I promised you south and, eventually, I got there, though “eventually” turned into a summer packed with more road trips than stamps in the passport.

First stop: Miami, back on the work trail. Ten short days after LA, I traded my Beverly Hills balcony sunsets for South Florida humidity and settled into InterContinental Miami. Being back to the waterfront views of Biscayne Bay made the quick and busy work trip feel like a vacation in disguise. After a delicious dinner at Capital Grille, a fueling breakfast at Café Bastille and a successful event celebrating the winners of the 2026 Leisure Lifestyle Awards, it was back home to Philadelphia to catch my breath ….

For about a month or so, my weekends were occupied soaking up the beautiful spring we had in Philly this year. Attending East Passyunk Flavors on the Avenue annual festival was a must! Next came New York City for the Wines on the Wing airline wine survey, hosted at chic The Ned NoMad hotel. I haven’t been to the city to see family as often this year, so this time the work event doubled as a time to see friends and family.

By June we wanted to kickstart the summer to prepare our puppy for the upcoming beach getaways we had on the schedule. When one of our friends mentioned she’d be down the Jersey shore for a week, we took the opportunity to join her to scratch the itch. Cape May was first: a slower, quieter and picturesque beach town I fell in love with last summer.

Then, the real getaway: family vacation with my in-laws in the Outer Banks. If Cape May was the appetizer, this was the main course. Wide open beaches with beautifully clear and deep blue waters, wild horses and a completely clear schedule, the perfect balance after a fast-paced spring. For 10 days my main concern was maximizing my beach time and working on my summer color. Pure bliss!

A quick detour to Chicago a few weeks later broke up the beach bliss. A whirlwind of skyline views and amazing midwestern hospitality characterizes The Peninsula Chicago. That city always deserves more than 48 hours. Then it was home again, long enough to do laundry before heading right back on the road to the Outer Banks for Round Two, this time with my mother and brother. Some places you just can’t get enough of.

Looking back, this leg of the year turned out to be less coast to coast and more up and down the Eastern Seaboard, but the overall theme stayed the same: Work hard but always leave room for good food, great company and a little bit of sand between your toes.

— Yasser Gallagher-Ogando, executive media director