Ultimate Travel Destination

ForbesTraveler.com - Newest Features
Updated :

10 Great Family Vacations 2009

Pack your bags, grab the kids, save money

If you only take one family vacation this year, make it count. Summer 2009 has some of the best-value deals we’ve seen in years, as the luxury travel industry works overtime to compete for their most valued clients—you and your family. Whether you’re planning on a full week of sun and sailing in the Caribbean, or an educational weekend in our nation’s capital, you’ll reap the benefits of an industry that’s scrambling to get your attention.

See our slideshow of 10 Great Family Vacations 2009.
Author : Barbara Cleveland
Publ.Date : Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:12:00 GMT

America's Favorite Beach Towns

Blissful spots for sand and sunshine

It’s a ritual that families all across America partake in every summer—loading up the car, hitting the highway and heading to the beach. Rafts and coolers get pulled out of garages, Frisbees and games like Boggle that may not have been used all year are all of a sudden travel essentials. And once you arrive at your chosen beach town, check into your hotel, motel or rented beach house, it’s all about leaving the hustle and bustle of everyday life behind—for a few blissful days anyway.

See our slideshow of America’s Favorite Beach Towns.

“There’s just something about the beach town that is so classically American,” says Michele Pecoraro, vice president of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.
Author : Jill Fergus
Publ.Date : Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:04:00 GMT

High Fashion Carry-Ons

Take the lug out of luggage-with style.

Aboard a crowded Italian train last fall, I discovered I had taken a polished Milanese businesswoman’s seat by mistake, which meant leaving my humdrum, over-packed suitcase in one compartment to hunt down a patch of open floor space in another. When I returned moments later, my bag had been stolen—something that never would have happened had I been able to just sit on it.

See our slideshow of High Fashion Carry-Ons.

With a little foresight, I’d have brought along a ZÜCA Pro, the most fantastically functional bag because it both fits comfortably in an airplane’s overhead bin and serves as a chair. A sturdy seat that can support 300 pounds without a hitch is integrated into the bag’s aluminum alloy frame, while inside there are removable ballistic nylon packing pouches that stack like drawers. The Sport model has a dual wheel system that climbs stairs.
Author : Anthony Grant
Publ.Date : Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:43:00 GMT

North America's Sexiest Beaches

The most sandy, sensuous hot spots

Chic, cosmopolitan cities are the pinnacle of sexiness in North America, right? From LA to New York to Miami, Mexico City, Montreal and back, we seek sensuality and romance in fashion, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.

See our slideshow of North America’s Sexiest Beaches.

Fair enough, but even the most committed urbanite—yes, the one who stays at the hottest boutique hotels, gets the choicest tables and hits all of the most exclusive after-hours spots—has nothing on the raw, primal sexiness of a world-class beach. When it really comes down to it, there is not, and never will be, anything to rival that potent cocktail of sun, sand, sea and (the all-important) liberation of clothes that can only be found at a beach.

And you need not go that far a field to discover your little bit of beach bliss.
Author : Thomas Kohnstamm
Publ.Date : Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:27:00 GMT

Great July 4th Fireworks

Where to see the skies burst into color

For most Americans, the Fourth of July is a time for hamburgers, hot dogs, and flag-waving. But nothing is as thrilling as the spectacular displays of light in the sky—firework productions. And yes, there is something new under the moon.

See our slideshow of Great July 4th Fireworks.

Old-fashioned Roman candles and ladyfingers have given way to complex, multi-break shells with more than a dozen effects in a single firework, and setting them off is now part of an over $900 million industry. With the high-tech choreography and split-second timing of today’s shows, you can be sure that the rockets’ red glare will burst precisely when those words are sung during the Star-Spangled Banner.

“It’s the use of chemistry as a performance art,” says Dr. John Steinberg, second vice president of the Pyrotechnics Guild International, an organization of amateur and professional fireworks enthusiasts.
Author : Meredith Hansen and Marisa Milanese
Publ.Date : Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:05:00 GMT