Last vacation you really loved: Morocco, where I recently went with my husband. We went from Casablanca to Meknes, to Fes, to the desert, through the mountains, and finally, to Marrakech. It was absolutely amazing. At one point we were going to stay in a hotel in the foot of a gorge, but it ended up getting flooded by freak rains and complete mayhem ensued. We declared it our sketchiest travel experience to date but it only endeared Morocco to us once we... didn't die. I definitely had some of the best food and stayed in some of the best hotels in Morocco as well. There's something there for everyone.

Favorite East Coast escape: New Orleans or Puerto Rico - both are pretty short JetBlue flights and can either be tackled in a weekend or a week, depending on how much time you have.

Meal would you travel for: I haven't been in years but anything in Italy. Almost to the point that I just would travel to get my produce there if I could - it's incredible. Grapes the size of golf balls and you feel healthy no matter how much pasta you eat. And then there's the gelato factor...

One item you never travel without? A Field Notes notebook. My goal when I travel is to have a notebook full of daily documentation from every trip we take and Field Notes are the perfect size for that. And taking notes during a trip ends up being really hilarious; the reactions throughout a vacation are always more truthful than how you end up remembering it after the fact. I always end up making note of someone or something that I might otherwise forget. Like surly waiters or weird signage, etc.

What's an exception that you make to your way of living when you travel? Big Macs!

Biggest travel tip: I'm really big on traveling in the off or shoulder season and almost always do. It's not always a predictable experience but the deals can be major.

Overlooked destination: You can fly to Iceland in something like 5 hours and stay for just the weekend but if you so desire you can literally spend weeks and weeks just driving the ring road around the entirety of the island. If you're lucky (in terms of weather), you can go into the interior as well. AND IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND. Lava fields, waterfalls, golden sand beach to a black sand beach to what seems like the surface of the moon. 

What's worth splurging on in general when traveling? Utilitarian objects: bottle openers, small plates, etc. I love to get weird things from flea markets that I can sprinkle throughout my house.

Any favorite airline? I really recommend and have had the best luck traveling on nonmajor airlines. (Icelandair, etc.) People might disagree but I find they tend to be less affected by travel delays, long lines, etc. Plus, they're oftentimes cheaper.

Favorite travel gadget: This is probably stating the obvious but I cannot oversell the glory of the iPhone when traveling to multiple destinations. It's like having a pocket size laptop with you at all times! Not that I don't completely endorse leaving technology at home and enjoying the view, but we have literally made hotel and car reservations mid trip using it and sometimes you just need the internet at your fingertips. Assuming there's wifi of course otherwise it can get pricey. But you can take screen shots of websites and maps and keep them with you. Even just being able to save itineraries and directions is a huge plus.

Ever rented a house for vacation? Yes, I'm all about the ski or beach house rental. Especially since you can get awesome houses for so cheap. This winter, for example, we went to Sugarbush in Vermont where we went with 13 other people and 5 dogs. Cost was minimal: something like $150 per person for 3 nights. And the house was huge and awesome - exactly what I fantasized a woody ski house to be like, with an instant party every night and outdoor recreation built in. If you rent a house in the winter, I highly recommend renting retro ski movies (e.g. Hot Dog The Movie and Aspen Extreme) for apres-ski entertaining. 

Favorite travel resources: I leave no stone unturned when anticipating a trip and the internet is a vast and glorious resource. Flickr, for example, always gives me great ideas (assuming people tag their photos well!). But if I had to pick one site, it would be tripadvisor.com, particularly the forums. And I love, love, love Gourmet magazine - moreso than other more traditional travel magazines. I also feel compelled to note that have recently definitively declared that Rough Guide far outweighs Lonely Planet, though I am sad to say it and I am sure there are exceptions based on who's writing what in what country. Rough Guides just seem to be so much more thorough and more up to date. But I usually buy both anyway.

Best hotel you've ever stayed at: Dar Seffarine in Fes, Morocco. I might never get over it. The place itself was literally like a museum (seriously, we actually saw dars as museums that we had to pay to see during this trip that weren't restored to this glory) but not in an unwelcoming way. Gorgeous tile work, wood carvings, rugs, furniture, lanterns....  And it's really reasonably priced. Every single room had it's own unique architectural personalities and they really strive to make you feel like you're just a guest in a larger house, not a hotel. The entire place is so incredibly communal if you want it to be - for example breakfast (which was included) and dinner were served family style with everyone staying at the hotel and we met such awesome people and got such good advice along the way. The food (cooked daily by the staff) was honestly some of the best we had during our entire trip. We really missed it as soon as we left. Dar Seffarine, we love you!