Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures

SPLENDOR IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES, AS FALL STEPS ASIDE, AND WINTER WAITS IN THE WINGS

The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is a not-for-profit wildlife park and educational facility opened in 1993 that is located in West Yellowstone, Montana, United States. It is open 365 days a year, and admission is good for two consecutive days.

Tucked deep in northeastern Montana, Sioux Charlie Lake is a quiet escape reached via the scenic Stillwater Trail #24. With sweeping prairie views, pockets of forest, and the kind of stillness that’s hard to find anymore, this hidden gem rewards those willing to wander a little off the beaten path

NOTHING LIKE a Yellowstone geyser to make you feel small, insignificant and aware of your "lowly cog" status in the the universe. Yellowstone, mostly in Wyoming but claimed by Montanans as ours, is the world's best place to see geysers. Oh, sure, they exist in Chile, Iceland and New Zealand, but not on the spectacular scale as the Yellowstone geyser bonanza.

Well fed bison roam near Norris Junction in Yellowstone National Park, with geysers spouting behind them. The Roosevelt Arch, approaching Mammoth from withinn the park, honors Teddy Roosevelt's guiding spirit in establishing the park system. Yellowstone Park's founder and patron saint. BISON, WOLVES, ELK MOOSE AND BEARS, OH MY! STORY BY CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Bruce Keller, left, and Rick Cosgriffe, right, enjoy a photography session on a four-day journey t

GLORIOUS CONCERT HALL, SCULPTURES, WORLD CLASS ARTISTS COMPLEMENT NATURE'S OWN GRAND STAGE AT TIPPET RISE

BIG SKY COUNTRY OFFERS MULTITUDE OF GORGEOUS SIGHTS, EVEN IN FIRE SEASON

Bruce Keller, known by family and friends, by his surname, and Christene "Cookie" Meyers, reveling in smooth sailing after two years of...

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Editor's Note: Two weeks ago, we described our journey up the transplant list at...

Mary Tyler Moore's show featured an independent, confident, funny woman. GROUNDBREAKING TV SERIES CHANGED THE WORLD'S TAKE ON CAREER WOMEN STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS courtesy Larry Mayer, Billings Gazette and CBS THE DEATH this week of Mary Tyler Moore brought a flood of bittersweet memories of the early 1970s when I was establishing my career as a journalist. While Moore's fictional Mary Richards was fighting for the modern woman, I was a young reporter in Montana, on

Old Piney Dell grew from a mountain cabin to a world class restaurant with old world European service and offerings. WOULD RESTAURANT HOLD UP TO MEMORIES OF YORE? YES, RECENT TASTY TRIP PROVED Rock Creek Resort grew up around Old Piney Dell restaurant. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER The rustic charm of Old Piney Dell remains through the decades. WHEN OLD PINEY DELL was becoming the legendary Carbon County eatery it is today, I was a youngster growing up i

NONE OF US knows what's around the corner -- or how long we have on this treasured Earth. Thus we must continue to try, if we have any sense at all, to roll with the punches, be thankful, relish each day.. Take a road trip to explore and learn

The people of Oplontis, near Pompeii, lived well in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, until 79 AD, when they were buried by tons of falling...

If you're looking for authentic, old-fashioned fun, a vintage restored town and beautiful scenery, head for Virginia City, Mt.

Nick and Nora love huckelberry ice cream, a roadie treat in Julian, California which they visit twice a year. "Charley is a mind-reading...

A beautifully acted comedy drama at North Coast Repertory Theatre features Anabella Price and Mark Bramhall as Dubliners Betty and Dan....

BEAR MAKES HIS MARK ON OUR SUMMER HIDE-OUT, BUT WE ARE ALL FOUR FINE AND 'BEARLY' UPBEAT

BRIAN MENGES is an amiable entrepreneur who loves what he does and enjoys watching lively people appreciate the delicious food he prepares. The ambitious 43-year old is proud of his eatery, Gil's Goods, and the inventive way he "recycled" the old Gil's Gifts sign to read "Gil's Goods." While Livingston is embracing the eatery, Menges is giving back. He employs over six dozen people, making his one of the largest operations in town.

Comings and goings at High Chaparral in the Northern Rockies: another fabulous family reunion features talent galore. Some had to leave the night before, but these cousins and close family said farewell until next time on the last morning. RAINY DAY GIVES FORUM TO GARAGE BAND, WITH FAMILY TALENT SHOW OFF THE CHARTS Great nephew James, above, practices his whistle, and great-niece Elliana, in green hat with Nora, previews her costume while cuddling our Yorkie. STORY By C

"Food, glorious food," as the lyric from "Oliver!" goes. The appetizers are being devoured as the main course is prepared. FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD AS CLEVER KITCHEN CAPERS PROMOTE QUALITY FAMILY TIME STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS The family gathers to nosh and talk and play -- here niece Aurora with her daughter, Elliana, and at right, James, chasing Yorkie Nora. PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER WHEN ONE MENTIONS food and music, our family "comes big." That's the expression my grandfather us