Patricia Vanikiotis

6 days ago | globaltravelerusa.com | Patricia Vanikiotis

Last week I wrote about the first day of our return trip to Walla Walla, Washington, after a two-year absence. That day we really put in only a half-day of tasting . . . all quality, of course! On Saturday, though, we started out early and made it to several favorites before ending the day with a nice dinner out. What made the day even better was that we shared it with long-time friends Tim and Teri.

1 week ago | globaltravelerusa.com | Patricia Vanikiotis

Ever since my husband and I moved to North Central Washington over 20 years ago, we have enjoyed wine tasting trips to Walla Walla, located in the far southeastern corner of the state.

4 weeks ago | globaltravelerusa.com | Patricia Vanikiotis

We wrapped up our December trip Down Under with a business-class flight from Sydney to San Francisco on United Airlines, enjoying the Polaris fully lie-flat seat, meals and complimentary beverages, and plenty of entertainment options on the 13-hour flight. The flight was even more special in that we departed Sydney on the Southern Hemisphere’s summer solstice — Dec. 21 — and landed (thanks to the International Date Line) in San Francisco on the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice.

1 month ago | globaltravelerusa.com | Patricia Vanikiotis

One aspect of cruising that cruise lines put a lot of thought, effort and investment into is the culinary experience. The largest ships carry thousands of passengers, and menus must appeal to global palates and address dietary and cultural restrictions.

1 month ago | globaltravelerusa.com | Patricia Vanikiotis

Although our final port on our New Zealand cruise on Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess last December was Dunedin, we weren’t quite done with the country when we sailed out of port that day. No, fortunately we had a full day to enjoy scenic cruising in stunning Fiordland National Park. The park, which was officially created in 1952 (though a large chunk of it was set aside in 1904), covers nearly 5 percent of New Zealand’s area and inhabits the far southwestern quadrant of South Island.