Travel Stories, Cruise Reviews, and Cultural Adventures

Yellowstone National Park in winter is a place of profound silence and striking contrasts, where boiling geysers meet a landscape blanketed in deep snow. While most of the park's interior roads close to private vehicles by early November, the winter season (typically mid-December to early March) opens a rare door for those willing to trade their cars for snow coaches.

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

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

Discover the magic of an Oregon Coast road trip as Where Is Cookie explores stunning lighthouses, scenic overlooks, and charming seaside stops. From dramatic cliffs to historic coastal beacons, this guide highlights the best lighthouse views and must-see destinations along one of America’s most breathtaking drives

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

Hornblower's Barefoot Music Cruises are on tap every Sunday through Aug. 27. The new concept combines San Diego's attractive skyline,...

SeaWorld San Diego the major change in the new program is that trainers no longer swim with the orcas. But they still interact and touch and play with the orcas. And, yes, people in the splash zone still get mighty wet, as the animals splash their mighty tails to the delight of the audience.

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.

The countryside around Julian, California, offers fine hiking, fun places to stay, bird watching -- and a peaceful get-away. Lilacs bloom and welcome to verdant countryside and Julian hospitality. ART, MUSIC, FUN PLACES TO STAY, SHOPPING, BIRDS, FLOWERS, APPLE PIE AND A FINE ITALIAN RESTAURANT STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Spring flowers lead the way to a lovely late April and a pleasant May. A VISIT TO Julian, California, is a journey back in time

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

SMALL BUT MIGHTY La JOLLA AQUARIUM CHARMS WITH ITS FINE COLLECTION, EXCELLENT DISPLAY, WITH USER-FRIENDLY CONSERVATIONISM SHOWING OFF LOCAL SEA WONDERS

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...

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

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

Stunning sunset over Vancouver from the Blue Horizon Hotel, which offers small, enticing balconies with splendid views. TOURISTS CAN HIKE, BOAT, WHALE WATCH, DINE, HOP A TROLLEY, SAIL, STROLL, RELAX, ROW A BOAT! Vancouver's night skyline is beautiful in the water's reflection. Harbour Cruises offers a splendid sunset dinner cruise with this view. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Cookie and Keller enjoy Harbour Cruises' sunset dinner cruise, which offers a lo

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