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Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures


Kualoa: Oahu working ranch offers magic, entertainment and education.
Part of the educational fun at Kualoa Ranch is watching workers prepare the harvest for sale in the store on the property, and for...

Christene Meyers
Feb 6, 20244 min read


England's oldest operational theater, Georgian Theatre Royal, is a gem.
Elegant boxes and beautiful curtains, ornate original design touches and perhaps the oldest known theatrical set piece mark the historic...

Christene Meyers
Nov 30, 20234 min read


Portland Grotto is a beloved shrine, a place of peace, prayer, beauty
The Grotto in Portland, Oregon, is a place of meditation, prayer and reflection, in lovely gardens surrounded by sculpture and beauty....

Christene Meyers
Nov 9, 20233 min read


Eye-popping Honolulu Museum of Art opens minds, eyes, imagination
Honolulu Museum of Art's extensive collection includes significant holdings in Asian art, American and European painting and decorative...

Christene Meyers
Oct 4, 20234 min read


Oregon Shakespeare Festival fights back with smaller but stellar season
TONY WINNING FESTIVAL SURVIVES FIRES, LAYOFFS, TURMOIL, PANDEMIC, FINANCIAL WOES STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER The...

Christene Meyers
Sep 20, 20234 min read


Lore of leis -- Hawaii's welcoming floral necklace has proud history
Wearing leis at Hilton Hawaiian Village are Bruce William Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers. The lei is an ancient tradition of...

Christene Meyers
Sep 13, 20234 min read


Rome Vivaldi concert rockets to top of reviewer's lifetime concert list
FABULOUS CONCERT, GREAT TOUR WITH 'GET YOUR GUIDE' -- A SPLENDID DAY Elvin Dhimitri turns a page on a score, backed by one of two second...

Christene Meyers
Aug 30, 20234 min read


Tippet Rise spotlights Montana's geology along with nature, music, art
Artist Mark di Suvero's "Beethoven's Quartet" is a stunning work. An art tour participant in the left of the photo gives a sense of the...

Christene Meyers
Aug 23, 20234 min read


Montana Shakespeare in the Parks: AMBITIOUS TOURING COMPANY BRINGS THE BARD TO THE MASSES
Lights, action, enjoyment. Montana Shakespeare in the Parks brings a pair of works to enthusiastic audiences from Bozeman to Cody, Wyo., Helena to Superior, and parts of Idaho with a stop in Washington state. The award-winning endeavor is presented free and sustained by grants and donations. "Love's Labors Lost" was on tour in an earlier production. Notice the elaborate costumes, and a stage that is collapsed, packed up and transported via truck dozens of times per season. ST

Christene Meyers
Aug 2, 20233 min read


Gannets galore at wondrous habitat in New Zealand's north island
A spectacular gannet sanctuary in New Zealand offers a rare opportunity to view these graceful, enduring birds close-up, here with their...

Christene Meyers
Jul 12, 20234 min read


History, culture, food, fun await on a 'Super Raft' ride up Kona coast
Smiles abound in the Body Glove "Super Raft Tour" along the historical Kona Coast. We had our eye out for dolphins, whales and other...

Christene Meyers
Jun 21, 20233 min read


Kualoa Ranch operation offers many ways to learn, have fun in nature
Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers take a pause for a selfie, framed by the skeleton of a dinosaur on the beautiful "Jurassic...

Christene Meyers
Jun 14, 20234 min read


Worldwide, we celebrate PRIDE month with hope, understanding
The famous Sydney Opera House is aglow with "Pride" colors, a proud rainbow celebrating Australia's strong support of the progress toward inclusion, tolerance and embrace of all people. PRIDE month encourages professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER LGBT Pride Month is celebrated worldwide. It stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Sto

Christene Meyers
May 31, 20234 min read


Bishop Museum is Honolulu's treasure trove of Pacific Island wonders
The Bishop Museum's several buildings range from historic to contemporary and house millions of priceless items. It represents the world's largest collection of Hawaiian and Pacific cultural artifacts and natural history specimens. Its many collections contribute to global research. MUSEUM SHINES ARTFUL SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY OF SOUTH PACIFICIN STATELY HONOLULU COMPLEX STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER THE BISHOP Museum in Honolulu is a true treasure trove. You'l

Christene Meyers
May 10, 20234 min read


Get a warm, spirited bula bula welcome in fabulous, fun Fiji
Fiji's "Bula Bus" takes its name from the language. "Bula bula" means hello and is a widely used greeting in friendly Fiji. Here, the bus...

Christene Meyers
Apr 26, 20234 min read


Spectacular Sydney: harbor, port, restaurants, bridge, Opera House
Sydney, Australia: sparkling in early evening, from a climb atop the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge. It's fun to look for your cruise ship...

Christene Meyers
Apr 19, 20236 min read


Head to Honolulu, happy place! Explore it on fun Waikiki Trolley
The best hotdog in Honolulu is one of the treats you'll discover aboard the Waikiki Trolley, which offers various tours for discovering...

Christene Meyers
Mar 29, 20236 min read
Lovely Lone Pine: Australia's the place to cuddle koalas, feed 'roos
It's "kangaroo communion" as Bruce Keller feeds two hungry critters at Lone Pine near Brisbane, Australia. We flew 7,513 miles to...

Christene Meyers
Mar 15, 20235 min read


Guitar museum offers spectacular music from Portugal's heart, soul
The art of "fado" or music of the soul is a time honored, intricate and emotional rendering ofPortuguese songs with a melancholy theme,...

Christene Meyers
Feb 23, 20234 min read


Santa Barbara's Maritime Museum: highlight of a Ventura County visit
A fine collection of seafaring artifacts combines with beautifully curated changing exhibits to show off Santa Barbara's proud maritime...

Christene Meyers
Feb 16, 20234 min read
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