Shopping

Santa Fe is one of the Southwest's gems. A great year-round destination, check out the best dining, hotels, and things to do in this beautiful New Mexico city!

White Place, one of Georgia O'Keeffe's favorite places to paint.

Carol, the founder of NYCitymama.com and a Brooklyn Native, is our latest expert on New York City! Read more about what makes NYC unique, and the must dos and best places to stay in the city.

1.    What makes you an expert on New York City?

Christmas shopping is one of my favorite parts of the season, right behind the smell of Christmas trees and my whole family sitting around a big table. I've almost completed my shopping for everyone else, and decided it was high time to make my own Christmas list. So here it is, ideas for me - but also for the traveler, cook and retail addict on your shopping list.

For the Traveler

The holidays are quickly approaching, and that means it's shopping season! I am a firm believer in retail therapy, and an expert in gift buying. That being said, I am no Black Friday shopper...In fact, I have never been. The crowds and the competition take all the fun out of what should be a fun filled day of thinking of others and stretching my shopping muscles. I refuse to enter Wal-Mart, and if I never stepped foot in a Best Buy again I would be a happy lady. So this year, I am going to try hard to go local!

Byline by Sujata Ghosh, a freelance travel writer.

Nice is located in the Southeastern part of France along the Mediterranean Sea. It is full of galleries, museums, narrow lanes, charming markets, gorgeous architectures, local foods and arts.

Destination Management Companies (DMCs) are the local experts on logistics, venues, creative events and more that all group travel planners lean on to operate great travel programs. In this series, I interview DMCs from around the world to give you a glimpse of the destinations, capabilities and unique offerings that each can provide.

I am getting ready for this week’s Travelers' Night In #TNI on location in Cancun, Mexico, at the beautiful Dreams Riviera Cancun!  As I was going through my planning and packing rituals, I started to think about Summer Vacations, so I put together some quick tips and suggestions on how @GoApril and her family “likes to roll” and how I stay organized and stress

Last, but not least, Day 3: we slept in today to better prepare for a late, final night.  Once we were showered and ready to roll, the girls and I made it a point to leisurely shop all day.  But before hitting up Royal Street, we made a stop at a bar across the street from our hotel for some lunch.

The charming city of Otavalo, Ecuador, hosts one of largest, most colorful and untainted markets in South America. Otavalo may be one of the most popular destinations in Ecuador outside of the Galapagos; and yes, there are tourists, but it’s all relative. There are still no McDonald’s, and you won’t find a Hilton.

The market is a souvenir shopper’s utopia. On Saturday the streets surrounding Plaza de los Ponchos are closed and filled with stalls of local goods.

I recently arranged a wine tasting and food pairing event for some of my friends at a local wine bar called The Wine Loft.   I met with the owner about a month ahead of time and ran the idea by him; "Could I invite 30 or 40 people to his establishment and have him give us a crash course in wine and food pairings we could use for the holidays"?  “Of Course” he said.