I paid $900 a night to stay at a Victorian-era hotel full of New England charm. It was the ideal cozy getaway.

I've slept like a queen all over the world.

Everyone wants to save money on vacation, but steep discounts are rare for most — unless you are a high-profile celebrity, influencer, or, it seems, the mayor of New York City.

Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour" returns to the U.S. next month, and while I'm no Swiftie, I have a 9-year-old daughter who's a massive fan. I may not be able to belt out the lyrics to many of her songs, but I do have a ton of experience leveraging my travel credit cards and knowledge of points and miles to make memories with my family.

The Catskills does Autumn very well. A getaway in the fall provides a consolation for the end of summer. It feels like a homely embrace, offering comfort, warmth, and a sweep of color that will bring cheer to even the most die-hard warm-season devotees. As fall begins to drape across New York State, it’s the perfect time to book a getaway — after all, we deserve to celebrate this time of year in a place where the season is in its brightest incarnation. The Catskills’ Hamptonsification, however, means that a weekend in the mountains can quickly get expensive. There are some ways to do a getaway on the dime. One is to set a reminder for October 3, noon ET. On a first-served basis, Urban Cowboy Lodge, arguably the best cabin hotel in the area, is offering a stay on the Big Indian Wilderness for $24 per night.

Twelve hours is a long time for anyone to be on a plane.

On a cloudy day in Portland, Maine, with the sound of seagulls cawing overhead and the air thick with the smell of salty water, I spied him: TikTok's most famous lobsterman, dressed in a Luke's Lobster T-shirt and accompanied by a bearded camera operator, ready to catch content at any moment.

When the first of my grandmothers to die did so just over three years ago, I got her Vera Bradley tote bag. It was in the days after her funeral, possibly even the very next day, when cousins from out of town remained in town, that our freshly-widowed grandfather invited all of us over to go through her things together. He rightfully predicted that this would be at once a bonding experience for his far-flung progeny as well as a quick and collaborative way for him to distribute belongings of hers for which he had no use to those who might actually wear rather than merely appreciate them. Nobody could be upset, nobody could say, “Hey, where’s that Chanel jacket?” or harumph, “I didn’t get anything I wanted,” if we all did it together.

If a hotel full of children is not your idea of a vacation, why not try a getaway just for grown-ups? From posh city hotels to tropical resorts, these new and recently expanded adults-only escapes beckon solo travelers, couples and friends with nature hikes, classes like pottery and macramé, spa treatments, tequila tastings and perhaps the greatest luxury of all: peace and quiet.

Norwegian Cruise Line will debut two new entertainment offerings onboard its forthcoming ship Norwegian Aqua, which is scheduled to debut in April 2025.

Every fall, visitors seeking out fall colors throng to hot spots like the Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Berkshires in Massachusetts.

If I'm being honest, I would consider myself a bit of a scaredy-cat. I fear hanging my foot over the side of the bed, drinking water too quickly only for it to end up in my lungs, and, more notably, a fear of commitment.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Minreet Kaur. It has been edited for length and clarity.