I lived in NYC for eight years and Central Park is a wonderful treasure of sanity in a busy city. If you're visiting the city, plan on walking thru the park at every chance you get. Walking is my favorite way to get around the city when I have time and often times it's just as fast as taking a bus (by the time you wait on transportation. There are a couple of routes to take thru the park and one of my favorites is starting on 59th Street and Fifth and up to 79th/81st street. Depending on the season you're in NYC, don't miss the Central Park Zoo and for a delightful lunch, check out the Boat House Restaurant. Central Park has been the location for many movies and TV series so if you have a chance before you go, pick up some movies, like Godspell, The Fisher King, and You've Got Mail for some really cool NYC and Central Park locations.

Prepare to fall in love when you visit the Sloth Rescue center.  In photos, I thought Sloths were rather, well, "ugly."  Who'd want to rescue these creatures?  They aren't in zoos, are on the endangered species list and are a rare treat to meet up close and personal.  They will captivate you with their sloth charm and sloth "smiles" and capture your heart in the process.  I had the pleasure to view several of the baby sloths up close and had my photo snapped with the Rescue's adorable mascot, Buttercup.   Our talented (& volunteer) guides educated our group on these misunderstood animals and dispelled many myths about them.  In addition to the sanctuary, visitors can also take a canoe ride thru the jungle and walk thru the rain forest on the property. (Slothrescue.org)

Way down south where bananas grow....you can get a great tour of the Dole Banana Plantation. Our tour guide, Carlos Gamboa, was most informative and entertaining as he gave us a great detail on the how bananas grow and the process of how they end up in our grocery stores. I will never eat another banana again without thinking of this enchanting little plantation and our memorable guide.

The Sloth Sanctuary in Limon (about 31 kilometers South), Costa Rica, is a very special place and should be on your "must see" list when you go to this country. The Sloths are an endangered species and will capture your heart. The adorable Buttercup was the first sloth rescued in Costa Rica in 1992 by a couple who have a boutique hotel (Aviarios del Caribe Hotel). Now you can even "sleep with the sloths" at this beautiful bed and breakfast for a unique Costa Rican experience that will forever be one of your favorite travel memories for globe trotters of all ages.

This is the best deal in NYC! Take the Staten Island Ferry and your camera for some of the best photos of NYC from the water. It's a lot cheaper than the "Circle Line" cruise. Not much to do in Staten Island unless you live there so don't get off the ferry, just return to Manhattan. You'll have a blast! In addition, the Staten Island Ferry is a piece of movie history and has been featured in many films including one of my favorites, "Working Girl."

If you live in Southern California, you have to go to either "The Glory of Easter" or "The Glory of Christmas" performed annually at the Crystal Cathedral! It is absolutely magical!

Here's a great travel tip for a special bonus while visiting the Vatican. We had a very limited time in Rome as we were on a cruise, but our private train arrived just 750m from Vatican City on a Wednesday morning. The Pope entertains an audience of invited guests and the public almost every Wednesday morning and we arrived in time to get a prominent place to view the proceedings. (Note: During High Season you need to get tix in advance.) I thought I would be limited to viewing the ceremonies via the big screens set up in St. Peter's Square and had no idea that the Pope would visit deep into the audience in the "Pope-Mobile" and that was an added treat to snap some shots of Pope Benedict XVI just ten feet away! Regardless of your faith, the Pope is an icon and being blessed by the Pope is a big deal and I got a treat that few people in the world get to see.

When you are in Barcelona, you may be tempted to be satisfied to stand outside Gaudi's Casa Balto and admire it from the street, but you are missing a huge treat if you don't ante up the 12 to 15 euros to step inside and tour this whimsical home designed to have a look and feel of living in the sea.  The audio tour (in about 10 languages) is included for the price of admission and adds depth and color to your tour.  Don't miss going all the way to the top of the home for the rooftop patio to get a close inspection of Gaudi's mosaic sculptures.  I have seen this structure in pictures and thought it was "interesting" but I was captivated and enchanted with experiencing it first hand.  Photos do not capture the tickle in your belly at the whimsy of the fantasy created in architecture.