Strolling along Avenida del Libertador in Buenos Aires on an April-May ’10 trip to Argentina, I passed a building identified as the Automóvil Club Argentino (1850 Avenida del Libertador, Buenos Aires; phone 0800 777 2894), easily identified by the yellow flags out front and the steady stream of locals coming and going to renew their driving permits and tend to other bureaucratic business.

On a whim, I doubled back and entered the lobby. A pair of vintage Fords flanked the sunlit...

My nephew, David, and I took a private tour of China, March 17-April 4, 2011, arranged by Karen Yang of China Highlights (No. 11 Binjiang Rd., Guilin, GX541002, P.R. China; phone toll-free, in China, 800/8793-007 or, in the US and Canada, 800/268-2918). It was a fantastic trip. The cost for all land arrangements, except for most dinners, was about $3,800 each.

The guide and driver in each city were excellent, meeting us at each airport. With only the two of us passengers, we were able...

I have some observations about the security we experienced during our May 4-24, 2011, cruise from Dubai to Italy, including a transit of the Suez Canal and port calls in Oman, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. My husband and I were on the “Three Seas Adventure” aboard Seven Seas Voyager of Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Ft. Lauderdale, FL; 877/505-5370).

While going through the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, the captain announced that we would be in convoy with some warships but that if we heard an...