Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures

Mother Nature makes artful bouquets by the thousands on the desert floor of Anza Borrego State Park. The white blooms of the desert chicory poke up through the lavender of the sand verbena.

When the grey whale "breathes," it's through his blowhole, the equivalent of a nostril, a magnificent sound and sight. SETTING SAIL IN...

When Cookie first set eyes on this bridge -- one of several on King's Walkway, not far from Malaga -- she nearly turned back..... ...but Cookie persisted and joined Bruce Keller and our amiable Viator guide Jose to scale the walkway and survive to climb again. Kings Highway hike near Malaga We recommend the fun and safety of Viator's tour of this astonishing place. RECOVERING COWARD FINDS HER METTLE TESTED HIGH ABOVE THE TREES IN SOUTHERN SPAIN STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHO

SeaWorld's popular Orca show will no longer be part of the offerings at the internationally famous nature and amusement park. In its...

Nestled beneath the towering granite walls of Yosemite National Park, the legendary The Ahwahnee—now known as the Majestic Yosemite Hotel—has welcomed presidents, royalty, and Hollywood icons for nearly a century. Opened in 1927, this grand mountain lodge blends Native American, Art Deco, and Arts and Crafts design with breathtaking views of the valley’s soaring cliffs and waterfalls. From elegant dining to fireside storytelling, a stay or visit here offers a glimpse into the

These delicate little jewels have a revered place in myths, legends and folklore stories from many cultures. The symbolic meaning of the butterfly is part of the draw of Victoria Butterfly Gardens, which attracts thousands of visitors each year to study and appreciate these magnificent inhabitants of the planet. We strolled around the beautifully laid out exhibit north of Victoria, B.C., not far from the famed Butchart Gardens.

Cookie and Keller enjoy the view from high atop the trees on "Cliffwalk," one of several adventures at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in Vancouver, B.C. The bridge has attracted crowds for a century plus. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS Tourists from around the world visit Vancouver's Capilano Suspension Bridge Park to commune with nature via bridges, trails, tree houses. PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park offers a full day of adventures, climbs, walks, tot

Butchart Gardens delights, amazes, with fabulous flowers, theme plantings, artful global collections

A juvenile orca learns how to swim next to his mother, south of Vancouver, near U.S. waters with Wild Whales Vancouver. In Alaska, Juneau Tours offers spectacular whale watching farther north. Juneau Tours offers up close, personal opportunities to see whales, with skilled drivers and guides to get you "there." ORCAS, HUMPBACKS ENTERTAIN, INFORM-- AND EVEN PROVIDE EYE-POPPING ANATOMY STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Alaska whale watching CAN ONE ever get enoug

A juvenile orca whale -- probably less than a year old -- was the star for passengers in Puget Sound Express. Watching an orca breach was...

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

From Sugar Loaf to Ipanema, Latin city serves up samba, sports, scenery and scanty clothes

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...

Christene "Cookie" Meyers and Bruce Keller take to San Diego Bay and a Flagship dinner cruise, with spectacular views. TAKE YOUR PICK OF...

WE WERE delighted to discover that remains of the prehistoric culture can still be found, with artifacts and fossils in the ranch house named after those lovely "little cliffs" on the hills. A plaque denotes Rancho Santa Maria de los Penasquitos, with parts of the original walls. The ruins of stalwart structures of adobe are fascinating, and the splendid canyon and walking trails wind through 4,000 acres of the Penasquitos and Lopez canyons. It's one of the largest urban

"Daydreams" by Patrick Dougherty, under construction last fall at Tippet Rise, is part of a glorious landscape merging art and nature, with indoor and outdoor performance spaces, world known sculpture and a roster of international performers. Tippet Rise Olivier Barn concert hall going up in October. Tippet Rise CONCERTS, SCULPTURE, 'GREEN' THEME WILL ATTRACT INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER TIPPET RISE spared no expense in hiring the

Tippet Rise MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR ARTS, MUSIC ENTERPRISE WELCOMES INTERNATIONAL ROSTER OF PLAYERS

Red Rock in Nevada is famous for its towering red sandstone cliffs, ancient petroglyphs, and a 13-mile one-way scenic drive.