Last month, we asked you, our readers, about your favorite lesser-known Mexican hideaways: those resorts, inns, B&Bs, and hotels you love and look forward to revisiting. Readers answered the call with great suggestions such as a $58-per-night gem in Manzanillo, $300-a-week vacation homes in Progreso, and the ultimate splurge in Cancun.

Manzanillo, known as one of the prettiest beach destinations in all of Mexico, has a reputation as an upscale resort area, rich in golf courses, sport fishing, and dive sites. But reader Phyllis P. has found a hotel that offers all the elegant charm of the destination at a price that can't be beat:

"Our favorite place to stay in Manzanillo is the Hotel La Posada. It's a small pink inn with about 25 rooms, and is clean, quiet, reasonable, and fun. It is within walking distance of some restaurants and easy to catch the bus to get around Manzanillo. We love being right on the beach with the pool right there and watching the ships and boats going by. Some of the men like helping the fishermen pull in nets with the catch of the day. It's a really restful place."

Rates at the Hotel La Posada are $58 dollars per night for double occupancy during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. During winter, rates rise slightly to $78 per night for two people. The price includes breakfast, and discounts are available for guests staying three days or longer.

Often overshadowed by New York City’s understandably more famous cuisine, Upstate New York is a meat eater’s paradise, home to such foods as beef on weck (also known as kummelweck), chicken spiedies, white hots, and the amazingly sinful garbage plate.

Buffalo Wings

Originally invented by the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, locals refer to them as chicken wings (or more simply, wings). When we lived in Western New York, our local pizzaria used to sell them with their pizzas, along with soft garlic knots dipped in butter.

Each year, the City of Buffalo holds a chicken wing festival. Last year, a record 27 tons of wings were eaten by 78,000 very happy people. Hopefully, this year’s Buffalo Wing shortage won’t impact Super Bowl parties too severely.

Beef on Weck

Beef on Weck is a juicy roast beef sandwich topped with horseradish and served on a special roll, which is studded with a bewitching combination of caraway seeds and kosher salt.

Once you’ve tried roast beef this way, you’ll find yourself regretting all the years you lost out by not eating this beefy feast on a bun. You can also thank Buffalo, New York for this heavenly food.

Spiedie

Commonly featuring cubes of chicken (lamb, beef, and venison are also used) marinated 24 hours or more in a savory sauce made of oil, vinegar, garlic, various Italian spices, and mint, this dish was invented in Endicott, New York.

Cooked shish kebab style, spiedies are often served on Italian rolls which help sop up the extra sauce. Unlike beef on weck, spiedie ingredients are easy to find and make outside of the Upstate New York area. In fact, many supermarkets across the country sell commercially prepared spiedie sauce to make this even easier. Serve some salt potatoes on the side and you can die happy.

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Every year, hundreds of Kiwis skip the New Zealand winter for back-to-back summers. They head north to teach American kids loads of fun activities at summer camps across the United States.

Summer camp is an American tradition, almost a rite of passage, and for Kiwis looking to experience the American way of life while working in a fun environment, Summer Camp USA is a unique opportunity.

I'm an Aucklander aged 20, and I travelled with IEP New Zealand to work as a "counsellor" at a summer camp near Belfast, Maine, the heart of New England in the northeast of the US.

I wanted to travel and to work with kids, and Summer Camp USA sounded like an interesting experience.

About 600 Kiwis travel each year to work as counsellors and instructors. It's a great chance to live in another country with a very different culture.

As a counsellor, I was in charge of a cabin of up to 20 girls. Some camps are single sex, some mixed. Some kids stay the whole eight weeks of summer, but most stay for a week or a fortnight.

I also worked on the ropes course, as well as teaching other classes like outdoor cooking, hiking and instrument-making.

We would wake the girls, get them ready for the day, then go to breakfast. After camp meeting we would all go to our classes. Each counsellor taught four classes a day, two before and two after lunch. Then there was an hour for interest groups, which entailed a lot of different activities for the kids before dinner.

After dinner there was always an activity like making S'mores, a cracker sandwich of roast marshmallow and chocolate, famous in American folklore; or a trip down to the lake, or a dance party.

Sometimes the directors would organise activities and events for the whole camp. Other times, people would come in to perform for the kids. It was different each night and we always had lots of fun.

After camp activities, we'd then take the girls back to the cabin and read them a story before bed.

I really liked working with kids on the ropes course. Watching them complete it and feel a sense of achievement was awesome.

I also really enjoyed learning a different way of interacting with the kids - pushing them to try something new.

Every summer, the directors organise a candy drop. They don't tell anyone when it will happen but towards the end of the session they leave clues around the camp and the kids start trying to figure it out.

Usually it happens during camp meeting in the evening. When the kids hear the aeroplane flying over, they all run to the football field and wait for the candy to be dropped out of the window of the plane.

Watching 300-plus kids running across a soccer field trying to catch candy in their pillowcases, plastic bags, jumpers and hats is pretty insane. The plane usually flies over three times and, if the pilots aim right, most of the candy will land on the football field.

One of the really good things about camp is that you meet people from all over the world; people you would probably never have normally met. We were all from different places and had different ideas and ways of working with the kids.

After working at Summer Camp USA, I spent a week travelling to New York City, then I flew to Costa Rica to complete a volunteer programme, also organised by IEP New Zealand. I spent three months living with host families and volunteering in schools by helping with English classes. I travelled on the weekends with other volunteers and was able to see and experience life and culture in Costa Rica.

Now, I am in British Columbia, Canada, living at Big White ski resort and working in the daycare and the rentals department. I will be here until April and then I'll travel around Canada before flying home in June.

With all the exciting changes and buzz surrounding the US at the moment, especially with the really popular new president, Barack Obama, there is no better time to experience all that America has to offer.

* More information and applications at summercampusa.co.nz or on 0800 4443 769. More on IEP NZ volunteer programme or Work Canada, check out iep.co.nz or 0800 4443 769.

Over 12,000 camps spread across the United States.

Over 12 million campers and 5 million staff.

Definitely not. The campers love their time at camp, and develop their own community each summer. Camp is an active, fun time and campers usually don't want to leave!

Anyone aged 18 to 30 with experience working with children or in a leadership role and who is eligible for a J1 visa.

You will earn US$1775-US$1950 (NZ$3500-NZ$3850) for your first summer at camp, and if you return the next year it's higher.

You need to be available for nine weeks between June 1 and August 31.

You could be doing anything from swimming and surf lifesaving to waterskiing, archery or high ropes. Almost everything you can think of is an activity at a camp. Even circus, music, crafts and horse riding are offered.

Kiwis are known to be committed, hard workers. This reputation makes them sought after as staff. International staff are an important part of summer camps as they add a different flavour and diversity to camp.

In just 13 days, the biggest blues event in the world, the International Blues Challenge (IBC), begins. It lasts only three days, but this event brings in over 180 Blues acts from 36 states and nine countries. And where will all this madness and mayhem take place? In Memphis, Home of the Blues.

Each year the Blues Foundation, in support of its stated goal of raising consciousness and awareness of the blues, hosts this extravaganza, which takes place in the Beale Street area, the cradle of the Blues. And each year it seems the Blues Foundation bests itself from the previous years. Then they cap it off by hosting an awards celebration that blows the doors off any others around.

State and national blues organizations across the globe run their own versions of qualification trials, picking and usually picking up the tab for these groups and musicians while they’re in Memphis. There are solo competitions, pairs, small groups, large groups, and fans from every one of the local and national competitions, all hoping for their big chance.

“Oh, yeah?” you ask. “What big chance?”

Well, to be sure, the winner could turn out to be next to nothing. Or s/he or they could turn out like Susan Tedeschi, a winner not long ago who’s gone on to become one of the biggest Blues stars in the galaxy. But keep your heads clear if you’re a competitor, people, because the competition is tough, and you get only one chance to wow the judges, who come from the breadth and depth of the Blues world. And you also have people like me, holding a stopwatch and just waiting to pounce should you go over your allotted time. I warn all entrants, “It’s better to go 30 seconds under than one second over.” Competitors aren’t penalized for going a single second over, but it’s still sage advice to be heeded.

The biggest thing to bear in mind is that you’re vying to become one of the lucky souls in the ranks of the professionals. So, if you want to run with the big dogs, you have to act like a big dog, which means no drinking until after the performance. Oh, you can drink if you want to, but I assure you, you don’t want to. It’s way too easy to make a mistake when your stone sober, so don’t sabotage yourself.

Get all the information and rules by going to the Blues Foundation’s website. Then simply follow the clues to the IBC section. This section also contains the information you’ll need, should you want to attend. Everything from where to sleep to how to get tickets, and just about anything else you’ll need to know if you’re going.

Oh, and a tip to the wise: Don’t plan on sleeping!

We discussed what defines and differentiates the civilized from the savage.

My husband is a recently retired Marine who spent a year in Okinawa and Korea. He spent five winters in a tent in the highest elevations of Norway and deployed to the Mediterranean where his ship was diverted to the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Croatia. He crossed the border at Kuwait into Iraq in 2003 and spent time off the coast of Liberia on his way home. While stationed with Marine Forces Europe, he spent a great deal of time in Africa. He is no stranger to adversity and has witnessed much poverty.

His military resume has given him a clear perspective on the world's have-nots than could be had by any number of Americans whose sole understanding of the ROW (rest of the world) is limited to pictures in the paper. Any bit of travel abroad is often limited to those areas where one is not likely to see children playing in a puddle alongside a dead, bloated sheep.

We discussed the poor in America, many of whom are supplemented by faith-based programs. Even so, many poor people are still hungry and homeless. Would it make a difference if there were no religion? I suggested there would be less war and perhaps more compassion around the world if we were without this condition.

He disagreed, positing that religion is the only thing keeping most people in check. Without a higher power towing their moral line, he asserted, many would be left to their own devices. When their mettle is tested, one of those devices is not a moral center. Such is what some religious do when knocked down the rungs of Jacob's ladder.

Many Americans have lost their homes to foreclosure because of loans they didn't understand. While housed, all was well, and most behaved themselves. When homeless, many resorted to crimes like thievery and murder - a savage act by anyone's definition. As the economy claimed ever more well-to-do, so did ever more savagery come to light.

Post-Katrina looting in New Orleans deftly marked the fine line between civilized and uncivilized, but because the main focus was on the looters' skin color, the humanness of the reaction to the devastation was lost. The majority of the looters were black because the majority of those in need (without the resources to evacuate) were black. Had the poorest been white, we would've seen whites doing the same thing.

It’s an outrage that part of my newspaper is committed to non-news items like engagements (many of which will never materialize) and marriages (half of which will implode before you can say “I do…wish I’d married your brother”). As if that weren’t enough, in 20, 50, even 75 years, roughly a third of these duos will make us hear about it all over again under the guise of anniversaries. Pearl Harbor has an anniversary, too. Need I say more?

The local government dutifully tracks these non-news events, going so far as to make them part of the public record. Public!

It’s no subtle reminder just how depraved the institution of marriage really is when the official record lists who married and divorced alongside who burglarized and assaulted. Look a little closer and you’ll see some of the names repeat: The Johnsons weren’t married two days before she clubbed him with a bat. The Montgomerys weren’t divorced a week before he broke into her house and stole everything that wasn’t nailed down.

Every notable and noble effort has been made to get a handle on this societal menace to no avail. Counselors, TV hosts, seminars, retreats, and thousands of books all brought about to specifically to address vows gone viciously awry – all for naught.

In the wake of this madness are children and other relatives (many of whom chant “I told you so”) who can only stand back and watch as two people who went to all the trouble of making theirs an official union go certifiably insane on each other. Entire courts – and the costly staff to man them – are dedicated to cleaning up after that which should never have been allowed in the first place.

Let us take a cue from our gay brethren. Civil unions are where it’s at. Do you hear my desperate cry? Civil!

It’s high time we forced this concept down the throats of those who have, for too long, forced us to eat rubbery chicken and then dance like one.

Perched on a mountain in the Gold Coast hinterland, Gwinganna is considered the Rolls-Royce of health retreats. That suits me.

But as my brother drove me up the retreat's steep driveway - it could double as a black-diamond ski run - my casual optimism disappeared. There's no television, no radio, no newspapers, no pass-outs. That's right, they lock you in. I immediately wanted a cigarette and 400 Lindt balls.

The grounds were magnificent and tranquil and the staff serene and smiling, even though the nicotine and alcohol cravings had me screaming,

"It's a cult!" on a loop in my head. My panic eased when staff told me I could use my BlackBerry in assigned areas.

"No," my brother told them, "she's a CrackBerry addict." The staff took it and cheerfully locked it in the retreat's safe.

I went to my room and was immediately distracted by the opulence.

The king-size bed was princess-worthy with about eight pillows and a mattress so comfortable you just wanted to starfish across it.

The room's veranda overlooked the macadamia orchard. I couldn't stop myself from saying, "How's the serenity?"

I felt as though I'd been dropped off at school camp and desperately hoped someone would want to sit with me at little lunch. We were welcomed with fresh juices served in martini glasses. I chose the beetroot juice.

The ridiculously healthy-looking general manager of Gwinganna, Sharon Kolka, explained that those who chose beetroot normally felt guilty for abusing their livers. I think I felt mine weep with gratitude.

Kolka said the week was about letting go, with mornings of exercise and afternoons of "dream time" treatments.

But here's the rub - she wanted us to be less rigid and more spontaneous. We'd hear of the options as they arose, not ahead of time.

But I'm a list-maker; I exist for deadlines. What if I didn't choose the spin class on Tuesday and it wasn't offered again? When I raised my concern, Kolka cocked her head to the side and, with a hint of pity, said: "It's important for A-type personalities like you to release and go with the flow."

I wanted to put my hands around her throat and teach her a thing or two about flow.

Luckily it was dinner time, so we filed across to the dining room.

I knew it was all organic and healthy and was expecting birdseed and tofu but instead was impressed with delicious mushroom pate, cucumber soup and fish curry. Truly five-star quality.

At 5.30am there was a chirpy knock on my door. I'm normally coming home at this time. Each day started with a form of tai chi, then a hard-core activity such as a spin class or boxercise.

Breakfast started with a shot of apple-cider vinegar to boost digestion, then fresh fruit followed by either muesli or a hot meal such as beans on toast. Either but not both. Bugger.

Then there was more movement - a compulsory stretch class, deep-water running, yoga or Pilates. We snacked each day at 11am and 4pm - one tahini ball or a small juice with spirulina.

Most days I was so knackered I didn't have the energy to steal more.

After that came lectures until lunchtime. My favourite was nutrition, led by Caroline Scott. She even taught us a new swear word - white bread.

Lunch was always a clear soup followed by creative salads with a dash of protein.

Then it was dream time. Chill-out time. Gwinganna's spa is out of this world. First up, I met with massage therapist Craig.

"What drew you to experience Sound and Stone?" he asked. "It sounded the whackiest," I grinned. He asked if I'd be comfortable removing my clothing. "Are you kidding? I'd love to nude up and try some weird stuff."

The room was decked out in drums, bells and other ancient instruments, with speakers fitted inside the massage table so that you were enveloped in sound.

Craig used hot stones to massage me in time with the music and occasionally played the drums or shook maracas over my body.

I did my best to be respectful and not giggle. When it was over, I felt as though I'd been part of a street theatre performance where my body was just one of Craig's instruments. I walked out with a stupid grin on my face that lasted for hours. Loved it.

Gwinganna's staff offer counselling and coaching, too. I saw the intuitive and extraordinary Paul Dodd and in just 90 minutes managed to detox a few ghosts from relationships past.

I also undertook Soul Search and Goddess Wisdom with Laura.

The soul bit involved reflexology and a reading of angel cards; the goddess part required you to visualise your inner goddesses supporting you.

I couldn't get into this, especially as my sexual goddess looks like Jessica Rabbit and my career goddess is Oprah. Too much pop culture and not enough spirituality. Silly me.

I spent five days at Gwinganna. Who would have thought working out and eating well could be fun? I felt lighter, too.

I'm not sure if I lost weight but my skin is glowing. I plan to go back once a year to relax and take the time to smell the dandelion tea.

The writer was a guest of Gwinganna.

TRIP NOTES

Getting there

Fly to Coolangatta or Brisbane airports, from which transfers are provided for guests.

Staying there

Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, 192 Syndicate Road, Tallebudgera, Queensland. See gwinganna.com

From its large-scale beach resorts and bustling cities to its beautiful forests and tiny villages, Mexico is one of the most popular travel destinations around. However, this vast country is not known for being one of the safest options for vacationers. Despite this reputation, travelers can still have a fun-filled holiday! Sticking with these simple tips will help you have an enjoyable and safe vacation.

Do Your Research
Researching your destination prior to departure is a good way to learn about the history of Mexico and which places to visit. It can also warn you of any current travel precautions or health warnings. Websites such as the U.S. Department of State, WorldTravelWatch, and Visit Mexico have information about the country and provide a plethora of emergency numbers and addresses. Travelers can also check international news sites to learn about any relevant happenings such as riots or protests.

Do Not Travel Alone
While many people love to go on solo vacations, in Mexico, it is best to stick to the buddy system. Travel with a friend, partner, or group. One should also be accompanied when walking late at night or early in the morning.

Try to Blend In
When visiting any country, it is best not to call attention to yourself. This is especially true in Mexico, where pickpockets are commonly found in tourist areas. Keep extra cash, credit/debit cards, and identification in either a money belt hidden under your clothes or locked in your hotel's safe. Also, try to be discreet when using maps or taking pictures.

Be Careful of Taxis
It is best to call taxis instead of hailing them in the street. Authorized taxis (called ,a href="http://realtravel.com/mexico_city-reviews-a516857.html' rel="nofollow"target="_blank'>Taxis Autorizados) are the best option besides airport or hotel taxis. These cabs are found at authorized stands throughout the country's cities. Additionally, agree on the taxi fee with the driver up-front.

Ask the Locals
Locals know best. If you have concerns about a neighborhood, or are generally unsure about an area, ask your hotel manager, desk clerk, or another person familiar with the location if there are particular areas you should avoid.

Do you have any safe travel tips for Mexico? Share them by submitting a comment below!

It's hard not to think of Norman when you're spending the weekend at The Vintage. His craggy, hatted features are festooned on posters throughout the development in the heart of the Hunter Valley wine district.

The Queenslander, who notoriously blew more majors than he won, designed the course a decade ago. Today it is regarded as one of the finest golf courses in Australia.

Friends will vouch for the fact that I'm a pathetic golfer. But the A$39 ($48) nine-hole dash after 4pm (including an electric buggy) is too attractive to miss. Especially as I've got two caddies on hand, not one.

My six-year-old, no sports fan, loves being the scorer because he can practise his maths (though my embarrassing score isn't helped by the three or four shots he adds to each hole). Meanwhile, the four- year-old has taken to shouting "terrible shot, Daddy," even before I've hit the ball.

You don't have to be a golfer to enjoy staying at the clumsily named Grand Mercure The Vintage Hunter Valley but obviously it helps. It's an apartment-style, two- storey complex clustered around a swimming pool and is a five-minute walk from the clubhouse, the practice ground and the first tee.

Our two-bedroom apartment is certainly swish in that minimalist, muted, modern manner. The king- size bed in our room lives up to its "luxury" billing, although the little luxury we value most is our own LCD television screen so we can sit back and watch something grown- up, while the boys focus on cartoons. First-release in-house movies are available but, surprisingly for such a new hotel, there's no cable television.

The rest of the apartment has everything we could need. Bathroom and separate toilet are stylish and amply sized. There's a gas fire for winter, air-conditioning for summer, mini hi-fi, DVD, broadband connection (for a fee), in-room safe, washer-dryer, steam iron and ironing board.

Then, of course, there's that luxury no Norman-influenced resort should be without: a garage with remote-controlled door and enough room for our car and our golf buggy.

The gas barbecue on one of our two balconies and a kitchen mean we can easily fend for ourselves. But on Friday evening we take the short walk up to the clubhouse, having booked a table at The Legends Grill, overlooking the 18th green.

Understandably, the children's menu isn't cheap ($14.90 for chicken nuggets, chips and ice- cream) but our meal – scallops and timbale for starters, barramundi and trevalla for mains, washed down with a bottle of Bimbadgen sem-sauv – is splendidly relaxing, with comfortable surroundings and welcoming staff. Par for the course.

Our Saturday experience, however, leaves us bunkered. We'd planned a quiet night in, knowing the hotel offers a room-service menu, with food prepared by The Legends Grill. When we phone, however, we're told the kitchen is closed for a wedding. To me, that's unacceptable in a hotel that bills itself as four-and-a-half stars. At the very least, apartment guests should be informed the restaurant will be closed when they check in. Thankfully, there's no shortage of dining options in the Hunter and we dash off for tapas at the Brokenback Bar at Arrowfield Estate.

We don't let that one problem spoil our experience of The Vintage. Indeed, there are probably weekend guests who haven't left the complex: there are two swimming pools, a gym and a floodlit tennis court. If all that tires you out, massage and beauty treatments can be arranged in your apartment.

So many of the Hunter Valley's highlights are within a 15-minute drive. Bimbadgen Estate winery, with its award-winning restaurant Esca, is the neighbouring property. Hunter Valley Gardens, about 24 hectares of floral adventure, is just up the road.

Would we recommend The Vintage Hunter Valley to Norman and Chrissy Evert? Yes: it's a fairway to heaven.

Grand Mercure The Vintage Hunter Valley, Rothbury, New South Wales, a little over two hours north of Sydney is stylish but slightly anonymous accommodation. Prices range from $299 a night midweek to $499 a night on weekends (two-night minimum stay). more at grandmercurehuntervalley.com.au.

The career of Tommy James has now passed the 45 year mark. He is best remembered for his work with the Shondells. They produced 19 chart hits between 1966-1970 with “Hanky Panky” and “Crimson & Clover” both reaching number one. Following the dissolution of the Shondells; Tommy James has remained active in the music industry. He continued to record and tour and has released 13 solo songs that have reached the American charts.

2004 found him issuing the CD single “I Love Christmas.” Four years later he released a full Christmas CD by the same name. He combined some traditional Christmas hymns with some well known holiday pop songs and then filled out the album with three original tunes. He may not break any new ground but the music is smooth and well performed and ultimately is a pleasant listen which sometimes is enough.

The first thing that jumped out at me was the quality of the vocals. While he is not young anymore, it seems as if his voice has a purer timbre than in his hey day. Now in his early sixties there has not been any deterioration of his vocal skills which is more than you can say for a lot of artists his age.

He chose three hymns for this album. The best is an a cappella version of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” His voice floats above a chorus which fills in the gaps nicely and gives the track a full sound. “Silent Night” does not fare as well. There is an echo in the vocal production, which I assume was intentional, plus the presentation is a little too popish for such a sacred piece of music. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is listenable but remains a very traditional rendition of this old hymn.

He is on more familiar ground with the secular songs of Christmas. His presentation of “The Christmas Song” is excellent and “Jingle Bell Rock” is a song just made for his pop inclinations. He even manages to translate the often recorded tune, “Winter Wonderland,” in an interesting way. His only miss was a bland “Little Drummer Boy.”

The three original tracks, which he co-wrote, are all strong. They are pure pop and emblematic of what one would expect from Tommy James. The four year old “I Love Christmas” is catchy with a nice beat. The saxophone which joins the track about half way through helps the song to build to an impressive conclusion. “Born On Christmas Day” tells the traditional Christmas story and has a chorus for vocal support and emphasis. “It’s Christmas Again” which was written with old band mate Mike Vale and features three original Shondells, is a nice little Christmas love song.

Over four decades into his career Tommy James is who he is and I Love Christmas fits his style well. It should please his long time fans and possibly attract a few new ones as well. I would recommend the album as a nice holiday listen. Give it a try as it’s only eleven months until Christmas.