Sherman's Travel

Very few experiences are quite as romantic as dancing cheek to cheek in a passionate tango. Learn the art of this seductive Argentinean dance at Strictly Tango.

The level 1 beginner course focuses on fundamentals like posture, dance etiquette, and musicality, as well as basic steps and sequences.

Strictly Tango welcomes couples and singles alike, as no partner is necessary when signing up.

With an emphasis on traditional Argentinean tango, free of influences from other dance styles, Strictly Tango has built a reputation for fun, authentic classes with accomplished and dedicated instructors.

Our ShermansTravel Local Deal gets you a month’s worth of beginner classes – at a 50 percent discount – as well as a free CD of tango music and discounts for additional courses and training.

Chicago’s set to enjoy some time basking in the international spotlight this spring, when it will host several major events like the G-8 and NATO summits and the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. But international VIPs and political bigwigs aren’t the only ones who should be looking to Chicago in 2012 – the city has an exciting roster of new attractions and events for new and repeat visitors alike. We’ve rounded up four of the best of them below: Read more

The Music City will be living up to its moniker as it rings in 2012, thanks to its newly announced – and entirely free – Bash on Broadway celebration, featuring a musical lineup headlined by Southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd. What’s more, Nashville will be launching a new “music note” drop, featuring a 15-foot tall musical note that will descend 115 feet as the clock strikes midnight, culminating with a fireworks display and a blitz of confetti. Read more

For more than 700 years, Christmas markets have been an annual event in German city squares. The tradition started with 15th-century farmers selling goods in the weeks leading up to December 25. More vendors joined as the markets gained popularity, and now a typical German Christmas market also includes booths selling traditional European food and drink and a variety of ornaments, crafts, and toys. Markets have become an annual event in German cities both big and small, and larger cities like Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne even have several markets each. Christkindlemarkets across Germany welcome millions of visitors each year, and many of those visitors come from neighboring areas and countries. For example, only about 50 percent of the visitors to the Munich Christkindlemarket actually live in Munich.

The popularity of these markets has expanded to other countries. Several British cities host German markets, and there are even markets in Osaka and Sapporo, Japan. The markets in North America offer different varieties of traditional European food and gifts. But no matter what market you visit, expect to see plenty of steaming mugs of glühwein (mulled spiced wine).

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Winter weather already giving you the blues? Heat things up with the soulful sounds of Cuban singer Pepito Gomez at Drom dance club in New York City.

With performances at Carnegie Hall, The Fillmore, and the Havana Film Festival under his belt, Pepito Gomez’s signature tenor and Cuban authenticity have garnered resounding praise from Omara Portuondo of the Buena Vista Social Club. Gomez is currently recording with nine-time Grammy award-winning producer Jose Lugo.

Recently voted “Best New Dance Club” by the Village Voice, Drom earns raves for its welcoming atmosphere and happening dance floor, while delivering the hottest global dance music acts.

Our ShermansTravel Local Deals has the hook-up with a ticket to the show, a Cuban dinner buffet, and a beginner salsa class – all for just $28. The performances are coming up fast and tickets are limited, so hurry to get yours today!

For general trip-planning information, see our New York City Travel Guide.

A cappella has come a long way since the heyday of the barbershop quartet. The eight performers of Voca People, a funny and fanciful show at New York City’s Westside Theatre, take the art of instrument-less music and make it out of this world – literally.

The story is simple: The performers are aliens from the planet Voca who are stuck on Earth and need musical energy to repower their ship to return home. They create incredible tunes and rhythms, imitating the sounds of musical instruments, using only their voices. It’s like a cross between Stomp and Glee, with a healthy dose of Blue Man Group!

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Napa Valley has long since established its reputation as a wine destination, but the region has far more to offer. A duo of new events debuting this November goes beyond the vineyards.

The Napa Valley Film Festival, running November 9-13, brings a little bit of Sundance to wine country. The festival will host dozens of screenings, with everything from big names like Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar, starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role, to short films and documentaries. Scheduled events also include Q&A sessions with the filmmakers, and, naturally, wine tastings. Purchase individual tickets at the door for $20, or spring for a $75 day pass or $245 festival pass; some events are free.

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As New England’s blazing fall foliage season kicks into high gear, leaf peepers, culture seekers, and outdoor enthusiasts alike will find their paths converging in the leafy cultural hideaway of the Berkshires, a 945-square-mile rustic-chic retreat in western Massachusetts. This pastoral playground has long reeled visitors in (particularly from Boston and New York, at just about a 2.5-hour drive away from each), without ever managing to feel overrun, thanks to the expansive area’s winning trifecta of pristine natural beauty (low-lying mountains, secluded lakes, flourishing forests), picturesque main street towns defined by mom-and-pop establishments and extravagant Gilded Age “cottages” (Lenox, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and North Adams rank supreme as tourist hubs), and heady mix of museums and festivals showcasing the region’s longstanding artistic and cultural activity (familiar names like Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Norman Rockwell all found creative inspiration here). Read more

For such a small – not to mention relatively young – country, Slovenia has a lot of buzz behind it these days. Throughout 2011, the central European nation bordering Croatia and Austria is celebrating 20 years of independence, with special summer and fall travel packages (slovenia.info) and jubilee events like the open-air photo exhibition “My, Your and Our Slovenia” in Ljubljana (through August 25), culminating with the main independence ceremony in the capital on December 23. In anticipation, the country recently debuted three new hotels: the four-star Hotel Golte perched high in the Alps, the Hotel Jožef in the lace-producing alpine town of Idrija, and the boutique Antiq Palace in Ljubljana. In 2012, sister city Maribor gets all the attention – the medieval metropolis has been named next year’s European Capital of Culture (maribor2012.info). Maribor also happens to be a nexus of viticulture. Many of Slovenia’s wines are produced here, and Maribor holds the Guinness record for the world’s oldest grapevine. Razveseliti!

From the Spring/Summer 2o11 issue of Smart Luxury Travel magazine by ShermansTravel.com.

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Boston’s South End has a growing attraction for anyone who appreciates community-centered commerce and fun. The SoWa (South of Washington Street) Arts District specializes in attracting the über-cool, offering a vast selection of handcrafted accessories, indie designer clothing, and vintage wares at its SoWa Sundays (sowasundays.com). The weekly event includes an open-air bazaar, with an Open Market (www.sowaopenmarket.com) for arts and handmade crafts, a Vintage Market (www.sowavintagemarket.com) with clothing, antiques, and collectibles, and a Farmer’s Market for fresh local produce, flowers, and baked goods. This all-in-one package runs through October 30 this year, from 10am to 4pm As an added bonus, the market hosts food trucks along its Harrison Street location with menus that run the gamut from barbecue and coffee to gourmet grilled cheese and Elvis Presley’s favorite fried peanut butter and banana sandwich (served here without the bacon).

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