Off To Exotic Curacao in the Southern Caribbean

As you are reading this, I am winging my way to Curacao in the southern Caribbean, for a four day stay courtesy of Marriott Curacao Resort and Emerald Casino. The press trip, appropriately named “Blog Paradise,” is sending nine bloggers to nine different resorts included in Marriott Resorts’ Paradise by Marriott Caribbean and Mexico collection … Read more

Ybor City’s Cuban Heart Beats Strongest After Dark

The young Latina leaned against the door jamb, disinterestedly watching tourists stream past. Her four-inch stilettos, strapless bustier, and leather hotpants suggested the oldest profession on earth, yet she stood in the doorway of a family-owned bodega where Ybor City’s residents gather each day to sip strong espresso, share gossip, and slam dominoes. Unlike Miami … Read more

Eye Candy Aside, Miami Beach Bears Little Resemblance to CSI Miami

Most of the time I arrive at a destination without preconceived notions, but Miami Beach was steeped in expectation. Thanks to the popular TV show, CSI Miami, I imagined exquisitely preserved art deco architecture, tropical weather, oiled body-builders with rippling muscles, exuberant Latin culture, and colors vivid enough to make your eyeballs hurt. It was … Read more