Sherman's Travel

TV host and professional foodie Anthony Bourdain, whose show Parts Unknown takes him all over the globe, has some pretty specific feelings about food and travel. I spoke to him this week about his favorite (and not-so-favorite) experiences while he’s on the road. Here’s a sampling: Read more

Timing, as they say, is everything. It’s true of romance, successfully poaching eggs and, of course, booking travel. That’s why it’s important to know that it’s currently shoulder season in the Caribbean. The interim period between peak winter and low summer travel months, shoulder season is the perfect time to visit the region without counting dollars or dodging crowds.

Better still, a number of major carriers are celebrating new routes to hot Caribbean locales with killer fares. From unstoppable rates to Colombia’s sexy seaside city, to the first-ever direct flights to Martinique, here are the season’s best new ways to save. Read more

Hollywood stars (and all the paparazzi who stalk them) will descend on the French Riviera this week for the year’s most prestigious cinema event: the Cannes Film Festival. La Croisette – the city’s Mediterranean-facing boulevard – is transformed into a veritable catwalk of stylish A-listers. And this year, the festival is highly anticipated because of the premiere of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. For a fleeting moment, the red carpet, rolled out in front of the Palais des Congrès, will become the most photographed event of 2013. But there’s more to glitzy Cannes than this 15 minutes 12 days of fame. Just off the coastline where Zelda and F. Scott used to party, the island of Saint-Honorat is home to a colony of Cistercian monks who tend 20 acres of vineyards. And you’re invited to pay them a visit. Read more

If you’re looking for a new activity this summer, skip the beach and head to New York City for Outdoor Rise, a week of classes, adventures, and inspirational films all dedicated to the beauty of the outdoors. Brought to you by Discover Outdoors, Outdoor Rise is weeklong program that encourages you to live a healthy life by exploring and interacting with your environment. From June 17–23, choose from a list of events and start your summer of fun. All events are free to the public and dispersed throughout the five boroughs. Read more

Spring has finally sprung and with beautiful weather comes the welcome excuse to get outside, just in time for Mother’s Day! Before you get mom any ordinary plant, check out our top ten list of the most beautiful gardens around the world for some inspiration. Take mom along for the day or make a future getaway out of these. Happy Mother’s Day! Read more

May is National Bike Month, when hardcore cycling enthusiasts and newbies alike can enjoy a bevy of bike-related activities, deals, and discounts across the country (and why not make a mini-vacation out of it, with a visit to one of these top bike-friendly cities?). Here, some of our favorite offerings – saddle up and strap on your helmet for a month of fun on two wheels. Read more

Director Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” – starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire – brings to life the lavish, decadent Jazz Age. Although those days are long gone, you can still step into Jay Gatsby’s world with these seven destinations and experiences. Read more

May marks the beginning of the summer amusement park season and, with that, comes the debut of the latest rides and attractions. Some promise gravity-defying loops and twists, others amazing 3-D graphics, and still others family-friendly fun. These 10 new offerings are the best of the best for 2013. Read more

Big news: Tickets to the Statue of Liberty are once again on sale today! For those who may not have heard, Lady Liberty has been closed since Hurricane Sandy hit on October 29, 2012. After much anticipation, the island is finally opening its doors to the public on the 4th of July – how fitting! Whether you want to see the city from her torch, explore the Ellis Island Museum, or just get a glimpse of the Statue without dipping into your travel budget, we’ve got all the tips and tricks! Read more

For some positive antidotes to that depressing and inaccurate, yet still pervasive, stat about American travelers – that a mere 20 percent of U.S. residents hold passports – consider these figures from the U.S. Travel Association:

• U.S. residents logged 1.6 billion trips for leisure purposes in 2012
• 1 out of every 8 jobs in the U.S. depends on travel and tourism, an industry that generated $200.9 billion in payroll for those directly employed in U.S. travel
• Direct spending by resident and international travelers in the U.S. averaged $2.3 billion a day, $97.7 million an hour, $1.6 million a minute, and $27,125 a second!

The bottom line: Traveling is a powerful force that’s good for everybody, which is the underlying message of National Travel & Tourism Week, starting May 4 and running through May 12. Currently, more than 60 locations across the country, including state and local tourism boards and travel businesses, are hosting some pretty nifty events. Here, a quick rundown of highlights sure to bring out the travel bug in you. Read more