If you aren't familiar with Carmel California, I bet you are familiar with it's cousins of Pebble Beach and Monterey. Don't worry though, there's a lot to offer in Carmel itself including a great beach, great food, unparalleled driving experiences in Big Sur, sports, and of course it is one of the most dog friendly cities in America. Oh yeah and many celebrities call Carmel home so don't be surprised if you see them walking around town including Brad Pitt and former mayor of Carmel, Clint Eastwood. 

Last month, Heather and I set forth to escape the summer heat in San Diego and head north to Carmel-by-the-Sea, located just south of San Francisco. Our host on this trip was the absolutely beautiful Carmel Country Inn, a bed and breakfast that offered us a 2 bedroom suite.

Yellowstone National Park has some of the most awe-inspiring landscape in the entire world. From geysers that shoot water hundreds of feet into the air as well as rainbow hued pools of boiling water and even cold mountain streams that run through lush grasslands where elk, bison, and other animals feed. While there are plenty of lodges such as the grand Yellowstone lodge, to get the full back to nature experience we recommend checking into one of the park's 12 campgrounds. 

Be aware though, we aren't the only ones that think this is a great summer camping idea, so make sure to make reservations early. This is especially true if you are looking to make reservations during the summer.

Of the 12 campgrounds in Yellowstone, 5 are operated by Xanterra Parks and REsorts with 1,700+ sites and take reservations. However the National Park Service operates 7 that are first-come, first-served basis those spots are often filled by 11 a.m., so plan to arrive early to get a good spot!

If lodges are more your style, there are more than 2,000 rooms available in the park as well.

Just in case you needed another excuse to play in the sun down in Puerto Vallarta, the CasaMagna Marriott sends word that they have launched a new tequila appreciation program titled Secretos de la Familia and they are one of the few resorts in the world where agave azul is actually grown on the grounds and used for making their very own tequila.

According to the General Manager, the resort boasts an enormous library of this spirit including 114 tequilas regularly available by the glass and a Tequila Sommelier who hosts regular tasting classes for the guests.

While the Cubs are the perennial underdogs, having not won a World Series in over 100 years, their home in Chicago is one of the most iconic sports stadiums in the whole world. In previous years, the Cubs have played at Hohokam Stadium, shared with the Oakland A's but this year they opened up the season at their very own stadium "Cubs Park", affectionately referred to as "Wrigley Field South".

As someone who has enjoyed numerous games at Wrigley I can say that even though it is someone that should be on the bucket list for any sorts fan, the park is an absolute dump. From obstructed views to cramped bathrooms and nets installed to keep concrete from falling on people's heads it is one of those places that should probably just be shut down - if it wasn't for the antique charm and sense of history that radiates from every square inch of the facility.

Looking for that perfect hotel to make her swoon? The folks over at Expedia's UK office worked with some of the top travel bloggers in the world to compile a list of the best hotels for a romantic getaway.

While I can't provide a roundup of all the hotels they included, here are a few that I think you'll want to check out.

As a cruise ship junkie I was thrilled for the opportunity to spend even a few hours aboard a ship that normally doesn't operate in the United States. Costa Crociere is an Italian cruise line that while the first to operate in the Caribbean is now working to rise to the attention of the North American travel market. The Costa Deliziosa in particular does an annual around the world tour and that's why she happened to stop in San Diego and give us the opportunity to check her out.

While Caribbean cruising may be king, the west coast of Mexico also offers some exciting opportunities for fun as well. To explore these, we boarded the Carnival Miracle and set off on a seven-day journey with our review starting in Los Angeles (Long Beach) and included two days in Cabo San Lucas and Puerta Vallarta before heading home.

Sure, it's winter right now but that doesn't mean that we can't think about planning our road trips for when the weather gets better. The folks over at Wish.co.uk have prepared this infographic with trivia, archetypes, and lessons that we can learn from Hollywood's most famous road trip movies.

This was my first time visiting the west coast of Mexico so I wasn't really sure what to expect - and frankly all you hear these days about the Pacific coast is about how dangerous it is. While that may be true in spots, during a recent tour of Ensenada, Mexico, I found it very fun and unusual, with more to do than I frankly was expecting.

Unlike the Caribbean cruise ports I am used to, Ensenada is a real town with people who lead real lives and aren't just there to look pretty and offer excursions to rich American tourists. However, there is some of that, too, though it was more like visiting a regular city vs a sanitized "made for tourists" experience.

There's more to cruising than the big three - (Carnival, Royal, and NCL) and I have been wanting to try Princess for quite a while, but never had the opportunity. Last month, we took a quick weekend escape out of Los Angeles on the Golden Princess and finally got to experience what it means to "Escape Completely".

The Golden Princess is a grand class ship, measuring 109,000 gross tons and carrying 2,600 passengers (double occupancy) plus 1,100 crew members.

Princess launched Golden in 2001, but retrofitted the ship in 2009.

When someone says they are going to Myrtle Beach, I automatically think Golf. Wow, was I wrong. Myrtle Beach has so much more to offer than I ever thought.  Between paddle boarding, NASCAR, craft beer, sushi, steaks, and shooting lessons, Myrtle Beach is a great place for a mancation.

It is also certainly a lot more than just a great golf destination!

Maison Dupuy is located in New Orleans' French Quarter, just two blocks away from Bourbon Street and walking distance to pretty much any place you might want to visit in the French Quarter.

While it is the newest hotel to be built in the French Quarter (1973), it manages to convey a classic elegance that its much older neighbors do - without some of the weirdness of uneven floors and crooked windows that come from being housed in buildings that are in some cases hundreds of years old.

While many people associate New Orleans with some of the best parties in the world, the other "Must Do" in New Orleans is brunch. While there is no shortage of great places where you can gorge on delicious traditional brunch foods, I would like to heartily recommend stopping by Court of Two Sisters.

Between the gorgeous courtyard, tons of great food (traditional breakfast as well as cajun and southern staples like crawfish, jambalaya, and collards), there is something for everyone! Plus they have some of the friendliest staff in town.

For this trip review, we decided to try the Freedom of the Seas. It isn't the newest or largest ship in Royal's fleet but it certainly had some fun "Designed for Wow" features that others simply don't, so let's start exploring.

Heather and I had a wonderful time at Sandals Montego Bay and heartily recommend it to anyone looking for an escape to one of the most fantastic islands in the Caribbean. Sometimes it is tough to select an all inclusive as EVERYTHING can look fantastic from a tourism brochure or website. That's why it is tough to pick a resort sometimes. However, I am THRILLED to say that Sandals is still awesome, even almost ten years after we stayed in their sister property in Ocho Rios for our honeymoon.

New Orleans and Florida's West Coast aren't the only mancation destinations awaiting you on the Gulf Coast!

Gulf Shores, Alabama also offers a variety of great opportunities for the ultimate mancation as well, including Golf, Seafood, and Fishing!

Disney might not be the first place you think of for romance, but surprisingly it was a fantastic romantic escape for Heather and I recently. Between "Dark Rides", "Thrill Rides", nostalgia, and just plain fun - Disney World can truly be the "Magic Kingdom" for your relationship!

Are you one of those individuals, whose weekends are spent taming a rapid, climbing a mountain, wriggling through a cave or leaping off a cliff? It is very likely then that when it comes to choosing a foreign holiday you would be seeking destinations that are as action-packed and adrenaline-fuelled as they come. If you see yourself manhandling a Land Rover out of a ditch or pitching a tent in the middle of the wilderness look no further than Africa.

The most important word you need to know in Barcelona is siesta, because a solid afternoon nap is the only way to survive this non-stop party city that decided dusk till dawn just wasn’t enough.

The architecturally gorgeous coastal destination is a man’s paradise; you can tan on hot beaches filled with hotter girls, navigate through two-and-a-half lifetimes worth of bars (yes, that’s statistically accurate), and grind at the notoriously hedonistic nightclubs that are packed till sunrise.