This week’s Photo Friday (#FriFotos) theme is DOGS.  Pictured are two beach dogs and their walkers on an early morning stroll on Sanibel Island, FL. Caption: “Forgot that little dog!  We came here to walk, remember?”  

Every professional travel writer, it seems, has a happy place, a destination where they return not so much to gather new material, but to unwind and relax. For me, that place is Sanibel Island, Florida. My parents started taking us to Sanibel when I was a teenager. Eventually, they bought a condo...

By Natalie Pompilio, Contributing Writer When my sister and I were making our plans to visit the Harry Potter theme park at Universal Orlando Resort (the Wizarding World of Harry Potter) in Florida, the question we got most frequently was, “How many kids are in your party?”To which we answered,...

Rainbow City art installation by FriendsWithYou, Art Basel Miami 2010 It’s hard to tear yourself away from South Beach, especially the weather is nice and the beach is calling. But I found that some of the city’s most exciting art developments are happening on the other side of Biscayne...

Mappa, a tapestry by Alighiero e Boetti My favorite game when I go to museums is to pick out the one piece of art in the room that I’d most enjoy having in my house every day. It’s fun to play with other people, as you can compare tastes and debate styles. It also helps you realize what kind...

When I accepted a trip to Art Basel Miami Beach, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard about the fabulous parties, where celebrities such as Madonna, Naomi Campbell and Julian Lennon, swill champagne with the leading lights of the museum, gallery and art collecting worlds. But could an ordinary,...

The nail salon technician looked at the bottoms of my feet in disgust. “These are so dry,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “They need some work.” I winced, but I knew she was right. Since moving to chilly Seattle last June, I had changed my grooming habits – and not for the...

I loved many things about my first visit to Miami’s Art Basel, considered the U.S.’s most important art show. From the serious works by name artists at the Convention Center to the impromptu gallery built out of a moving van, the entire scene seemed ablaze with creative  energy. At the...

Five Reasons is a regular feature, where I outline the reasons why a destination is hot right now. If you’d like to run Five Reasons in your publication or on your website, contact me at chris@caroundtheworld.com. This week, I’m covering Tampa/St. Petersburg, where I spent New Year’s...

The Sanibel Thriller, a high speed boat tour of Sanibel and Captiva islands on Florida’s Gulf Coast didn’t appeal to me at first. For one, the weather was cold. And two, it cost $38 per adult for two hours – which seemed a little expensive for this unemployed writer (kids cost $25). But...