NORTH AMERICA Archives

San Blas, Mexico: The holy grail for ecotourists and a birdwatchers’ paradise

Long before Puerto Vallarta became a renowned beach destination on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, another community only 90 miles to its north was thriving. This was San Blas. Established in 1767, it was a bustling commercial and naval-shipbuilding hub at the time of Spain’s conquest of Mexico, with trade routes extending across the Pacific to the […]

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A Mendocino Meander

NORTH AMERICA / Nicholas Kontis

Mendocino County is one of California’s most fetching treasures, and a drive up its rugged Pacific coastline is one of North America’s memorable road trips. Here, majestic redwood forests march to the crests of steep cliffs that overlook unspoiled beaches. Somehow, the overdevelopment that swallowed other California coastal communities missed Mendocino. The scenery along Highway One

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What It’s Like to Visit One of America’s ‘Happiest Places’ on California’s Central Coast

NORTH AMERICA / Nicholas Kontis

About 230 miles south of San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge and just over 200 miles north of Los Angeles’s world-famous Hollywood sign – right off highway 101 — lies the central California community of San Luis Obispo. Referred to by the laid-back locals with the simple moniker “SLO” (pronounced as “slow”), the town and

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THE IRRESISTIBLE CHARM OF NAPA’S CULINARY CAPITAL YOUNTVILLE

NORTH AMERICA / Nicholas Kontis

The Napa Valley town of Yountville is like a beautiful well-crafted bottle of wine: carefully thought out and the longer you spend in its atmosphere, the better it gets. You immediately become infatuated by its carefree, unhurried vibe, unmistakable charisma, and sheer beauty intertwined with vineyards. The Town of Yountville is steeped in upscale epicurean

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BOTTLEROCK NAPA VALLEY – WHERE THE FOOD RIVALS THE MUSIC

NORTH AMERICA / Nicholas Kontis

If it’s Memorial Day weekend in the Napa Valley, then it’s time for BottleRock, the three-day music, food, wine, and brew festival. The first taste of the summer festival season begins with BottleRock presented by JaM Cellars and taking place at the Napa fairgrounds. Move over Muse, Snoop Dog, and The Killers; there’s more to BottleRock

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A Recipe for Success at EPIC Steak with Hangar 1 Vodka

NORTH AMERICA / Nicholas Kontis

Designer Pat Culeto and Executive Chef and partner Parke Ulrich have created a wonderful ambiance and are dazzling diners with their hit, Epic Steak. Located on San Francisco’s Embarcadero Waterfront, visiting foodies are graced with panoramic views of San Francisco Bay. On warm summer days, the 5,600 feet of outdoor patio space makes the modern steakhouse the perfect

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Napa Valley: A Culinary, Palette-Pleasing Tour for the Fifth Sense

NORTH AMERICA / Nicholas Kontis

SolbarTantalize your five senses with our roadmap to restaurants we’re loving in the valley of vino. At a blind tasting in Paris in 1976 known as the “Judgment of Paris,” Napa Valley vintners shocked the wine world with not one, but two first-place finishes. Stag’s Leap S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon won for reds, and for whites

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Is Sonoma County America’s Most Complete Wine Region?

NORTH AMERICA / Nicholas Kontis

Robert Frost said, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” That mantra bodes well when deciding where to visit Northern California’s two most celebrated grape destinations. Napa Valley is a deserving queen to the throne, holding the torch as America’s preeminent encounter with

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Casual dining at Napa’s River Terrace Inn Alba Restaurant

NORTH AMERICA / Nicholas Kontis

Visitors to the cradle of modern day wine country, the iconic Napa Valley, have discovered solace on the Napa River at the River Terrace Inn. Located on the banks of the Napa River, the cozy property is a member of the stellar, one-of-a-kind group of hotels managed by the hospitality gems at Noble House Hotels &

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12 Destinations to Photograph Fall Foliage

NORTH AMERICA / Nicholas Kontis

Although technically it is still summer, and most of the country remains in heatwave mode, gradually temperatures will drop, and the vibrant colors of fall will grace America’s treasured National Parks and open spaces. Autumn is less than a month away and for photography buffs, some of the most colorful scenery of the year is

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