Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" Fanciful balconies of Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo are made of stone and shell-shaped, reflecting the architect's marine inspiration. Tours are available. We recommend the Barcelona tourism card. MANY CITIES in the world boast of an architectural theme, a cohesive style. A distinct design plan inevitably catches the eye and satisfies the viewer. For us, the list includes Rome, New York, Jerusalem, Chicago

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids " The Monument to the Discoveries is a magnificent tribute to Portugal's power on the seas. It juts upward to depict the country's explorers, rulers and sailors who made history in their explorations of the world. SAILING INTO Lisbon on the majestic Tagus River, two imposing architectural wonders catch our eye. We see the stunning limestone Monument to the Discoveries. Intricately carved, it pays homage

Autumn in New York Central Park with Cookie

The venerable Australian Museum is centrally located in Sydney, Australia, a treasure trove of art, nature inspired history, intriguing...

Grand Hotel. Big Timber

The Palms at Indian Head offers a tranquil, beautiful escape from city life, with its open airy feel. DESERT HIDEAWAY DESERVES YOUR VISIT...

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers enjoy an afternoon at the Museum of Latin  American Art in Long Beach, where Latin American...

With a rooftop view of Barcelona, our road trippers visit Park Guell, on Carmel Hill in the Gracia district of Barcelona. It was designed...

The Dali Theatre-Museum is a magnificent, over-the-top creation designed by Salvador Dali himself.  He supervised construction upon the...

Jungle Queen is an institution in Fort Lauderdale, a beloved icon of the city and a four-generation enterprise.  She's "reinvented" her...

The Getty Center Museum is large -- like its benefactor's appetite for art and beauty. The multi-building complex is the legacy of...

Meet Cesar Manrique

The Bay of Gibraltar is home to fancy yachts, pleasure and fishing boats and a variety of sea life, along with the famed monkeys. This...

The El Yunque Rain Forest is one of the smallest, yet with a most diverse "repertoire" to behold. "I went to the woods because I wished...

Enjoying a tuk tuk ride in Lisbon, from left, Bruce Keller, Jane Milder, driver Tomas Neves, Christene "Cookie" Meyers, Rick Cosgriffe. ...

Montana's talented Shakespeare in the Schools actors play multiple roles.  Here are two of the cast in a scene from the delightful...

Autumn is a perfect time to visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills.  Fine fall weather is predicted for the...

Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, or "Las Malvinas" to Argentine people, is a peaceful town of less than 3,000 people. It is one of the...

Venice charms: sights and sounds to savor abound.  Venice has imposed tourist taxes and banned large ships from its precarious canals --...

TRAVELING WITH A FAVORITE LOVED ONE  ENHANCES A TRIP THROUGH HIGHLIGHTS OF SOUTHERN EUROPE'S FAMOUS CITIES STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER SEEING FAVORITE places with people you love makes the journey special, enhancing each museum, meal and hike. As Labor Day approaches to signal the end of summer, we recommend considering a trip to Europe with someone you've wanted to travel with. Prices drop along with the temperature, children are back in school and crowd