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Salt & Wind Travel

We help people travel in good taste, creating memories that outlast the journey.

Join fellow food and culture enthusiasts for insider travel secrets from destinations like Italy, France, and California. Expect curated recommendations, authentic local experiences, expert travel tips, and exclusive access to hidden gems.

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Aerial view of Palermo, Sicily at sunrise, showing the city's historic waterfront promenade, lush green coastal park, and busy harbor with Monte Pellegrino rising dramatically in the background against a clear blue sky.
Featured Post

Everyone Said Italy. I Said Palermo.

Hi Reader, Travel + Leisure asked a handful of experts to name the best food destination on earth. Every one of us said Italy. But, when they got to me, I didn’t say Rome or Bologna. I said Palermo. Nothing against the rest of Italy but this city always seems to fly under-the-radar. Why I Said Palermo Sicily reminds me as much of Beirut as it does of Naples. It belongs to the Mediterranean more than to any one country, and a city like Palermo, with its millennia of history and layers of food...

6 days ago • 3 min read
A dramatic wide-angle view of K?lauea volcano erupting at dusk, with a bright lava fountain shooting upward from the crater floor and a vast glowing lava lake spreading across the caldera, illuminating billowing volcanic plumes in fiery orange and red hue

Hi Reader, I couldn’t sleep, so at some unholy hour I pulled up the Kīlauea eruption updates. The volcano was just starting to put on a show. We threw on shoes and made it to the lookout right as the lava fountain hit its stride, a column of fire roaring up against a black sky. I’ll be honest, catching a fountaining episode was my not-so-secret second goal for this whole research trip, and I’d half talked myself out of it ever happening. Then it did. Watching that glow climb into the night is...

20 days ago • 4 min read
A gourmet open-faced prosciutto sandwich on a rustic ciabatta roll, layered with goat cheese, prune and shallot jam, fresh peach slices, and basil leaves, served on a wooden cutting board.

Hi Reader, There’s a stretch of June where the calendar quickly fills up. A graduation party one weekend, a backyard cookout the next, the start of summer, and Father’s Day landing on the 21st. The reality is, the food has to be good, and it can’t keep you stuck inside while everyone else is enjoying the sun. These are the recipes we have on our short list and we’re sure will be in rotation all season long. Nearly every piece can be made ahead, which means you actually get to enjoy the party....

27 days ago • 3 min read
The Italian tricolor flag flies prominently over a busy Mediterranean beach lined with rows of blue-and-white striped umbrellas and sunbathers, with the calm turquoise sea and a boat visible in the background.

Hi Reader, Spring has been nonstop around here in the best possible way. Late spring in the travel world is basically our version of tax season: we’re finalizing summer itineraries, locking in fall travel, and already deep in conversations about holiday trips and even 2027 planning. Meanwhile, our team is getting fresh destination guides up on the site, sharing travel tips on Instagram, and I’m currently in that very specific pre-trip phase where my suitcase is still empty but my nightstand...

about 1 month ago • 5 min read
A lively outdoor terrace at Bar des Vedettes café in Bordeaux, France, with groups of people dining and drinking beneath a cream awning, framed by classic Haussmann-style limestone architecture and lush greenery.

Hi Reader, This month took me from California wine country to vetting new partners and planning fall trips in France and Italy, and I came away with a few things worth sharing. Starting with a plate of Santa Maria tri-tip, pinquito beans, and cornbread at Paso Robles Inn. If you haven’t had this combo, add it to your must-eat list. It’s my favorite BBQ in the country because, well, it’s from my home state and simply delicious. It’s California’s Central Coast in a bite, and you won’t find it...

about 2 months ago • 4 min read

Hi Reader, We’re picky about new hotels. Like, annoyingly picky. Why? Well so that you don’t have to be! So when we tell you these openings made us stop what we were doing and start replanning trips, that should tell you something. We’re talking a private island off the Provence coast, a 16th-century farmhouse in the Swiss Alps, and the most cinematic thing to happen to Venice in years. Here are eight properties on our radar. And, of course, if you want help booking them with perks, we can...

about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Overhead of two scalloped white plates stacked with blueberry pancakes topped with fresh blueberries and butter, as a hand pours a deep red blueberry compote over one stack, accompanied by glasses of sparkling wine on a wooden board.

Hi Reader, The spring is always beyond busy around here as we travel for research, and the travel rush kicks into high gear. So, I thought I’d share what’s been on my mind, on my plate, and on my reading list. A Postcard from Cherry Bombe Jubilee I just spent the last few days in New York for Cherry Bombe Jubilee, and it was phenomenal, per usual. This event brings together women business owners in food, hospitality, and pretty much every corner of the industry we love. I reconnected with old...

2 months ago • 4 min read
Colorfully costumed jockeys race bareback on horseback during the Palio di Siena, the historic medieval horse race held in Siena's Piazza del Campo, Italy, with a packed crowd of spectators in the background.

Hi Reader, One of the most common questions we get before a big trip: should we go during the holidays or avoid them entirely? The honest answer is that it depends. But “it depends” is actually useful advice when you know what questions to ask. The two big ones: Do crowds energize or exhaust you? And are you likely to find half the city closed? Your answers will tell you more than any travel calendar ever will. Hawai’i: The Holidays Worth Planning Around In Hawai’i, certain holidays are...

3 months ago • 3 min read
An aerial view of a winding dirt road snaking across sun-drenched golden hills above a dramatic sea of clouds in Big Sur, California, with forested ridges and distant mountain peaks bathed in warm early morning light.

Hi Reader, Summer is close enough now that we've stopped dreaming about it and started booking. Same for a lot of our clients. April is when the "maybe" trips turn into real ones, and for good reason... after this month, the best lodging tightens up and prices start climbing. Here are five summer trips we're especially excited about right now. Big Sur & California’s Central Coast Big Sur is open again, and the drive is every bit as dramatic as you remember. We love starting in Los Angeles or...

3 months ago • 4 min read

Bonjour Reader, I just got back from two weeks in France, and I am not exaggerating when I say I came home more excited about this country than I have been since I lived there for culinary school. I landed in Paris, then headed off to Burgundy, and ended at a kind of speed-dating conference in Nice where I met dozens of partners. Some we already work with, some gave us their latest info on their offerings, and others I'm thrilled to be bringing into the fold. It was research and revelation at...

3 months ago • 4 min read