I finally made it to the Fixer Upper mecca in the small town of Waco, Texas. Watch your back Joanna & Chip Gaines, I’m coming for ya!

Consider this my warm up to the big Round Top Antique show in the Fall: I recently spent a few weeks back in Austin, but this time took to the road to explore the many small towns outside of the City in search of treasure.

I was recently in one of my favorite places Santa Barbara for some business, some friend time, and to partake in the celebration of the City’s annual Fiesta, or “old Spanish days” that has been a tradition for 95 years.

Santa Barbara has always been one of my favorite places to escape LA for, and it offers plenty of beauty, activities and wine.

Our culture continues to be starved for real connection and generational relationships that would impart the cultural & experiential wisdom we so desperately need. Why does the West still fight this fact and perpetuate stereotypes? With an aging population - lead by women, who are more active than ever and wield more spending power - we have an opportunity to harness the power of experience.

I recently returned from an incredible all-women trip to Bermuda with ‘Women Who Travel’, an exciting new program from CNT to encourage global exploration in carefully curated trips for women. The island was beyond beautiful and held history that was largely unknown to me previously.

With the return of HBO’s ‘Deadwood’ movie, it had me thinking about why I connected with the series in the first place and how it reminded me of family in Cripple Creek, Colorado

If you follow my writing, you know that I have recently spent a considerable amount of time traveling around the Southwest over the past few years. While it’s true I spent my childhood summers in Colorado and New Mexico to see family - miles away from where I grew up in Western Canada - to visit my wonderful Grandmother and family friends, but did not understand how deep our roots went here - and in America - until research and genetic revelations much later in adulthood. It’s funny how some places have always felt so familiar, without logical explanation.

Exciting news to share today: I have a newly upgraded monthly travel newsletter AND I will be joining Conde Nast Traveler’s inaugural #WomenWhoTravel group trip to Bermuda!

Though I have been to Paris many times, the fabulous The George V Hotel Paris has always been at the top of my list

It turns out that hospitality - from boutique hotels to vacation homes - are proving to be the ideal showcase for many talented designers around the country, amateurs and professionals alike, offering spectacular and unique results.

I recently co-hosted the Lux Travel Chat on Twitter, and we discussed what people are looking for in terms of experiences, to connect with local culture. Turns out, this is a high priority for many of you, so it’s no wonder programs like Airbnb’s Experiences or EatWith dining packages are booming.

After working with large hospitality brands around the world, I have spent the last few years traveling extensively around America — mainly to emerging markets — to speak with local business owners, to see what the next generation of hospitality & hotels are doing (boutique hotels, B&Bs, vacation homes, etc) and how they are getting everything right in terms of design, branding, collaboration, experiences and connecting to local culture.

Today is International Women’s Day and there are so many incredible individuals - past & present - to celebrate, along with supporting those coming up behind us. With so many female trailblazers throughout history, I thought I would share some historical female adventurers who made an impact.

When you need quiet & inspiration, this California-Arizona-New Mexico-Colorado road trip is for you too

Exploring the beautiful spaces that make California Magical (spoiler alert: not LA or SF)

I’ve recently had some friends in Canada and the UK look at me incredulously when I mention the multiple cities I have lived in, so I explained how America differs in terms of mobility.

I find myself at the tipping point of frustration with the lack of travel executives not speaking up in support of others