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SeaWorld's popular Orca show will no longer be part of the offerings at the internationally famous nature and amusement park.  In its place, visitors will enjoy a more natural viewing of the killer whales and their life and habits.  Trainers and audience alike were misty eyed at the finale of the killer whale shows at SeaWorld.  A completely full house filled the stands to bid adieu.  The new Orca show will offer an opportunity to  view the beautiful creatures in a more natural setting. WHALE OF A WEEKEND: PACKED HOUSE BIDS ADIEU TO HALF-CENTURY OLD ORCA SHOW The final Orca shows attracted thousands of tourists and San Diego locals. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER MY PARTNER BRUCE  Keller, whose photos illustrate this blog, has long been a fan of SeaWorld and its internationally famous Orca encounters. He credits these beautiful killer whale shows with spawning his fascination with the ocean, and encouraging his lifelong pursuit of sea adventure. So we were part of an enthusiastic audience for the final weekend of the traditional Orca shows. For more than a half century, they have fascinated a worldwide audience of millions. Keller, left, and Cookie, spent the weekend at SeaWorld with its magnificent dolphin and whale exhibits. THE SHOWS  entertained crowds with what some considered "unnatural" behavior.  Precisely performed  "tricks" and playful antics exhibited the intelligence and strength of the whales in their interaction with humans.  Positive re-enforcement and rewards of food taught the whales to swim with humans, dive and breach on cue, slip up onto a viewing platform and more. Not everyone gave the shows "thumbs up." SeaWorld listened to critics and responded to public opinion.  "Society is changing and we’re changing with it," a spokesman said, "finding new ways to deliver on our purpose to inspire guests to take action in protecting wild animals and wild places." THE NEW  exhibits will no longer feature the Orcas performing in a stadium environment. Instead of "performance," the exhibit will focus on the animals' natural behaviors. The new program is being developed by SeaWorld experts and consultants to offer a new way for people to The Orca show featured the intelligent killer whales at play, performing tricks learned over a period of months and years to illustrate their beauty and speed, graceful behavior and intelligence. connect with the ocean’s most powerful predator. SeaWorld calls it "Orca Encounter," and promises viewers the opportunity to witness the magnificent creatures and their natural behavior set against an expansive infinity screen. SeaWorld promises to bring the whales' story to life with "exciting, immersive detail, designed to give viewers a deeper appreciation of Orcas." The exhibits will teach viewers about the Orca's hunting techniques and complex communication codes, a spokesman said. ORCA FANS  will learn about the Orcas' important family structure, with opportunities to watch the whales bond, play and eat. The new exhibits will be open by summer of this year, with a goal to "excite the sense of wonder and help viewers feel the connection between whales and our oceans..''  SeaWorld has not collected marine mammals from the wild for decades. It also ended its breeding program, but will continue its highly regarded rescue program which has saved hundreds of birds and sea creatures from fishing lines and human-caused injury through the years. THE TEN ORCAS at SeaWorld were either born there or have spent most of their lives in human care. Their names are Corky 2, Kasatka, Keet, Ulises, Orkid, Nakai, Kalia , Ikaika, Shouka, and a young male Makani, born to Kasatka on February 14, 2013. These majestic Orcas will not be caged or released into the ocean. They could not survive there, having no skills in competing for food. They would also not survive unfamiliar diseases, and have no experience with environmental concerns such as pollution and other man-made threats. SeaWorld fans came out in full force to pack the houses for the final Orca presentations. A new encounter is planned. At SeaWorld, they will continue their long, healthy lives with loving care of a dedicated veterinary and specialists. SeaWorld's long respected goal continues: to "inspire generations to be conservationists around the world." The hope is that the new “live documentary”-style presentation and expansive infinity screen will help visitors gain a deeper appreciation and respect for Orcas and that they will leave the park with determination to help preserve these majestic animals. Find out more about SeaWorld's plans for its Orcas at  https://seaworldcares.com/future . "Marjorie Prime" is on tap at Northcoast Repertory Theater and San Diego's variety of theater offerings makes it worthy of a plane ticket to escape the rain and snow. NEXT UP: A bevy of theatrical treasures enlivens the bleak and dreary days of winter nationwide. In San Diego, a glut of theatrical riches! A splendid production of "Marjorie Prime" is on tap. This fascinating play at Northcoast Repertory Theater delves into the futuristic prospect of human looking robots as an antidote to loneliness.  Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, Northcoast's production is up through Feb. 4. We previewed a sold out opening SRO performance of this fascinating show. Welk Resort has a wonderful production of "My Fair Lady" and New Fortune Theatre has a sizzling production of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" at the Lyceum.  Call your favorite box office wherever you are, or head to San Diego -- worth an airplane ticket from snow country.  Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekends when we post a new piece with our unique twist on the arts, travel and the natural world.

Keller and Cookie both love Rome, but had never been there together. Now they've visited Italy together a half-dozen times and Rome is a semi-annual tradition, here at Trevi Fountain. Keller and Cookie climbed the Auckland, New Zealand, Bridge last year --  after she conquered her fear of heights on the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia.  Sky's the limit in this new year, with planning, energy and determination. NOW'S THE TIME TO MAKE THE DREAM COME TRUE -- PLAN & YOU CAN STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER HAVE YOU  always wanted to climb a bridge hundreds of feet above the water?  Have you had your heart set on a trip to the Galapagos? Yearned to hike the Himalayas? Ride a bike in Vietnam? Traverse the Great Wall and get close-up to the Terracotta Soldiers?  Kiss your lover then throw a coin into Rome's Trevi Fountain? Biking in Vietnam was a dream of both of us. This past year, we made it happen with planning and patience. WHAT THE heck are you waiting for? No one is going to put you on a magic carpet and whisk you to an exotic location you've longed to visit. No one is going to teach you to play the saxophone or do a sexy tango with your partner. If you want that tattoo, get it, baby. Promised yourself a cruise before you sail into the beyond?  Book it, Dano! Now's the time. YOU ARE d riving the bus. If your family gathered for a funeral and talked about a reunion -- "we should all get together at a happier time" -- why not make that happen this year?  Think a summertime gathering in someone's back yard or cabin.  If you're separated by states and oceans, meet at a half-way point. Or consider Christmas at the sibling with the largest home? (You can work out the details later.  Get everyone to commit to the dates NOW.) Time to indulge your alter ego?  Cookie's tattoo is ready for the new year. Keller sports his new look -- if only in fun for a few hours. WE ASSOCIATE  the turning of the new year with resolutions. For me, it's a time to look at the globe, give it a spin and see where I'd like to be. Without sounding too much like the old Johnny Cash tune, "I've Been Everywhere," I actually have been around the old globe a few times. You may be the armchair variety or a for-real globe-trotter.  Either way, try  fresh ways to approach travel? *Is there someone you'do like to share your knowledge with? A favorite niece or nephew, an aging or widowed auntie? *If you are alone and reluctant to travel solo, look around your circle of friends, considering the groups and outlets you have. There may be someone equally interested in traveling, just needing a nudge. Tango lessons for 2017? Most cruise lines and many tour agencies will work with single travelers to pair them with other singles. Or if money is no object, you can pay the single-occupancy premium. Chances are you will hit it off with someone on the tour or ship and plan your next trip together. In this reporter's humble opinion, there's no excuse for not taking the leap, making the first step toward adventure. WE TOOK  a bike trip through Vietnam last year -- thoroughly delightful. Again, planning -- sometimes two years ahead is necessary. I am not an accomplished biker but the group guide found a bike that made me comfy and didn't  have 75 gears. Cunard's Queen Elizabeth awaits a visit from you. I had never considered myself an athlete-- and still don't-- but my partner talked me into climbing Sydney, Australia's famous bridge. While I nearly fainted at the prospect, I summoned my courage and did it. The thrill of accomplishment boosted me into a surprising new level of daring. I booked two more climbs, to the astonishment and pride of Keller! I will never be an Olympian, but I conquered an old fear and discovered that I love bridge climbing. AS FOR  teaching old dogs new tricks, Keller had never considered himself a singer. As his tit-for-tat nod to my climbing bravado, he picked up his chorister's score and last year sang in choral groups I accompanied. I can  climb. The boy can  sing! We both love Tango, that sensuous dance of Argentina. So we signed up for tango lessons. My sister Misha, center, was the driving force behind a family reunion. She invited us all to Atlanta for her birthday more than a year ago. We also made a list of performers we love-- including Tony Bennett, who topped both our lists.  We have seen him in concert four times now, twice with Lady Gaga. Do a Google search on your favorites. Make it happen. With planning and budgeting, you can. If money is a concern, find ways you to make your dream happen. If you eat lunch out, start packing it. If you are a clothes horse, head for the thrift store not the department store. If you've always wanted a tattoo, you're not getting any younger. There are many places to have one done safely. Start with a temporary one. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga can be in your concert line-up.   If you're trying to save money to indulge your dreams, here are a few easy tips gleaned from year of packing my lunch to work at the newspaper. (To afford room service in hotels, later.) Picture yourself enjoying a sunrise in a new city, then work it out so it will materialize! *By-pass expensive coffees out and keep teabags and coffee at work. *Watch the heat bill. Layer up to save bucks. *If you spend big dollars at the beauty salon, color your own hair. If someone you know has a talent you wish to learn, ask. Here's Keller sailing. He taught Cookie the ropes, too. *Eat beans and rice and turkey burger instead of filet. Buy in bulk.  The idea is to set goals and decide what you need to do to make them happen. THESE POINTERS are not new or original. To paraphrase Mark Twain, we are all borrowers. Make a game plan that suits you, gleaning from those who inspire you.  Make it happen.  Maybe you have hidden treasures in your house. Will you ever use the sterling silver?  Maybe a trip would mean more. Is there someone in your family who could help you organize a reunion? A retired teacher, someone recently alone and looking for a project? Let your imagination go. Line up the trip. Book the concert series. Call the music teacher.  If your partner has a passion you have yet to share, jump in. I never thought I could be a decent first mate but I can "come about" now with the best of them! So here's to stretching, making the first move towards transferring  the dream into the reality column. Happy new year. Make it HAPPEN, friends.  Gear up your bus into a new world of adventure  and remember to explore, learn and live with  whereiscookie.com . Thousands bid adieu to the beloved Orca shows at SeaWorld. A new show is being prepared and will feature the magnificent animals in a more natural environment, without the tricks but with lots of information . NEXT UP:   It's the end of an era at SeaWorld where  SeaWorld's internationally famed killer whale shows are getting a re-do. The whales will remain at SeaWorld, in a new show which will do away with the tricks beloved by millions, and introduce a new spectacular venue in which the magnificent creatures can be observed in a more natural environment. Check out whereiscookie.com where we deliver a fresh look at travel and the arts around the world.

Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly in the film, "Singin' in the Rain." Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds will be featured Friday, Jan. 7, in a lauded HBO special which was moved up for airing after their deaths.  ON SHOW BIZ, MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIPS, ADDICTION, COURAGE, HUMOR, MENTAL HEALTH Good morning, good morning, We've gabbed the whole night through..... Good morning, good morning to you. Good morning, good morning, Sun beams will soon smile through                         Good morning, good morning, to                         you and you and you... (from                         "Singin' in the Rain")  STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS by BRUCE KELLER others courtesy AP, Girl Scouts & Hollywood studios I GREW UP with those wonderful, innocent, 1950s musicals. "Singin' in the Rain" was a family favorite. Debbie Reynolds was only 18 when the picture was made, but held her own with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor. Debbie's snappy time steps and my mother's tap dancing skills encouraged my lifelong love of tap dancing. A young Debbie Reynolds proudly displays her Girl Scout badges . IN 1969,  I WAS  not much older than Reynolds was when she made that film. That was the year Lee Newspapers chose me to interview Reynolds. I was sent to Wyoming in a snow storm as a cub reporter to cover her keynote speech at a Girl Scout jamboree. Long a Scout herself, Reynolds charmed the overflow house with witty show biz tales. Wyoming's movers and shakers gave her a standing ovation.  A fellow Girl Scout on my first of hundreds of "star" interviews, I was thrilled to get 15 minutes with her. When I dropped my pen, she graciously returned it to my shaking hand. Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher and youngsters Todd and Carrie. "Now be calm and confident and promise to write a good story," she said, "Scouts honor?" I still have her handwritten thank-you note. Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. DEBBIE SAID  during the interview that she wanted to be the world's oldest Girl Scout when she died.  I don't know if she was -- at 84 -- but the Girl Scout blog is paying tribute to her for a life of artistic achievement, philanthropy and Girl Scout devotion. Debbie's beloved daughter, Carrie, had just turned 13 when I interviewed her 37-year old mother. Years later, in an interview with Fisher in Phoenix, Az., I asked her what she might have been doing when I was interviewing her mother. (Her father was famed crooner Eddie Fisher, who left the family to marry Elizabeth Taylor when Carrie was a toddler.)   Read about Cookie and her mother Ellen Cookie (Christene Meyers) and her late mother, Ellen Cosgriffe, also tap danced, sang and wrote. Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher photographed five years ago. "Oh, I was probably misbehaving, or having lunch at Cary Grant's," she joked. Her self-deprecating charm delighted the audience at her one-woman show later that day. ("When I was a teen, my mother was concerned that I was experimenting with drugs.  So she did what any other mother would do:  she called Cary for advice.") I loved her entrance in the Scottsdale Performing Arts Center. She came down through the house in a well worn house coat and bedroom slippers, which she kicked off. For 100 minutes on a cleverly chaotic set, she was mesmerizing. We laughed and cried at her touchingly told tales. The line between comic and tragic is a thin one as she proved in her prolific career as writer and producer. Carrie Fisher performing her hit autobiographical stage show, "Wishful Drinking" in 2009. She died at age 60 this week. WE REMEMBER  her brief marriage to musician Paul Simon and her role as Princess Leia in "Star Wars." Her most lasting contribution, though, which combined fine acting and writing, was her ability to enlighten us, giving us insight and compassion on the complex subjects of mental health and addiction. My family has had its own share of both of the above, so I was moved to see Fisher's honesty and humor on the subjects of alcohol and drug use, bi-polar disorders, mothers and daughters and the relationship between mental turmoil and brilliance. What a mind she had, using her own knowledge of depression, alcoholism and creativity to share the vivid emotional landscape she inhabited. Debbie Reynolds passed at 84. Here she is at her Las Vegas hotel-museum, which failed to make it.  Some of  the star's costumes have gone to museums. I'D HAVE LOVED  to have interviewed the two of them together with my mother, Ellen, a huge fan of both women. We'd have spent an afternoon together, just the four of us. Even though I grew up away from Hollywood in landlocked Montana, I identified with Fisher's one-woman show. Her tumultuous adolescence and the challenges of growing up with privilege, in the shadow of two famous parents, had universal truth.   It couldn't have been easy, yet she described the pain, elation, loneliness and fear with elegance and self-effacing charm. I drew understanding from her thoughts, which echoed my mother's descriptions of her challenges. Debbie Reynolds in the lead of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." PHOTOS OF of Fisher and Reynolds together in recent years show Reynolds' pride and their mutual love and respect. The pictures also reveal a spirit of optimism. I admire that, and their chutzpah. Both had it in spades. Both had multiple relationships yet persevered despite disappointment. While Fisher was signing books and touring her one-woman show, Reynolds was selling out her show at Bemelman's in New York's famed Carlyle Hotel. She continued her humanitarian interests and even tried her hand at the hotel business in Las Vegas. When her husbands squandered her fortune, she kept her cool, appearing on TV and in productions of "Mame" and "Hello Dolly." There's a wonderful lyric from "I Ain't Down Yet," a great tune in another family favorite, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." The film earned the unsinkable Reynolds an Academy Award nomination in 1964. The lyric goes: Respect, admiration, optimism, courage: Debbie Reynolds and daughter Carrie Fisher worked things out. Happy trails. I'm goin' to learn to read and write, I'm goin' to see what there is to see, So if you go from nowhere on the road to somewhere And you meet anyone, you'll know it's me. Thanks for sharing the road with us for a short time. Happy travels, you two stars. And keep an eye out for my mum. You three would like one another! Keller and Cookie pause on a recent trip to Rome in front of the newly renovated Trevi Fountain. Yes,they threw their coins with  their right hands over their left shoulders. Imagine yourself where you want to be for 2017! UP NEXT : Usher in the new year and salute it with all the style and energy you can muster. It's time to book that trip, master a new language, take tango lessons, learn to play the saxophone, plan the Alaska adventure you've talked about for decades. Head to Rome -- or another city you've longed to visit. Carpe diem and tempis fugit yourself into the new year, making your dreams into plans then reality. It can be done. We'll share some secrets that keep us traveling. Remember to explore, learn and live with whereiscookie.com . where we deliver a fresh look at travel and the arts around the world.

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.  Every room of the 2916 nmansion is decked out for the holidays, with gorgeous trees, meticulously decorated, and each room in a color theme.  STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER 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 exquisite Renaissance revival style. It is a popular wedding venue and one of the most photographed privately owned homes in the south. It is indeed grand and glorious. During a recent family reunion and birthday celebration, we discovered it is particularly beautiful in this yuletide season, elegantly decked out in glittering holiday glory. Can you spot the imposters?  Cookie and her sister Misha join carolers in the Tate House for a colorful tour and sing.  During the yule season, nearly two dozen major rooms are lovingly decorated by volunteers and presented in exquisite form with Christmas trees, gifts, carolers, presents and dining tables ready for eager guests. The detail is spectacular. COLONER SAM TATE  built the 19,000 square foot marble mansion to show off his success and to showcase the enormous vein of rose-colored marble from the quarry behind his house.  Elegance is the order of the day. One enters, feeling part of a bygone era. The gracefully curved stairway evokes F. Scott Fitzgerald and "The Great Gatsby," when the Jazz Age ushered in style and opulence.  The wealthy lived the high life, with lavish furnishings, free-flowing champagne and indulgence of every whim.  One of the Tate House Christmas trees boasts more than 1,000 ornaments. Tate's affection for Italian and English classical styles popular in the U.S. in the 1920s created a beautiful home which sadly fell to neglect.  It is once again gorgeous -- thanks to restoration efforts of Holbrook Properties.  Lois Holbrook and daughter Marsha Mann sunk a fortune into restoring the stately mansion and gardens, last occupied by immediate family in 1955. Colonel Sam, who never married, died in 1938 at age 78, 12 years after moving into the home. The home was neglected for two decades, and for a time unoccupied, until an Arizona woman, Ann Laird, purchased it and began a painstaking restoration. OUR FAMILY  event combined a reunion and travel-writing expedition with fashion, food and holiday finery. Like the other guests, we appreciated the opportunity Tate House offers to celebrate the season. Tate House has a lovely dining room for tasty lunch or appetizer parties.  We joined others dressed in holiday style, treating family and friends to a lovely bistro lunch, complemented by historical highlights and tour.  Our party drove about 90 minutes from my sister's home in Duluth, Ga. It's only a 15-minute drive from Big Canoe, Ga., through a lovely wooded part of the state. The Cosgriffe siblings at Tate House, from left, Christene (Cookie), Patrick, Misha, Rick and Olivia.  The famous 1920s home is built on land acquired by the Tate family in 1834. The home is a popular Georgia wedding venue. Among its other kudos, the Tate House is on the National Register of Historic Places and was named one of the "must see houses in Georgia" by Georgia Magazine.  If you can't make the holiday tours (a delicious bistro lunch or evening candlelight music tour), the Tate House offers breakfast, lunch and dessert tours during the rest of the year, for reasonable prices. An all-inclusive wedding package is available for brides looking for an old-fashioned elegant southern wedding experience. To book a tour later, or during the holidays -- a bistro lunch or candlelight music tour -- call 770 735-3122 or go to www.tatehouse.com   Horton Grand Theatre hosts a lively adaptation of the classic "Miracle on 34th Street," a radio play adaptation in San Diego. UP NEXT: Erin and Gary Lewis founded San  Diego Musical Theatre because of a life-long love of the musical. The The current show  is a  well done  live musical radio play  adaptation of the holiday classic,  "Miracle on 34th Street." ,   Continuing in the spirit of all things yuletide, San Diego Musical Theatre presents a delightful musical, "Miracle on 34th Street:  A Live Musical Radio Play." The adaptation of the classic feel-good film is superbly directed and won a standing ovation Thursday. Remember the 1947 film?  A kindly bearded man is hired in an emergency at Macy's Department Store when the regular Santa shows up to work drunk. The real meaning of Christmas -- love and belief -- is delightfully told. Call 858-560-5740 for tickets, or go to www.sdmt.org . Remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekends for lively arts-travel insights and features.

The Ahwahnee Hotel (now Majestic) in Yosemite National Park has a long, rich history hosting many famous guests. CALIFORNIA LANDMARK HAS HOSTED ROYALTY, CELEBRITIES, TOURISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD -- AND SURVIVES A NAME CHANGE IN 21ST CENTURY The Yosemite scenery is world famous, a wonderland of wonderful sights.  STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER THE AHWAHNEE  Hotel may have the best location of any guest house in the world. Dreamed of nearly a century ago, this graceful landmark finally opened with a gala overnight party in the shadow of the Great Depression. The opening was  1927 and officials at Yosemite National Park were proud of their hotel, which carried a then unheard of price tag of well over $1 million. The Majestic Hotel's lobby combines rustic comfort with elegance. Brain child of Stephen Mather, first director of the National Parks (often referred to as "the father of the national park system), the plans began more than 10 years before completion. Mather's efforts persuaded congress to implement the National Park Service, and he was instrumental in the plan to create an attractive lodge in his favorite part of Yosemite. MATHER CONVINCED  D.J. Desmond to convert an old army barracks into what has now become a multi-million dollar show piece of the national park system. Its name change has confused many people and, Out the door of the hotel, magnificent waterfalls and splendid scenery await. money is at the root of the trademark dispute, resulting in the change from Ahwahnee to Majestic. Ahwahnee means "deep grassy valley" in native language.  That seems fitting, for its facade is is the jewel of the Yosemite lodging, framed by the natural landscape that attracts millions of visitors each year.   MADE OF stone and wood, the hotel is beloved for its grand public spaces featuring giant stone fireplaces, massive hand-stenciled beams, rich tapestries and elegant stained glass.   A couple combines a sunny late morning rest with cell phone catch up. The Majestic has entertained movie stars, European royalty and a host of international tourists. Among celebrities to stay are Judy Garland, Mel Gibson, Charlton Heston, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Joan Baez, Boris Karloff and Kim Novak. John F. Kennedy spent a night, as did Herbert Hoover and Eleanor Roosevelt. Royal visitors include Queen Ratana of Nepal, King Baudouin of Belgium, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, Queen Elizabeth, who overnighted with Prince Philip in 1983. Set against spectacular peaks , this historic, landmark hotel is the leading lady on a valley floor with views of Half Dome, Glacier Point and Yosemite Falls.    AHWAHNEE IS  derived from native American languages, and means "deep grassy valley"  The hotel is just 1.5 miles from Yosemite Village, with shopping, a museum and restaurants. It has The hotel preserves a woodsy feeling in its nature paths. The Ahwaynee (now Majestic) has a long string of awards and status.  won "Premier Lodge" classification from National Park Reservations. The Majestic Yosemite Hotel (now its official name) is marked by a striking granite facade, magnificent log-beamed ceilings, massive stone hearths, richly colored Native American artwork and finely appointed rooms.  It stands, along with my Yellowstone National Park's Old Faithful Hotel, as a shining example of what we consider to be the most inventive of early national park lodging and architectural brilliance.   Tours with holiday meals are a highlight at Tate House in Georgia. For more information, contact   www.tatehouse.com UP NEXT: Elegant southern hospitality merges with holiday splendor at the Tate House in rural Georgia.  The historically famous home was built on land purchased in 1834. The structure was completed in the 1920s on an enormous vein of rare pink marble and came into its element in that decade, invoking the "Great Gatsby" era. Several incarnations later, present owners have restored it, with attention to detail. For Christmas more than a dozen rooms are decked out in holiday finery. Remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekends for lively arts-travel insights.

This pretty inhabitant is a  contented resident at Victoria's Butterfly Gardens in Brentwood Bay, B.C.   Favorite fruits of the butterflies and moths are placed where they'll enjoy. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER THE IRISH  believe that butterflies are the souls of the dead waiting to pass through purgatory. 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. Victoria's enchanting Butterfly Gardens offers an opportunity to stroll among dozens of beautiful rain forest inhabitants. FOR US , it was a rare opportunity to experience a tropical jungle in the northern hemisphere. The gardens are home to nearly 70 species of butterfly and moth, as well as crazily bold colored dart frogs, well fed tortoises, a handsome iguana, talkative parrots and macaws, gorgeous flamingos, preening ducks and enormous koi. We spent a lovely day here, then just five minutes away, at Butchart Gardens, another must-see in B.C. Click to explore the beauty of Butchart Gardens A restful pond at Butterfly Gardens is home to enormous koi and  jungle plants. Calming sounds from the waterfalls enchanrted as we wandered past pretty ponds and serene pools. Our stroll was accented by the cheery chirps of tropical birds. In preparation for our visit, we'd studied the butterfly folklore of native tribes, finding that butterflies to many represent change and balance. The butterfly has also become a symbol of ephemeral beauty, even vanity and frivolous behavior. But most cultures consider butterflies to be symbols of good luck.  Some, including my grandmother's Irish clan, have strict taboos against killing these graceful and important creatures. WE STROLLED into the pleasantly  humid, climate controlled environment and the warmth and moisture reminded of my visits to the rain forests of Brazil and Peru. Cookie is happy to be immersed in the glories of Victoria's Butterfly Gardens. A content sulcata tortoise hails from Northern Africa and is a full-time resident, with a dozen others, at Victoria Butterfly Gardens. As an unexpected and delightful bonus, the gardens also offers dozens of beautiful plants of the jungle and rainforest, from the purplish-blue sky clock vine of southeast Asia to the vibrant bleeding heart vine of West Africa, the open-mouthed tropical pitcher plant of Asia, which looks like an extra from "Little Shop of Horrors," and the lantanas, angel trumpet and bromeliads of Central and South America and the Philippines, plants which have also made their way to southern California for us to enjoy in our San Diego environment. On this same trip, we had seen Orcas mating -- rare, indeed -- and at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens we saw tortoises from Northern Africa mating.  We also met and visited with Rosie, a stunning red eclectus parrot from Papua, New Guinea.  Flamingos Houdini and Mango posed for us, and several poisonous dart frogs in the colors of the rainbow hopped about in their cleverly designed cases. THERE APPEAR  to be no unhappy campers at the tranquil Victoria place, including the rest of the audience who joined us in an enriching and leisurely celebration of the glorious wonders of nature. www.butterflygardens.com/homeindex The Majestic Hotel, formerly the Ahwahnee, is a glorious old fashioned national park hotel. Its name was changed in Yosemite National Park during a trademark dispute. COMING UP: The Majestic Hotel, for decades known as the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, is a venerable and much loved landmark of this national park. We take you there, to enjoy a leisurely stay below the granite cliffs and waterfalls of Yosemite.  Remember to explore, learn and live and check us out weekends for a fresh spin on nature- and arts-driven travel, always beautifully illustrated. Please tell your savvy friends about us.

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, totems, history and birds. WHEN A CLEVER  Scottish engineer conceived of the idea of a bridge across the Capilano River in West Vancouver, B.C., people laughed. He'd admired the river, had fished for trout and salmon in it, watched raptors swoop down to take their dinner from it.  He wanted to share its wonders with his friends, so devised a bridge of hemp ropes and cedar planks.  People loved it! The bridge was originally built in 1889 by Mackay, an enterprising developer and park commissioner in Vancouver. His hemp and cedar creation was replaced with a sturdier wire cable bridge in 1903. In 1910 Edward Mahon purchased the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which has been reinforced and updated through the decades and is now visited by nearly 900,000 adventure seekers a year. A great horned owl is one of the stars of "Raptor's Ridge."  WE WERE among hundreds to spend a lovely autumn day on the 450-foot long bridge, finding it indeed "reassuringly wobbly" as  the brochure promises.  We also got up close and Climb with us in Sydney, Auckland personal with legendary birds of prey, listening to a fascinating naturalist-trainer describe his devotion to the great horned owl and Harris hawk in a delightful sanctuary for rescued birds, "Raptor's Ridge."  We even took the scary "Cliffwalk," a suspended walkway along sheer granite cliff faces several hundred feet above the river. The gorgeous site was first admired by developer Mackay in 1888, when he purchased 24 square kilometres of old growth forest on both sides of the Capilano River just north of the city. Enchanted by the views, he was also an early-day environmentalist. He was 65 when he built a simple cabin at the southern edge of the canyon, hoping to stem the trend of logging which he saw all around him. Determined to protect his beloved recreational property on the river's north shore, he took up residency and became a constant presence.  THE BRIDGE  idea was his way of consolidating the two halves of his property. Vintage photos show the ladies hitching up their skirts to make the rickety walk. I was in jeans, but still found the experience daunting. The bridge sways and moves and kids jumped on it to frighten one another -- and me! "Heart-stopping," the guide predicted.  Not quite, but for this newly converted climber, now with six bridges under my climber's belt, I  admit it made my palms and forehead sweat. Keller peeks out from behind a First Nations totem at the park. It is one of several intricately carved totems telling native people stories. The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a wonderful place for an outing by anyone who is moderately fit. It is much loved by locals and tourists alike and is, by many accounts, the most visited site in British Columbia, Canada. The well designed experience begins with a look at First Nations totems, then a wonderfully curated display of photos and memorabilia to bring to life the stories of the bridge and park's invention.   Visitors commune with nature, high atop the trees on various walkways and bridges into the rain forest. Butterflies delight tourists from around the world, in Canada's  appealing Victoria Butterfly Gardens in British Columbia. UP  NEXT : Butterflies enchant Cookie wherever she travels, since one landed on her nose when she was three, on a visit to her great aunt Lilian's farm in Kansas. But we're not in Kansas anymore -- we're at Victoria, B.C.'s Butterfly Gardens, with more than two dozen types of wondrous butterflies, plus some carnivorous plants, gorgeous moths, noisy parrots, well fed tortoises and flamingos. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekends when we post another story about our nature- and arts-driven globe trotting

Elton groupies?  Cookie and Keller saw the magnificent Elton John and his fabulous band for the third time at Caesar's. The Colosseum seats over 4,000, and the two were invited on stage with a few others near concert's end.   Crowds packed the Coachella Festival near Indio, California, for two weekends of rock 'n' roll with a gangbuster's list of rock legends. A MONTH OF MUSICAL MAMMOTHS:  McCartney, Dylan, Rolling Stones,       Neil Young, Jimmy Buffett, Elton John and Tony Bennett -- glut of riches as legends pack venues in Vegas, southern California    Paul McCartney gave a generous nearly three-hour show. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER DYLAN AND McCARTNEY in the same line-up.  The Rolling Stones with Mick in rare form.   Neil Young and The Who joining the list of award-winners in a historic, blow-out concert.  Who of our vintage -- aging and appreciative fans -- could pass up this historic October rock 'n' roll event near Indio, California? Call Cookie a "Partial Parrot Head," at least a "Parrot Ear". The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was the  show not to miss. McCartney played a generous nearly three-hour set.  Dylan was, well,  Click here for Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga concert Dylan -- mesmerizing even when aloof. The legendary songwriter had just become a Nobel Prize winner for his contributions to literature. He had yet to acknowledge the honor. No one minded. IT'S BEEN  a month of fabulous communion with rock 'n' roll, jazz and country greats -- capped recently in Las Vegas with shows by Jimmy Buffett and Elton John, in separate sold-out venues. Willie Nelson, not exactly a rocker, but certainly a veteran of country music and cross-over, also packed a recent house here in the land of palms, margaritas and birdies. Jimmy Buffett packed the house at Humphreys on the Bay in San Diego. WE FOLLOWED  the Parrot Heads from Las Vegas back to our San Diego base for a Buffett encore at Humphrey's Concerts By the Bay. It's a much smaller venue than the Colosseum, which packed the house at Caesar's three days earlier for an Elton John concert we were fortunate to have booked months ago. That was smart.  It was a jam-packed house with Sir Elton entering in his signature cape to give a thrilling two and one-half hour concert. Cookie's in reverie, going back to the late 1960s at the Beatles "Love," by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. Elton just ended his run, Playing the Colosseum now is Celine Dion, for whom the elegant house was designed.  Elton will be back in the spring to the gorgeous stage and acoustically brilliant house where we've also enjoyed Bette Midler, Seinfeld and Cher. PARROT-HEADS  have endured through the ups and downs of many careers.  They're still here -- like the venerable "oldies" we're relishing, sporting feathers, flowers and island finery to cover grey hair and '60s ponytails.  Together, they celebrated Jimmy Buffett's island themed concert at Humphrey's by the Bay in San Diego.  We were barely home seeing him in Vegas -- just a shower and quick change -- then we headed to Humphrey's on San Diego's waterfront. Buffett, too, gave a long two-plus hour concert, never leaving the stage, in the popular southern California outdoor arena. He began the show by strumming a few notes of "On the Road Again," joking, "Oh, right, that's tomorrow night," a reference to Willie Nelson, who packed the house the day after Buffett, also giving a long, well received show including the signature song Buffett had teased the audience with. Willie Nelson still has what it takes to get the crowd up, dancing and standing -- recently in San Diego. THE OLD-TIMERS  give us our money's worth! The popularity of our icons continues to amaze and thrill.  The Beatles' Cirque du Soleil show, "Love," in Vegas, proves the continuing popularity through the generations.  We sat with 20-somethings and 80-somethings, all enjoying the stunning, ear popping, eye indulging show at the Mirage.  It so mesmerizes us that we've seen it twice. Buffet commented on the San Diego attire -- Hawaiian shirts and parrot hats.  That's how the nickname came about.  Years ago, he mentioned that his fans were "like Deadheads, only more colorful." Timothy B. Schmit, then a member of the Coral Reefer Band, coined the term "Parrot Head" to describe Buffett's fans. The name stuck. UP Tony Bennett receives a standing ovation, with a nod to his brilliant accompanist and music director Billy Stritch, Friday at Harrah's SoCal.  NEXT : The amazing Tony Bennett, a star jazz vocalist for nearly 70 years, played to a packed house at Harrah's Southern California last night (Friday, Nov. 4.) He plays another sell-out concert tonight (Nov. 5) in San Jose.  Then he takes a break and is back on tour Nov. 18 in New Jersey, Nov. 19 in New York, then on to Nashville and San Antonio, all music loving cities. The endearing entertainer is still in top form, playing all the beloved favorites from his songbook. We go backstage with him next week.  Remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekends when we post anew our reflections on the lively arts and world travel.

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 lovely  meal, fine live music and spectacular views.  VANCOUVER IS a city of contrasts, cultures and contentment. People from around the world call this vibrant North American city home. Tourists from an exciting melting pot flock to British Columbia's largest city to enjoy classy cuisine, gorgeous weather, world-class parks, museums and art. Vancouver is an attractive city, both fit and fun.  Here,  rowers navigate the waters on a relaxing Sunday morning.   Vancouver combines a refined, civilized feel with a vibrant, fit world view. Stanley Park is a proud part of Vancouver's history, with lovely boulevards for strolling, a nine-kilometer seawall , fine close dining, aquarium and playground. It is one of Canada's best loves parks.   Trolleys, parks, bike paths, restaurants, galleries, fruit and flower stands welcome the visitor, and we took it all in during our five-day stay.  We actually extended our airline tickets from three days to five, so taken were we with this lively, worldly city. Granville Island is a treasure trove of shops, galleries,  eateries and a splendid, popular market with fresh everything. Blue Horizon Hotel is central to the action. Its blue  tiles are its trademark, but a pink roof glows at night. Stanley Park boasts many wonders. This Ontario  tourist poses within a huge, time-honored redwood. WE WERE BASED at Blue Horizon Hotel, which epitomizes the old adage: "location, location, location."  The downtown hotel takes its name from striking blue Italian-mosaic tiles which drape it. Its handsome, angular top is lit up, pretty in pink at night.We had a lovely corner room in the classic high rise. www.bluehorizonhotel.com We loved the location for its proximity to Harbour Green Park on the waterfront, with its highly rated Harbour Cruises, which offers a splendid sunset dinner cruise. We recommend the tasty, reasonably priced buffet with terrific music, best we've heard on a ship in 200 cruises worldwide. Try the holiday cruise with festive buffet and live carolers.  www.boatcruises.com Cactus Club Cafes are sprinkled around Vancouver.    WE DINED  three times at nearby Cactus Club Cafe, not because it was our only choice in this foodie town but because its appetizers are fabulous. We enjoyed the tuna stack with a citrus touch, flavorful calamari, succulent mini burgers, crunchy edamame, spicy szechuan chicken wraps, delightful desserts, reasonably priced wines by the glass and even a nice non-alcoholic beer. Several nature hikes bridges and explorations await at the engaging and nature driven Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. There are several Cactus Club venues in Vancouver, each distinctive. A great find for us, this class act place with friendly service and delicious fare. We'll be back in spring.   www.cactusclubcafe.com   YOU won't want to leave this exercise-friendly city with hiking paths and thousands of bikers, until you've tried these other Vancouver experiences: *The Vancouver Trolley with its delightful "Hop-On, Hop-Off City Attractions Tour" which we used to explore Stanley Park, Chinatown, Gastown and Granville Island. All 10 drivers offered live commentary and fun stories about the city they love. It picked us up each day right at our Blue Horizon Hotel. www.vancouvertrolley.com * Granville Island and Stanley Park --- both worthy of at least a half day for the fun and attractions, shopping, dining, enjoying. www.granvilleisland.com Cookie's bridge-climb smile. *False Creek Ferry, which gets you from downtown to Granville Island in charming 12-passenger boats which encourage relaxation. granvilleislandferries.bc.ca *Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, like no other park we've explored anywhere. We climbed the famous 1889 Capilano Suspension Bridge and found the view breathtaking and the bridge  "reassuringly wobbly" as promised. We took two of the entertaining nature tours, too! www.capbridge.com *Finally, for transit between Victoria and Vancouver, consider a relaxing trip on BC Ferries, which offers pretty trips in the Vancouver Island area, and along the picturesque Sunshine Coast. We loved our efficient trip from Victoria to Vancouver -- a quick bus ride just blocks from our hotel, to the harbour, with the same bus whisking us efficiently to within a couple blocks of our Vancouver Hotel. Four hours from door to door, a beautiful boat ride on a pretty ferry.    Old Town Theatre is one of several  exciting San Diego area venues serving challenging work,  recently August Wilson. Paul McCartney gave a generous nearly three-hour concert days ago at Coachella Festival in southern California.  UP NEXT:  A glut of riches awaits if you happen to live in southern California and love theater and rock 'n' roll.  If you are a fan of vintage R&R, you've been on a roll with Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Buffett and more.  Even if you don't live here, you'll enjoy the rich variety of offerings available for theater and music lovers. Tony Bennett's playing a sold out gig Nov. 5, and from cutting edge drama, to time honored chestnuts and vintage comedy, San Diego's your place to be for theater.  Remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekends for a lively take on travel, nature and the arts. Please tell your smart friends about us.

The majesty and magic of Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C., have captivated millions since Jennie Butchart had an idea. GARDENS BORN OF AN EXHAUSTED QUARRY DRAW INTERNATIONAL CROWDS TO A BEAUTY THAT SPEAKS ITS OWN LANGUAGE Keller and Cookie near the end of a "bonny Butchart day." A staff of 50 gardeners maintains Butchart Gardens.  Here one of their rakes. (30 work the grounds and 20 staff the greenhouse.) STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER THE GREAT  Samuel Johnson's line about London applies to the world's most beautiful garden, too. Johnson said, "When one tires of London, one tires of life." And when one tires of the spectacular Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C., one should probably tidy up his affairs. You don't have to be a gardener yourself to appreciate   beautifully placed flowers and beauty at Butchart Gardens. In a half-dozen visits to these gorgeously planted and immaculately tended gardens, I've never been disappointed. Butchart Gardens lifts the spirits, buoys the soul, delights the eye. Hanging begonias were in their glory. I've seen magnificent azalea gardens in Maine, gorgeous desert gardens in Arizona, spectacular fields of perfectly poised marigolds in Brazil. The Japanese Garden at Butchart has, by tradition, lots of trees and meticulously manicured plantings  shrubs. Singapore has beautiful botanical gardens and Shangai and Kyoto have breathtaking gardens of native plants and shrubs. WHAT MAKES Butchart Gardens special is that it incorporates gardening techniques and planting themes from all over the world. It brings this global bouquet into one magical 55-acre spread. Visitors pose for photos as a way to remember the beauty at Butchart. Pioneers Robert and Jenny Butchart came to the place in 1904, attracted by rich limestone deposits he planned to quarry for Portland Cement. The enterprise made him a millionaire many times over. But Jenny's idea was equally lofty.  A gardener and chemist with a fondness for plants, Jenny wanted to beautify her husband's exhausted quarry. She received his blessing and plied her unending curiosity about what would grow best where to establish a series of theme gardens which now attract millions of visitors worldwide. When her husband's quarry was exhausted, Jenny Butchart had a eureka moment, about which Cookie, far right, and millions, approve! THE FIRST  of her gorgeous gardens was a "sunken garden," devised to pretty up the quarry after the limestone had been removed. Enterprising and determined, Jenny brought in tons of topsoil by horse and cart. Robert, pleased and proud of his wife's creativity, encouraged the project's expansion.  The Italian garden followed -- supplanting a tennis court -- then a Japanese garden on the seaside, and breathtaking rose garden, with favorite varieties from around the world. As the Butcharts traveled the world, they brought back plants and ideas: a piazza with a waterwheel, artful Mediterranean garden and more themes evolved. The Butcharts named their estate "Benvenuto" -- Italian for "welcome"; today Butchart honors its name as it has done since Jenny had her idea in 1904. Part of the family still resides on the property -- which now boasts restaurants and an array of sculptures. Fountains, lilies and poppies, marigolds, petunias and more grace the Italian Gardens. Through the years, a concert pavilion, carousel, fireworks area and fountains were added. Unique gifts grace the place, including a stunning Dragon Fountain from the People's Republic of China and Victoria's sister-city, Suzhou. WE FLEW  in to the gardens on our fist night in Victoria, a treat aboard Harbour Air, which the latest generation of Royals just flew. Towards sunset, we 10 passengers landed in Butchart Cove, a pretty walk away from the dining room where half of our group stayed for a leisurely dinner after deplaning Harbour Air. It was exciting to see these gorgeous gardens from the air by dusk, then to drive to Butchart the next sunny day. A SUNSET  dinner cruise package includes the plane ride and Butchart dinner, through Harbour Air. A fun blend of seaplane adventure and gardening charms, worth the $100. Butchart is Victoria's number one tourist destination -- and you'll see why. Vancouver's skyline is framed by a spectacular British Columbia sunset. UP NEXT:  While we're in B.C., we have a look at a new favorite hotel in Vancouver, as we highlight this exciting west-coast port city, which rivals Seattle and San Francisco for spectacular scenery, parks and museums and plenty of entertainment for the tourist.  We also take a spectacular dinner cruise, for sunset over the skyline of Vancouver.  Remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekends for a look at artful, nature driven travel and arts pieces with a twist. Tell other intelligent life about whereiscookie!

Chihuly's "Glasshouse" is a 40-foot tall glass and steel structure holding the exhibit, which includes this homage to sea life -- complete with coral, ferns and the underwater life one might see on a scuba dive or snorkel adventure. FAMED GLASS ARTIST'S SHOW ENCHANTS, ENGAGES, ENTERTAINS GLOBAL ADMIRERS Chihuly's glasswork is both inside and out in Seattle; here flamingo-like shapes seem to preen and sunbathe amongst well-coordinated flowers. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER I FIRST DISCOVERED  the magic of Dale Chihuly's glass creations at the Desert Botanial Garden during my Phoenix, Arizona, years. His freeblown and functional glass work delights and intrigues, celebrating color, honoring life. Some of his lush shapes seem to spill out, encouraging touch. (It is not allowed, understandably, to do so.) So we couldn't spend nearly a week in Seattle without visiting this Tacoma hometown boy's "Chihuly Garden and Glass." WE HAD  our favorite CityPASS ticket booklets, a great way to see a great city, saving both time and money.  We were delighted to move quickly into the gallery. Cookie takes in Chihuly's magic. Dale Chihuly's "Glasshouse" presents his magnificent artwork in Seattle Center. The exciting exhibition, in the shadow of Seattle's iconic Space Needle, is a wondrous collection of a few of his finest indoor and outdoor works.  Staged in the booming Seattle Center, inside and surrounding a towering glass and steel building, Chihuly's show enchants with its lovely play of light and color, his sense of whimsy and the voluptuous nature of his compositions. Keller photographs this glass "flower." HIS ELABORATE  installations seem to be alive.  They climb up walls, float from the ceiling, flow onto the floors and surround the viewer with the artist's sense of wonder and gratitude. It's obvious that Chihuly enjoys his life, appreciates the wonders of nature and celebrates his presence on the planet with every piece he creates. His installations are a marvel to behold. Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Chihuly studied in Wisconsin and received an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He lived on a kibbutz in Israel for a time and nurtured a fondness for Italy -- known for its magnificent glass creations. His work is influenced by his time there, studying renowned glassblowers, taking workshops.  Back in the U.S. in 1971, he founded the famed Pilchuck Glass School. Living in primitive conditions, with two other teachers and 16 students, the artful commune built glass furnaces and began blowing glass. THE BEAUTY  and grace of Chihuly's work is influenced by his time in Florence and Venice, where he studied with the masters of the famed Burano glass. No, this is NOT a Chihuly piece. We included it because this creation is in Burano, Italy, where he studied. Artist Dale Chihuly is known for his graceful glass sculpture . Here, he inspects his own showing in Seattle In 1976, while visiting England, Chihuly was involved in a head-on car accident and flew through the windshield. His was blinded in his left eye but, after recovering, continued to blow glass until he dislocated his right shoulder in a 1979 bodysurfing accident. He is still at the center of the action, with a studio on the water in Seattle, and his work displayed from the British Isles to South America and Australia.  Most major U.S. cities have hosted a Chihuly exhibit -- usually in a botanical garden.  I've seen his work in Toronto and Oklahoma City, and in my home of Scottsdale, Ariz., where -- as in Seattle -- we heard kudos for the master in multiple languages. Boston, Atlanta and many other cities around the globe have borrowed his masterworks to entertain audiences, sharing Chihuly's daring and invention worldwide. His fondness for the desert has brought him and his work back to Phoenix several times. His chandeliers often sell for six figures, and he is valued now at about $10 million -- not bad for spending nearly a half-century doing something he clearly loves.  If you're in Seattle, don't miss it.  https://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/about/exhibition At night, the place lights up for an extra dimension of wonderment. Consider CityPass, which gets you here and to many other venues on and off the water, at bargain prices:   Click here to book CityPASS The beloved Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C., welcome then enchant visitors from all over the world.  Here, a zennia and dahlia garden delights. NEXT UP:   Another garden, this one in Victoria, B.C., awaits.  This time, the flowers are real, though. Butchart Gardens welcomes us -- and you -- with 50 acres of floral finery and spectacularly kept displays.  Japanese, Italian and English gardens are all beautifully maintained by a staff of 50 greenhouse and grounds workers, and a full-time administrative staff. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us each weekend, when we move around the globe in search of nature-and-arts driven travel.

Jazzercisers hit the Midway stage in San Diego Saturday, raising voices and big bucks in the fight against breast cancer. GLOBAL EXERCISE PROGRAM COMBINES FUN, FITNESS, GIVES BIG BUCKS TO CANCER RESEARCH Above, writer Christene "Cookie" Meyers ( whereiscookie.com ) and Jazzercise  founder Judi Missett, chat Saturday after Missett presented a check for $91,000.    "Girl, look at that body -- I work out!"  -- from "Sexy and I Know It" by the American duo LMFAO STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER JAZZERCISE BUFFS  from southern California and many other states gathered Saturday to jazz it up in the fight to defeat breast cancer. More than 1,500 enthusiastic women "Jazzercisers" -- and 100 or so stalwart men -- came aboard San Diego's massive aircraft carrier Midway to jump, jive, dance and raise $91,000 for the cause.   Jazzercise has a constantly updated and changing range of tunes, featuring popular artists.  Saturday's dancers were in the groove.   Enthusiasm was the code of the morning, as dancers and fitness fans gathered as early at 7 a.m. for the 8 to 10 a.m. event, officially "Jazzercise Dance for Life - Rockin' The Midway." VOLUNTEERS worked efficiently to register hundreds who paid $35 each through their Jazzercise groups to join the fun, help a cause, work out with friends and get a snazzy pink t-shirt. Sponsors donated thousands to make the event work, and $5 raffle tickets (I actually won a lovely quilt!) pumped up the cancer research ante. It was a perfect event, on a perfect southern California day.  A paramedic rested in the cargo bay of a troop transport helicopter -- playing with his Smart phone instead of tending to the injured. Fortunately, there were no casualties. A Jazzercise welcome from the stage set the tone for a spirited morning. Dancers at the California event ranged in age from junior high into their 80s, united by the belief that fitness can be fun -- and for a cause.   More about Jazzercise and its fans in San Diego, Arizona and Montana I'VE DANCED  and worked out with this remarkable program since its first decade.  Founded in 1969, it's the brainchild of Judi Sheppard Missett, who started the revolution as a student at Northwestern University in Chicago.  The forward thinking dancer devised the idea to attract students when she saw class ranks dwindling.  It took off --  and today Missett heads the worldwide company as CEO. Jazzercise wants you! So go get 'em. Saturday's stage was Jazzercise heaven. As a travel writer with a global range, I've "Jazzed" all over the world -- including Japan.  Lucky for me, Jazzercise is thriving in 32 countries and every U.S. state. I've danced in 15 or 20. Saturday, I bumped into (not literally) Jazzercise friends from Arizona, Colorado and all over California. I've also danced in New York, Massachusetts, Georgia, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and my native Montana. Go to the website  www.jazzercise.com/  and find a class near you. Easy as shake, rattle and roll. Jazzercisers from southern California and beyond had a fun, fit morning raising money for the Susan G. Komen fund to cure breast cancer. (Here Judi Missett, right in black, is interviewed Dave Scott, KUSI TV.) Saturday's Jazzercise benefit on the USS Midway was a huge success.  JAZZERCISE BOASTS  over a million participants a year, with 8,300-plus franchisees teaching more than 35,000 classes a week. I've written about Jazzercise for airline magazines, travel publications and my own blog, www.whereiscookie.com  (which you are reading now!) I was delighted to connect with Judi Saturday -- it had been decades since I interviewed her via phone in 1979 -- to tell her how much the program means to me.  I've worn out  DVDs and even vintage 8-track tapes, featuring Judi and her daughter, Shanna Missett Nelson, now Jazzercise president.  Both mother and daughter continue to teach -- in the Carlsbad, Calif., headquarters, and at my Montana ranch, their well loved tapes and DVDs engage a coterie of summer people on the West Fork of the Stillwater River.  We meet Jazzercise is way of life for nearly 95-year-old dancer   in the fire hall to catch up and shape up with Jazzercise and a mix of other workout programs, counteracting an excess of summer wine, cheese and dessert and enjoying one another's company. As I told Judi, Jazzercise enhances my entire being on mental, physical and emotional levels. It's helped me survive huge losses. Its spirited choreography has kept me laughing, socializing, arising each morning, torching calories.   SATURDAY'S GATHERING was, for me, further proof that I choose the right program -- and I'm sticking with it. Jazzercise is as important to me as my beloved theater, as critical as eating well and indulging moderately in life's other pleasures. As essential as family and love. Pretty in pink: Cookie caps a fabulous morning with her raffle prize -- an artful handmade quilt -- and one of her many beloved Jazzercise coaches,  Sharon Ticho, of Sorrento Valley Jazzercise: Del Mar Ballet.     AS MISSETT  stepped gracefully on the stage, to huge applause, the coastal fog dissipated and the sun was shining. Everyone was smiling, for Jazzercise engenders happiness and keeps us current -- I amused my 20-and 30-something nieces and nephews a few years ago when I performed a Jazzercise workout to "Sexy and I Know It." They were impressed that Jazzercise employs fusion, core, strength and dance -- with singers as diverse as Madonna and Blake Shelton. Mesmerizing glasswork awaits at Dale Chihuly's Seattle museum. SATURDAY'S WORKOUT  featured groups of Jazzerciser coaches taking the stage Saturday to lead the ranks to that upbeat mix of tunes. To keep fresh and varied, Jazzercise uses music by Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Paul McCartney and my favorite Tony Bennett. We tango, cha-cha and shake it off, baby! This "Jazzercise gypsy" loves it! To paraphrase a Jazzercise lyric, We have "passion in our pants" -- and we aren't afraid to show it!  UP NEXT: Enchanting Chihuly -- We visit the master glassblower's museum in Seattle where Dale Chihuly's visionary and seductive "Garden and Glass" artwork is displayed. The famed Northwesterner's creativity shines through in gorgeous glass exhibits both indoor and outdoors -- in the shadow of Seattle's landmark Space Needle. Remember to explore, learn and live and visit us weekends for more artful, nature-driven travel adventures. Tell other smart people about whereiscookie.com