I'm so excited to share with you this guest blog post from the phenomenal Ali Swanson--world traveler, health-care provider extraordinaire, and dear friend. Here she writes about when she lived in Vietnam, long before the US and Vietnam normalized relations. Here's Ali:During … [Read more...]

Yesterday I posted a card from the Saigon dining room in the old Sheraton Chicago. Today I found a postcard of another dining room in the kitschy Kon-Tiki Ports concept, also at the Sheraton Chicago.Meet Macao.I'm enthralled by the dark, opium den/Chinese curio shop … [Read more...]

I've always loved receiving postcards. Not only do you get a cool picture, but also a personalized note. Long after t-shirts and tchotchkes tear or break, postcards can last for years and are easy to store.My friend Jean sent me this elegant postcard from Taipei last week. I … [Read more...]

Speaking of Mayer Lansky, Havana, and hotels, one would be remiss not to mention the Nacional.Built in 1930 and designed by New York firm McKim, Mead and White, the Nacional hosted celebs such as Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, John Wayne, Buster Keaton, and Gary Cooper. Ernest … [Read more...]