Best of Paradise | the curious passport

Image uploaded from iOS-10 Over the last few months, I’ve been mining memories of past trips to Caribbean locales like Cartagena and Panama City and translating them into curated city guides for Luxury Living International magazine.

In my most recent piece, we sink into the evolving Panama City neighborhood of Casco Viejo to experience the city’s vibrant nightlife scene by roof top. Aim to head to one of these three roof tops during golden hour and plan for a sip of Ron Abuelo or two:

Reach for the Sky at These Rooftop Bars in Panama City
- Excerpt: “Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, this geographically petite neighborhood vibrates with activity at sunset and often continues into the next morning. With sweeping views of the Downtown skyline and surrounding landmarks, twenty minutes from the city center are these three Casco Viejo roof tops:”

Dreaming of Cartagena? Read my city guide as a thought-starter piece to create your own tropical getaway:

Where to eat, drink and stay in Cartagena
- Excerpt: “The city that played muse to one of Nobel-prize winner Gabriel García Márquez’s most memorable and fantastical novels is having a moment in the fiery Caribbean sun. Top ranks on must-visit lists, nonstop service from the U.S. to Rafael Núñez International airport and an impressive dining scene have fanned the flames of the Colombian jewel’s rise from local holiday spot to global destination darling.”

In other news, today is my long-awaited interview for Global Entry status. I am hoping all goes well so that I may breeze through international airports during my upcoming trip to Europe next month. As I type this, I realize that the word breeze may be a bit optimistic, but hey anything to make long-haul travel more comfortable is worth trying in my book.

Last weekend, friend and travel content collaborator Alina (of ARose Travels) and I took a mini-jaunt to Anza Borrego State Park to see the #SuperBloom. Here’s a few photos from the trip; I even got to prance around in front of her camera in the name of creativity: