Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures

Cookie's favorite royal, the late Queen Mum, sported a jaunty hat when she joined journalists and travel writers for her daughter's 1977...

Sean Murray's Fredrik Egerman and Karole Foreman's Desiree Armfeldt create a believable, touching couple in Cygnet Theatre's marvelous...

The Louvre Museum stands proud into the centuries, photographed from the Seine on a recent trip. And don't  miss our favorite Musee d"orsay nearby.  Housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900, it houses many well known works of a more contemporary vein.  The Pont Alexandre is one of the world's most lavish bridges, and a much photographed Paris icon. MONUMENTS, MUSEUMS, MUSIC AND MEMORIES LURE LOVERS BACK TO THE LORE, ROMANCE,

All aboard for a fabulous time aboard the charming St. Kitts Scenic Railway -- into the lush tropical Caribbean environment. ALL ABOARD...

Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge on St. Croix is the longest stretch of beach in the U.S Virgin Islands. This beautiful beach is a...

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is known worldwide for its dramatic bridge towers.Since 1941, it has been featured  in a wide range of...

A young fireman, James Brian Ganner, rings the bell and gives thumbs up for a delightful family-oriented tour. A beautiful vintage fire...

The superb location of Delos -- right in the middle of the Aegean --  made it an ideal meeting place and trade center centuries ago....

Photographers from all over the world are drawn to the colors and sea views of Cinque Terre, visited from Portovenere. SPEND A DAY...

GLORIOUS DECORATIONS, LIGHTS ENTERTAIN THOUSANDS OF INTERNATIONAL VISITORS Mission Inn is aglow and magical this time of year in...

Modern Luxury resort in converted ancient olive factory

Elegance and style greet the eye at every turn, and antiques meet the latest in technology, at Barcelona's Claris Hotel. Here's the spectacular view from the elevator as one whisks to one's room above an artful interior courtyard. Below, right, Antoni Gaudi's famed Casa Battlo is within easy walking distance from the Claris. BARCELONA BEAUTY: CLARIS HOTEL GREETS THE GUEST WITH MUSEUM CLASS SURROUNDINGS, SUPERB SERVICE, LOCATION  STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLE

Whirling waters of the Stillwater in south-central Montana lead the way to Sioux Charley. The U.S. Forest Service has created a lovely...

Yellowstone's extraordinary geysers erupt at various times around the clock.  The  Grand Prismatic Basin is a good place to see geysers...

Cookie is at her happiest playing piano.  Here, she entertains at a housewarming party. Cookie serenades at friend Corby Skinner's on the...

Oregon's lighthouses are a beloved part of coastal history, much visited and appreciated by locals and tourists alike. SHINING THE LIGHT...

A few blocks from Las Ramblas, tourists usually take in Antoni Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia. GLOBAL CITIZENS MUST STAND TO HALT TERRORISM,...

Outside the Allen Elizabethan Theater, people take the summer night's air between acts. Next door, the Bowmer Theater has a play...

Wading, not quite walking, on the water, sisters Cookie, left, and Olivia, make their way to the wedding on Beverly Beach. Behind them,...

North Coast Repertory Theatre ends its 35th season with a bang. "At This Evening's Performance" is a thoroughly likeable tale about a troupe of actors in a Soviet bloc-like police state, struggling to make magic on stage. Cygnet Theatre's acclaimed production of "Animal Crackers" offers unadulterated fun. DELICIOUSLY FUNNY, FAST-PACED TREATS KEEP US ON OUR TOES AND ENJOYING A LAVISH GLUT OF THEATER  CONFECTIONS STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER and theater mark