Mountain City's Travel Blog

30 times in 30 years. That’s an incredible vote of confidence in the resort chain named “The Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand” for the 30th time at the 30th annual World Travel Awards. It wasn’t the only win for Sandals Resorts International, either. It scored 13 more prestigious awards.  Sandals Resorts International is the parent company of two luxury, all-inclusive resort chains: couples-only Sandals...

Scotland’s most famous legend… may not remain a mystery for much longer. A new Loch Ness Centre at the famous lake in the Scottish Highlands is promising to unleash the biggest search for “Nessie” in over half a century. And visitors can join in the quest!  Nessie may be the biggest attraction in the Scottish Highlands that no one can prove they’ve...

New Zealand consists of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, and whether you call yourself a nature lover, adrenaline junkie, foodie, wine or culture aficionado, you’ll find reasons to visit both.  North IslandWhile New Zealand’s North Island is the smaller of the two islands, it has more people and the country’s major cosmopolitan cities, including the capital,...

The Mediterranean is full of ancient maritime cultures, but some seaside countries are just recently becoming popular cruise destinations. One up-and-coming cruise hub in the eastern end of this historic sea offers the best of Mediterranean, modern European, and Middle Eastern cultures and lifestyles. Not to mention the spiritual attractions of the home of Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths.  And the...

What’s the fastest-disappearing natural phenomenon? Dark skies. As cities expand, the night skies are flooded with light, dimming our views of the complex, mystical wonders of the heavens that inspired our ancestors.  We are still fascinated by the night skies, and many of us take time on vacation to spend our evenings outdoors gazing up into the darkness and its mysteries.  Luckily,...

While travel was closed, Hong Kong’s hoteliers kept building. When you travel to the dynamic city today, you’ll discover a whole slate of new hotels that have added to its reputation for having one of the most glamorous and diverse hospitality scenes in the world. Ask us about a stay at one of the new hotels in skyscrapers with harbor views...

Many people cruise to Alaska in the hopes of sailing past mystical and mythical icebergs, but in one special place in the world, the icebergs come to you – so many icebergs, in fact, they decided to throw an annual party to welcome them!  Every spring and summer, hundreds of icebergs float down Newfoundland’s ‘iceberg alley.’‘Iceberg Alley’Icebergs are travelers, and...

Wait, Belfast? Part of the legend of the Titanic? The most famously-doomed passenger ship tale of all time? Wasn’t she a British ship, sailing from Southampton to New York, that struck an iceberg and capsized over a century ago? How did Ireland play a part – and how could Belfast keep the ‘Ship of Dreams’ alive for us today?  Glad you...

In 2023, the iconic Sydney Opera House celebrates a half-century of symbolizing not just a city, but a country and even a continent. It may even be the most famous building in the southern hemisphere.  This icon of modern design evoking giant stylized, sail-shaped shells occupies Bennelong point projecting out into Sydney Harbour. It dominates the skyline and has gripped the...

It ranks right up there with the Statue of Liberty and the Washington monument. Not only is it a world-wide symbol of the United States. It’s also the country’s most famous sign – and visual shorthand for one of America’s most universally-consumed exports: movies, as well as the West Coast city where movie-making dreams come true.  In 2023, the Hollywood sign celebrates...

Spring Break is high season for family travel, and with every member of the family more digitally connected than ever at home and away, that means posting about good times on vacation. Not so fast, warns one insurance company, which is advising travelers of the risks of ‘over-sharing.’ A new survey commissioned by the Allstate insurance company revealed that almost...

Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is the most popular travel destination in the country, home to the legendary Riviera Maya and hot spots like Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, plus the island of Cozumel, a popular Western Caribbean cruise port of call. Whether you're looking for all inclusives and high energy, or laid back, off-the-beaten track exploration, the cultural and...

Move over corn mazes! The winter version of the classic fall countryside activity is the snow maze. And one ski resort has laid claim to the highest alpine snow maze in the world. Colorado’s Copper Mountain snow maze opened mid-January, and with a base elevation of over 9700 feet, the snow maze’s location on the mountain next to one of...

Will it soon be named the Perfectly Ordinary Tower of Pisa? Will the Tuscan city whose claim to fame is an off-kilter tower fall into obscurity without tourists keen to snap photos of themselves pretending to prop up the Tower of Pisa? Those are the questions we’re asking ourselves with the news that the so-called Leaning Tower of Pisa is...

Europe is banning short hopper flights in a battle against emissions. The move is sparking a rail revival – and particularly a renaissance of night trains. This is something to celebrate, if you love rail journeys as much as we do. Not just for the reduction in greenhouse gases; although Eurostar says that flying from London to Paris emits 14...

Now that we’re traveling again, destinations around the world have been wooing visitors back – with promotional videos from the weird to the wild to the wonderful that have been vying for the attention of international travelers like us. In 2022, did any of these campaigns make you look - or want to book?  Iceland Wants to “Out-Horse Your Email” In a...

It may be the ultimate holiday trip: a visit to the land of the original Christmas story, especially during the holiday season. For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to sites referenced in the Bible that still exist today, like Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nazareth. According to the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about half of visitors to the country are Christian, and about...

The gift of travel can create precious memories of one of the best holidays ever, and Disney theme parks on both sides of the country have been arrayed in their festive best, unwrapping a full lineup of holiday cheer lasting into the New Year. There’s still time to plan a Disney version of the holidays this year in Anaheim or...

Travel is back! And after a couple of quiet years, so, at last, are Black Friday travel deals. If you have any thoughts of traveling in the next year or so, now’s the time to get some of the best prices on dream vacations. We’ve selected some of our favorite Black Friday travel deals to show you here, but we...

The twin-nation island of St. Martin is one of the Caribbean's most popular destinations. It's the smallest place in the world divided between two countries: the south end is Dutch and the north end is French. Famous for its beaches, shopping and gastronomy, there's much more to St. Martin. Whether you're in St. Martin on a cruise ship port of...