Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures

Two glitzy birthday concerts this week were an unadulterated love fest for Tony Bennett, born Anthony Dominick Benedetto 95 years ago on Aug. 3.

Vigeland Sculpture Park, Oslo, showcases the work of a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, all outdoors. OUTDOOR ART AND NATURE VENUES OFFER...

Discover the beauty of the California desert at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert. From up-close wildlife encounters to stunning desert landscapes and botanical gardens, this unique attraction blends conservation, education, and adventure—making it a must-visit stop for travelers exploring Greater Palm Springs.

Road trip wonders -- stopping to 'smell the roses' from Montana to California. We relish stopping to admire the landscape, perhaps exploring a bluff or bridge we haven't noticed before. We smell the roses, as Keller says, "as we stroll through the garden of life." Often we pull over to give ourselves and the dog a break. This leads to taking a few photos, studying a roadside plaque or grabbing a milkshake at a newly discovered diner.

Whether you're headed east of west, it's freeing to be off and driving on a road trip, Tips and recommendations included below While our American goldfinches have fled Montana, we found this one in a rest stop farther south in Nevada.

MORE THAN 100 years after his death in 1917, Buffalo Bill Cody lives on in the lively western town of Cody, Wyoming.

Oslo is a proud city, which grew from a rustic 9th Century village to a bustling region of nearly a million people.

STOCKHOLM is a city of water, museums, street markets, stately squares, lively arts, buskers, pomp and subway art to knock your socks off. It's a city of contrasts, home to the Nobel Prize ceremonies, a museum celebrating the musical group, ABBA, a famous ship museum and a connection to rock legend Frank Zappa. Inhabited for years by the Danes, it has been Swedish territory since 1523 and underwent a renaissance in the 18th century.

NATION'S FIRST AND OLDEST NATIONAL PARK TREASURE DRAWS NATIVE DAUGHTER BACK AGAIN Bison grazing and the steam of geysers in the...

Honolulu's Waikiki Beach hotels are introducing new hygiene measures. The major brands are all developing programs to insure that people who brave the world of travel are as safe and protected as possible in these stressful times. ROAD TRIPPING HAZARDS ARE LESSENED BY CONSCIENTIOUS HOTEL PROTOCOL STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER and hotel marketing departments Hotels are raising their sanitation standards to meet COVID-19. Closets will be disinfected in many

Part of Legoland is open for business and family fun. The park's popular Sea Life Aquarium is reopened, and the rest of the park is planning to announce its reopening soon. Reservations are required, admissions are limited and masks are required. COVID CONSTRAINTS INCLUDE MASKS, DISTANCING, LIMITED NUMBERS, SANITIZING STATIONS AND MORE STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER The new cubs are a big hit at the reopening of San Diego's world renowned zoo, now once aga

After a closure of nearly three months, Yusupov Palace is again open. Its opulent rooms and appointments reflect the grandeur of royalty...

St. Petersburg's architecture reflects its glory days as a city in Imperial Russia. The Hermitage Museum is home to one of the world's...

Tallinn's Old Town is one of the best preserved of any city in the world. Tourism opens up there this week. A stunning 19th Century...

Family operated Island Packers offers spectacular whale watching and many other options for enjoying nature's wonders.

The view from Channel Islands Hampton Inn is one of a lovely marina, offering spectacular sunsets. The hotel is open for business, minus...

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers with their elderly Yorkshire terrier, Nick, ready for a spin on their bikes. Leaving Scripps...

This sleepy little corner of Guatemala has been promoting many things to do in Lake Atitlan. It's a wonderful place to get away from it all and relax.

SO MUCH has changed since last May Day. We celebrated the holiday in Denmark, then toured the Baltic and other countries of Northern Europe. We looked forward to treasured time in Montana with family and friends, and back in southern California, went about our busy routine of plays, concerts, fund raisers, dinners out.

The village of Zaanse Schaans on the banks of the Zaan river, features tidy houses, working windmills. If you've always wanted to visit...