Freelance features, entertainment, and travel writer. Member, North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA). Reach me via pensinic@verizon.net
TRAVEL: Toronto Charms with Big-City Fun
Travel story that ran on the cover of the South Jersey Times weekend section, "Indulge" and Trenton Times weekend section, "Good Times," August 2022. Advance Media.
TRAVEL: Look north to Toronto for big-city fun with Canadian charm
Travel story about Toronto for NJ.com, Summer 2022
If you’re looking for the ideal getaway – one that is easy to get to, and has a fun mix of cultural attractions, big-city excitement, and culinary adventures – look north. Toronto, North America’s fourth largest city, has plenty to see and do year-round, attracting some 27.5 million visitors of all ages annually.
Blues-rocker writes a new chapter
Three years ago, blues-rocker Susan Tedeschi proved herself an impressive interpreter of other people's songs on her Grammy-nominated
Hope and Desire. On her just-released Back to the River, the singer-guitarist has tried something else new: collaborating with other songwriters - and not just blues musicians.
"I always wrote alone, so this was a cool opportunity for me," Tedeschi, 38, says from her Jacksonville, Fla., home. "I was really open to the process, and I think the songs are better...
TRAVEL: TravelWorld International Magazine- Cover photo and feature on Hudson Valley/Catskills region of New York State
Cover photo and travel story about the Hudson River Valley and Catskill Mountain, Summer 2022
TRAVEL: The Hudson River Valley, Starting with Saugerties - Summer 2022 (cover)
Exploring New York State’s magnificent 10-county Hudson Valley is a bit like that adage attributed to Nelson Mandela: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
And that is how I’ve come to know this amazing part of the world: one “bite” at a time. My fascination with the Hudson Valley – which draws some 25 million visitors annually – started several years ago with a visit to Hyde Park in Dutchess County. This is where you’ll find many of the region’s “big ticket” attractions...
ENTERTAINMENT: Herbal Essence: an interview with Herb Alpert
Back in vogue, Herb Alpert gets his second wind.
Tony Bennett did it, Tom Jones did it, heck, even Johnny Cash threw his hat into the ring of sixty-something artists attempting to woo a twenty-someth...
TRAVEL: A visit to Winterthur’s “Camelot” Era
Travel story about the Jacqueline Kennedy exhibit at Winterthur in the Brandywine Valley.
TRAVEL: A visit to the "Pizza Capital" of the world
Travel/food feature in the Newark Star-Ledger, New Jersey's largest newspaper (circulation 360,000 Sunday), about Old Forge, Pa., "The Pizza Capital of the World."
South Jersey Magazine Profile: Frank Healy - Total Recall
Frank Healy never forgets a face. Or his anniversary. Or, really anything for that matter.
Imagine being able to recall something about every day of your life, going back decades. It could be the weather, something that happened in the news, or perhaps a significant experience that occurred in your life. Now imagine being able to name the day of the week that corresponds with any date on the calendar—even one from centuries ago.
It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but for...
TRAVEL: A Visit to Old Forge, PA - The "Pizza Capital of the World"
Feature story on Lackawanna County's Old Forge - the small town with a booming pizza business - and a very special way of making it.
TRAVEL: The beautiful Brandywine Valley
Feature about the Brandywine Valley for community Mullica Hill Neighbors Magazine, Spring 2022.
TRAVEL: A visit to the ‘Pizza Capital of the World’ and why Jersey pizza just isn’t the same | Opinion
Think “Pizza Capital of the World” and you probably think of Naples, Italy; Brooklyn, or even the Jersey Shore.
But a little town of just over 8,000 people near Scranton, Pa.? Really?
Really.
The former mining community of Old Forge, Pa., is, in many ways, the pride of Lackawanna County, which recently created a county-wide “Pizza Trail” as part of its tourism efforts. Locals were asked to vote for their favorite shops from more than 160 pizzerias. A list and map of 62 restaurants was created...
TRAVEL: A Wonderful Weekend Getaway To Atlantic City
Battling the mid-winter doldrums, we debated for weeks where to escape to for a weekend. We wanted some place fun and easy to get to, that would provide a nice mix of excitement and relaxation – with an emphasis on relaxation.
Bingo! – The Ocean Casino Resort, which has become Atlantic City’s biggest rise-from-the-ashes success story. Without rehashing too much history, many will recall that when it originally opened in April 2012, it was the Revel: hugely hyped and hugely expensive, it ended...
TRAVEL: A Visit to the D-Day Beaches of Normandy
Travel story about a river cruise from Paris to Normandy, France, 2021
TRAVEL: European River Cruising During COVID
Travel story about Viking River Cruise, "Paris to Normandy." Published February 2022.