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Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures


Transplant Tale: into the light with merging of science, attitude, luck
STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Editor's Note: Two weeks ago, we described our journey up the transplant list at...

Christene Meyers
Jun 2, 20174 min read


Memories of London and QE2's Silver Jubilee: Roger Moore's passing prompts recall of meeting Royals and 'Gentleman's 007'
I was invited to see the Queen -- not a drag show diva from a Vegas hotel. The real deal. Queen Elizabeth II.
I flew off to a five-day party, whose zenith would occur on 7-7-77, in celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee and the debut of the latest 007 movie, "The Spy Who Loved Me." (The Queen's a fan of Bond. James Bond.)

Cookie & Keller
May 26, 20175 min read


Transplant tale: Miracle unfolds with donor's gift, crack hospital, grateful couple
Transplant tale: Miracle unfolds with donor's gift, crack hospital, grateful couple

Christene Meyers
May 19, 20174 min read


Lanzarote and genius Manrique lives on in brilliant work
What if an entire island were curated like an art gallery? In Lanzarote, César Manrique’s influence turns every stop into a stunning blend of design, culture, and raw volcanic beauty.

Cookie & Keller
May 5, 20174 min read


Why San Diego Whale Watch Is the Best Way to See Gray Whales in San Diego
SAN DIEGO WHALE WATCH OFFERS FINE CLOSE-UP VIEWS OF WHALES AS THEY PASS BY PROVIDING THRILLS FOR WHALE WATCHERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

Christene Meyers
Apr 28, 20174 min read


Seattle based Candere offers delightfully different day on the waterways
Seattle based Candere offers delightfully different day on the waterways Seattle's lovely bays and inlets provide picturesque harbor for hundreds of boats, photographed near sunset from Candere. IT'S PERSONALIZED, HISTORIC, COMFY, WITH SPLENDID SCENERY, COMMENTARY AND COCKTAILS! Cookie takes notes as Candere glides into Lake Union. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Born and raised near Seattle's waters, Captain Dylan knows his boat and town. Among the houses yo

Christene Meyers
Mar 31, 20173 min read


Clifton's in Los Angeles - an eccentric wonder world of food, art, kitsch, tradition
Clifton's in Los Angeles "It's unlike anything you might imagine," said our friend Sue, a native Angelina. She grew up as a Clifton's patron, coming to the cafeteria with her family and still enjoying the occasional Clifton's foray today. She was right. Nothing like it.

Christene Meyers
Mar 10, 20174 min read


Malaga Automobile museum rides high with fashion, fun, flair
Malaga Automobile museum rides high with fashion, fun flair. Luxury meets art and fashion in Malaga's unique car and gown display.

Cookie & Keller
Feb 24, 20173 min read


Mary Tyler Moore's fictional newsroom had real Montana counterpart
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

Christene Meyers
Jan 27, 20176 min read


Welk Theater Escondido visit brings nostalgic memories of 1950s childhood
Discover why the Welk Theater in Escondido delivers one of the most charming and intimate live performance experiences in Southern California, blending nostalgia, talent, and comfort.

Christene Meyers
Dec 23, 20163 min read


Musical treats shower San Diego, ushering in a six pack of yule cheer
Horton Grand Theatre is a perfect venue for the delightfully rendered radio play version of "Miracle on 34th Street." Jennifer Grimm,...

Christene Meyers
Dec 16, 20164 min read


Tate House celebrates Yuletide 'Gatsby' style at Georgia's elegant southern style mansion
A splendid Georgia mansion built of rare pink marble, known as "Etowah Pink Marble" is decked out for the holidays. Through Dec. 21, the Tate House offers holiday tours, with a delightful luncheon or hors d'oeuvres presentation. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" STELLAR CREATION OF a land baron, philanthropist and tycoon, Tate House -- "the Pink Palace" -- is known throughout the south for its gorgeous pink marble patina and its exquisit

Christene Meyers
Dec 9, 20164 min read


Victoria Canada Butterfly Gardens in Brentwood Bay, delight
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.

Christene Meyers
Nov 25, 20163 min read


Bridge over calming waters at Vancouver's Capilano Bridge Park
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

Christene Meyers
Nov 18, 20163 min read


Jazzercise on San Diego's Midway, raises thousands to fight cancer
Jazzercisers hit the Midway stage in San Diego Saturday, raising voices and big bucks in the fight against breast cancer.

Christene Meyers
Oct 1, 20164 min read


Alaska whale watching in the Inside Passage - Whales astonish, amuse, delight on the whale trail from Seattle to Alaska
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

Christene Meyers
Sep 23, 20165 min read


Red Lodge eatery, Old Piney Dell, delivers delightful meal in decades-old tradition
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

Christene Meyers
Sep 3, 20163 min read
Dog's life with Cookie and Keller is a pretty dog-gone good gig
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 Meyers
Jul 22, 20163 min read


Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve recalls long-ago California: A bit of country in the midst of a busy city
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

Christene Meyers
Jul 8, 20164 min read


Vegas Mob Museum offers thrills, chills, colorful history of crime
The Mob Museum in Las Vegas offers a fascinating departure from gambling, and a treasure trove of crime lore. MANIA FOR THE MOB: GRIT,...

Christene Meyers
Jun 10, 20164 min read
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