Jan Schroder

Tour guides can be awesome and really enhance your experience. But sometimes I prefer to go at my own pace and stop to take photos whenever I’d like.

I’m not sure if this is welcome news or falls somewhere on the so-creepy scale. Airports are experimenting with using biometric technology to test facial recognition for some international flights. Rather than showing a passport, passengers have their photos taken prior to boarding, which are matched to photos of them already on file.

Wearing the iconic white jumpsuit, he crooned all the classic Elvis tunes, rising from his chair occasionally to gyrate. Seeing Pete Vallee perform as “Big Elvis” in Las Vegas years ago is one of my favorite memories of that trip.

If you’re looking for family-friendly attractions, white-as-snow beaches and a variety of fun restaurants, Gulf Shores, Alabama, is the perfect option for a vacation.

We sat perched in the cramped entrance to Mama J’s Kitchen, but it was worth the wait for the best fried catfish and corn muffins we’d ever had.

Jeremy Norris’ family members were bootleggers and farmers. He carries on their legacy with Broadslab Distillery, located on the family farm, producing moonshine, whisky and rum in a still he designed with his grandfather using his recipe. “We handle the entire process from dirt to bottle,” he said on the one-hour tour that includes a shot glass and tasting.

A must-have for me from now on with a beachfront room is a balcony. There’s nothing better than sipping coffee in the morning or an adult beverage in the afternoon while lounging on a balcony with a view of the water.

You have a bit of time to save the $9.5 million needed to stay at Aurora Station, the world’s first luxury space hotel, and to choose the other five people for your 12-day journey. Bookings are available for 2022.

It’s an Italian gastropub in Florida with a Soho chic vibe serving items like Cuban pizza (with pickles!). Hullabaloo is also one of the most popular restaurants in West Palm Beach, where Executive Chef Fritz Cassel serves up items like smoked pork belly, charcuterie plate, scallop and shrimp risotto, short rib ravioli and pizzas from the wood stone oven.