Passport Magazine

October 2022 - present

Globetrotting: Florence, Italy

Recently, my days in Florence started with a cappuccino and ended with an aperol spritz. When I first fell in love with the city as an 11 year old, I started and ended the day with a chocolate crepe and the largest possible gelato. As a child, Florence’s sunny yellow buildings and warm glow made quite an impression, so I knew when I decided to return I would fall back in love. See the full article.

A Day in Taormina, Sicily

During the spring of 2022, I spent some time in the enchanting city of Taormina on the east coast of Sicily, which you may have spotted in the new hit HBO series The White Lotus, where drama unfolds between families and friends staying at a luxurious resort. Tucked away just beneath an active volcano, Taormina gave me one of the best days of my three month long stint traveling around Italy. On a sunny Sunday, we hopped on a bus and traveled through Sicily’s rolling, green hills green up and up into Taormina. See the full article.

Exploring Rincon de la Vieja National Park

At the tail end of Costa Rica’s rainy season, myself and a few friends booked a last minute trip to the beachy west coast town of Tamarindo. We spent a week learning to surf, exploring the town, and falling asleep to the sounds of howling monkeys, but our best day involved a torrential rainstorm and a bumpy car ride. We booked a trip inland with a company called Native’s Way, and the next day we were up bright and early at 6:30 a.m. to be picked up by a small tour van with an enthusiastic tour guide named Jorge. See the full article.

Is a Eurail Pass right for you?

If you’re an avid traveler who is planning a European adventure, hoping to visit many cities during your trip, you may have heard of the Eurail Pass, which offers access to a majority of trains in Europe with just one ticket. So is this travel hack really all it’s cracked up to be? See the full article.

5 Hudson Valley Properties to Visit this Fall

The changing of seasons is not to be missed in the Northeast where you can watch the leaves on the trees transform from their luscious green to brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds as the weather chills. Just an hour or two drive from NYC are troves of farms, wineries, and orchards that are just waiting for your arrival. Here’s a list of some of the Hudson Valley’s most scenic and cozy autumnal destinations. See full article.

Times Union Hudson Valley

July 2022 - present

Fighting the good fight, one clothing donation at a time

Masha Zabara and Jillian Reed just missed each other when they each studied music at the Bard College Conservatory of Music. But in the small town of Tivoli, where many current and former Bard students reside, their paths eventually crossed. It led to them starting a small business together. See the full article.

Vintage and second-hand clothing stores in the Hudson Valley

After scouring the region for the best vintage pieces, we have our go-to shopping spots narrowed down. Each shop, whether it deals in strictly vintage pieces or second-hand items, brings its own flair to the region’s fashion culture. Offerings range from designer garments and American classics, one-of-a-kind statement pieces to everyday wear. See the full article.

Weekend road trip: Stockbridge, Massachussetts

Home to some of the Northeast’s most historic towns and cities, Western Massachusetts has no shortage of spots for you to spend your weekend. Stockbridge may be small but the town’s centerpiece, the Red Lion Inn, has drawn big names in American culture and history — FDR, Bob Dylan and Post Malone — to enjoy community, cuisine and old-timey charm at the foot of the Berkshires. See the full article.

Weekend road trip: Burlington, Vermont

Upstate New York skiers know that Vermont’s beautiful mountains are among the best places to ski within driving distance. But if you choose to venture beyond the slopes, a weekend stay in Burlington, where chilly air blows in off Lake Champlain, is the quintessential Northeast winter getaway. See the full article.

Storm King Art Center to embark on $45 million redesign

Storm King Art Center is embarking on a $45 million capital project this fall to revamp and expand its grounds and hospitality offerings, transforming the artistic and environmental vision of the sculpture park. See the full article.

MORE FROM TU

A bigger and better Woodstock Film Festival returns Sept. 28

The “fiercely independent” Woodstock Film Festival returns from Sept. 28 through Oct. 2 for its 23rd year, and this year’s lineup is one to beat. Attendees can expect a cozy fall weekend packed with films, special guests and an elevated festival experience. See the full preview.

Things to do in the Hudson Valley this weekend

Every week we scour events calendars to find the best things to do that are especially worth your time and attention, and we share them here.

Read my weekly column with the Times Union Hudson Valley. Updated every Thursday. Find the list here.

SEEN: New York Renaissance Faire 2023

Were you Seen at the 46th annual New York Renaissance Faire 2023 in Tuxedo on Sunday, Sept. 17? See the photo gallery here.

Finding Florence Blog

March - May 2022

**This blog is authored by students at the Florence University of the Arts

Returning to Florence

When I recall my first visit to Florence in January of 2012, there were only three main locations I thought the entire city consisted of. These included: the Duomo in all its wonder and mystique, Via Ricasoli, where my family’s bright Airbnb sat above the street, and Gusta Pizza, across the Arno. See the full article.

Florence in 30,000 Steps

Weekend road trip: Princeton, New Jersey

Famous for ivy-covered walls and smartly dressed students, Princeton has much of what you’d expect from a town orbiting an Ivy League university. Aside from brightly decorated boba tea shops and dimly lit study cafes where students sit hunched over textbooks and laptops, the town has roots in colonial history and a posh small-town character that extends past the main strip. See the full article.

What to do for a weekend in Stroudsburg, Pa., ‘the heart of the Poconos’

At first glance, Stroudsburg, Pa. looks like any charming Northeastern town: local restaurants, cute shops, and the occasional incursion of a chain restaurant (in this case, a KFC smack in the middle of Main Street). But in reality, this community is home to decades-old small businesses and full of nature preserves, state parks and outdoor amusements that make it a great landing spot for weekenders exploring the surrounding Poconos and Delaware River region. See the full article.

Sustainability, but make it fashion

Kaitlyn Murray, owner of a new clothing storefront La Vie Après L’amour in Kingston, brought together local sustainable fashion designers and brands for a fashion show in the orchards of Red Hook’s Rose Hill Farm on Sept. 22 for Hudson Valley Climate Solutions Week. See the full article.

One of my favorite aspects of Florence is its walkability, the proximity of everything. At the end of a long day in Florence, I’ll settle into my apartment and check my Fitbit watch: “30,000+” reads my step count. And that’s not just one day, but many days since I’ve arrived in the city.
I am enamoured with the Florentine lifestyle, but a feeling of stress has encroached on my daily life. It is the sense of fleeting time. The feeling that I won’t see every corner of the city before I leave in May. See the full article.

A Quiet Visit to Santa Croce

Florence is a city overflowing with a wealth of historical sites and beauty. When visiting the city, tourists often want to see the city’s gems: the Duomo, art galleries, old palaces and classic restaurants.

But one of the city’s brightest gems is the Basilica of Santa Croce. Sitting just a couple hundred feet from the Arno, this basilica houses tombs belonging to Italy’s most famous art and cultural figures. See the full article.