Exploring New Jersey’s Walkable Downtowns

 Over the past several months, I’ve been exploring walkable downtowns in New Jersey. I discovered the Bourbon Street Beignet in Westwood. This is an atmospheric coffee shop with a New Orleans vibe and plenty of scrumptious baked goods.

As I walked through downtown Maplewood, a glass of Tempranillo called out to me one sunny afternoon.

In downtown South Orange, I found some captivating street art.

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Nature-Centered Girlfriend Getaways Near New York City

As a woman, maintaining a tight bond with my girlfriends is a priority. But, sometimes our everyday lives are so frenzied with the needs of kids, partners,and colleagues that email, texting and video chats have taken the place of face-to-face sharing. Instead of attempting to schedule and reschedule Sunday brunch with your best friends only to find that electronic devices are still too tempting a distraction, why not plan a girlfriend getaway oh-so-close to New York City?

No, this isn't all about endless shopping sprees or consuming large quantities of alcohol. Sure, you'll be putting your usual responsibilities on the back burner, but you'll be focusing on activities that will nurture your body, mind and spirit. To me that means sipping fine wines, sampling exquisite cuisine, relishing a therapeutic massage and, tree hugger that I am, embracing nature-focused activities.

My favorite spots in the Northeast that are ideal for a girlfriend getaway include St. Michaels, RI, Litchfield Hills, CT, Finger Lakes Region, NY, New Hope, PA and Newport, RI. The farthest away is the Finger Lakes Region, the closest is New Hope. But each offers abundant opportunities to reconnect with the women that brighten your life.

I recently wrote an article on girlfriend getaways for offMetro, the online travel guide for native New Yorkers or visitors to the Big Apple alike.

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Under-The-Radar Sights in Budapest

Wandering Budapest's leafy street recently, I made plenty of discoveries. Most of them had very little to do with the Danube, the Citadel and other signature sights that garner all the attention. And, even when I did visit a well-traveled path, I did so with a slightly different focus. The whole point was to see Hungary's capital as if I were a local. Sure, it was my first time in Budapest, but, I prefer to be surprised. And, I don't find it all that appealing to visit on-the-radar venues that are iconic. After all, I'm all about what I term the "Who knew?" factor.

The recent article I wrote for the Huffington Post offers a look at Budapest with surprises galore; a Budapest that represents a locals view. Make sure to check out the accompanying slide show that illustrates some of the curiosities I stumbled upon.

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New York City's Pod Hotel

The name Pod Hotel says it all. Or does it? My expectation when checking into the brand new Pod 39 Hotel in the upmarket Murray Hill neighborhood in Manhattan is that my night would be similar to falling asleep -- or nervously trying to -- while having a CAT scan.  Instead I found a minimalist room with brightly hued accents that, though wee, was sun filled. thanks to three windows, including one in the bathroom with its translucent walls and rain shower. (The amenities are the organic Red Flower line which come in colorful cardboard containers.)

The flat screen TV, complementary WiFi as well as wireless media center and iPod docking station all assure that you're connected and distracted from the small room dimensions. (My suggestion is to book a queen room on a high floor.)

The only oddity of the room. which comes with plenty of fluffy towels, is the lack of cups. (You have to call the front desk for those.)

On the ground floor, guests lounge in sleek chairs. Others check one of several iPads that are mounted on the wall and call up Google maps or search for restaurant reviews on Yelp. The concierge desk is piled with the latest issue of Time Out New York to assure that you'll have access to the latest information on pop-up shops, gallery openings, literary readings and street fairs.

The hotel is still a work in progress: a restaurant is set to open as well as a spacious lounge that'll be equipped with a ping pong and pool table.

But the highlight of this property,which is a landmarked building, is the original Neoclassical rooftop that's been repurposed into a scenic terrace with archways, antique-tiled tables, a copper-topped terra cotta-faced bar as well as tall terra cotta columns and benches. From this airy perch, you can sit and take in the panoramic views of the city, including the Empire State Building, while sipping one of their many exotic and well-crafted cocktails. (The bar is open to the public and, since my stay here a few weeks ago, I've stopped by for drinks several times.) Even the virgin drinks were memorable: I lingered over a refreshing cocktail concocted of watermelon juice, ginger syrup and citrus.

For such a spare room, however, the price isn't cheap. My room went for $155. But, how much time do you spend in the room anyway? And, considering hotels in New York City can run in the hundreds, especially given this prime locale, the Pod 39 is worth it. You'll be in a quiet, tony  East Side neighborhood that accessible to the Lexington line subway. You'll feel like you're in the land of hipness. And, then, there's always that rooftop retreat to look forward to at the end of the day.

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Luxembourg: 15 Myths

What do you know about Luxembourg? If you're like most of the people I recently spoke with, you probably haven't ever visited this petite country (it's barely the size of Rhode Island) that's bordered by France, Germany and Belgium. And, also like most everyone I polled recently, not only have you not thought about visiting Luxembourg, but you probably haven't given this country a second thought. And, yet, everyone I asked about Luxembourg City's night life, culinary scene, topography and more had an opinion, that just wasn't based on facts. Many thought that this center of finance was plenty boring. (It's not.) That it's a wide expanse of flat land. (Hardly.) And that the cuisine is so dominated by rich, meat-laden meals that it's a vegetarian's nightmare. (Wrong, again.)

Check out my article on 15 Myths About Luxembourg that just appeared in the Huffington Post. It'll give you a whole new perspective on this vibrant country. So much so, that you might want to just jump on the next plane bound for Luxembourg City. Just remember, even three days -- the number of days I spent in the capital -- isn't long enough.

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Avoiding Crowds in Dubrovnik

I've got plenty more to tell you about Portugal and Iceland, two of my favorite countries. So expect to see additional postings down the road dealing with my adventures in both places as well as Spain, another one of my specialties. But first, I want to share with you some interesting findings from the five weeks I recently spent in Croatia. This post will deal with the lovely old walled city of Dubrovnik, also a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's on the radar of just about every visitor to Croatia. The cobbled and marble streets and stone stairs are jam packed with tourists. But there are sites that don't see traffic and also ways to avoid the masses.

1. Walking atop the old fortification walls is a must. It gives you an amazing perspective of the city and its many historic features. Get there as soon as it opens up. And pick up the audio guide for all the historic and architectural details. But few people walk the entire more than one-mile length. So expect to find fewer and fewer people as you wander farther along the narrow path. (It's interesting how, the many stairs and the lean size of this walkway doesn't stop people from bringing along baby carriages.)

2. Early in the morning you'll have Fort St. Lawrence all to yourself. Sitting some 120 feet high on rocky cliffs, this massive fort provides scenic views of the sea and the old town. Prowl around the watchtower and examine some cannon ball artifacts.

3. Dubrovnik's old synagogue dates from the 15th century. It's now a museum but it's also a functional synagogue, though services are infrequent. It's still an unexpected venue on a side street and worth checking out. They've got a lot of interesting religious artifacts, including a 13th century Torah.

4. The War Photo Limited Museum definitely flies under the tourist radar. When I visited, they had a photography exhibit of child soldiers from Ramallah, Sierra Leone and other war torn parts of the world.

5. Another little visited but interesting museum is the Rupe Ethnographic Museum that's housed in a 16th century building that once stored grains. You can still see the unique deep dry wells inset in the floor. There's plenty of display, everything from goatskin bags to willow baskets.

6. Buza I and II are two bars that literally sit on the cliff side outside the city's fortifications and literally are entered through a hole in the wall. You can't get a better location, and everyone knows that -- at night both are plenty active. But I stopped by for a quickie breakfast snack and found only one other couple at one of the tables. You could spend hours gazing at the turquoise waters and crashing waves far below.

7. The Museum of Modern Art is outside the city walls and located in a Renaissance-style villa. During my visit, three series Picasso graphics (Suite Vollard, La Tauromaquia and Suite 156) hung on the walls. And the only other visitors were students from a small school group.

8. A quiet walk, first paralleling the sea on the promenade and then past the high stone walls of villas and other properties brings you to the Beach of St. Jacob. You reach it by going behind the little chapel and taking the very steep set of steps. The sandy beach is set at the base of tall cliffs. It's very much a local retreat and very low key with a café and snack bar. Definitely worth walking to.

9. A short ferry ride from Dubrovnik brings you to Lokrum Island, a wooded nature reserve. I only spent a couple of hours but I wish I had at least the entire afternoon. Here, you'll find a botanical garden with plants from all over the world. (Everything is labeled so if you're into botany or gardening, this is a great venue.) A network of trails slices the lush island. One leads to ruins of a 19th century fort where you can climb to the top, and another set of trails leads to an old Benedictine monastery and cloister that's now a café. One of the loveliest parts of the island is beside a salt-water lake that sits in a rocky quarry. A great place to swim or just hang out.

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