Bonefishing an exotic sport? Not in the Bahamas baby!

Bonefishing an exotic sport? Not in the Bahamas baby!

Dec 22, 2012

We creep up on them. Clifton casts in a line with a gob of hermit crab for bait. There’s a small tug, them a bigger one and then “Wham,” a bonefish takes the bait and runs. And I mean runs. The drag on the spincast reel screeches as the fish tries to get off the line. Clifton hands me the rod and says “hang on.” I’ve had a lot of fish on the line in my day and this one fights better than most, if not all.

An all-inclusive resort where they even provide a boat to explore the nearby islands

An all-inclusive resort where they even provide a boat to explore the nearby islands

Dec 21, 2012

This tiny resort and these outer islands are the antithesis of giant resorts like Atlantis in Nassau. It is also expensive—over $1500 a night for a villa that sleeps four. But you could easily be spending that much at many tony Caribbean resorts for two rooms and not have the comfort or exclusivity as here, not to mention your own boat for the length of your stay.

In the Bahamas, a place where families can relax and watch pigs swim!

In the Bahamas, a place where families can relax and watch pigs swim!

Dec 20, 2012

I love this place! Where else can you feed swimming pigs and snorkel amid schools of brightly colored fish. We can putter around our kitchen but don’t have to shop for groceries or clean up.. There are plenty of books and movies in the library as well as a pool table. Did I mention the outdoor shower with views of the water? Nice!

In Hong Kong at Christmas — it’s all about the shopping

In Hong Kong at Christmas — it’s all about the shopping

Dec 20, 2012

Think Black Friday at the busiest mall — times 1,000 — combined with Times Square on New Year’s Eve. That only begins to describe Hong Kong on Christmas Eve when thousands take to the streets — no cars are permitted in the hotel district — to shop and shop some more until 2 a.m. (the subways run all night).

Reflecting on Newtown and Winnetka 25 years ago when my kids were young

Reflecting on Newtown and Winnetka 25 years ago when my kids were young

Dec 19, 2012

All of us who covered that story were deeply impacted by it, just as those have been covering Sandy Hook. My kids were the same age as the children who were shot and went to a suburban school two towns away. That tragedy made us as young parents mindful not only of our mortality but that of our children. It made us resolve to make the most of the happy times together while we could.

Memories abound of family vacations past on our Christmas tree

Memories abound of family vacations past on our Christmas tree

Dec 16, 2012

Until the kids finally insisted I stop buying ornaments wherever we went, I’d buy one for each of them wherever we went. The sillier the better. And even now years later, they make me smile and bring back memories—the real memories of traveling with kids.

To Walt Disney World’s new Fantasyland

To Walt Disney World’s new Fantasyland

Dec 13, 2012

You’ll find New Fantasyland just past the existing Fantasyland, beyond Cinderella’s castle. Did I mention that there are now three castles here for all those princess lovers? All of this as Orlando heads into the holiday season, one of the busiest of the year with special attractions at every park.

Testing out the new Test Track at Disney World’s Epcot

Testing out the new Test Track at Disney World’s Epcot

Dec 13, 2012

We’re at Walt Disney World’s Epcot where at the new Test Track Presented by Chevrolet we create our own design, then board a “simCar” to race through performance tests—how does it handle extreme weather conditions? How efficient is it? How responsive? How Powerful?