New York Travel Writers Association

10/02/2025

“New York City is a playground for romance, where candlelit tables, skyline views, and refined flavors abound,” writes member Brandon Schultz for FineDiningLovers. “From a French institution of sophisticated grandeur to a Brooklyn hideaway with waterfront magic, the city’s most romantic restaurants offer more than just a meal: they create moments.”
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So that being the case, Brandon suggests the most romantic restaurants in NYC for .

https://www.finedininglovers.com/explore/lists/most-romantic-restaurants-nyc-valentines-day
Photo courtesy of Restaurant Daniel

Traveling IQ Barbara Peterson New York City Tourism + Conventions I LOVE NEW YORK Le Crocodile The River Café Harvey Chipkin

09/02/2025

"When the pioneers arrived in what is now Washington State, they found a thriving indigenous culture dating back 4,000 years." Fast forward another 250 years, and NYTW member Deborah Gaines arrived to be wowed by the indigenous art in Seattle's great museums and galleries. https://www.everettpotter.com/2025/02/visual-identities-exploring-seattles-native-art/

Gaines also visited Native owned and operated Off the Rez, where, as she reports, "I devoured two pieces of piping hot frybread—crispy on the outside and soft on the inside—one with lemon curd, and a second topped with braised bison (think beef, only richer and with less fat), crema, shredded lettuce, and pickled onions." Think about that as you're eating your Super Bowl bratwursts.

- Traveling IQ Visit Seattle Burke Museum Seattle Art Museum Stonington Gallery Sacred Circle Gallery Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center Suquamish Museum Barbara Peterson Harvey Chipkin Everett Potter

08/02/2025

“In St. Moritz, there’s no end to the cosseting and coddling, and there’s no request unable to be addressed by the staffs of so many five-star superior hotels,” writes member in OutThere magazine. “Our snowshoe guide told us of an exclusive Moncler ad campaign filmed in the forest where we were snowshoeing and then nodded toward a private home nestled into the hill. ‘House of Gucci,’ she whispered...”

Link: https://www.outthere.travel/grand-hotel-des-bains-kempinski-st-moritz-switzerland/

Photo: Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz

Swiss International Air Lines Traveling IQ Barbara Peterson Harvey Chipkin Anita Cotter

The Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski scores with a state-of-the-art wellness offering, a memorable dinner show concept and a lavish dose of Alpine glamour.

06/02/2025

"Every accident deserves [and] gets an investigation:

"As [NYTW member] William J. McGee, senior fellow for aviation and travel at the Project, told me... The reason we have an FAA is President Eisenhower (signed it into law) in 1958, in response to a midair collision over the Grand Canyon in 1956.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/investigations-don-t-undo-air-crashes-but-they-prevent-tragic-repeats-cruising-altitude/ar-AA1yrUxZ
- via MSN
Traveling IQ

Every plane crash is a tragic loss, but the aviation industry as a whole makes sure to improve after each one.

06/02/2025

“The Dutch capital is a dynamic hub of ingenuity and fun, where you can find a chill café as effortlessly as a flirty q***r bar or stumble across a centuries-old bookstore as easily as a cutting-edge arts venue,” writes member Kelsy Chauvin (Kelsy Chauvin). “It’s no wonder is one of the world’s most popular destinations and welcomes nearly nine million visitors annually.”
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Writing for GayCities:, she shares the lowdown for planning your inspiring journey through this modern-Renaissance world capital.
https://www.gaycities.com/articles/94685/amsterdam-lgbtq-guide/
Traveling IQ Visit Netherlands Barbara Peterson Harvey Chipkin Visit Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a dynamic hub of ingenuity and fun, where you can find a chill café as effortlessly as a flirty q***r bar.

04/02/2025

And you thought you knew New York City ... Maria Lisella tells us why ASF + Scandinavia House in Murray Hill is that rare, under-the-radar treasure worth getting to know ...
https://sideofculture.com/2025/01/scandinavia-house-weaves-a-holistic-space-on-park-avenue/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIQ-n1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHcz_8TyUT0KSLi2cA78R4tO3Wzy8SJV9Q9uSFDFljVujbABSvzLvNHO-cw_aem_noe-oZ2DPgpf3JD5jxQrDA
Photo: "Scandinavia House’s gallery is hosting an art show called Nordic Utopia? African Americans in the 20th Century. This exhibition explores the significance of Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway as destinations for new beginnings in the 1930s for African American artists, writers and scholars."

- Side of Culture Barbara Peterson Harvey Chipkin New York City Tourism + Conventions I LOVE NEW YORK

01/02/2025

“Is your Instagram feed flooded with images of friends and family vacationing in Europe? And do you wish you could join them on the Continent but are short on funds and time off?” asks member Allison Tibaldi. “To conquer any FOMO and satisfy your travel impulse, we’ve found several North American destinations that make perfect — and more affordable — alternatives to European hotspots.”

For ShermansTravel, Tibaldi gives us nine vacation dupes that will transport you to Europe without your having to cross the Atlantic.
https://www.shermanstravel.com/slideshow/north-america-europe-destination-dupes

Traveling IQ Barbara Peterson Harvey Chipkin The Equinox, Golf Resort & Spa Mayor's Office of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment for the City of Boston Visit Boston Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Solvang, California Visit Maine Farnsworth Art Museum I LOVE NEW YORK The Adelphi Hotel Goodstone Inn & Restaurant Norton Simon Museum Visit Pasadena Norton Simon Museum City Of Holland, Michigan - City Hall Visit North Carolina

30/01/2025

Happening soon in St. Petersburg, FL: Winter Pride.
VISIT FLORIDA Barbara Peterson Harvey Chipkin Traveling IQ

St. Petersburg–the city that hosts Florida’s largest Pride celebration every June–is bringing q***r heat to the Gulf Coast this winter.

https://travelingiq.com/2025/01/28/st-petersburg-celebrates-its-first-lgbtq-winter-pride/

29/01/2025

“There’s a fun community in Philly, and people are really down to Earth. People work hard and play hard here. I find it’s the kind of city where you can go out on your own, and people are easy to approach and talk to,” says member Jeffrey James Keyes (aka Jeffrey James Patton ).

For GayCities: Your Gay Travel and City Guide he takes a break from writing his popular “On the Go” column, to offer his insider’s guide to LGBTQ+ Philadelphia.
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Traveling IQ Barbara Peterson Visit Philly Bob & Barbara's Lounge Sofitel Philadelphia The Logan - Philadelphia's Hotel Reading Terminal Market Philly AIDS Thrift Giovanni's Room Barnes Foundation The Wilma Theater visitPA

We asked a travel writer about the best things to do in his own city. Here's what he suggested that every tourist do.

26/01/2025

NYTW president Barbara Peterson reminds AFAR readers that despite some well-publicized accidents, "compared with driving, air travel is hands down the safer way to get from point A to point B... Last year, there were 11 fatal air accidents [worldwide], with a total of 318 people killed," she reports. By contrast, "there were approximately 34,000 deaths from road accidents in the USA alone."

That said, which airlines are the safest in this surprisingly safe industry? And which are the least safe? has determined the top and, while we're at it, the bottom 25 -- and Peterson explains what all this actually means for you.
https://www.afar.com/magazine/worlds-safest-airlines?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=012125TheseAretheWorldsSafestAirlines&utm_content=Final&utm_term=Daily%20Wander%20Newsletter%20%28365%20Actives%29
- Traveling IQ Harvey Chipkin

Last year was the worst year for air safety since 2018 due to the deadly Jeju Air crash in South Korea. Yet air travel remains one of the safest forms of transportation, and a new ranking rates the world’s 25 safest airlines.

23/01/2025

"The small Central Florida city of Winter Park...is home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by famed designer Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933)," writes Linda Cabasin, whose visit the collection lights up the dark days of winter. And talk about convenience,"The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (aka the Morse Museum) displays everything from brilliantly colored lamps to an entire chapel designed by Tiffany," and it's just 45 minutes from the theme parks of Orlando. https://sideofculture.com/2025/01/the-morse-museum-in-floridas-winter-park-tiffany-treasures-and-american-art/
Traveling IQ VISIT FLORIDA Visit Orlando Barbara Peterson Harvey Chipkin Rollins Museum of Art via Side of Culture
Photograph by Raymond Martinot

20/01/2025

"I’m thrilled to announce that my new book, National Geographic’s '100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate Train Rides,' will be published by Disney Penguin Random House on October 7, 2025," writes NYTW member Everett Potter. "Researching, riding, and writing the rails for this book has been a labor of love and the culmination of exploring six continents by train over the last three decades.

"As an expert for National Geographic for the past decade, it’s been my privilege to lecture to hundreds of avid rail fans who’ve explored Switzerland and Italy with me. Now I’m happy to spread the word about some of my favorite train journeys in the world, from the Swiss Alps to the Andes, the Canadian Rockies to Africa."

National Geographic Travel Disney

18/01/2025

"The coming year boasts dozens of [LGBTQ+] itineraries, including large ship charters and more intimate riverboats,” writes member Matthew Wexler aka Wexler Writes.
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For GayCities: Your Gay Travel and City Guide he explores the best LGBTQ+ cruises and port cities in the world -- and he chooses well.

Link: https://www.gaycities.com/articles/76134/best-lgbtq-cruises/?utm_source=gaycities&utm_medium=directlink&utm_campaign=directlink&utm_content=Best+LGBTQ%2B+cruises+%26amp%3B+port+cities+in

Photo: Shutterstock- Traveling IQ LGBTQ+ Gay Cruisers - ALL Cruise Lines

16/01/2025

"Once upon a time, newlyweds went straight from the nuptials to their honeymoon.," writes Allison Tibaldi for USA TODAY Travel. But nowadays, she explains, many are opting for a brief, local, stress-free getaway -- a mini-moon -- followed several months later by the longer, more traditional honeymoon.

So relax after the wedding. Exhale. And here are 12 regional getaways where you can do it:

https://10best.usatoday.com/interests/travel-tips/12-mini-moon-ideas-destinations/
Traveling IQ Barbara Peterson Harvey Chipkin Visit Arizona Hotel Valley Ho Go Visit Hawaii OUTRIGGER Reef Waikiki Beach Resort I LOVE NEW YORK Visit California Post Ranch Inn Door County Visit Wisconsin White Lace Inn Amelia Island VISIT FLORIDA Visitez Montréal et Québec / Visit Montreal and Quebec city Relais & Châteaux Hamilton-Turner Inn Visit Savannah Visit Portland Maine Longfellow Hotel Deer Valley Resort The St. Regis Deer Valley Ski Utah Wickaninnish Inn

Going on a honeymoon right after the wedding can be taxing. These mini-moon ideas offer a relaxing and budget-friendly post-wedding getaway.

12/01/2025

"In today's whirlwind world, chill has a lot of charm. Menorca (also known as Minorca), Spain’s easternmost Balearic Island... may lack the glitz of her party sisters, Mallorca and Ibiza, but that’s exactly why you should visit," writes Ivan Quintanilla in GayCities: Your Gay Travel and City Guide.

"Menorca makes for a perfect relaxing wind-down to your European vacation, with flights under two hours from most European hotspots." He adds that "there is no major q***r scene on the island, but Menorca is still very LGBTQ+ friendly -- "this is Spain, after all."

What should visitors do there? Where to stay? And where to have a drink or three? That and more is right here: https://www.gaycities.com/articles/94098/this-islands-a-hidden-gem-unspoiled-by-a-horde-of-tourists-get-there-before-they-do/?fbclid=IwY2xjawHwDAZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWb3eReDhPrB3waCzvowpIGJArUu3Vu8K8rm8FI2FyAPStEzkaitwFspEw_aem_BBv-OofcpCQ1kBWlhjmVvw
- Traveling IQ Barbara Peterson Visit Spain Bodegas Binifadet Menorca Hauser & Wirth Harvey Chipkin

Menorca may lack the glitz of her party sisters, Mallorca and Ibiza, and that's exactly why you should visit. It's a relaxing wind-down.

12/01/2025

Birthday boy aka NYTW treasurer Roger Cox a few years ago with tennis great John Newcombe.

Blast that ball past the other guy, and you just might end up hobnobbing with a legend. Enjoy your day, Roger!

- with Traveling IQ Barbara Peterson Harvey Chipkin