ArcaMax

How’s your stress level? I know it’s the middle of summer and we are supposed to be relaxing. BUT if we are on vacation, we have to watch the youngest travelers like a hawk in an unfamiliar environment. We may have experienced flight delays, lost luggage, car trouble, bad weather, annoying relatives … the list goes on and on.

AND if you ...Read more

Multilingual recording artist Miist has had a busy couple years, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I just came back from an amazing trip to Italy and France, and this past weekend to Los Angeles for recording a new single, ‘I Think I Lost a Day,’ with the incredible Tayte Nickols and the local band, Familiar Faces, at Apogee ...Read more

Europe is always changing – and Sicily’s capital, Palermo, is a fine example of this. For years, Palermo’s touristic reputation was tarnished by labels like gritty, run-down, polluted, traffic-clogged, crime ridden, and synonymous with Mafia violence. But those days are long gone. Palermo today is far cleaner, safer, and more inviting than...Read more

The Trump administration is debating whether to allow a planned U.S. stopover by Taiwan’s leader next week as concerns mount that it could derail trade talks with China and a potential summit with President Xi Jinping, according to people familiar with the matter.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te was planning to stop in New York on Aug. 4 ...Read more

The Wisconsin homeowner couldn’t have been nicer. Yes, he loved young children, he said, (mine were one and three at the time). Yes, there was plenty of space for them to run around. And his house was only a couple hours from where we lived in Chicago. It was October 1987.

I was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune then, and the travel editor ...Read more

For westerners, K-pop has become the umbrella term for any artist performing songs in Korean (and usually dancing along). But South Korea has a long history of pop and rock artists who don’t adhere to that stereotype. Catch The Young is the latest band to showcase their musical dexterity as much as their singing. They punctuate this point on ...Read more

While most first-time visitors to Europe choo-choose to travel by train, consider the convenience of driving. Behind the wheel you’re totally free, going where you want, when you want.

Driving in the British Isles is wonderful – once you remember to stay on the left and after you’ve mastered the roundabouts. But be warned: Every year I ...Read more

Did you remember to pack everyone’s rain gear?

With such unpredictable weather patterns these days, you never know when it’s going to rain on your vacation. If you are in the mountains, you can probably count on afternoon thunderstorms, but you can get drenched at the beach, theme parks (we memorably were stuck in a tropical storm at Walt ...Read more

Emmy-nominated actress Shannon Purser is best known for her work in “Stranger Things” and “Riverdale.” But she’s also a talented musician who pens contemplative songs like her latest, “Leave (Good Ending).” More recently, she was part of the cast of the stage production “La Cage Aux Folles.” “I had the best time,” said ...Read more

The land of the Basque people, split between Spain and France, is a "nation without a state” – left off the map when they drew Europe's national borders. Basque Country is often left out of travel itineraries too, and that's also a mistake. With sunny beaches, spectacular modern architecture, tasty tapas, and feisty, free-spirited people, ...Read more

What did you forget to pack for your last trip, or your next one?

I always forget something. Once, it was a child’s duffel as we were heading to Cape Cod. Another time it was my youngest daughter’s ski parka as we were heading to a snow resort. Both were relatively easy fixes.

But Dr. Christina Johns, a Maryland pediatric emergency ...Read more

The K-pop group ATEEZ has grown accustomed to breaking barriers. Since launching their career in 2018, the octet has had seven Top 10 albums in the Billboard 200, including two that topped the chart. Their single, “Lemon Drop,” made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in June. And their ongoing [IN YOUR FANTASY] world tour includes concerts ...Read more

Lately, I’ve really been enjoying what I consider to be the “second cities” of Europe, such as Naples in Italy, Marseille in France, and Hamburg in Germany. These places often have a rough, Industrial Age heritage and a rust-belt vibe that keeps them honest, unvarnished and nonconformist. Even though Glasgow is Scotland's largest and most...Read more

The grandmother has high expectations for the upcoming family reunion. “I just want the kids and grandkids to connect and get to know one another,” she beams. She’s worked hard planning lodging and activities for more than a year. Kudos to her!

Like many families, hers is scattered across the country and rarely gets together. Thus, this ...Read more

Thanks to her thriving stand-up career, comedian Atsuko Okatsuka has traveled around the world, sometimes with her family … on her honeymoon. “Our honeymoon trip to Taiwan – I brought my mom, grandma, dad and my stepmom,” she said in an interview from her Los Angeles home. “[I brought my husband] Ryan to a small village where I had ...Read more

When I'm traveling, I become a cultural chameleon. I love a good pilsner in Prague, red wine in Tuscany, and a cheese course in France. For a cheese-lover, savoring Europe means savoring its cheeses – they're not only part of the cuisine, they're part of the culture. Here are just a few tips on how to see Europe as a tasty festival of mold.

<...Read more

Love them or hate them? Not food, not drink, theme parks! Everyone has an opinion on scary rides, especially roller coasters. I had one child who couldn’t wait to test her mettle on the biggest coasters she could find. But another child in the family absolutely hated the experience.

This summer, according to a new report from homeandleisure/travel/takingthekids/s-3756403">Read more