Where to Go Wild on San Francisco's Urban Trails
from Marriott Traveler
Getting the most out of your trip to San Francisco is all about balance. While you clearly want to hang out in iconic San Francisco neighborhoods like Chinatown and Haight-Ashbury, you’ll miss out if you don’t spend time in the city’s great outdoors. Here are a few fresh-air forays you can take just minutes from San Fran’s concrete jungle. Read more here.
A live Music Lover’s Guide to Asheville
from Marriott Traveler
You don’t really have to go anywhere to hear live music in Asheville, North Carolina. Buskers congregate on downtown sidewalks to play “newgrass” aka Americana. If it’s a Friday night, follow the locals to Pritchard Park for the drum circle. There’s probably no better place to chill like an Ashevillian. But, in case you need a few more options, here are some other live music spots to hit. Read more here.
HOW TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THE HEART OF PARIS
from Marriott Traveler
The idea of Paris started on Ile de la Cité, one of two natural islands in the Seine where the Celtic Parisii tribe first settled in pre-Roman times. Less than a mile long, Ile de la Cité has the essential old-school sights and hidden charms meant for a day of discovery. Cross Pont-Neuf to hang in one of the most walkable and distinctive Paris neighborhoods. Read more here.
Savor Every Sip at Napa Valley Wineries
from Marriott Traveler
The little slice of Northern California heaven called Napa Valley is home to approximately 400 wineries. You could spend a lifetime visiting the many tasting rooms, but with limited time, how do you hit the highlights? It’s all about the wine, after all, so why not start with the varietals that Napa does best?
From your Napa Valley hotel, you can easily visit the many wineries that produce a handful of varietals like no other place on earth. We’ve culled the list for you and recommend the following three as must-taste stops. Read more here.
When Travel Imitates Art: Spots Where Philadelphia Inspired Pop Culture
from Marriott Bonvoy
The City of Brotherly Love has long played muse to artists of all kinds, and Philadelphia’s people and places have earned a permanent position in pop culture. Although the Main Line mansion of Katherine Hepburn’s character in the “The Philadelphia Story” was built on Hollywood’s MGM studio stages, there are real Philadelphia sites where you can walk (or jog) in the footsteps of iconic characters from page and screen.
Be a Contender
The Philadelphia Museum of Art has masterpieces by Michelangelo and Rubens and modern stars such as Cy Twombley. But a surprising number of visitors never make it through the front doors; they just jog up the 72 front steps and jab their fists in the air victoriously like Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky.” In fact, this re-enactment is one of the most popular things to do in Philadelphia. Whether you’re up for the stair challenge or not, have your photo taken with the two-ton bronze Rocky, located to the northeast of the steps.
The details: Keep your Rocky vibe going with a trip to the Italian Market and lunch at the uber-popular Paesano’s where the sandwiches are as big as your head. Read more here.
Cold-Weather Honeymoon Destinations to Warm Your Heart
from Mariott Traveler
For a vacation that’s cool in every sense of the word, consider one of these honeymoon destinations where the weather doesn’t have to be warm for the sparks to fly.
Prague, Czech Republic
Share a kiss in Prague on the medieval Charles Bridge, where “the city of 100 golden spires” is laid out before you. Legend says that if you touch the bridge’s Baroque statue of St. John, you’ll have good luck and you’ll always return to Prague. Plan your visit for sunset and continue on the Royal Route to Prague Castle. If you’re lucky you may pass the cloaked figure of the city’s lamplighter turning on the gaslights that give Prague a romantic glow. Stroll the city’s Christmas markets with a cup of svařené víno (hot mulled wine) in one hand and a trdelník sweet pastry in the other as you shop for hand-painted glass ornaments. Read more here.
5 Best Places for Finger-Lickin’ Fried Chicken in the Big Peach
from Mariott TravelerAtlanta’s ever-growing and ever-changing food scene still leaves room for a few constants: You can always get a good sweet tea and you never have to go far for tasty fried chicken. Here are a few places to start.
Watershed on Peachtree. Walking into light-filled, contemporary Watershed on Peachtree, you might expect a menu as fresh and pared-down as the design scheme. But this is New South cuisine and the mac n’ cheese and cornbread are still there. They’ve just been citified. The same is true for the Wednesdays-only fried chicken, which is soaked first in saltwater, then buttermilk before it’s fried in lard and butter with a touch of pork fat. The resulting texture is beyond juicy: It melts in your mouth. And the biscuits that come with it are so fluffy, you don’t feel stuffed.
.The General Muir. Better known for its pastrami and matzoh ball soup, The General Muir started getting “best New York Jewish deli in Atlanta” accolades from the time it opened in 2013. Co-owned by James Beard semi-finalist Todd Ginsberg and Ben and Jen Johnson (also owners of Atlanta’s West Egg), this diner-deli began serving fried chicken on Friday nights, a little more like a Friday night Shabbat family dinner on the Upper West Side than a Southern picnic. Ginsberg’s approach involves steaming before frying and dredging the chicken in cornstarch with just a touch of flour. The result is a skin texture that’s more crisp than crunchy, almost like a shell, sealing in the moisture and flavor. Come early as this famous fried chicken typically sells out.