A view of St. Kitts from the safari jeep

I always find that the best way to explore a place is through the eyes of locals.  You just can’t discover all of the nooks and nuances without the help of someone who lives and loves the place you’re visiting. Although St. Kitts is a tiny island, I gained  an in- depth perspective of its history and culture on a three-hour jeep tour with Greg’s Safari Tours. As a fifth generation Kittitian, Greg guided us through St. Kitts diverse terrain while supplying loads of historical and cultural tidbits. Read More »

In Chicago, the holiday season doesn’t end with gifts, feasts and fun on December 25. It continues through January 1 with elaborate Kwanzaa celebrations throughout the city.  This seven-day cultural holiday focusing on family and community provides the perfect family outing during a  period of  over-the-top materialism. One of the city’s  as well as the country’s, oldest and biggest Kwanzaa celebrations takes place from 10AMto 10PM at Malcolm X College at 1900 W. Van Buren. Read More »

A view of El Yunque's rainforest canopy

When I think about a relaxing place to be, the beach is always first followed by the rain forest.  There’s nothing quite  like being surrounded by lush vegetation and nature sounds.  Puerto Rico’s El Yunque Rain forest supplies all this and more. Tucked on the Eastern coast of the island, El Yunque is a must do excursion. Read More »

Queen Conch waterfront cafe on Harbour Island

If you’ve never tried conch salad, than you’ve never been to the Bahamas and especially the  tiny out island of Harbour Island, which is two miles east of Eleuthera.  There, conch shells, fried conch, conch soup, conch burgers, conch fritters and conch saladis as ubiquitous as the serene, turquoise water that surrounds the island. Fresh conch salad  effectively represents the breezy, easygoing Bahamian lifestyle and is an essential activity whenever you’re in the Bahamas. Read More »