From the editor-in-chief
TURN BACK THE CLOCK
The saying, “everything old is new again” is apt, as I have recently slipped into the editor-in-chief’s chair left vacant by Anthony Gallagher. Anthony and I started working together on Vacations back in 2000, the year Sydney had the Olympic Games, and my first child started kindergarten.
I was in the chair then, and while some things have changed (said child is now 23), the pages of Vacations & Travel are like a second skin for me. (Ironically, it’s now Anthony with the young child and mine are adults.)
Given my love of America, I’m excited that this issue has a swag of stories to update you on favourite destinations and infuse you with enthusiasm to explore new places. For visitors to
New York, we seek out some of the best places to shop up a storm. In Hawaii, we go ‘doors off’ in a helicopter tour over Kilauea on the Big Island.
We explore the Reno and Tahoe areas of Nevada, from Reno and
Virginia City to Carson Valley, where our writer faces her fears and takes to the sky in a glider for the very first time.
We discover that not only is
Austin, Texas weird, but batty, with the nightly flight from underneath the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge attracting visitors and locals alike. Also in Texas, we visit Grapevine, a wine-producing, steam train running, historic town just 10 minutes from
DFW International Airport.
Across the Atlantic in Ireland, we delve into Dublin’s lively dining scene with a local food writer, while in Shanghai we taste our way through the streets. In Tokyo, we shoot for the stars – Michelin Stars – Tokyo being home to the most three-starred restaurants in the world as well as bargain-starred restaurants with meals for around $10.
Leaving the neon lights of Tokyo behind, we take a timeless trek along the wooded paths of the historic Kumano Kodo walk, where pilgrims have been walking for 1,000 years.
In Europe, we name 20 of the best hotel spas, with all sorts of treatments dedicated to the pursuit of pampering, and in Innsbruck, admire the spectacular mountains and sun-drenched historic city centre.
In Australia, we forage for bush tucker at Ayers Rock Resort, and discover the many delights of the Peel Region in Western Australia. We revisit Ethiopia, smell the spices and take in the sights of Bengaluru in India, and for fun in the sun, we pack the sun block (reef friendly of course) and soak up the smiles and traditions of the Solomon Islands and the Cook Islands.
And for cruise buffs, we look into the colourful histories of two impressive companies – True North Adventure Cruises in the Kimberley and Holland America Line’s seven-decade relationship with Alaska.
To keep your travel appetite sated between issues, visit our website and sign up to our weekly newsletter, V&T Sunday Traveller, and if you have any destinations you would love to read about in our glossy pages, drop me a line at vteditor@morrismedia.com.au