Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures

DANISH ARCHITECT UTZON'S VISIONARY BUILDING IS A TRUE MASTERPIECE Tourists from around the globe tour Sydney Opera House, enjoy tastings and see plays, dance and concerts in many venues. After the tour, enjoy dumplings, oysters,  shrimp; Below, the "sails" from under them. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER IT RANKS  with the architectural wonders of the world. The Sydney Opera House is like no other building. Famous for its gorgeous shells -- resembling the sh

The bridge climbing group wends its way carefully above the waters of Sydney, Australia's, world famous harbor. RECOVERING COWARD TICKS A BIG ONE OFF HER LARGE BUCKET LIST WITH TWO BRIDGE CLIMBS At the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Keller and Cookie celebrate with a wave and a victory cheer. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER I MUST HAVE  been dream walking the morning I went on line to book two tickets to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  I sent a text to t

TONY BENNETT PLAYS VEGAS WITH LADY GAGA TO KEEP HIS TALENT TUNED UP Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga took the stage in Las Vegas to usher in...

BACK ON TERRA FIRMA IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE! Sydney's famous Harbour Bridge as seen from our veranda earlier this morning.  What a...

CLICK HERE to buy Lilian's Last Dance   a new e-Book on Amazon British born Emma Williams played a sultry, fun Annie Oakley.  'LILIAN'S...

Famed Kiwi director Lord Peter Jackson created Hobbiton, on which his award winning films were made. A Maori tattoo was given to Cookie...

QEII lecturer Josh Logan gave tips A poster for "Annie Get Your Gun'' inspired the creation of Lilian in "Lilian's Last Dance." on making a character come alive Click here ==> Lilian's Last Dance STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS CROSSING  the Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth II, in the summer of 1986, famed Broadway producer and director Josh Logan was one of the guest lecturers. He was one of my idols, for I'd grown up with the music of "Annie Get Your Gun," and "South Pacific," bo

ON THE TRAIL OF MOVIE LORE, WRITERS HEAD FOR HOLLYWOOD As Cookie got her novel-writing groove back, she and Keller took to the road,...

WRITERS TOOK TO BACKROADS, MUSEUMS, RANCHES,  HOTELS IN SEARCH OF LOCAL COLOR The gorgeous Parker Ranch in Hawaii inspired a passage about paniolo life in "Lilian's Last Dance." STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS RECENT PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Click here ==> Lilian's Last Dance ON THE TRAIL  of local color and detail for the book, "Lilian's Last Dance," my late husband Bill Jones and I traveled to Hawaii, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois and many other states. We learned so

San Diego Rep scores again with comic, provocative work about racism CLICK HERE ==>>to buy Lilian's Last Dance STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS...

AUTHOR THANKS READERS FOR PATIENCE, LOVE, SUPPORT!   Extra : "Something in addition to what is due, expected, or customary" Roll 'em, friends! "Lilian's Last Dance" is on Amazon eBooks today!!! Hooray.  HERE'S A  brief "extra." We are thrilled to tell you that "Lilian's Last Dance" is finally up on Amazon eBooks. This has been the longest 20 hours of my life, since we received Amazon's "thumbs up" on the final edit at 9:11 a.m. Wednesday. Here's the link: Click Here ==> Lil

IF YOU HAVE ONLY A BRIEF TIME, MAKE EVERY ROMAN MINUTE COUNT BY HIRING A TOUR GUIDE Rome's Trevi Fountain has been drained and fenced...

Barcelona's La Sagrada Familia is the city's most spectacular architectural feat, Gaudi's masterpiece still under construction. All eyes...

NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE OPENS BRILLIANT TWO-PERSON PRODUCTION STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER  (and courtesy North...

Jackson Hole Playhouse, at age 99, is a year younger than the town.  Here, in the rain, it's a nostalgic, pretty sight. STORY By...

Commodore Everette Hoard welcomes the public aboard the Queen Mary this Friday for an 80th birthday party. HAIL AND LONG LIVE THE LOVELY...

HISTORIC HOTEL LURES VACATIONERS FOR A DAY, A WEEK OR A FINE MEAL The venerable Pollard, with the year's first snow, welcomes visitors...

Cody's historic main street is showy. Old west charm, world class museum, bar hopping, great food, fun hotels and treats of the natural...

Road trip to the top of the world:  last week, up the Beartooth Pass on the famed Cooke City Highway. John Steinbeck had Charley, and...