Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures

"The water's running free and it's waiting there for me.... cool, clear water." Here, at Black's Beach in northern San Diego County, a...

HORSE HAS BEEN AROUND LONGER THAN WE THOUGHT STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER and JANE MILDER   This scene, of horses in...

The bird is the word A noisy jay -- Mexican jay we think, but possibly scrub jay, is an acrobatic, enthusiastic regular at the San Diego...

Cookie joined thousands of other Jazzercise dancers on the USS Midway in San Diego, to fight breast cancer.  COME JOIN, GET FIT, JAZZ IT...

The writer and photographer say "ship ahoy, mates" on a Jada lark.  STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Many people dream...

The violet blossoms of the jacaranda trees are brilliant.   Imported from Mediterranean cities such as Barcelona, they number  in the...

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "Cap'n Cookie" takes the wheel. Whee! Keller, Cookie, Melody and Larry Cogsdill sail at...

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Sailing on the Californian is as close as I'll get to "going down to the sea in ships." Fortunately, we went "down" in the best sense of the word:  out into the Pacific Ocean and safely back. For this sailor -- with hundreds of hours on small sailing vessels and nearly 100 large-ship cruises -- the pride of San Diego's Maritime Museum feels like the real sailing deal. Getting the sails ready then putting them back after the sai

Bruce Keller and his mother, Jean Keller, board a harbor cruise at Oceanside, where Jean taught Keller to paint as a lad. STORY By...

Behind bars: Keller tours prison. Story By CHRISTENE MEYERS Photos By BRUCE KELLER Who knew that Burt Lancaster's "Bird Man" character...

The lovely arrangement, above, is both simple and striking. It graces the men's bathroom at the popular La Jolla Shores Hotel.  Below,...

A walk through a vineyard always surprises and delights. Both European and American grape growers frame vines with roses. STORY By...

Pansies are perennial favorites in Ashland, Oregon, and this one was part of a shop windowbox display.    STORY by Christene Meyers    ...

The Colosseum remains one of tourism's most visited sites.       Story by Christene Meyers      Photos by Bruce Keller      "Rome...

A flurry of birds is caught in motion at a feeder at High Chaparral on the West Fork of the Stillwater River in Montana .       Story by Christene Meyers      Photos by Bruce Keller       AS LONG  as I can recall, birds have flitted around me, delighting and entrancing. In the mountains of Montana, the countryside of Tuscany, hiking trails in Ireland and Scotland, desert treks in Arizona, rain forests in Costa Rica, Peru and Brazil, I've always stopped to look, admire and a

Queen Califia's Magical Circle offers a colorful escape.            Story by Christene Meyers Photos by Bruce Keller      Days ago, we...

Paradise Point on Mission Bay, and San Diego Bay offer treats galore, memorable sailing and a chance to learn the lingo Cap'n Keller...

One of our favorite sunset views is near the university above La Jolla shores. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER      I...

Bruce Keller and Nick and Nora enjoy the view and fresh air in Hellhole Canyon Preserve. A hitching post welcomes riders.                ...

The Interlude on a happy outing in Mission Bay in this Bruce Keller photo.     Hark, now hear the sailors cry           smell the sea and...