Beth DAddono

Palm Springs, California became famous for being a haven for the Hollywood glitterati, with stars from Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe to the Sinatra-led Rat Pack using the desert city for rambling and rejuvenation. It’s equally renowned for its desert modernism architecture inspiring the Modernism Week that celebrates its form and substance every year.
But Palm Springs is only one of nine desert cities that make up the golf course-studded oases flanked by the San Jacinto Mountains and Joshua ...

In Nola, you can “Do Whatcha Wanna,” as the city’s free-spirited unofficial anthem goes. Here’s a shortlist for your next visit.
New Orleans isn’t defined by Bourbon Street, or even the French Quarter. My favourite city in the world, which I’m lucky enough to call home, is a complex mash-up of cultures, neighbourhoods, green spaces, art, music, and food and drink scenes. Naturally, exploring the French Quarter for its architecture, lacy ironwork and hidden courtyards is a must. But wander bey...

From art to history to food, there's so much to take in
There's a lot more to visiting Phoenix than luxury spas, golf courses and fancy resorts.
As one of the largest cities in the United States, Phoenix is home to more than 4.6 million people, a number growing at an unprecedented pace. It’s also home to dozens of distinct communities, from artsy Old Town Scottsdale to a revitalized downtown district and the lake-studded area around the University of Arizona. And while some 19 million visitor...

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Ora king salmon with French lentils at Chemin à la Mer | Credit: Chemin à la Mer
Although some beloved New Orleans restaurants, such as Upperline and Green Goddess, closed during the pandemic, an astonishing number of new gathering places opened, proof positive that the city’s love affair with food is everlasting. Here are six restaurant reservations to make right now, spots homey and haute, all delivering the gracious New Orleans welcome for which the city is world-renowned.
NOW OP...

A triad of alligators glide across the lake, moving perfectly in tandem with the grace of prehistoric synchronized swimmers. On the opposite shore, a great blue heron stands motionless in the water, scanning the shallows for prey, ready for a lightning strike. At every turn the lake is alive, dragonflies helicoptering along the surface and a low rumble of cicadas and frogs filling the twilight air.
Although this is a scene played over and over at lakes around the state, this particular bucoli...

By Beth D’Addono
There’s no shame in loving the water but not the beach. For the sun and sand-averse – and you know who you are – the idea of sizzling on a crowded lido, sticky with sand, is the antithesis of fun. That doesn’t mean immunity to the restorative balm of coastline views and lake vistas on the shore. Instead, drawn to the smell of salt air and water views stretching towards the horizon, this traveler just needs more. For small town charm, local eats and outdoor fun, consider these...

Palm Springs, California became famous for being a haven for the Hollywood glitterati, with stars from Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe to the Sinatra-led Rat Pack using the desert city for rambling and rejuvenation. It’s equally renowned for its desert modernism architecture inspiring the Modernism Week that celebrates its form and substance every year.
But Palm Springs is only one of nine desert cities that make up the golf course-studded oases flanked by the San Jacinto Mountains and Joshua ...

Despite a rough 2020 season, the cruise industry is sailing again.
In the pandemic’s earliest days, between February and mid-March 2020, three cruise ship voyages resulted in more than 800 confirmed COVID cases and 10 deaths, according to the CDC. All of a sudden, cruising – an industry that is rabidly adored by an estimated 30 million passengers every year – became dangerous to one’s health.
The CDC essentially closed cruising down on March 14, 2020 – the same time lockdowns reverberated aro...

Hangovers aren’t a rare malady in New Orleans, where drinks are ordered to go and self-restraint is an endangered species. Thank goodness that yaka mein, also known as yaka meat or Old Sober, is this town’s tried and true hangover cure, best slurped late at night or when you’re rolling out of bed the next morning looking for hefty chow.
A staple at second lines (sort of like a mobile musical party that you can join as it passes by) and city festivals, this crossbreed of Asian and African Amer...

Like many people who find success from hard work, Dwynesha “Chef Dee” Lavigne says yes first, then figures it out on the back end. It’s how she wound up with her own pastry business Deelightful Desserts; how she landed a regular cooking spot on WWL on Sunday mornings; and it’s why she’s the newly named education director of cooking classes at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFab) in New Orleans.
Lavigne’s baking comes in all kinds of forms, including Deelightful Bites, mini-cake desse...

Mardi Gras house floats saved the day for pandemic carnival lovers.