Las Vegas: It's Not Just For Adults...

LAS VEGAS is a city full of excitement and loaded with so many places to see and experience. However, when you only have a few days to visit, it gets complicated as you try and decide on what to do with limited time. It's difficult choosing from hundreds of hotels, restaurants, and attractions, but we've gathered up a pretty good first-timer's list and hope you accept a few of our selections. As always, we couldn't feature everything we wanted to in complete detail, but this will give you a head start.

Best Local Skiing and Snowboarding in New Jersey: Mountain Creek

Mountain Creek in Vernon Valley, New Jersey, is the place to go if you want a fantastic family winter getaway in the NJ/NY/PA area. It's just a short drive away, but you'll feel like you're a million miles away. It's the perfect mini-vacation!

  

I was expecting Mountain Creek, and its surrounding hotels, to be great, from what I had heard. However, I wasn't expecting to be blown away. The quality of their properties, the variety of activities, the food at their restaurants, and the friendliness of their staff, no matter where I went, was above and beyond anything I ever expected. 

Skiing, snowboarding, and tubing are just one part of the fun. Other outdoor adventures, and an abundance of indoor activities, will make sure you're never short of things to do. The thing is, you will probably not have enough time to do it all, but that's what future trips are for!

Cancun...

Coming soon.

Los Angeles: A Few Wonderful Days in the City of Angels...

Los Angeles is a sprawling city that is as famous for its unique landscapes and entertainment as it is for its residents. As the center of the nation's film and television industry, it's exciting at every nook and cranny. We love Los Angeles and each of its unique neighborhoods and towns. You can live in Los Angeles for years and still not get to see everything it has to offer. Spending an unforgettable week sightseeing, or even doing it in a few days, is completely doable, and still very satisfying. Whether you're touring Universal, Warner or Paramount Studios, checking out the TCL Chinese Theater to put your shoes or hands into one of favorite celebrities, checking out the stars on the Walk of Fame, or taking a tour of movie star's homes, all things celebrity surround you.

JW Marriott Essex House in New York City: The Creme de le Creme of NY Hotels...

There is no shortage of outstanding hotels in NYC. Many have spectacular locations, ambiance, suites and restaurants. We recently had the opportunity to review the JW Marriott Essex House and it has become our newest favorite hotel in the city.

The entire luxury hotel is a work of art that has been an icon in NYC since 1931. With ornate gilded doors and rich wood paneling throughout that bring you back to the Art Deco years, current cutting-edge technology seamlessly blends the past and present.

The JW Marriott Essex House is a 44-story luxury hotel with 509 Art Deco style rooms, located across the street from the southern border of Central Park. The building also includes a large number of condominium residences. It is immediately recognizable by its original red neon rooftop sign.

Their contemporary guest rooms are comfortable, immaculate, and homey all at the same time with breathtaking views of Central Park and Manhattan as a bonus. And, all of the usual suspects are available, including Internet TV and WiFi. We stayed in a Junior Suite (with a King bed) and couldn't wait to jump in to their sumptuous bedding at the end of our day. The room is 500 square feet which is plenty big, especially for NYC, and there is an additional, separate sitting area. The suite also boasts a plush sofa that turns into a queen bed for additional family.

The Southgate Bar and Restaurant is a great choice for any meal. The restaurant is bright and cheerful. You can have breakfast, lunch, dinner, or small bites and cocktails there. Their Central Park bar offers spectacular views, a cozy fireplace and first-rate meals. Their Sunday Jazz Brunch was fabulous! It offered everything we could ask for in a delicious breakfast and the atmosphere was lovely and inviting.

Hotel services and amenities are abundant, providing the comforts of home during your travels. There is an executive lounge, stellar concierge services, rejuvenating spa services, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and an exceptional business center.

We'd like to thank a few people for making our stay perfect... Ramona in Public Relations, Maurizio LaGrast (the Food and Beverage Operations Manager), Oneida Peralta (housekeeping), Shiba, Dalio, Greg Cochran, Jennifer Kim, Hannah, and everyone at the front desk. Thank you and we can't wait to visit again!

www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycex-jw-marriott-essex-house-new-york/

The Best Halloween Attractions in Central New Jersey...

Corner of Chaos... (cornerofchaos.com)



This is a blast. Cornfields and Forests and Haunted Barns, oh my! Start off with the Wicked Wagon Hayride. It's a nice, slow start but lots of fun. Move on to the Trail of Treachery, which was a little scarier than the Hayride. It's really cool to walk through the corn fields and there are surprises around every corner. After these two, the thrills never stop. The Barbaric Barn, winner of the "Frighttour Frighty Winner Maze of the Year" two years ago, is awesome. However, our favorite of all is the Wooded Wasteland. As scary as you would want it to be, and not for wimps, this is so exciting, and everything has everything you would desire on a haunted trail. 

To be honest, all of their attractions are as good as any attraction in Disney or Universal, and they last a lot longer, too.

Grand Cayman: Truly A Piece of Heaven on Earth...

Once you visit the Cayman Islands, and specifically Grand Cayman, it will be really hard to go to any other island. The Cayman Islands used to be a place for mainly scuba divers but it has become a special place for any type of vacation. Grand Cayman is the largest of the Cayman Islands with George Town as its capital. There are so many things to do and places to visit (see bottom of review).

First, we'd like to offer opinions about two very different accommodations. One being a five-star luxury hotel and the other a homey suite hotel.