Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures

VISIT TO GRAND DAME SHIP REKINDLES DREAMS OF HER GLORY DAYS The Queen Mary is aglow with lights and a special Diana Exhibit, along with her hotel and dining options. Parties are a Queen Mary tradition; these two "put on the Ritz." STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER IN MY DREAMS , I'm holding my grandmother's white-gloved hand as we enter the reception area of the Queen Mary. It's the 1950s and I'm a little girl. We're setting off on a glamorous Atlantic cro

Step into the surreal world of Salvador Dalí at his most personal and imaginative creation—the Dalí Theatre-Museum. Located in his hometown of Figueres, this museum is more than a gallery; it’s a living work of art that blurs the line between dream and reality.

A BIT OF CONTROL HELPS AND YOU STILL INDULGE ON YOUR HOLIDAY Dining and drinking are pleasures of travel, here new friends! STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" SO YOU'RE loving your Caribbean cruise, Spanish parador, Rio hotel, Mexican casita, or Cotswolds B&B. Maybe you're with your favorite cousins exploring San Francisco. Hiking across Spain. Or enjoying a theater marathon in New York. Eating is one of the great pleasures of life, and

TRAVEL LIGHT: DON'T LUG BOTTLES OR TAKE WHAT YOU CAN EASILY BUY 'OVER THERE' Nearly everything you might forget can be easily purchased, usually cheaply, while on holiday. So don't stress. This ship stateroom may be furnished with duty free beverages, so avoid bulky, heavy bottles in your baggage. Pick up a bottle or two of wine at your destination. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" REMEMBER , the globe is shrinking with technology and t

Europeans love the Alpenhof Lodge, tucked against the spectacular Grand Teton Range in Wyoming. The inn has the ambiance of a Swiss or Austrian chalet, with flowers in the window boxes, a full hot breakfast, and Old World hospitality. It even has a yodeling website!

Oversized European soaking tubs, eco-friendly products, robes and slippers await at Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle. Room with a view,...

A HOTEL WITH HEART, AMBIANCE, SOCIAL CONSCIENCE, TOP-NOTCH SERVICE The Pan Pacific Hotel's appointments are artful and Asian inspired, creating an atmosphere both soothing and stimulating. Above, a view from the 10th floor elevator and at right, the tastefully decorated lobby. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER THROUGH MY years of travel, I've developed two hotel ratings lists -- "top ten" and "ten worst." It changes with new finds -- sublime inns and gu

San Francisco: Where Every Hill Leads to a Story Few cities capture the imagination of travelers quite like San Francisco. Perched between the sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean and the vast expanse of the San Francisco Bay, the city offers a blend of history, culture, and iconic scenery that feels almost cinematic. For visitors arriving for the first time, the moment the red towers of the Golden Gate Bridge appear through the morning fog is unforgettable—a welcome to one

Story by Christene Meyers Photos by Bruce Keller Cookie and Keller enjoy sunset. IF THE airlines awarded miles for doggie travel, Nick and Nora would have logged over 50,000 miles each in their action-packed seven years. Mostly, they go where we go, by plane or car. They're happy little road-trippers. So we've started keeping track of the best of the "dog friendly" hotels we've visited recently. We estimate that Nick and Nora have bedded down with us in