Upstairs At The Kimberly: Dining And Drinking With "Open Air Flair"!

By: Anne M. Raso

For those who love open Modern American dining with a view, Upstairs At The Kimberly is the place to be. The signature drinks are highly inventive (if costly, at $16), but once you've tried one or two, you'll feel compelled to try them all. We checked out the Oh Yoko (a soju and sake based refreshing summer drink with lemon grass, ginger and mint) and Electrolyte (a vodka-based summer drink with fresh pineapple and lemon that is said to actually bring down one's body temperature) and we ordered repeats!

Electrolyte

A Pirate's Life: National Rum Day on August 16th!

"Yo ho ho..."

For centuries we’ve enjoyed the versatility and refreshing taste of rum as the go-to drink of seafarers, islanders and the land-locked alike. So wherever you are - beat the summer heat and continue this tradition by celebrating National Rum Day on August 16. To kick off the celebration, crank up the Caribbean tunes, light the barbecue and invite your friends over for a night of rum revelation!

The Ink Spa: Loving Every Minute Of The "Freestyle Facial" And Tranquil Surroundings!

By: Anne M. Raso

What sets the Ink Spa at the Ink48 Hotel apart from the numerous and fabulous hotel spas in midtown Manhattan? Two words: FREESTYLE FACIAL! This 50-minute facial (priced at a reasonable $125) is as customized as a facial can get and features not only Kerstin Florian products fragrant with the scent of lavender (it's the line commissioned by the Kimpton Hotel chain and is featured in all their spas across the globe) but massage on the hands, feet and chest while peels and masques are doing their magic. Facialist Karalyns Schuck makes grand efforts to address every issue your skin is having with treatments that exfoliate, renew and finally, add a youthful and dewy look that some clients have probably not seen since they were 16. From the beginning of the treatment, where Schuck used Kerstin Florian's rehydrating Neroli Cleansing Milk to the Clarifying Exfoliating Scrub to the Rehydrating Neroli Water spritzed onto my face at the very end of the service, I gleefully inhaled the most wonderful all-natural "aromatherapy" while getting every cell on my face renewed. Schuck does the traditional steam during the FREESTYLE FACIAL as well, followed by gentle extractions. Manager Suzanne Owen is proud of the fact that the spa staff created the FREESTYLE FACIAL themselves and notes, "It gives us an opportunity to analyze the skin and customer the perfect treatment."

Breakfast In The Sky And Other Delights In Wildwood, NJ!

By: Anne M. Raso

Wildwood, NJ, has long been known as one of the more well-kept towns on the Jersey shore, with the cleanest beaches (all free to the public) and the largest amount of kiddie rides for the eight and under crowd (not that there aren't several adult thrill rides on the three Morey's Piers jutting off the world-famous boardwalk). Keeping with the times, the town has updated some of its numerous "doo wop architecture" motels into a baby boomer heaven (there's even a free trolley tour that goes around from motel to motel on weekends that you can catch at the Doo Wop Cafe, directly across from the Wildwood Convention Center, and other locations).