home - TravelSearcher

Personal stories and curated recommendations

Current spotlight: Paris

Favorite mystery series set in Paris: Cara Black’s Leduc Détective series

by Maggie Caldwell | October 31, 2018 | art and culture, Paris, read | 0 Comments

Armchair travelers and mystery fans will enjoy this noir mystery series set in Paris: Cara Black’s Aimée Leduc series.

Best Paris spa experience: Les Bains de Léa

by Maggie Caldwell | October 9, 2018 | experience, Paris, places, spas, stories | 0 Comments

Experience the lap of luxury and deep relaxation during your trip to Paris with a day at Les Bain de Léa spa in the Golden Triangle.

Hotel Vernet: luxury design, comfort, and value in a Paris hotel

by Maggie Caldwell | October 8, 2018 | Paris, stay | 0 Comments

Discover the perfect meeting of luxury, comfort, location, and, surprisingly, value, at the 5-star boutique Hotel Vernet. This Paris hotel is located on a quiet street near the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysee. The rooms are plush and comfortable, the food is excellent, and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful.

Eat: L’Ecluse François 1er, Paris

by Maggie Caldwell | October 1, 2018 | eat, Paris | 0 Comments

If you have one chance for a quintessential Parisian lunch, head directly to L’Ecluse François 1er in the 8th. Sink into a rich butterscotch leather banquette, sip a glass of wine or l’eau avec gas, order the lunch special of the day, whatever that may be, and listen to Ray Charles playing softly from the hidden speakers and enjoy.

hotel vernet sign on white limestone exterior with iron and glass domed entry

Hotel Vernet: luxury design, comfort, and value in a Paris hotel

hotel exterior with three doors, each with a black and white awning overhead

Stay: Palace Hotel, San Francisco

The Palace Hotel in San Francisco is indeed San Francisco’s first luxury hotel, iconic, with gorgeous architectural details. But iconic luxury can come at the sacrifice of comfort. We stayed here and can share the good and the not-so-good about staying here.

Stay: San Diego’s Marriott Marquis Hotel

We recommend San Diego’s Marriott Marquis. It provides a resort-type experience in a downtown convention center hotel, and we’ve found it’s a great choice as a vacation home base for families. It’s also an easy place to bring your spouse and kids if you’ve got an event at the convention center to sneak in some family time while you’re not working.

Explore downtown San Diego with your kids

A roundup of the best family-friendly activities downtown San Diego has to offer. Balance out the lines and crowds at Sea World, the Zoo, and Legoland with our tried and recommended suggestions, from biking to kite flying.