The Best Solo Dining Spots Around the World

The tasting bar at Juliet offers great views of the open kitchen.
The tasting bar at Juliet offers great views of the open kitchen.

Being a travel writer means I travel alone quite frequently. My husband accompanies me when he can but unfortunately he has to work sometimes…so this means I’ve done solo road trips in Southern Spain, Portugal and France and found myself alone in bustling cities like London, Paris and Madrid. Unwilling to compromise when it comes to eating great food, I make a lot of dinner reservations for one. It’s really not as bad as you might think. I find dining alone to be quite liberating. Continue reading “The Best Solo Dining Spots Around the World” →

5 Things to Know About San Diego’s New Liberty Public Market

Liberty Public Market is located in Point Loma.
Liberty Public Market is located in Point Loma.
I believe public markets should be a permanent fixture in every city in the US so I was incredibly excited when I heard San Diego would be getting its own public market concept. Liberty Public Market opened in March in Point Loma’s Liberty Station, a Naval Training Center turned mixed-use development with restaurants, art galleries, and green space. The project was spearheaded by David Spatafore of Blue Bridge Hospitality, a group that operates a number of successful restaurants on Coronado. Continue reading “5 Things to Know About San Diego’s New Liberty Public Market” →

The Ultimate San Sebastián Tapas Crawl

San Telmo Tapas Bar

If you love trying different things, tapas is the most fun meal on earth and there’s no better place to indulge than San Sebastián, Spain. The pintxos bars in this Basque coastal city are the best in the world and there are so many good ones close together in Old Town, you can easily make an entire day, or night of it. While many serve similar things almost each one has a specialty, standout dish. Here are the best bars and what to order at each one. Remember, don’t go too big at any one spot. This is a marathon not a sprint. Continue reading “The Ultimate San Sebastián Tapas Crawl” →

My 10 Favorite Restaurants Around the World

Family style dining at Officinal della Bistecca.
Family style dining at Officinal della Bistecca.

I love to travel for a variety of reasons, but if I had to pick one it would definitely be for the food. I love scouring the globe for life-changing or simply incredibly fun meals. For me dining out is the ultimate form of entertainment. Here are ten of my favorites in no particular order. Continue reading “My 10 Favorite Restaurants Around the World” →

A Weekend in Beaune

When people ask me where my favorite place is in France, I quickly say the Burgundy wine region. I can’t stay away– I’ve been five times in four years. Why do I love it? The walled city of Beaune is charming with excellent restaurants, wine bars and great affordable places to stay. The history of the region is fascinating and the wine, in my view, is simply the best in the world. Here’s my video guide to the region. For more videos check out my Voyagez series on Tripfilms.com.

Two New Zealand Bakeries Worth Traveling For

At the Baker's Coffee Shop the daily specials are written on craft paper.
At the Baker’s Coffee Shop the daily specials are written on kraft paper.

Before I went to New Zealand, I picked the brains of friends who had visited before and they all said it was incredible, truly one of their favorite places on earth, but there was a catch. “Don’t expect too much of the food,” was something I heard over and over again. So I went without high culinary expectations, and maybe that was a good thing, because when I got there I was very pleasantly surprised by what I found. Continue reading “Two New Zealand Bakeries Worth Traveling For” →

The Travelproper Logo Story

Paris's fashion museum, where the Lanvin exhibit was on display last year.
The Palais Galliera or fashion museum.

You may or may not have noticed my new logo depending on how long you’ve been visiting this website. The idea for the red-orange logo started with a visit to the Palais Galliera, the fashion museum, in Paris for the Lanvin exhibit last year. I went for the first time with my friend Alexis and I was absolutely enthralled by the clothing on display, all original designs by French Haute Couture designer Jeanne Lanvin (1867-1946). The drapey, elegant and even edgy pieces, one long black dress had metallic studs on the shoulders, were simply the most beautiful pieces of clothing I’d ever seen. Continue reading “The Travelproper Logo Story” →

The 16 Best Things I Ate This Year

Jamon Iberico, the best jam in the world.
Jamon Iberico, the best ham in the world.

It’s true my husband Justin and I travel largely for the food. We make it our absolute mission to reserve tables at the restaurants we’ve read about and to seek out incredible, authentic meals in all the destinations we visit. As a result, we ate quite well in 2015. I always say the best meals are the ones that stick with you. Here are the restaurants and dishes I can’t stop thinking about. Continue reading “The 16 Best Things I Ate This Year” →

The Goring: London’s Only Family Owned Luxury Hotel

Courtesy of The Goring
Courtesy of The Goring

New hotels are opening constantly in London and all the city’s Grand Dames (The Lanesborough, The Savoy, The Langham) have undergone major renovations in the last few years to keep up. In such a competitive market it’s a wonder The Goring hotel in Belgravia still exists. It’s the only luxury hotel in the city still owned and operated by the family who built it. The hotel completed a five year long renovation in 2015. Continue reading “The Goring: London’s Only Family Owned Luxury Hotel” →

Exploring the Loire Valley

You could say I’ve been obsessed with France’s Loire Valley since I stumbled on a book about the region’s famed châteaux at my local library as a child. With a meandering river, lush countryside and beautiful castles it looks like a fairy tale land but the stories behind the châteaux are full of drama and intrigue. The food and the wine are also excellent making it a truly captivating place to visit. This is my video guide to the region. Continue reading “Exploring the Loire Valley” →