Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures

Magistic Cruises' sleek catamaran glides past iconic sights of Sydney. FABULOUS FOOD IN A GLORIOUS VENUE, PLUS TOP TALENT, VIEWS     Artfully prepared salads and side dishes await diners, with beautiful appetizers, main course entrees and decadent desserts as well. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER GLORIOUS FOOD , fine champagne, terrific entertainment, and, of yes, the views. You're gliding through the water in a quiet boat. You're in luxury's lap, enjoying v

NEW MUSICAL AT NORTH COAST REP HAS FLAIR, FUN, FABULOUS MUSIC Kevin Bailey is perfect as the Private Eye, the tough talking, hard...

DANISH ARCHITECT UTZON'S VISIONARY BUILDING IS A TRUE MASTERPIECE Tourists from around the globe tour Sydney Opera House, enjoy tastings and see plays, dance and concerts in many venues. After the tour, enjoy dumplings, oysters,  shrimp; Below, the "sails" from under them. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER IT RANKS  with the architectural wonders of the world. The Sydney Opera House is like no other building. Famous for its gorgeous shells -- resembling the sh

AUF WIEDERSEHEN TO A BELOVED ICON: ACTOR, WRITER, CAT LOVER, GOURMET, GARDENER, TRANSLATOR, TRAVELER "The sun will rise and the moon...

TONY BENNETT PLAYS VEGAS WITH LADY GAGA TO KEEP HIS TALENT TUNED UP Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga took the stage in Las Vegas to usher in...

MINSTREL, TEACHER PLAYS ENGAGING RANGE OF STYLES, PERIODS Greatly gifted Josiah Diallo plays and teaches in the San Diego area. STORY By...

BACK ON TERRA FIRMA IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE! Sydney's famous Harbour Bridge as seen from our veranda earlier this morning.  What a...

CLICK HERE to buy Lilian's Last Dance   a new e-Book on Amazon British born Emma Williams played a sultry, fun Annie Oakley.  'LILIAN'S...

Famed Kiwi director Lord Peter Jackson created Hobbiton, on which his award winning films were made. A Maori tattoo was given to Cookie...

QEII lecturer Josh Logan gave tips A poster for "Annie Get Your Gun'' inspired the creation of Lilian in "Lilian's Last Dance." on making a character come alive Click here ==> Lilian's Last Dance STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS CROSSING  the Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth II, in the summer of 1986, famed Broadway producer and director Josh Logan was one of the guest lecturers. He was one of my idols, for I'd grown up with the music of "Annie Get Your Gun," and "South Pacific," bo

Cygnet Theater in Old Town is a fantastic night out, with a stop at nearby Hacienda de las Rosas Winery before or after. 'A CHRISTMAS...

THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL posting is one of several recently published newspaper articles.  It ran in the hometown paper of novelist Christene Meyers, a Montana native launching an international book tour in Australia and New Zealand.  Meyers grew up in Montana, where the novel is partly set. It is garnering praise on Amazon as an eBook. "LILIAN'S LAST DANCE" features a love triangle, and a troupe of actors in New York, Europe and Los Angeles during the transition from silent mov

ON THE TRAIL OF MOVIE LORE, WRITERS HEAD FOR HOLLYWOOD As Cookie got her novel-writing groove back, she and Keller took to the road,...

WRITERS TOOK TO BACKROADS, MUSEUMS, RANCHES,  HOTELS IN SEARCH OF LOCAL COLOR The gorgeous Parker Ranch in Hawaii inspired a passage about paniolo life in "Lilian's Last Dance." STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS RECENT PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Click here ==> Lilian's Last Dance ON THE TRAIL  of local color and detail for the book, "Lilian's Last Dance," my late husband Bill Jones and I traveled to Hawaii, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois and many other states. We learned so

San Diego Rep scores again with comic, provocative work about racism CLICK HERE ==>>to buy Lilian's Last Dance STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS...

European travels took us to Paris to Gertrude Stein's home Click here ==> Lilian's Last Dance The legendary Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas made many Atlantic crossings, and are cameos in "Lilian's Last Dance."                            STORY By    CHRISTENE MEYERS Crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth II was part of the fun research for "Lilian's Last Dance." Here William Jones and Christene Meyers enjoy! CREATION of "Lilian's Last Dance" took many years and trips

AUTHOR THANKS READERS FOR PATIENCE, LOVE, SUPPORT!   Extra : "Something in addition to what is due, expected, or customary" Roll 'em, friends! "Lilian's Last Dance" is on Amazon eBooks today!!! Hooray.  HERE'S A  brief "extra." We are thrilled to tell you that "Lilian's Last Dance" is finally up on Amazon eBooks. This has been the longest 20 hours of my life, since we received Amazon's "thumbs up" on the final edit at 9:11 a.m. Wednesday. Here's the link: Click Here ==> Lil

NOVEL TELLS STORY OF EARLY AMERICAN FILM, STAGE STRUCK PERFORMERS, LOVE, REVENGE, WITH WORLD TRAVEL AND MORE -- Montana outlaws, California connections, Paris, London, actors, painters, bank robbers   Lively characters from France, England, Hawaii, Australia and the U.S. are featured in "Lilian's Last Dance," on its way to eBooks Wednesday! Editor's Note, 2025: The novel is available by contacting the author directly at: whereiscookienow@gmail.com STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS P

NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE OPENS BRILLIANT TWO-PERSON PRODUCTION STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER  (and courtesy North...

Jackson Hole Playhouse, at age 99, is a year younger than the town.  Here, in the rain, it's a nostalgic, pretty sight. STORY By...