Around the world in 80 days. Actually, it was eight days and only Rome and Athens but a trip last summer for East Valley High School students and chaperones was a world-class adventure.
Nestled just across the Canadian border, 2.5 hours north of Spokane, lies a quiet mountain town and resort that are absolutely pure magic.
Floating along the lower Mississippi River on a riverboat cruise is like a journey back in time. There are visits to grand antebellum homes, glimpses of monuments to a war that changed the course of the nation鈥檚 history and, at times, even a disconnect from modern-day technology such as cellphones.
Excitement is building in the hotel lobby. A crowd pushes forward to the wide ribbons cordoning off the red carpet. Children and their parents sit on the ground, lining both sides of the carpet, eagerly awaiting the celebrities. Spectators repeatedly check the time and raise their cellphones…
I hitched a ride with my sister-in-law Kit and 25 of her friends from the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon on a tour of English gardens in July. I know, the term 鈥渟ociety鈥 is imposing and can be off-putting at first. It is true that most HPSO members can rattle off, with perfect pronunciation, …
鈥淲e鈥檙e going back next year!鈥 Jeff Buege exclaimed with a smile on his face.
Below the waves is a world like no other. According to those who travel there, it is serene, surreal, and like 鈥渁n out-of-body experience.鈥 They say the feeling of adventure is profound. And, although scuba diving is, by definition, a self-contained activity, the adventure is anything but solitary.
As we slowly climbed the canaleta (Spanish for a steep, narrow chute on a mountainside), I kept telling myself, 鈥淥ne foot in front of the other 鈥 just one foot in front of the other.鈥 Because whether you are climbing a canaleta or Mount Rainier, the goal is to focus on the climb, not on your…
Looking out over the railing of the Georgia Queen riverboat, I watched the skyline of Savannah, Georgia, float by under sunlit skies. It was great to be back in the South, a favorite travel destination, visiting this charming and historic city.
The howling and yipping and groaning is, seemingly, within an arm鈥檚 reach of my head. I yawn and roll over, hoping the hyena will go away. She doesn鈥檛. I finally get up out of my warm bed and peer out the screen windows, not realizing that there is no way I鈥檓 actually going to see the animal…
The howling and yipping and groaning is, seemingly, within an arm鈥檚 reach of my head. I yawn and roll over, hoping the hyena will go away. She doesn鈥檛. I finally get up out of my warm bed and peer out the screen windows, not realizing that there is no way I鈥檓 actually going to see the animal…
The tracker used his sharp machete to clear away one final vine and there, sitting calmly in the dense green trees, was an enormous silverback gorilla. This beautiful mountain gorilla was grabbing branches off the nearest tree and stripping the leaves off to shove in his mouth. If he was awa…
The winter of 2017 started out cold, with a foot of snow on the ground. During that time, I had a great chat with a dear friend of mine, Evan Chapman, about 鈥渢hat trip鈥 we always wanted to take to warm and sunny Tuscany. We vowed to make it happen someday. A few months later there was anothe…
When you think of taking a trip to a Southern City 鈥 Charleston, Savannah, and St. Petersburg readily come to mind. But Richmond, Virginia, located just two hours by car from Washington D.C., is quickly joining the ranks of 鈥渕ust visit鈥 Southern places.
It鈥檚 the first day of vacation, so where in the world should we go? Perhaps stroll over to the Eiffel Tower? Float down a scenic canal with a singing gondolier? Or maybe get a closer look at that impressive sphinx and obelisk?
In a related article in this issue, you read about how I was inspired to travel to Portofino, Italy. Then I faced another decision: how to get there. A Mediterranean cruise immediately came to mind!
Instead of roasting a turkey last Thanksgiving, our family of five took a chance on the 鈥渞ainy season鈥 in the Caribbean and spent five days on a Honduran island that delivered on the promise of sun, sand, and quality family time. Not only did we skip the cranberry sauce, we also skipped the …
It all began with a PBS concert featuring the music of Andrea Bocelli, set in the small village of Portofino, Italy. There were a few stars in the sky. Picturesque sailboats bobbed hypnotically in the harbor. Smiling concertgoers sat at small caf茅 tables at the water鈥檚 edge, with the strains…
The metropolis of New York City is a magical place to spend the holidays 鈥 unlike anywhere else in the world. The city seems to conspire to come together during the holiday season with lights, decorations, activities, and a Christmas spirit that is pervasive. Everything from train stations t…
One of the most spectacular works of art in the city of Paris cannot be found in the Louvre. Sainte-Chapelle, the magnificent Gothic chapel with its soaring, ethereal stained glass windows, is less than a mile away from the Louvre -and well worth the 10-15 minute walk.
Cuba has long been on the list of places I鈥檇 like to visit because it offers not only stunning landscapes but a terrifically rich political and cultural history. When travel restrictions recently eased, I rushed to book a trip for my husband and I. In January we traded an icy and snowy Yakim…
In the shadow of large American cities, there are many small towns that deserve to share the spotlight for their beautiful homes, gardens and historical significance. One such town is Aiken, South Carolina, about 125 miles inland from Charleston.
