt 189 to Sedona, the landscaped the changed and immediately I was drawn into the Red Rocks. Many have said that the Red Rocks produce a power unexplainable to man, but embraced by all: I think it’s entirely possible. Within seconds, you’re captivated by the beauty and history of the rocks and without hesitation, an entire day has passed without checking email, text messages or searching for a cell phone signal. Instead, the day is spent exploring, intrigued and interested about your surroundings. Before you know it, you’ve hiked 3.5 miles, burned thousands of calories (thanks to the Arizona heat in summer) and captured some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the US. Continue Reading…

Fall Planning: New York, Miami and Mexico

A quick recipe for rejuvenation is a long weekend at a great hotel in a familiar city, add in a spa treatment and an excellent meal at a new restaurant, and you’ll feel revived and ready to go. Sometimes, these escapes are as simple as booking a hotel room in your own city. Other times, I’ll hop a cheap flight to New York or Miami (thanks to JetBlue from Boston) and spend a weekend at a new hotel, exploring the new sites of the familiar cities.

Here’s a look at my upcoming fall trips:

New York: Even though New York is my second home, I still experience new things every time I’m in the Big Apple. This time around, I’ll be trying out a few new hotels and meeting up with some new friends.

Hotels: The Roosevelt, Affinia Shelburn

Miami: The parents have laid on the guilt about my not visiting Florida, so I’m taking a quick trip to Miami to visit the Mandarin Oriental and the new Viceroy Hotel, and to see Mom and Dad. What’s sexier than South Beach, really?

Hotel: Mandarin Oriental, The Viceroy

Mexico: The 4-day girls weekend takes place over Halloween weekend at the Karisma El Dorado Royale in the Riveria Maya. I’ll be working on some articles re: culinary travel while the girls test out the tequila bar.