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Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures
Oregon chocolate festival seduces, charms, excites, aids students
CREATIVE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL INTRODUCES INNOVATIVE SCHOOL PROGRAM AT ASHLAND HOTEL Ame and James Beard are co-owners of Sweet Thang...

Christene Meyers
Mar 21, 20144 min read
Neighborhood charm is a happy throwback to more innocent times
COOKIE, KELLER GIVE THANKS TO NEW FRIENDS AND A DIVERSE, LIVELY SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY Boxes galore came from Arizona to southern California...

Christene Meyers
Mar 18, 20143 min read
St. Patrick's Day delights: a daughter helps her mum kick the bucket list!
GRANDMOTHER JIGGED AND COOKED CORNED BEEF, MUM DYED THE RICE GREEN AND WEPT AS SHE SAW IRELAND Cookie and her mother, Ellen, wearing the...

Christene Meyers
Mar 14, 20144 min read
Oak Alley Plantation lives on, documenting life in Antebellum south
A VISIT AND OVERHEARD CONVERSATION BRING REVELATION OF THE PLACE'S HISTORIC IMPORTANCE With the grandeur of Tara in "Gone with the Wind,"...

Christene Meyers
Mar 11, 20143 min read
Saluting carnival worldwide -- Rio to New Orleans
This happy reveler resides in Harrah's, a popular New Orleans casino, completely decorated in Mardi Gras motif. Cookie and keller take...

Christene Meyers
Mar 7, 20144 min read


San Diego's theater offerings A glorious glut of riches in
Trio of venues about relationships offers home run for buffs of the boards San Diego's gorgeous location between sea and mountains is fertile ground for cutting edge theater. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER SAN DIEGO THEATER's March offerings are as fresh, varied and welcome as our recent weather. Translate coastal sun, imposing skyline and rejuvenating breezes to the stage. You have a hint of the pleasures awaiting theater buffs. Our theaters deliver -- f

Christene Meyers
Mar 4, 20143 min read
Desert call yields unusual sculptures -- prehistoric to contemporary
VISIONARY PHILANTHROPIST AND HIS ARTIST PARTNER CREATE DESERT ART Bighorn sheep, who roam on the desert, are perched playfully for a...

Christene Meyers
Feb 28, 20143 min read
Phoning home -- or not -- here are some tips for communicating abroad
From the moment you arrive in a new airport, you'll experience myriad adjustment challenges, including getting acquainted with new...

Christene Meyers
Feb 25, 20144 min read
When renting a car abroad, think small and don't be shy
Keller prepares to take the wheel of a rental car on an autumn trip to Olbia, Sardinia. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER...

Christene Meyers
Feb 21, 20144 min read
Renting a car for foreign travel can be fun with advance planning
AVOID TROUBLE BY DOCUMENTING EVERYTHING, PHOTOGRAPHING DAMAGE, OBSERVING LOCAL SIGNS Renting a car abroad -- here in Sardinia -- calls...

Christene Meyers
Feb 18, 20144 min read


Long live the Queen (Mary) for her lore, lure and romance
The Queen Mary has a long, proud history and was saved from the scrap heap by the city of Long Beach. The revelry aboard the Queen Mary includes vintage dress for special events. WORLD'S ONCE GRANDEST LINER LIVES A LIVELY LIFE IN LONG BEACH Keller and Cookie flank Commodore Hoard on Queen Mary. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER ABOARD the Queen Mary, there's always adventure. If you want to schedule it, you can, on a series of entertaining tours which take in

Christene Meyers
Feb 14, 20144 min read
Queen Mary floats on with flair, history, as a legend in Long Beach
VISIT TO GRAND DAME SHIP REKINDLES DREAMS OF HER GLORY DAYS The Queen Mary is aglow with lights and a special Diana Exhibit, along with...

Christene Meyers
Feb 11, 20144 min read


Back stage on a cruise ship yields neatly packaged treats, treasures
For this couple, the world's great cruise ship lines offer opportunity to perform magic, dancing, and other treats. SINGERS, HOOFERS, MAGICIANS ANSWER SEA'S SIREN CALL TO ENTERTAIN PASSENGERS Gowns, boas, beautifully pressed and stored, await their time in the spotlight. A stage hand does inventory. An actor's life for talented singers and dancers aboard Royal Caribbean. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER SPACE IS SMALL , but spirits soar for thousands of

Christene Meyers
Feb 7, 20143 min read
Pyramids offer glimpse into global connections, unusual people
The Pyramids of Guimar convinced famous Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl of a connection between Tenerife's ancient Guanche people...

Christene Meyers
Feb 4, 20143 min read
Cadiz: white-washed beauty beckons with fun, 3,000 years of history
Cadiz is known recently for shopping and surf, plus history! ANCIENT PORT CITY OFFERS GARDENS, CHURCHES, PARKS, PEACE, FLAMENCO PLUS...

Christene Meyers
Jan 28, 20142 min read
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