For two weeks in August, Western Europe, for the most part, takes a collective holiday. The streets are much quieter than usual and the atmosphere at night buzzes with the laissez-faire attitude that comes with not having to worry about reporting to work the next morning. So I fit right in. Many restaurants and boutiques take the holiday too – as they should – but that gives those that choose to holiday in Paris (me!) a limited set of choices. Luckily, Molly (This Yuppie Life) and I did our homework and can now pass along our wisdom on where to eat and drink … and chill out in between.      Fat Pants: Home base was Hotel Bachaumont — it’s always my go-to because the neighborhood is full of café’s, wine bars and locals. I always start and end a trip with a meal at either Bianco for pizza, Café Compas...

When I first heard about MissTravel.com, I was admittedly skeptical. It’s basically Tinder for travelers – a matching service for people who want a travel partner, but also wouldn’t mind if they found love in the process. First dates take place everywhere from the Maldives to Bolivia to Sweden … and come with no strings attached? Seems too good to be true. Approximately 600,000 members (who go through a strict approval process) are giving MissTravel a go and we caught up with one of them to discuss why she joined, what really happens on dates and how she’s loving her new life in London. Meet Chelsea.  How did you find out about MissTravel and what made you join? I saw an ad for it on a different dating website, with a question like “Young and want to travel?” I was instantly sucked in. Are you on the site to find...

by Monica Rohleder I am the child of a flight attendant and by the time I was 10, I had been to Hawaii a dozen times. My mother formed a love affair with the Hawaiian Islands through her travels there, so I followed suit and found my home away from home on the raw, magical and spiritual Big Island. The Earth begins and ends on this Island every day. At the North end of the Island, you see the lush green vegetation, flowers, waterfalls and life that came from the volcanoes, now quietly sleeping. But on the South side, experience a completely different landscape that resembles the surface of the moon. Black lava canvases the land, sporting varying colors and textures, all markings the dates when the flow began. As the sun shines down on the black rock, rainbows of colors sparkle and dance on the surface, as the crashing...

Napa is basically what happens when you blend a bit of Tuscany, with a dash of the scenery and overall loveliness from “The Sound of Music,” and mix in a healthy dose of every fairy tale land you’ve ever read about.  Except the castles in this fantastical kingdom are surrounded by vineyards, and the gold at the end of the rainbow is this magical thing called wine.  Now let’s get to it. PAJAMA PANTS …where to crash and get some R&R Andaz Napa I stayed here in its previous life as the Avia Napa Hotel and I have an inkling this iteration is even better. What’s best about this hotel is the location in the heart of downtown Napa, which means easy access to local tasting rooms and brunch spots when you just want to walk somewhere. Plus, there’s a huge bathtub in the middle of the room – perfect...

With the arrival of Spring/Summer weather, not only do we feel the need to shed layers, but also last season’s wardrobe. This season – I’m all about strategically placed cutouts, flirty high-waisted skirts and shoes with fringe. There are also some trends I could do without, like gingham. And then there are the items that never go out of style – like a comfortable tank, jeans and a cool pair of kicks. When you live in LA, there’s a plethora of options to choose from and we have all the usual suspects, along with all of the couture designers I can’t afford – Rodeo Drive and parts of Melrose Place are only for window shopping. And in any case, I prefer boutiques – they tell you a lot about the style of a particular city. LA is one-of-a-kind and these are my favorite spots for exploring my own style, whether...

by: Tracey DeFrancesco Australia is synonymous with sun, adventure, and laid-back locals with sexy accents. I’ve long dreamed of traveling Down Under to cuddle koalas and box with kangaroos (let’s not get hung up on the fact that neither of those things is legal). So when TWS Tennis Tours invited me to join their trip to the 2016 Australian Open, I packed my summer clothes and tons of sunscreen and hopped on a plane for the fifteen-hour flight across the Pacific Ocean. Melbourne is a city known for experiencing four seasons in a day: a rainy morning turns into a scorching hot afternoon followed by a chilly evening. But it’s also a mysterious city whose best offerings can only be found by exploring alleyways and ducking into arcades to see what hidden gems lie just around the corner. If you’ve also been longing to see the other side of the...