Gatherings tips

It started with a phone call out of the blue. Like many celebrity chefs, Tom Colicchio–the charismatic head judge on Bravo’s Top Chef–had been approached about partnerships before. But something about this one, with The Jersey Tomato Co., resonated with the eight-time James Beard Award-winner and chef/owner of acclaimed restaurants Craft and Temple Court (New York); Craft Los Angeles; Heritage Steak and Craftsteak (Las Vegas); and Small Batch (Garden City, New York).

As we hurtle toward the end of 2023, many travelers are shifting their attention from planning holiday travel to next year's vacations. And savvy readers know how leveraging points and miles can be a key component in a strategy to save money as they look ahead to upcoming trips.

We’ve a lot to thank the trees for. Other than their vital role in the ecosystem, they’ve played an important part in mythology, agriculture, industry and medicine since humans first walked the Earth. Remarkably, a good number of the UK's most ancient trees — most of them yews and oaks — still stand today as living, breathing witnesses to centuries of British history. We take a look at some of the UK’s most fabled trees — and the intriguing stories that surround them.

Iceland is a beautiful country and one that has only grown in popularity over the past decade. The truth, however, is that the best time to visit Iceland depends on the trip you want to book.

The allure of autumn is undeniable. As the leaves turn a vivid tapestry of colors and the scent of apples and pumpkins fills the air, there's an added charm to setting off on a new adventure. Traveling during this time is truly a treat for the senses. Yet, for those embarking on the journey of Sober October, the usual travel experiences might come with a set of challenges, especially when alcohol seems to be intertwined with many celebratory events and gatherings.

Lots of hotels like to play up the merits of their lobby space, but as far as creating a warm welcome goes, the Hythe, a Luxury Collection Resort in Vail's Lionshead Village may just be the closest one can get to a platonic ideal.

Holiday tradition usually dictates staying home for a large gathering with the extended family. But celebrating away can be an exciting prospect. You might not think it, but spending the holidays somewhere else can be much less stressful than hosting or staying with relatives. A vacation rental provides a neutral territory and a much-needed break from your normal holiday routine. All you need to do is to choose a festive place to go. A good place to start is with the country’s most popular Christmas cities. New York City, Santa Claus, Williamsburg, Park City, and Santa Barbara are the most sought-after destinations in the US for the holidays, and these are the best family-friendly Christmas Airbnbs perfect for a Yuletide gathering.

I just returned from an incredible weekend in Guatemala for PeaceJam's annual conference in San Lucas Toliman with fellow TPGers Courtney Loughran (senior financial planning and analysis associate), Emily Thompson (credit cards writer) and Hannah Streck (senior SEO manager). We also were joined by The Points Guy founder Brian Kelly and his 1-year-old son Dean.

While most airline passengers are (understandably) focused on what they can’t bring through TSA, there’s actually a substantial list of unexpected items that the agency does allow through the airport checkpoint. Objects spanning home appliances and obscure sports equipment, to live sea creatures and full-on platters of food are routinely processed in the security line. And while we’re not exactly sure some of these things are realistic to pack, it’s nice to know you have the choice—just in case.

If you know me, you know how much I love planes, and as an AvGeek to the core, it gives me joy to share my love of everything aviation.

Long before white settlement and Lewis and Clark tramped through the area now known as Missoula, the Séliš and Qĺispé buffalo hunters gathered in the place where the Blackfoot and the Clark Fork Rivers meet to plan and reconnoiter, and to tell stories of their dangerous hunts.

Any trip to Paris is incomplete without a visit to Pigalle, but a trip to Pigalle can be enough to satiate Parisian cravings.

In earlier eras, notables such as Theodore Roosevelt, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Thoreau, Emerson, Sinclair Lewis held court on the grounds of Troutbeck, a private estate since the 1700s in the eastern stretch of the Hudson Valley. These days, since reopening as a resort in 2017, the property is still a cultural gathering place on its 250 acre, Lower Berkshires spread but now the guests are mostly serenity seeking New Yorkers up from the city a two hour drive or train ride away. (Out of staters also fly into Stewart International Airport an hour away). And there are new additions and others in the works to attract them all.

The Hawaiian Islands in general, and Maui in particular, have been remarkably resilient over the last four years. First, Covid shut the islands down, and this quick action slowed the spread of illness to locals. When visitors were welcomed back, the proverbial floodgates opened, and talk of over-tourism began almost immediately. That delicate balance played out across all the islands over the next couple of years. Then, the town of Lahaina, Maui’s historical heart and soul, was destroyed by fire just last month, effectively shutting down tourism for several weeks. While the governor will officially welcome visitors back to all parts of the island (except Lahaina) on October 8th, the return will be understandably slow. Many travelers are reluctant to travel to Maui for fear of getting in the way of cleanup efforts and, more psychologically, visiting for pleasure while so many locals are suffering.

With summer vacations currently in full swing, travelers have now blurred the seasonal lines making the summer the Caribbean’s new high season. According to several reports, air travel to the Caribbean for the period from June through August 2023 (typically low season) shows almost a 50% increase in booked flights over the same months in 2019. As more tourists seek beach getaways to the Caribbean this summer, the demand has increased for beachy Caribbean villas where travelers can gather with friends and loved ones while enjoying luxury accommodations and near-perfect beach weather.