Mountain City's Travel Blog

Being a dog lover is a 24/7/365 thing, but the annual International Dog Day on August 26 gives everyone – including hotel companies – an excuse to recognize the canine companions in our lives. More hotels than ever are pup-friendly, and for International Dog Day, a couple of hotel companies are creating tail-wagging fun and rolling out the red carpet...

The pickleball craze continues! Not content to dominate community parks around North America, the sociable, ‘tennis light’ paddle sport is taking root in holiday destinations – not just on land resorts and hotels, but also at sea, and, in the latest twist, overwater! Pickleball on the Rivers of EuropeAmaWaterways made waves when it became the first river cruise line to introduce...

Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort, has opened its doors to guests. The newest resort for Marriott Hotels is more proof of two growing travel trends: multi-generational family vacations and redefining the increasingly popular all-inclusive holiday. There are 600 Marriott Hotels around the world, and this marks the first all-inclusive in the namesake chain of hotels that’s part of the mega hospitality...

Your next vacation may be the perfect time to take up shinrin-yoku, or ‘forest bathing.’ Wellness fans around the world are embracing the Japanese practice of immersing yourself deeply into the atmosphere of the woods, and the broader concept of spending more time in nature to improve your health and well-being.  Renowned for their centuries-old practices of ritualized baths in...

There will soon be two new places in the U.S. to visit China’s iconic and endearing national animal. The giant panda, with its unmistakeable black and white markings and adorable fuzzy features, is a keystone species and symbol of global conservations efforts – and it’s one of the ‘bucket list’ animals many people want to experience in person.  A pair of...

Gin is in! Cocktail culture is back, and one of the original ingredients of cocktails is having a renaissance, too. MSC Cruises has ‘tapped’ into the of-the-moment trend that’s seen a boom in types of gin and new gin cocktails. The cruise line is introducing new drinks fleet-wide to join in its lineup of cool summer sips. For many, fun and sophisticated...

You don’t have to travel half way around the world to the South Pacific to experience the romance and luxury of overwater suites. Antigua is the latest Caribbean island to bring overwater luxe close to home. The newly opened Royalton CHIC Antigua, is an all-inclusive, adults-only resort and part of An Autograph Collection, with its signature sophistication and a ‘Party Your...

Norway is so famous for its fjords, the Norwegian word has become part of the international travel dialect. In languages around the world, ‘fjord’ means a deep, natural sea channel reaching far inland, surrounded by dramatic cliffs carved millennia ago by glaciers on their way to the sea. According to Visit Norway, the word ‘fjord’ has Viking roots, relating to the...

On the other side of the earth from the epicenter of the Paris Summer Games, one competition is returning to its roots – while still flying the French flag. For the second Summer Games in a row, surfing is part of the Olympic Games. And while many of the Summer Games competitions are spread around the French capital and even...

Plenty of cruise lines swear they serve the best pizza. But only one cruise line can now claim to hold the Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Pizza Party. Over 60,000 slices of pie were served fresh from the oven over multiple ships across the Princess Cruises fleet simultaneously in July, 2024 to set the record. World’s Largest Pizza Party By...

It’s some of the most incredible scenery along the middle Danube River! One of the absolute highlights of our river cruise on the Danube through Austria aboard the Riverside Mozart was the daytime scenic sailing through the wondrous ‘Danube Snare.’  The Danube is Europe’s longest river and the middle Danube is one of the most popular river cruise destinations in...

Explora Journeys has unveiled a program that allows guests to customize their life on board, interact with others, access moments, and delight in pop up entertainment that will transform their voyages and take their shipboard life to new heights.  The acclaimed new, small-ship luxury sister cruise line of European brand MSC has debuted a series of activities and entertainment programs aboard...

Nayarit’s stunning Pacific coastline, rich culture and lifestyle, seafood and traditional Mexican cuisine and charming towns have made it a magnet for beach vacation lovers. But which is the best beach for a holiday of lounging, swimming, snorkeling, diving and wildlife watching? One of the most popular areas is the Riviera Nayarit, a 200-mile stretch of coastline that includes the luxurious...

Copenhagen is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to sustainable travel. The tourism board of the capital of Denmark is rewarding you to make green choices when you visit this summer as part of a pilot program that could lead the world in helping both locations and visitors to benefit more from travel.  More popular destinations are...

Building family fun on a cruise vacation couldn’t be easier. When the new MSC World America launches in April, 2025, it will have an over 10,0000 square foot kids’ area, complete with an enhanced partnership with LEGO that will offer first-at-sea experiences. Plus the only over-water swing ride – the ‘Cliffhanger’ - towering over 160 feet above the ocean -...

Discover – or renew – your love of train travel, and take advantage of one of the most sustainable forms of travel to explore in depth a destination renowned for its eco-sensibilities and spectacular scenery. Great Journeys of New Zealand, part of the country’s KiwiRail, has designed new rail tours allowing visitors to step off the beaten ‘track’ and explore both...

Princess Cruises’ newest ship isn’t just an engineering marvel. Sun Princess launched in February, 2024, another member of the “Love Boat” fleet – with a slew of celebrity partnerships enhancing guests’ onboard dining and drinking experiences, in addition to her advanced design, technology and craftsmanship. Eye-Catching AdvancesThe 4,300-guest Sun Princess debuts new experience venues including The Dome, a ground-breaking geodesic, glass-enclosed...

St. Martin is re-staking its claim as the culinary capital of the Caribbean with a splashy new eatery and the return for the 4th year of what’s become a signature gastronomic event in the region.  The French half of the dual-nation island of St. Martin and Dutch Saint Maarten is home to Grand Case, a seaside town with a long, idyllic...

Interest in global "Blue Zones" is stronger than ever. The regions in the world where people live much longer and healthier lives compared to the global average are not just inspiring people to take a hard look at the overall wellness of their lifestyle – they are even inspiring people’s travel plans!  “Blue Zones” is a term first coined by researchers...

There’s a whole world of river cruising beyond beloved European rivers. Have you dipped your toe in the waters of exotic river cruising yet? Well, new ships on two of the world’s most fabled waterways give you more options to see sail into the heart of the ancient treasures of Egypt and unparalleled natural richness of the Amazon on your...