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Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures


Las Vegas shows - Ticket Tips, Highlights, Discount Ideas for Sin City's Greatest
Las Vegas shows - Ticket Tips, Highlights, Discount Ideas for Sin City's Greatest

Cookie & Keller
Feb 196 min read


Traveling around the world with Holiday spirit! Hold it in your heart every day of the year -- enjoy our differences, appreciate friends and family and celebrate the joy of life
The season carries many meanings whether we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, or simply the turning of the year.

Cookie & Keller
Dec 25, 20253 min read


Take a kid along to enrich your travel pleasures: Tips for Traveling with Children
Introducing our family to the pleasures of our much loved Hawaii added pleasure to the trip in many ways. Here we are -- Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers, at left, with our Bay Area family, the Ganners: Steve, James, Amarylla and Peny, on the shores of Hilton's Waikoloa Resort on the Big Island. Story By Christene Meyers Photos By Bruce Keller "The Carpe Diem Kids" WE LOVE to travel with our niece, nephew-in-law and their kids. Seeing a new place with a youngster g

Cookie & Keller
Dec 18, 20253 min read


Guy Fawkes Day
Guy Fawkes Day in Yorkshire celebrates a plot's failure with bonfires, fireworks, plot toffee and fun.

Cookie & Keller
Nov 5, 20253 min read


Halloween, sacred days abroad blend religious traditions, pagan fun, new and old customs
A pumpkin carving contest on Queen Mary 2, offered a mix of spooky and amusing results, some irreverent, some ghoulish. Travelers find Halloween displays along with Day of the Dead and All Saints Day decor in hotels in Europe, Mexico, and other countries around the world as autumn holidays and celebrations merge and overlap. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" ALL THE WORLD seems to enjoy a celebration, be it pagan inspired or religious bas
Keller Keller
Oct 30, 20253 min read


Fourth of July learning: Kick it up a notch, stimulate dialogue, offer history, make it fun
Celebrate Fourth of July by learning American history in a fun way! Discover engaging activities to enrich your Fourth of July holiday.

Cookie & Keller
Jul 3, 20254 min read


San Diego Maritime Museum is world class and offers ships, subs, displays, nautical history and a fun cruise on San Diego Bay
World class San Diego Maritime Museum offers ships, subs, displays, nautical history and a fun cruise on San Diego Bay

Christene Meyers
May 22, 20254 min read


Fun new food, fireworks, family ring in New Year in celebrations around the world
This recipe for Char Siu came from a sweet old Vietnamese woman we met on a bike tour in Vietnam. Ba Diem didn't have specific measurements (like my Irish grandmother.) So improvise and use your best judgment. Here's her ancient and delicious recipe.

Cookie & Keller
Dec 28, 20234 min read


Thanksgiving blessings abound; be grateful, loving, generous all year
Gratitude comes in family size for Christene "Cookie" Meyers, in center, surrounded by her clan of siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, adopted family and the next generation. GATHER TOGETHER, ROLL MERRILY ALONG, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, BE GRATEFUL FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY Editor's Note: Our annual Thanksgiving essay is dedicated to our American friends and family and extended clan and pals abroad who celebrate their thanks on other days. Cookie and Grandpa Gus on Thanksgiving Day

Christene Meyers
Nov 23, 20235 min read


Joy in Holidays abroad: Let yourself go, invent, try something new
Joy in Holidays abroad

Christene Meyers
Dec 20, 20194 min read


Thanksgiving feasting abroad: Find a fun place for a meal or snack to make a holiday special even where Thanksgiving isn't celebrated
Cookie's favorite Thanksgiving meal is not turkey -- although it is available on cruise ships and in many hotels catering to Americans on Thanksgiving. It's rare lamb chops with asparagus, lentils and a balsamic drizzle. Story By Christene Meyers Photos By Bruce Keller "The Carpe Diem Kids" TRAVEL IS FUN for us, and no part of travel is more pleasurable than exploring the gastronomic pleasures of far-away places. Especially on holidays, a special meal is a highlight of the t

Christene Meyers
Oct 26, 20183 min read


Battle of Crete Memorial: Resilience, bravery in a beautiful setting, a must see on a Greece tour
Beyond Crete’s famous beaches and bustling towns lies a quieter, deeply moving side of the island its serene cemeteries. Tucked among olive groves and overlooking the sea, these peaceful spaces offer a glimpse into local life, memory, and timeless tradition.

Cookie & Keller
May 23, 20144 min read
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