What do you look for in the perfect travel purse? For me, I like high quality leather, beautiful craftsmanship, eco-friendly materials, plenty of space to haul things (I'm a mom!), and zippers - the more the merrier, to deter trouble. So for my recent trip to Turkey with Turkish Airlines, I was so pleased to work with the renowned British company Maxwell Scott Bags to review a travel handbag.

During Spring Break 2015, I traveled to Los Angeles from Chicago to spend some time with my adult daughter, Katie.  Katie is an actress and a writer, surviving in the City of Angels by relentlessly promoting herself, auditioning, working at a bookstore, and adding odd jobs when needed. She lives in a tiny room in a rented home near LAX, and so I needed to make arrangements to sleep in other quarters.  I took to the web and booked a room via AirBnb for the first time.

Texas history does not begin with its declaration of independence from Mexico 1836. Long before this revolt, indigenous people and Hispanic settlers lived in the vast region called New Spain. Spain’s conquest of Mexico in 1519 continued until Mexico declared independence from Spain in 1810. Then, what was known as Tejas to the inhabitants, became part of Mexico.

Spain’s European blood was not only spilled in the bloody conquest of Mexico but mixed with Mexico’s indigenous tribes, resulting in a people called mestizos. Mexicans are inheritors of this extraordinary human fusion.

I've just returned from an extraordinary trip to Turkey with the White House Travel Bloggers, courtesy of Turkish Airlines (never-ending thank yous!).

Florida Culture for the Week of May 11, 2015 by Josh Garrick

May 12 to 17 – Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Dr. Phillips Center 

One of the most popular holiday destinations in the United States, the city of Miami attracts scores of visitors every year.This is due to its tropical climate, cosmopolitan culture as well as plenty of things to see and do. From learning experiences to laid-back activities, nearly every type of holidaymaker is well catered for on a trip to Miami.

These highlights aren't just contained within Miami's metropolitan area either, as the surrounding region features equally interesting destinations and landscapes too.

When my husband's work as a coffee trader brought us to live in Granada, Nicaragua for seven months, I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was a wildly inspiring, quasi-magical realist town on the banks of a massive lake that's dotted with 365 islands filled with monkeys and parrots. The houses and churches (there was one every few blocks) are the colors of fruit sorbets, and there are as many bicycles and horse-drawn carriages in the streets as there are cars.

You know those books - the ones that grab you and don't let go? The ones that teach you about a place, culture, people? Such is the case with a new book written by Eleni Gage, entitled The Ladies of Managua. Eleni is a journalist who writes regularly for publications including Travel+Leisure, The New York Times, T: The New York Times Travel Magazine, Dwell, Elle, Elle Décor, Real Simple, Parade, and The American Scholar.

Florida Culture for the Week of May 4, 2015 by Josh Garrick

May 6 to August 1 – Art in Chambers presents Art by Thomas Thorspecken

Beginning with a free public reception on May 6 at 5:30 pm, the Art in Chambers project at Winter Park City Hall will present the colorful, urban sketches of Thomas ‘Thor’ Thorspecken. The illustrator and journalist began his website, Analog Artist Digital World in 2009 to become part of our community – one sketch at a time. City Hall is at 401 S. Park Avenue in Winter Park. Call 407.599.3498 or visit cityofwinterpark.org

Istanbul wasn’t what I expected. Derelict buildings, many abandoned for years, others trapped in disrepair, doors hanging on one hinge, windows missing, exterior walls bare of paint and understructure exposed. Istanbul—a jumble of yellow taxis jostling for space on the narrow corridors, thousands of pedestrians dodging cars and struggling to cross streets without being hit.