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Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures


Hop on, hop off bus tours show off a new city to fine advantage
The Barcelona hop-on hop-off (HOHO) bus tour is an efficient way to navigate the city's vast layout, especially for first-time visitors or families who want to skip the logistics of the metro. With two main routes covering everything from the mountains of Montjuïc to the shores of Barceloneta, it serves as both a primary transport method and a guided sightseeing experience

Christene Meyers
Jan 12, 20235 min read


Sydney's Harbour Bridge Happy New Year! Resolve to travel, make new friends, learn, grow
High atop Sydney's famous Harbour Bridge, with the iconic Sydney Opera House at the far right, Christene "Cookie" Meyers and Bruce...

Christene Meyers
Jan 5, 20234 min read


Road Trip and Holiday delights: try fun and new foods whether home or on the road
Enjoy each day and celebrate holidays with a trip to the beach -- or a favorite restaurant. Here, Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers kick holidays up a notch in Vietnam. FOOD, FUN, FINDING A NEW PLACE HIGHLIGHT HOLIDAYS ON THE ROAD and our recipe for holiday jambalaya This Vietnamese meal was prepared for a special holiday gathering at our hotel in then Saigon. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Shopping and schmoozing in the Caribbean, Cookie made a n

Christene Meyers
Dec 29, 20226 min read


Spiritus: splendid psychedelic immersion in famous Portuguese chapel
Clerigos Church and its magnificent cathedral host a light-filled wondrous show, "Spiritus." Gorgeous lights highlight windows and offer...

Christene Meyers
Dec 22, 20225 min read


Free walking tours offer value and a terrific way to know a city quickly
Luiz, our fine Brazilian born guide in Porto, Portugal, took us around the city to its hidden corners as well as exploring its famous...

Christene Meyers
Dec 15, 20226 min read


Gaudi's genius is on showy display in masterful Barcelona architecture
Architect's imagination and reverence for nature highlight his 'La Pedrera,' in Barcelona STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers enjoy a moment of reflection outside Gaudi's Casa Mila, or "La Pedrera." The curved "attic" of Casa Mila is a museum on its own, with drawings, exhibits and models showing the profound influence nature had on Gaudi's life's work. WHEN THE brilliant architect Antoni Gaudi was struck by a tram on a

Christene Meyers
Dec 8, 20225 min read


Emotional flamenco, fado speak to the soul in Spain and Portugal
Flamenco -- that showy, colorful dance of southern Spain -- is performed with rhythmic clapping and instruments. Swirling scarves and lacy skirts and ruffles are part of this Barcelona performance. Southern Spain, Portugal present emotional flamenco, fado, with flair, feeling, for deeply stirring shows STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Fado in Porto is a revered tradition, here at the Ideal Club de Fado, which is a formal setting, more concert hall. than bar.

Christene Meyers
Nov 3, 20225 min read


Porto's Casa Sao Roque offers art, architecture, an intriguing oasis
Entrepreneur Pedro Ribeiro, right, gives Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers a private tour of his unique art museum, a converted manor house and hunting lodge in Portugal. ART MUSEUM, PARK, LIBRARY, CAFE, WITH FILM, PHOTOS,PAINTINGS, SCULPTURE, COLLAGE, MEDIA ENTICEMENTS STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Plants enhance Casa Sao Roque Centro de Arte, inspired by French and Belgian architecture with a nod to Porto decorative arts. Porto's Casa Sao Roque

Christene Meyers
Oct 6, 20225 min read


A general's dream: When and If' sails smoothly into immortality
When and If is a beautiful sailing vessel combining the best characteristics of a racing boat with the comforts of a sturdy yacht built...

Christene Meyers
Sep 15, 20224 min read


travel tips Ten Commandments of Travel: Savvy tips to help you savor, remember
A hike above Malta's Blue Grotto offered an opportunity for a picnic and lovely afternoon for Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers. They travel with joy in each new surrounding. PLAN BUT BE FLEXIBLE, EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY, ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES, LEARN, MAKE NEW FRIENDS STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Plan, but be open to surprise and a spontaneous event. In Tokyo we borrowed umbrellas at a shrine to stroll the gardens in light rain. “I haven't been eve

Christene Meyers
Sep 8, 20226 min read


Zion National Park: A memorable merging of rock, water, sky, light and history
Zion National Park is a mix of brand-new luxury, restored access, and unique milestones that make it the ultimate time for a Southwest escape.

Christene Meyers
Aug 18, 20224 min read


Cody's wild west show offers whiz bang theater
Wyoming's Wild West fun in vintage theater tells of Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley and more Dancing, singing, storytelling and a lively pace keep the audience entertained in Cody, Wyoming,at the popular Wild West Spectacular. The show just ended a successful run, based on the life of showman, soldier and entrepreneur "Buffalo Bill" Cody, after whom the town of Cody is named. A cast including college students and graduates, theater majors and professional dancers and singers e

Christene Meyers
Aug 11, 20224 min read


Van Gogh immersion yields lavish, hypnotic multi-media experience
Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh's life and art come to life in a mesmerizing show in Las Vegas. The show gracefully weaves...

Christene Meyers
Aug 4, 20224 min read


Ketchikan catch-up: eagles, waterfalls and a smuggling bordello
Ketchikan's Creek Street is as bustling now, differently than in the 1930s when booze and brothels were the order of the day. Now, it's...

Christene Meyers
Jul 7, 20225 min read


'Love Tour' takes visitors around San Francisco with a hippie spin
A VW bus is painted in colorful fashion as Christene "Cookie" Meyers and Bruce Keller enjoy a tour down memory lane to the summer of love...

Christene Meyers
Jun 9, 20225 min read


Salute to the euduring Queen Elizabeth II, from a loyal American fan
Queen Elizabeth II, watches a "fly-past" of the Royal Air Force, with Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and her great-grandchildren,...

Christene Meyers
Jun 2, 20225 min read


Hilo's Tsunami Museum packs a powerful punch with frightening exhibits, films, commentary
The dreaded tsunami was the focus of an interesting afternoon for Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers, who visited the engaging...

Christene Meyers
May 12, 20224 min read


Hawaii's Lyman Museum highlights wildlife, sea life, Polynesian travel, rich island history
Hawaii"s fascinating history is told in striking exhibits and displays at Lyman Museum in Hilo HILO MUSEUM OFFERS WORLD CLASS STUDY OF...

Christene Meyers
Apr 28, 20225 min read


Hotel La Casa del Zorro offers desert pampering, scenery and fine food
This is your world for a few treasured days at La Casa del Zorro, a true find if you're looking for a place to unplug, enjoy and indulge your senses. The light is lovely in this jewel of southern Coachella Valley. Each sun dappled corner of this well managed place welcomes you to picturesque surroundings.

Christene Meyers
Apr 28, 20224 min read


Natural History Museum is treasure trove in San Diego's Balboa Park
A patron pauses outside the San Diego Natural History Museum, where fans of nature and the natural world are treated to a variety of...

Christene Meyers
Apr 21, 20224 min read
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