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An engineer steps into the train to begin the four-hour journey. ALL ABOARD FOR RELAXING TRAIN TRIP INTO ARIZONA'S HIGH DESERT STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Cooke and Keller riding the rails. WE LOVE TRAINS. We've traveled by rail on Japan's bullet trains, crossed Australia's deserts by rail, followed in Paul Thoreaux's path on the Old Patagonian Express. In Europe, we're huge Eurail fans, traversing from country to country in comfort, sipping a nicely served cafe au lait or glass of wine while each new landscape unfolds. The Verde Canyon Railroad cars are nicely kept and named after various landmarks and towns. Fields of lavender in Provence, vibrant yellow rape seed, vineyards of Tuscany golden in sunset glory. It's all glorious from inside a well tended train car with its deep windows and comfy seats. SO WE WERE  thrilled to discover Arizona's Verde Canyon Railroad while researching Sedona train trip and what to do during a week of work and play. The popular four-hour trip takes the passenger on a relaxing journey into wilderness thick with willow, juniper, oak and the shrubs of chaparral country, all framed by towering pinnacles of red  rock, synonymous with this part of Arizona.   The Sedona's train trip journey begins in historic Clarkdale, where the Box Car Gift Store and Whistlestop Shop offer souvenirs and sundries.  The John Bell Museum awaits, with vintage artifacts artfully arranged.  Storyboards tell the tale of the railroad, and show the route. Copper Spike Cafe offers patio seating so you can view the cars you'll soon board. Century-old switch locks and sturdy railroad lanterns take the traveler back in time, then a stroll past detailed storyboards tells Verde Canyon Railroad history. Soon, it's all aboard.   WE ENJOYED  a soundtrack of railroad songs, a nostalgic musical trip in time from the 1930s and '40s to modern day --  Woody Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, and a host of other singers. A lively taped commentary sprinkled with insights from real-life hosts add color and personality to the trip. An outdoor car offers a chance to change venues from your comfy vintage car, and get a close-up look at the terrain. You'll learn about local history, the importance of the river, the discoveries among the rock, the life of the native people and miners who lived in this remote but beautiful area. We enjoyed the open-air viewing car, which offers fresh air and a bird's eye view as nature's grandeur unfolds. Our first-class Sedona's train trip was comfy, with champagne as we took off and a lovely appetizer tray of cheese, meats, strawberries and brownies. As the landscape changed, we learned of animal residents, the native people and settlers. Our guide pointed out birds of prey looking for lunch. All fascinating and in leisurely fashion. A tunnel, some wide turns and a chance to see the other cars in your train await on the Verde Canyon Railroad. Said one passenger, "It's a great feeling to sit comfortably in a train and listen and look.  I loved the cars and their excellent condition.  It's a wonderful way of preserving history.  Traveling in a train through these ancient rocks and valleys made me feel like I was part of history -- if only for a few hours." AFTER SURVIVING the pandemic, the Sedona's train trip excursions are back in business with a special event returning as well --  to the delight of regulars. Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers enjoy a relaxing time in their vintage car, with bar. “Rhythm on the Rails,” a rotating concert of several musical acts, adds a musical show to the syncopation and clickety-clack of the train's steel wheels on the track. This musical train event will be offered on May 29, June 26, July 24, Aug. 21 and Sept. 18 at 5:30 p.m. The afternoon train trip unfolds at 1 p.m. A fall foliage trip, "Ales on Rails," and Christmas Journey are also planned, along with a chocolate lovers' train trip and eagle watch. While you're in a train frame of mind, here are a few other favorite rail rides in other places: Other train rides we recommend: Rocky Mountaineer's First Passage to the West – Canada; Glacier Express – Switzerland; TranzAlpine – New Zealand;  West Highland Line, Glasgow to Mallaig – Scotland;  The Ghan – Australia;  Trans-Siberian Railway – Russia, and Norway's famous Flåm Railway. More information or booking: info@VerdeCanyonRR.com ; 1 800 293-7245 Up, up and away, as Sedona Air Tours takes us over the glorious red rocks and canyons that make Sedona famous. UP NEXT: Sedona by air. Come with us for a helicopter lover's delight.  We'll enjoy an airborne extravaganza over Sedona's famous red rocks and canyons. It's wonders   are world famous -- popular with naturalists, geologists and students of history. In recent years, Sedona has also become known as a haven for spiritual wellness. The helicopter ride pleases any taste -- as the guide points out energy vortexes and well known formations, honed through millions of years.  Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us each week for a fresh look at travel, the arts, nature, family and more: whereiscookie.com

Train day trippers: James B. Ganner and his uncle Bruce Keller take to the rails for a three-day. Bay Area adventure, north from Redwood City to San Francisco, south to San Jose, and more. YOUNG TRAIN TREKKER KNOWS HIS 'RAIL ROPES,' TOURS WITH 'UNCLE KK'    STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER TRAIN TRAVEL o ffers many advantages over  other modes of transportation. If you make the time, a train trip offers opportunity to "smell the roses," enjoy the scenery, have a beer or cup of tea, stretch your legs, enjoy the company of your partner, friend or family. James and "Auntie Cookie" speed toward San Francisco on the commuter train from  In a recent scenario, trains offered time to spend with a beloved nephew, James Brian Ganner, who has a lifelong fascination with this time honored mode of transportation. "Uncle KK," aka Bruce Keller, travel photographer and himself a train lover, spent three days on the road with James, who explained his fascination with trains. "Trains fascinate me because they provide a reasonably priced service with convenient locations for hopping off and on," says James, who vividly remembers train journeys taken when he was only four and five years old. Watching the landscape change is a chief reason to plan a train trip. Here James Ganner and his Uncle KK. HE CONTRIBUTED his savings to a fund to help save a vintage train service in Napa because, he says, "I love trains. I wish more people would use them because they help reduce traffic and pollution.''  A.B. Pittendrigh, my great-grandfather and third great grandfather of James, was a telegrapher on the Northern Pacific Railroad. His daughter, my gran Olive -- great, great-grandmother to James -- grew up on trains. She passed that affection down the generations and onto our nephew. James Ganner, right, leaves San Francisco behind on a ferry with his auntie and uncle. They reached the ferry terminal via train, then took the ferry to Sausalito for lunch. I WAS INVITED  to day three of a northern California train adventure with "Uncle KK" and James. Day one featured a train trip from Redwood City to the ferry building near Fisherman's Wharf and back. Day two featured a trip south to San Jose and the stadium, a picnic and stroll, then back. Day three featured a return to the ferry building, and a boat ride past Alcatraz to Sausalito for a picnic and sight seeing, then home. Cookie has a train ticket in hand, here in Madrid, awaiting a train to Barcelona, then Malaga. At age 12, James says, "I've studied California trains since I was very young.  Caltrain trains are getting older and being replaced. The people who study them are trying to make our state's train travel more 'green' and that's a good thing." Vintage train trip in Britain JAMES SHARED this bit of train trivia: railways existed as early as 1550, in Germany. "They were pathways of wooden rails called wagonways,” he says. That marks the beginning of modern rail transport, which made it easier for horse-drawn wagons and carts to move along dirt roads. JAMES IS EAGER to hop a train or two in Europe, as we do every year. His paternal grandmother, Margaret, lives hear Edinburgh. James would love to take a direct, high-speed train from London's Kings Cross station to central Edinburgh and visit her and his many cousins in nearby villages. "I'd be there in Scotland in 4.5 hours," says James, "and we'd reach a speed of 125 mph. That would be so great!" Europe by train tips All aboard in Paris, for the TGV train to Bordeaux. Our road warriors,  "Cookie and Keller" ride the rails in England, Asia and Europe, too. Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers enjoy trains both modern and vintage. They recently enjoyed a pair of memorable, different train trips on their recent visit to New Zealand. Trains allow prime viewing of spectacular scenery. James and his auntie and uncle believe that train travel is the most efficient way to explore Europe.  "By the time you get to the airport a few hours before your flight, and wait for the plane, and experience delays, you could be on your way to another country if you'd chosen train," says James. For "Uncle KK," a lifelong love of trains "combines my love of adventure and respect for ingenuity. What a wonderful way to explore the Earth."   New Zealand's varied train trips One of our chief reasons for our train infatuation is that we spend precious time together enjoying the changing landscape. We've traveled pleasantly and efficiently by BritRail, Eurail and rail in South America, Japan and China.  Best of all, we leave the driving to the engineer. More information on train travel: eurail.com ; britrail.com ; www.caltrain.com ;  www.dunedinrailways.co.nz wpyr.com (Alaska/Skagway Yukon Pass trip) The beautiful and graceful gannets of New Zealand are our next feature as we explore nature's wonders worldwide. UP NEXT: We continue our love affair with the world and its fascinating plants and creatures. Come with us to a magical gannet sanctuary in New Zealand, then on to ocean dwellers at Honolulu's Sea  Life Park, then the country's oldest national park, Yellowstone. More beauty awaits in Madeira and we explore the history of the lei. Remember to explore, learn and live. Catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, performance, nature & family: www.whereiscookie.com

London's King's Cross Train Station is usually abuzz with people.  Bruce Keller removed the crowd from this spectacular photo, to show two splendid trains next to one another in a recent UK  visit.    Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers prepare to board a London train for Oxford.   ENGLAND BY TRAIN IS A LOVELY WAY TO LEARN A BIT ABOUT THE COUNTRY STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Trains are efficient worldwide, running in many cities and into the country. Here in the UK, trains give travelers a peek into British life and scenery. ​ WE HAVE long admired the world's railway system. We've logged thousands of pleasant British train miles from Australia to the United Kingdom, from Tokyo to Paris, Edinburgh to Milan and Rome. The British are particularly proud of their train system. From York to Brighton, it's an efficient, comfortable and reliable way to travel. Theirs is the oldest train system in the world, and provides a reasonably priced way to get around, often to places where renting and parking a car would be expensive, burdensome and difficult. We recently took a few pleasant British train trips in England, exploring both the countryside and a major city, sampling only a small part of the UK's elaborate train system. It's a network of thousands of kilometers with many lines variously operated. Dunedin's train station is a highlight of a visit to New Zealand, an architectural treat. WHAT FIRST catches the eye in the UK is the beauty of the train stations. Stupendous, stately architecture with unique touches. You'll find large and small railway stations all over the country. Our friends in Yorkshire took us this time to the Selby station for our two-hour trip to London. With only three platforms, it's just 20 minutes from their farm house and more accessible than the much larger York station.  The late Queen Elizabeth  spent many happy hours touring her realm on trains. She invited the famous Paddington Bear to tea in her last jubilee. We caught a comfy train for our recent two-hour  trip  to London, departing from Selby. The small station in north Yorkshire is very user friendly. Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan are full of gorgeous train stations, too -- from sleek and contemporary to quaint and ornate.  English train stations can rival cathedrals in their grandeur.  They are an important part of the country's heritage, mentioned in plays and novels. THE ROYALS USE trains, too. Remember Paddington Bear and the story of how he was found and rescued?  The late Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to that story and invited the loveable bear to tea and a marmalade sandwich she just happened to have in her purse.  It was an endearing highlight of her last Jubilee. Paddington and St. Pancras are two of our favorite London stations. THE   LARGE  ones are grand, but the world's smaller train stations impress with their history, compact efficiency and friendly service. We found cheerful help in both Selby and Oxford, on recent train gambols. We've also taken pleasant train trips to Brighton, Stratford and up into Scotland villages and Edinburgh. The Waverly there is a beauty, as is Grange-over-Sands on the Furness Line. Both are right out of a storybook, gorgeous and eye-catching, stunning in their architectural touches. In Australia, the Katoomba Train Station is charming and right in city center, walking distance to our hotel.  Happy on a train to Oxford...Cookie relaxes and orders a glass of wine to enhance the short journey from London. Enjoying himself is Bruce Keller, who prefers train travel to renting a car and driving. Here he is traveling from Sydney to Katoomba, in Australlia. MANY  of the world's smaller stations even feature  cozy tea rooms or pubs,  making a short wait a pleasant way to spend an hour or two.  Seeing Keller and Cookie off are their good friends and hosts in a Yorkshire visit, John and Sue Speight of Primrose Farm. Edinburgh's Waverley Station is a gorgeous building, with restaurants, pubs, shopping and beauty to enhance the journey. WHEN WE travel by train, security and boarding are faster and simpler than at the airport. Luggage limitations disappear  and there's twice as much leg room on a train even in the cheapest class. We don't have to worry about the size of liquids or whether our bag fits above or below. There's always plenty of space for bags. Prices are fair, too. Various passes are available, from 96 pounds sterling for two days, to 250 pounds for a week. So if you're planning to do a reasonable amount of travel, a pass is a good buy. The smart way to save money on  rail travel for anyone aged 60 and over is a senior card, available in many countries. In England, it's  £30 a year, and saves a third on  off-peak journeys. A 3-year rail card is a bargain £70.We recommend contacting ACP Rail with its international reach, for its ease in booking in advance at good prices, flexibility and many choices and packages. The on-line service is straight forward and there's an app to help you hop on and off with ease. The service is pleasant, friendly and accommodating and can get you around the world, literally -- from Japan to Scotland, Switzerland, Australia and of course Britain. info@ACPrail.com   Surrounded by family late this summer, Christene "Cookie" Meyers and Bruce Keller tied the knot. Yes, they are wed after 17 years together.  It was a surprise, one of many reasons they give thanks as the holidays kick off! UP NEXT: This year, we have much for which to be thankful, as always. But we do it as "man and wife" -- just back from an epic honeymoon to 11 countries, and catching our breath between sojourns. The story of the wedding is part of our annual Thanksgiving ode, with a nod to families and friendship, a bit of the holiday's history, a pinch of Thanksgiving lore and a few fun memories which we hope you'll enjoy as you recall your own. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, performance, family, nature and the arts: www.whereiscookie.com

Eurail offers efficient, pleasurable train travel in Europe. Purchased in the U.S., Eurail allows the traveler to experience many European countries in clean, comfortable cars, with the latest technology, snacks and fine views.  DECADES AFTER THEIR FIRST EURAIL EXPERIENCES, TRAVEL WRITER REVISITS THE DELIGHTS OF TRAIN TRAVEL IN EUROPE View from a first-class coach on a Eurail train between Rome and Florence. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Christene (Cookie) Meyers relaxes in a comfy coach with the daily Italian paper, her phone and Eurail pass. FEELING LIKE  20-year old's again, we launched our latest European odyssey on Eurail. It was my 55th trip to Europe, and my partner's "20-somethingth," but for our last dozen years together, we'd rented cars, used planes and booked individual train reservations for our European forays. My last Eurail experience was in 1973, my partner's in 1977. That time-honored train pass system, launched in 1959, requires purchasing ahead in the U.S. Our encore would satisfy our mutual desire to revisit Eurail, recapturing our youth in a delightful seven-week Eurail trip. THE EURAIL  Pass, once known as "Europass" or "Eurorail pass," allows holders to travel in 31 European countries on most European railroads and even some ferry lines. Pass holders can visit Austria, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and more. You can buy a Eurail pass if you reside outside Europe -- living in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia or Africa. We met fellow travelers from all those places, including many Americans with whom we traded travel experiences, snacks and business cards. Europe's landscape glides by on Eurail, here entering Naples.  EUROPE'S TRAIN system is huge and Eurail is only a part of it.  There are no special Eurail trains. 'Eurail' is simply the brand name for the railpass options for overseas visitors to travel on normally scheduled European trains. Eurail passage is offered by an impressive co-operative network of 31 national train operators. A marketing team based in Utrecht in the Netherlands manages the Eurail scheme on behalf of the national train operators. It's a massive undertaking which works wonders in streamlining travel abroad. First, do some homework, remembering that you must purchase Eurail in the U.S. before your trip. Decide between first and second-class, both of which are fine and comfortable.  A 3-month first-class ticket will cost around $2,000, less than a third that for our one-month passes, which worked beautifully with our trip. We book-ended cruises with the month-long land tour in the middle. Train travel in Europe is an efficient, interesting way to explore the continent.  A Eurail pass makes it easy to move from country to country.  FIRST-CLASS  by train is lovely, comparable to comfort plus on the airplane.  First-class is available on most longer-distance trains and if you can afford it, first is a bit nicer, with wider, plusher seats, more legroom. You'll also find nicely dressed businessmen on laptops and fewer families with kids in first class. You'll also get a little snack and beverage, but it's not the airlines, so don't expect free booze for your entire journey.  A well stocked bar and snack car is near first class. WE TRIED second-class for one of our segments-- Madrid to Barcelona.  It was just fine. It's the way most Europeans travel - unless the company is paying.  If you're booking a longer trip, there are  sleeper trains of many types -- even deluxe sleepers with en suite toilet and shower. Once you purchase your Eurail pass, you've got 11 months to use. We activated our month-long passes on the 30th, and used them for the last time the 29th of the following month. Eurail offers a chance to enjoy beautiful train stations, here Naples. Once you've learned the system -- how to use your pass to arrange specific dates and times -- Eurail offers a relaxing way to travel without the stress of driving. We enjoyed excellent fast express trains where we met locals and tourists and watched Europe glide peacefully by. WE FOUND  that Eurail rules are not complicated, but they are specific, and each country has its own system in dealing with Eurail passes and reservations. Once you get the Eurail pass, use the Eurail timetable to see if you need a reservation for a specific trip. (We paid an extra 10 Euros each to reserve longer trips.) On some trains, a reservation is mandatory. Other reservations are optional. Some trains don't need a reservation at all. Because most of our trips were several hours -- Bruce Keller and Cookie arrive in Florence, where the  train station features artwork of the Tuscan countryside.  and we were in the comfy, modern, first-class compartments with large windows -- we really enjoyed our return to Eurail. My techy partner, this column's ace photographer, also appreciated the technical amenities: hook-ups for our laptop and power for all modern devices. We had excellent cell reception except in the occasional tunnel, and used the on-line Eurail ap to check schedules and tickets. Be sure to swap out your U.S. sim card for a European version. For a little more than $40, we had unlimited communication with the greater world. More on that coming soon. Kudos to Eurail for rekindling happy memories as we revisited favorite cities and villages in swift, stylish comfort. And in the UK, check out BritRail, which has taken us all over the country in efficient, clean and comfy style, too. www.eurail.com ; www.britrail.com Christene Cookie Meyers and Bruce Keller enjoy whale watching around the world.  Their best viewings occur, however, in their own backyard.  NEXT UP :  On the trail of the great gray whale with Cookie and Keller.  The magnificent creatures are heading south by the hundreds, passing by our San Diego perch.  We're all eyes -- aboard Hornblower -- to see whales and dolphins and share with you, as they make their way to the Baja to give birth, nurse their young and fatten them up for the return trip home.  Remember to explore, learn and live and visit us each Friday for a fresh take on travel, nature, the arts and family.

Yellowstone's extraordinary geysers erupt at various times around the clock.  The  Grand Prismatic Basin is a good place to see geysers if your enjoy a hike. So is Upper Geyser Basin, because of the frequency of the "blasts" and plumes.  GLITZY, GLORIOUS GEYSERS. SO GO GET YOUR CAMERA READY AND WATCH THEM ERUPT! Photographer and counselor Rick Cosgriffe makes his annual fall pilgrimage, as behind him clouds, geysers and waterfalls merge in steam and spray. Stage Coach Inn is perfect base for geyser hopping   STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER TRAPPER JOHN Colter must have thought he was hallucinating. Or that he'd died and gone to you-know-where. A thermal pool at the Norris Geyser Basin reveals gorgeous greens and golds.  When he happened on the Yellowstone's gorgeous geysers, hotpots and warm bubbling springs in 1808, he may have doubted his eyes. Or thought the end of the world was near. (I always think of the three Weird Sisters in the opening of "Macbeth.") Even now, after nearly 100 trips to Yellowstone National Park, geysers, mud pots, molten pools astonish with their vivid colors, scents and shapes. So check in to the vintage, well located and historic Stage Coach Inn in West Yellowstone -- and begin your nearby geyser hopping adventure. Yellowstone's geysers and hot pots offer an artist's array of color. NOTHING LIKE a Yellowstone geyser to make you feel small, insignificant and aware of your "lowly cog" status in the  the universe. Yellowstone, mostly in Wyoming but claimed by Montanans as ours, is the world's best place to see geysers. Oh, sure, they exist in Chile, Iceland and New Zealand, but not on the spectacular scale as the Yellowstone geyser bonanza. SO WHAT is a Yellowstone geysers? Simply put: a hot spring in which water intermittently boils, sending a tall column of water and steam into the air. The Stage Coach Inn in West Yellowstone offers a perfect stay with a lovely breakfast, comfy rooms and great location. Yellowstone's gorgeous geysers: Trapper Joe Meek stumbled upon what is now known as the Norris Geyser basin area in 1829. His stories of fire, brimstone and boiling pots were met with unbelief.  In the 1830s, mountain man Jim Bridger began exploring the Yellowstone region. Few believed his reports of petrified birds and trees and waterfalls "spouting upwards."   Black and white image makes the steam of these eerie Yellowstone geysers even more surreal. Take a turn-off from the beaten path, to discover beautiful pools, geysers.  From left, clockwise, Bruce Keller, Rick Cosgriffe, Christene (Cookie) Meyers and Elliana Broscious enjoy a recent Yellowstone outing on the geyser trail. A RAFT OF explorers followed,  traversing the strange and wonderful geyser basins, pondering the park's glories.  After Colter, naturalists developed a way to log the various thermal features and the term “geyser,” came into being. The term originated in Iceland in the late 18th century.  It comes from the word, geysir, the name of a particular spring in Iceland, and is related to geysa meaning "to gush." Some of Yellowstone's geysers erupt every 10 minutes or so.  When I was a child, Old Faithful was just that, sending gorgeous plumes as high as a hotel, every hour -- give or take a minute. Today she erupts every 35 to 120 minutes, seldom going over over 180 feet. She is still the park's most famous spouter, having erupted more than a million times since Yellowstone debuted as the world's first national park in 1872. KELLER'S FAVORITE Yellowstone's "big four" include geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mud pots. A fumarole is an opening through which hot sulfurous gases emerge. Hot pots and geysers north of Gibbon Falls, before the junction to Canyon. Another place to see geysers and mud pots is Artists' Paintpots, gurgling pastel-colored mud and springs, bubbling, dancing and hissing under a blanket of steam.  Besides Old Faithful, Castle Geyser and Riverside Geyser are other popular ones to show off the unique geothermal features of   Yellowstone's steaming vents, eruptions and hot springs.  The "big four" features are geysers,  hot  springs, fumaroles and mudpots. Yellowstone claims 500 geysers, half of the world's total number, located in nine unique and varied geyser basins within the park. Steamboat in the Norris Basin is the world's tallest Book your geyser-hopping hotel at:   yellowstoneinn.com From left, great niece Elliana, Keller, Cookie's brother Rick, with Nick and Nora sacked out on the bed at a Bozeman Hot Springs cabin. COMING UP : Traveling with family and pets can be a delight if you plan correctly.  Be sure to have plenty of dry, warm clothes if it's a winter trip, and make certain the young have enough distractions -- natural and otherwise -- to keep them engaged. Here, part of our family enjoys a night in a rustic cabin at Bozeman Hot Springs, enroute to a weekend in Yellowstone National Park. Even the Yorkies are snug this chilly autumn night. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us Fridays for each week's post, with a fresh look at nature, family, critters, the arts and travel.

A sculpture to world peace frames Cookie and Keller at the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Honolulu, home to the often photographed USS Arizona Memorial. The Tree of Life sculpture is a relief, a symbol of renewal created by Arizona Memorial architect Alfred Preis to inspire contemplation.   HOMAGES TO WAR, TRAGEDY,  TERRORISM, HELP US REMEMBER, HONOR, AND AVOID REPEATING STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Photos of victims of the Holocaust leave the viewer numb at Yad Vashem in Israel. This is the ceiling memorial to those who perished in Nazi concentration camps.  Christene "Cookie" Meyers in the Bruce Meyers Poet's Garden on the campus of MSU-Billings in Montana. It honors her late writing teacher husband, Bruce Meyers. WHEREVER IN the world we go, we never miss an opportunity to visit a memorial. War, loss, suffering, heroism and sacrifice are universal themes. 4 of the best memorials worldwide you must see are discussed below: So is the need to honor the fallen, those we loved, those who have suffered loss. Nearly every village in Europe has a memorial to the victims of World War I. War memorials are found on every continent, in metropolitan areas and remote villages alike. These and other memorials illustrate the emotional power of architecture. From Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial to New York's 9-11 homage and the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Atlanta, these tributes stir strong reactions as iconic pieces of art and architecture. Often they are destinations for locals and travelers alike. The moving memorial to victims of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, attracts thousands of visitors each year, as does the striking tribute to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. P eace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan, pays respect to those killed by the bomb. I HAVE personal experience with memorials, having designed one myself to honor my late husband, a poetry and creative writing professor for 25 years at a Montana university. That memorial reminds me, and others, of his gifts to hundreds of students. It provides a quiet place on campus for students and professors to meditate, write, reflect. Pearl Harbor spotlight Other memorials remind us of the cruelty of man, of senseless death, heroes and selfless deeds, the hope that peace will prevail in our muddled world. Especially now with the devastation in Ukraine, and in our country, the immigration controversy, it seems appropriate to study memorials and the hope they give us for a better life. A  young Japanese man studies the sad story of the internment of thousands of innocent Japanese Americans at the Pearl Harbor Memorial.  Many soldiers of Japanese descent served as translators, helping shorten the war. THE MOOD  around memorials is always quiet and respectful. Whether in New York at the site of the World Trade Center destruction of "9/11," Yad Vashem in Israel, or Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, memorials seem to calm people, to draw them inward to private thoughts. n Honolulu, at the Arizona Memorial, we joined an international queue with fellow tour members, including a Japanese couple our age from Tokyo.  It was interesting to travel with them, and glean their take on the memorial.  For while the U.S. suffered grievous losses, Japan suffered destruction of two cities. Americans of Japanese descent suffered loss and humiliation in the internment camps. One is in Wyoming, not far from where I grew up in south-central Montana. The striking White Monument at Tell Banat, Aleppo Governorate, Syria, dates from the third millennium BC, and honors fighters from  state army. World Trade Center in New York with its extraordinary museum remembers the  terrorism attack of September 11, 2001 and honors its victims. Yes, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor but 6,000 Japanese Americans served as translators and interpreters with the Military Intelligence Service in the Pacific, using the language of their parents and grandparents to shorten the war and save lives. So it's complicated.  WE LEARN  through memorials of the misguided effects of war and violence, hatred and prejudice. Ironies and sorrow go hand in hand with war and terrorism. Brothers wiped out, serving on the same ship. Husbands and wives perishing together in a jump from a burning tower. Entire families destroyed by an act of violence.  Anne Frank's family lived in an annex during the occupation of Amsterdam. The pictures she clipped and saved are preserved. Campus memorial honors beloved professor Crete memorial honors fallen in crucial battle What always strikes us about a memorial visit is the quiet.   People move silently about the exhibits, touched and often emotional about their experience and expressing their reverence as they pay their respects. So let this week be one of remembrance, meditation, hope and thanks.  Up Next: BEST ON THE BOARDS: Sheer unadulterated joy awaits the audience in New Village Arts' smashing production of  of "Singin' in the Rain"  The hit musical has more energy than a barrel of Red Bull as it plays to sell-out crowds in this perfect, intimate venue. The story of a silent movie star and his jealous, tone-deaf partner making the transition to the talkies is a perfect antidote to "May Gray" or "June Gloom." Reveling in applause after a fabulous dance  number are 3 of the leads in a terrific cast: L-R:  Xavier J. Bush, Emma Nossal, Anthony Michael Vacio, gifted "triple threat" dancers-actors-singers.  Dazzling dance in a fun, feel good show. Revel in terrific tap dancing by dashing leading man Don Lockwood, his nimble sidekick Cosmo and a thoroughly adorable chorus girl Kathy (with a voice like a nightingale.) Audrey Ward plays a delightfully off-key Lina Lamont, the fading silent star, and the expert ensemble dances, sings and clowns its way through two-and-one-half hours of musical theater bliss. A.J. Knox directs the beloved classic with some of the sharpest choreography San Diego hoofers have ever delivered. An absolute delight to the clever curtain call. The run ends July 2 with a fun Italian dinner-or-lunch and show package option at Via Vai Cucina.   newvillagearts.org   760) 284-4393 Gay Pride is celebrated all year in Sydney, Australia, with posters, banners, concerts and special events including the city's famed Sydney Opera House. June has many special events. UP NEXT : Gay Pride month is in June, a celebration of a tradition begun in 1970, a year after the Stonewall Inn Riots took place, as a peaceful march with no dress restrictions where people could express themselves and their sexuality freely. There have been peaceful marches, protests and celebrations every year since and Pride Month is joyously celebrated in Australia and worldwide. The month is dedicated to commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride. Pride Month began after the Stonewall riots of New York. A series of gay liberation protests began in 1969, and the movement has since spread enthusiastically outside of the United States. We witnessed the enthusiasm on our recent trip to Australia and share insights and photos. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on nature, performance, travel, family and the arts.

Road trip to the top of the world:  last week, up the Beartooth Pass on the famed Cooke City Highway. John Steinbeck had Charley, and Keller has Nick and Nora, below. TRAVEL THE COUNTRY, SEE NEW TERRAIN, ENJOY SURPRISES, AS THE CAR IS YOUR COCOON! STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER JOHN STEINBECK  described, when beginning a trip, that delightful sense of the unknown in his engaging "Travels With Charley." He said, “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” Some of my favorite times happen when I'm on the road -- with Keller and "the pups," who are nearing nine years old.  The sense of adventure, the thrill of the new unfolding, are the bookends to the trip.  We know not where the journey is taking us, except perhaps literally, to "point A" or "point B." But we don't know the subtleties, the small pleasures, the unexpected delights that will fill the book between covers. Each day on the road is full of surprise! We're open, waiting and willing. And that's the thrill of the road trip. Steinbeck found that Charley was the conduit for all sorts of new friendships and adventures. Near Bodega Bay, we stumbled upon the church from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," filmed here in the 1960s. Below, Cookie, Nick and Nora transit Beartooth Pass. THE YORKIES,  Nick and Nora, go with us everywhere on the road -- to the fruit stands, into the dog-friendly motel lobbies we book before we head out, even in Carmel, into the restaurants -- thanks to community icon Doris Day and her love of pets. In Europe, no Yorkies, but plenty of adventure in every village and roundabout. Consider these surprises from our recent summer travels with Nick and Nora. THE CHERRIES  we bought from a roadside stand.  The picnic by the brook with the blue heron in the tree overhead.  The little cafe with terrific clam chowder and chocolate malts made at an old-fashioned soda fountain.  Plus a tiny ice cream for each Yorkie. Meeting a theater lover from Ashland, Oregon, at a B&B in the mountains of Wyoming and talking plays with her over homemade berry pie. Virtues of a road trip are many: No telephones or e-mail to sort.  No cell reception on some of our routes (even better!).  If fires erupt in our family-friends world, someone else can douse them. We eat when we're hungry and we always find fun places to stay in and interesting people to write about. WHAT COULD  be better than packing up for a road trip, then heading out --  comfy in our car, a sunny morning unfolding, a thermos of strong coffee, a half-dozen maps, the Yorkies asleep in their traveling bed and the day spread out before us like an inviting magic carpet. Fresh California fruit, picked that morning, one of the pleasures of the road. WE MIGHT  be on the California coast, or on the back roads of Montana or Wyoming. We might be leaving Barcelona, to Costa Brava, north from Barcelona for a perch at a favorite seaside parador, Aiguablava. We might be traveling through the Loire Valley, or Tuscany, plotting our next gastronomic adventure surrounded by cypress trees and 13th Century buildings. Or we might be heading out of Sydney, Australia, pointed northeast toward Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef with a side trip deep into the rain forest. The best clam chowder of a three-week coastal trip -- right here A LEISURELY road trip is great for romance.  You may be in love with one another already, but to fall in love again on the road -- sharing the beauty, wonder and surprises -- is a bonus to the relationship. Cookie and Keller hadn't planned to feed a giraffe -- but they did, on the road! Steinbeck and Charley, his beloved standard poodle, had their own version of love, and Steinbeck had particular fondness for Montana, my native state.  He said, “I’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is love. And it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it.”  He also said that while it was important to make some sort of plan, it was wise not to expect it to unfold exactly as anticipated. “Once a journey is designed, equipped, and put in process, a new factor enters and takes over. A trip, a safari, an exploration, is an entity, different from all other journeys. It has personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless." So it was an unexpected delight when we realized we had a few extra days on our California odyssey.  I called  my nephew, James, and his partner, Kelle, who quickly welcomed us to drive a few hundred extra miles north to remote Mendocino County. A side trip to the town of Salvador Dali's birth, Figueras, in northeast Spain.   THERE WE  visited their beautiful farm, orchard and wine making operation, and toured an African wildlife preserve -- feeding giraffes in northern California. To cap our spontaneous sidetrip, they  treated us to a fabulous meal at their favorite Point Arena restaurant,  to which they supply organic produce. Ah, I love our roadtrips! An impromptu family reunion occurred in northern California. The road trip segued  to a wildlife preserve and organic farmt. COMING UP: Have you been to Cody, Wyoming, lately?  Buffalo Bill Cody named the town after himself (why not?) and it's full of lore of his life and a world class museum.  Plus California's coastal hotels, an all-girl "Two Gentlemen of Verona" (can you picture it?) at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. This top theater is fun, and we convey its spirit. Plus a Montana couple who make iron art their livelihood. We share their gorgeous one-of-a-kind creations.  All with a sense of fun and pleasure in seeing the world, at: www.whereiscookie.com Remember to explore, learn and live and tell your friends about us.

Torrey Pines State Reserve: 2,000 acre coastal wilderness protects the rare Torrey pine tree. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" We like braving the highways for fun road trips. One recent stop is highly recommended: Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve reopened on March 1, this year, following a four-month closure for construction upgrades, including enhanced ADA compliance. The popular Del Mar area coastal trails and visitor areas are now fully open with high visitor traffic expected. Key Details for Visitors: Reopening: The reserve reopened after a four-month closure for infrastructure improvements, according to this YouTube video . Infrastructure: Upgrades to trails and facilities have been completed to improve accessibility, notes NBC 7 San Diego. Crowds & Access: Opening weekend saw high attendance and capacity parking. Future Work: Additional improvements for restrooms and infrastructure are scheduled for fall 2026. Rules: No food or drink (except water) is allowed above the beach, no pets are permitted, and the area is "pack it in-pack it out," according to TPSNR . Road trips offer museums, parks, unexpected wonders and side trips that can be uncrowded if you plan to visit off season. Off-season travel offers uncrowded parks and a chance to enjoy wonderful museums without rubbing elbows, here Keller, Cookie and doggie Nick, Jane and Rick on a week day at a virtually deserted Museum of the Rockies. A recent survey conducted by the U.S. Travel Association found that 68 percent of travelers feel safest when traveling by personal vehicle and when visiting outdoor destinations such as parks and the beach.  Nearly half -- 45 percent -- of the respondents said they are likely to travel more by car.  So road trips are on the agenda this year for many vacationers. With fuel prices rising and unrest in the world, many of us who usually hop on a plane to faraway destinations are staying closer to home, driving so we can enjoy "outdoor" stops. And if Europe beckons, consider a road trip. Safe, clean, and you can be by yourselves when you want. Road trips yield delights, such as this fun display outside a southern Italy restaurant, with Keller and Cookie. THE DECISION  to travel with family and friends limits contact with others, a holdover from COVID days. The traveling companions we choose are likely friends and family. Road trips allow the unexpected to occur. We keep our eyes open for entertainment, too, photographing amusing and eye catching billboards and posters. Blacks Beach in La Jolla, California, is a world famous surfing spot. It can be reached from the nearby gliding port. Since we survived the era of coronavirus, avoiding public transportation, crowded waiting areas, and strangers is still considered a safe way to go. For overnight stops, we plan ahead, so we can choose a property by price as well as by published cleanliness standards. Children's Pool La Jolla, Calif., is off limits during Harbor Seal Pupping Season, check the lifeguard signs We're big fans of the Hilton brand when it comes to cleanliness and comfort. www.hilton.com During COVID, Hilton was in the forefront of hygiene procedures, copied by other major chains. There are many Hilton brands from which to choose, all delightful. Paradise Point Mission Bay, San Diego, Calif., is a favorite place to take visitors. Hotels listed on Booking.com is another of our favorite guides to clean, comfortable stays at our favorite Hiltons, and others.  We recently enjoyed a pleasant kitchen suite at Winnemucca's Best Western Plus. Sparkling clean room, friendly check-in, top hygiene and a tasty "grab and go" breakfast. The kitchen in the suite allowed us to prepare a simple tasty safe meal without venturing out. Ask about a suite upgrade. Often for a few dollars more, you can book a small kitchen or add a microwave and frig. Road trips offer thrills but sometimes tax patience when traveling in our national parks, here in Glacier. Be prepared to take your time when traffic slows. The bear, elk and maybe a moose are worth the wait. We noticed, too, another option: at recent stays at Hilton hotels in Tahoe and Truckee. Several nearby places -- including pizza parlors and Chinese restaurants -- delivered. We use the Gas Buddy app and G oogle Maps and Chatgp t to help with fuel prices, routes, and planning. Overall travel costs can be managed more easily on a driving trip, too. We stock the cooler and grocery bag with water, sodas, snacks: cheese, fruit, chips, crackers, protein bars, nuts. NOT ONLY  do we avoid extra stops, but we have healthy food we fixed. Nicky the terrier, above, and below with great-niece Penelope take a break on a road trip walk. When it’s time for to stop for a meal, we look for a pleasant park or roadside complex where we can walk Nicky and stretch our legs. Cracker Barrel, Subway and pilot Flying J all have high safety and hygiene practices. Check the websites before you stop to make sure the place looks up to standard. Field workers in central California prepare the soil for planting. Half of the nation's produce comes from here. UP NEXT:  Come with us to California's rich farmland as we explore the farm to table phenomenon. We're in the beautiful and fertile central California "salad bowl" and we offer some of our favorite farmer's market shots, taken on this latest trip. Come enjoy the history of California's amazingly prolific central valley, which produces half of the nation's produce.  Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us each Friday for a fresh look at travel, the arts, nature, family and more:  whereiscookie.com

Cookie shops for dream car, gives an impromptu concert and shears a sheep -- all in a day's play in Wellington Wandering Wellington's streets proved an eventful day, with delightful shops, museums, cafes and cable cars. Sheep ranchers and their dogs have a similar look the world over -- this one works on a ranch near Wellington, N.Z., but would be at home in Montana. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Wellington Auto Museum has an affection for bold design and color. OUR DAY  in Wellington's fascinating Auto Museum began with a ride on a cable car up a steep hill, a stroll around Parliament and a terrific cuppa. Great tea! Great town. The day began at Southward Car Museum (people call it Wellington Auto Museum) with its collection of rare autos, and an unusual three-keyboard organ. The museum has 250 cars, airplanes, train engines and that magnificent organ. (After shameless hinting, I was invited to play it!) Talk about gilding the lily! Cookie takes a turn at the three-keyboard Wurlitzer in Wellington's famous Southward Car Museum, invited by Len Fifield.  AFTER MY  organ tunes and a mini-concert by magnificent theater organist Len Fifield, we headed to a ranch, where I attempted to shear a sheep. We lunched on lamb curry -- delicious, but unfortunately timed. FOR THE SHEEP  shearing, lucky I had help. It's hard work so I shall stick to writing and music. The sheep survived my shaky hands but I was a wreck.... WELLINGTON  pitches itself as a highly livable place where one season fits all.  It is ethnically diverse and gay friendly with an array of eateries, parks and shops. Wellington also   offers variety and charm, with plenty to do for free or on the cheap. Besides fabulous food and shopping, the people are helpful and accommodating with a sly, wry sense of humor. THIS NEW ZEALAND  city is beautiful and user friendly, with streets made for walking, browsing, relaxing. In a country known for its love of boating, Wellington, N.Z., boasts an inviting waterfront, walkable and pretty. Arranged around an attractive waterfront, Wellington is easy to navigate. Wellington boasts more cafes, bars and restaurants than New York City, and its coffee and craft beer producers are famous. The town combines a creative, cosmopolitan feel, with the sophistication of a capital (which it is!) plus the warmth and personality of a village. Wellington is simply winning, and it's courting business and industry as well as retirees thus the mix of young and old which delighted us. BESIDES WELLINGTON Auto Museum,  New Zealand's greatest share of high-tech companies. It promises techies shopping for change of venue that they can be part of a vibrant economy -- "open minded, globally-connected, yet collaborative and supportive."  They can indulge in this while enjoying "a healthy lifestyle, rich in cuisine, culture and the great outdoors." All true! The city enjoys over 2,100 hours of sunshine each year, less rainfall than other New Zealand cities and some say the lowest air pollution in the world. Minutes from downtown Wellington we walked along a green belt and enjoyed watching bikers, a sparkling harbor, and a picturesque waterfront designed for strolling and picnics. Cookie took up the electric shearing device, with a little help from a new friend. Wellington's cable cars are a treat to ride. OUR RECENT  Wellington visit offered crisp, cool mornings and we relished our walks beneath the hills surrounding this lovely town. The aptly named "City to Sea Walkway" starts in the heart of central Wellington near Parliament and ends at the South Coast. The Parliament square is an eye-catching mix of old and new buildings, nicely pulled together with gardens and walkways. NEWLYWEDS  have their photos taken on the steps of the Parliamentary Library, tourists click snapshots of a bronze of Premier Richard Seddon pointing to the sky. The Beehive – a structure known by all New Zealanders – stands beside the imposing grey facade of Parliament House. The buildings have been modified, destroyed by fire, half-built and restored. Folks love them or hate them. Our eyes look for the novel; we loved them. "The Beehive" Parliament Building in Wellington. Wellington Botanical Garden was a highlight, too, with spectacular views, unique landscape, exotic forests, native bush, and colorful floral displays. THE WATERFRONT  walk will take you to Te Papa, with buildings used in early Wellington wharfing, and Civic Square, home to a nice library, art gallery, an engaging Visitor Center and Town Hall Complex. Our day ended as it began, with a cable car ride. These historic red cars run from Lambton Quay in the city's commercial heart, to the top of Upland Road, with the Lookout, Carter Observatory, Planetarium and Cable Car Museum. WELLINGTON  offers something unique at every turn. On my third visit, I left with more to see. COMING UP:  We find hidden secrets, stunning artwork and surprising talent in the alleys and secret corners of Melbourne, Australia.  In a unique tradition encouraged by city officials, artists are welcome to  paint, draw, create and change artwork on the walls of many buildings in this delightful city Down Under. Melbourne, Australia, encourages artful graffiti. Remember to explore, learn and live, and check us out travel tips, hotels, restaurants, cruising and nature pieces: www.whereiscookie.com

Cookie and her mother, Ellen, wearing the green.  GRANDMOTHER JIGGED AND COOKED CORNED BEEF, MUM DYED RICE GREEN AND WEPT AS SHE SAW IRELAND, PLAYED MUSIC ON LAND AND SEA STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" St. Patrick, a humble man, whom the holiday honors, converted pagans to Catholicism. Dancers will kick it up today in Dublin, New York and elsewhere, through the weekend and to Monday. MY FAVORITE memories of St. Patrick's Day have to do with my two strongest female influences:  my mother and her mother, my beloved gran, Olive. They also have to do with corned beef, music, parades and costumes -- because both women loved all of these. Proud of her Irish heritage -- Cobh in County Cork -- Gran taught us how to jig. She loved the holiday and described Cobh (pronounced Cove) as vividly as if she'd lived there herself. "Oh, it's a lovely, small seaport town in County Cork, Southwest Ireland," she'd say, hands on her hips after opening an atlas to point to her clan's homeland. "It's on Great Island in Cork Harbour and it was from Cobh that our ancestors set sail for the new world -- never to return to Ireland again."  At this she'd dab her eyes and pour a stiff toddy. Celebrity's Century brought Cookie's mother to Cobh, Ireland, for an emotional "roots" tour. 'Tis true, 'tis true..... In the era of transatlantic travel before the jet age, Cobh was often the last port for many of the great liners bound for America. It was at Cobh that the ill-fated Titanic made its last stop. My great gran's parents -- with my grandmother's mother, Christena Wilson -- sailed to America from Cobh on a less troubled but undoubtedly tragic journey. It was called Queenstown when Christena's clan left Ireland, and Gran made certain we knew that. She nurtured a romantic notion that her meeting of my grandfather Gustav Nystul, whose parents came from Norway, had a mystical connection to the Vikings who inhabited Ireland and the waters that both cultures shared.  The sights of Cobh, Ireland, were music to the ears and eyes of my mother and me. SO IT WAS with great emotion that my sister Robbie, my mother Ellen, and I sailed into Cobh on a Celebrity Cruise during the last year of my mother's life. The whole trip was delightful but Ireland was the highlight. Cook up a corned beef and cabbage dinner, such as Ellen enjoyed. during her "bucket list" trip to Ireland. The meal was compliments of the ship where Cookie and Ellen played piano and violin. "I'm home, I'm home," she wept as the beautiful and sleek Century ship sailed into port. It was as lovely, lively and green as my gran described it. The Ireland trip, and a trip a year later to Norway, where my grandfather's parents were born, were the two top items on mum's bucket list. I'm grateful I helped her complete this important circle in her life. THE CENTURY'S  able staff, knowing of mum's deep connection to the land, staged a private Irish-themed party after we came back on board, having toured the town and stopped at a pub for the inevitable corned beef and cabbage. Gran prepared it on a regular basis and mum yearned to taste it on native soil. St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. This was a stop on our pilgrimage. The following year, my mother astonished my Georgia sister and her family's Japanese members by coloring the rice green on St. Pat's day, her eccentric nod to the saint for which the holiday is named. She claimed it helped her reconnect with the green of Cobh. THE HISTORY  of St. Patrick's Day is an interesting one. Its obvious religious connections have morphed into a reason to party, whatever your faith, or even if you are faithless. Today, we Irish welcome you all! St. Patrick is said to have inspired the love of shamrocks, using it to explain the Trinity. Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland, credited with bringing Christianity and driving out the snakes while charming the pagans. Most of what we know comes from his two works; the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians. Saint Patrick probably didn't swill whisky, guzzle Guinness stout or sip green beer. He described himself as a “humble-minded man, pouring forth thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God.” ****************************************************** ALAS, THE BELOVED  saint would have his work cut out with me! Gran also told us that the shamrock became the national flower of Ireland because St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans. Makes sense, gran and mum. Happy St. Patrick's day up there! Bet you two are jigging and knocking out Irish tunes on heaven's 88s. COMING UP:   Tasting delicious food and sampling top theater -- the glories of Ashland, Oregon, with its world class theater, charming boutique hotel, chocolate festival, fabulous food, glorious wine and cheese, scenery, spring blossoms and shopping. Remember to explore, learn and live and visit us Wednesdays and weekends at: www.whereiscookie.com . Please share the link with like minded folks. Our specialties are food, fun, travel, theater and general joie de vivre! Christene Meyers, aka "Cookie," was arts and travel editor with the Lee Newspapers for many years, interviewing stars including Sean Penn, Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Fred Astaire, Katharine Hepburn, Robert DeNiro, Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando. Her first "big movie" coverage was Arthur Penn's "Little Big Man," filmed in her native Montana in 1971. You can find this story at whereiscookiecom

Dublin's famous Temple Bar was a pub stop on a memorable tour of Ireland with Cookie's late mother, Ellen, who played piano and fiddle there and sang a medley of Irish tunes with the band on St. Patrick's Day. The trip inspired a family memorial in Montana. TAKE THE TRIP, MAKE  THE MEMORY: IRISH 'AYES' ALL AROUND 'Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal.' on a headstone found in a Dublin churchyard            STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS            PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER &cm "The Carpe Diem Kids" MY MOTHER WAS  determined to visit Ireland and play piano in an Irish pub. I'm proud to say I helped make that happen before she passed in 2008. The trip made her happy -- and while I'll always miss my flamboyant, talented mum, I have memories aplenty.   St. Patrick's Day homage: as we pulled into Cork's city harbor, for several days in the Emerald Isle, mum's fingers were ready.  Her happy tears shown in the morning sun as we shared her first look at the home of half her ancestors.  Mum was as full of emotion as her folks were full of blarney. (The Norwegian side, her father's, were sailors and fishermen with their own droll wit.)  Cookie's late sister Robbie helped choreograph several memorable European trips with mum Ellen, including the Ireland odyssey. “I’m home, I feel it,” mum cried, lifting her hands heavenward. “These are my people.” Then she wept.  My sister Robbie and I smiled at one another, blinking back our own tears.  We had a group hug, all of us crying. We're a crying family - so it wasn't surprising.  We cry when we're happy; we cry when we're sad.  Some of us cry for no reason at all on St. Patrick's Day Joy and sorrow, like the comic and tragic masks, are merely different takes on the heart's emotion. The Irish know that better than most. Cookie and her mum on the town in Dublin. Besides playing piano and fiddle at pubs, they looked for family history, visited graveyards, hiked coastal roads, reveled in all things Irish SO ON St. Patrick's Day , we celebrate my mother -- and one of her favorite wits:  Oscar Wilde.  He said: "A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal is absolutely fatal." "I can resist everything except temptation." "Be yourself.  Everyone else is taken." Cookie and Ellen had many happy times together, always with music, often with dogs. St. Patrick's Day delights, history "If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life." "The truth is rarely pure and never simple." And from "The Importance of Being Earnest" beloved by my mother, who played Lady Bracknell in a Portland, Oregon, production: "To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be r egarded as misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness." Mum also loved this quote from playwright Sean O'Casey: "Money does not make you happy but it quiets the nerves."    Dublin born Oscar Wilde was a favorite wit, playwright of Cookie's mother, the late Ellen B. Cosgriffe. In her long career as an musician and occasional actor, she played Lady Bracknell in "The Importance of Being Earnest." I'D BEEN TO  Ireland a half-dozen times before, but seeing it through my mother’s eyes was like seeing it anew.  From the rugged coastlines to misty meadows and stone fences, I felt connected to the country in a way I had never felt before.  The Blarney Stone took on new meaning.  The potato famine felt real.  When mum told sis and me the story of  her great grandmother’s departure, we looked the Emerald Isle in the eye. At our pub stops St. Patrick's Day , mum was greeted like a favorite auntie. When the people discovered she was musical, we were center stage at the piano and fiddle and couldn't buy a beverage.  Finding gravestones and tracing ancestors was part of the fun for the family on the Ireland trip. Our St. Patrick's Day homage continued as w e visited several graveyards looking for family names of Pittendrigh, Cosgriffe, Wilson. We found all, and relished the meanings and histories -- Cosgriff means "victorious." The Pittendrighs migrated to Ireland from Aberdeen in northeastern Scotland -- interesting in light of the fact that our niece, Amarylla, married a Scotsman, Steve Ganner. We learned that Wilson is a common Irish name -- more common even than the ubiquitous Smith. (Mum sniffed at that. "Nothing common about my people.") The cliffs, coastal views and castle ruins of Ireland captured the heart of Cookie's late mother, Ellen. WE'D PUT DOWN  anchor in the same place where my great, great-grandmother, Molly Wilson, left her family for America before the last Century’s turn.  She’d taken the train to Cobn (pronounced Cove) from Cork, on a tiny track which we found.  More memories. Memories of a lovely trip. And so much love.  My 20 days in Europe with my mother and youngest sister rank high on my list of world adventures.  Not because of the exotic nature of  the ports, all of which I’d visited, but because of the unique bond we shared. Now, particularly with both mum and Robbie gone, I cherish the memories. I wouldn't trade this trip for all the tea in Ireland. And I created a memorial in Montana inspired by our graveyard and churchyard wanderings in Ireland. Back in Montana, Christene "Cookie" Meyers created a family memorial inspired by Ireland research. LIFE IS  shaped by defining moments. Often we realize their importance only in looking back. I'm grateful I helped mum follow her dreams, hold true to her vision, find a way to make that trip happen.  Call it my own "importance of being earnest."   ***************************************************************************************  NEXT UP :  as of March 15, 2018 A fabulous San Diego production of Stephen Sondheim's returns to the stage. "A Little Night Music" has our veteran theater reviewer waxing rhapsodic. Find out what sets this extraordinary production apart as Cookie describes the talent, staging and magic unfolding at Cygnet Theatre in San Diego's Old Town. Since reveling in the original Broadway production in 1973. Cookie has become a "Night Music" junkie, even acting as music director and pianist in her own production.  Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly when we post a fresh take on theater, travel, nature, family and the arts.

Three generations enjoy a Big Bus Tour in San Francisco, learning new interesting facts and stories about a city they all love. It's home to the Ganners -- Steve, Amarylla, James and Peny -- and a favorite city of Christene "Cookie" Meyers and Bruce Keller, "The Carpe Diem Kids." A great family outing. Story by Christene Meyers Photos By Bruce Keller “The Carpe Diem Kids” We learned that the iconic 1904 St. Francis Hotel survived the 1906 earthquake and became a rescue center during the subsequent fire and recovery. Although it suffered fire damage, it quickly reopened its restaurant. I THOUGHT I knew San Francisco. I've visited 20-plus times, strolled its streets, visited its landmarks, watched its plays, dined in its restaurants, cheered in its ball parks, shopped in its stores and visited its fascinating neighborhoods. My husband lived here for several years and our family lives in nearby Redwood City. Still, we all learned and enlarged our "San Francisco vocabulary" on a recent Big Bus tour. THE JOYS of our family tour were multiple -- chiefly being together -- and realizing that San Francisco yields new delights and surprises even for locals and frequent visitors. From the top deck, familiar streets shone in the sunshine to reveal stories of art, music, sports, architecture, and history. For instance, we learned something new about the Russian Hill neighborhood on Lombard Street, and the famous "crookedest street" where Keller lived for two years. We didn't know that its winding street came about because the hill was so steep as the city was being built that carriages couldn't go up in a straight shot. Who knew? Although Keller lived in San Francisco for several years, and Cookie has visited many times, we learned along with four family members. NO STRESS was a huge plus, without having to drive ourselves in a busy hilly city. We enjoyed the architecture, parks and history without worry. And during the tour, at Hard Rock Cafe (one of the stops) it was fun to hear what everyone had learned. Each of us told something that surprised us. Our shared "lessons" included: 11 men perished constructing Golden Gate Bridge; Janis Joplin was only 27 when she died, having made her name in a small San Francisco club; the martini was invented in a San Francisco bar and was originally called the Martinez; special local yeast gives San Francisco's famous sourdough bread that special zing; fortune cookies were popularized in San Francisco, not China..... Chinatown and its colorful banners and signs evoked memories of many earlier visits, film premiers and weddings. ON BOARD, our niece and nephew and their kids enjoyed the multi-lingual commentary, which gives depth and color to the adventure. Little details we’d stepped over a hundred times suddenly mattered. The kids pointed out murals we’d driven past for years. Our nephew and niece showed us where they've worked through their years in the Bay Area. Among the strengths of a Big Bus tour is its ability to orient both visitors and locals. Art districts, historic centers, cultural institutions, ball parks and modern developments made sense as part of a larger narrative. The entertaining commentary fills in the gaps — explaining why a building looks the way it does, how music and migration shaped a neighborhood, or why a once-industrial area now pulses with creative energy. IN CHINATOWN, Big Bus San Francisco took us past a restaurant where I'd attended a post-screening movie party years ago, with Robin Williams and other movie stars. We saw the street where his "Mrs. Doubtfire" character worked. The coolest thing about our time together was realizing that a bus tour doesn't have to be just for tourists. This Big Bus tour is recommended for anyone wants to see beyond the surface without the homework. From listening to the guide’s tales to snapping photos in the top deck breeze, we were reminded that even a familiar place has surprises tucked into its corners — you just need the right seat to spot them. Big Bus takes passengers across the Golden Gate Bridge, with a stop in a viewing area for photos. Passengers may hop off and explore and take photos, or stay on the bus for a return to the city and more sights. BIG BUS TOURS remove the small frictions that can wear down a day of exploration. No navigating traffic, no constant map-checking, no rushing to “make the most of it.” Instead, there’s time to look, listen, photograph, and absorb. Hop-on, hop-off flexibility allows for an overview and deeper dives when curiosity strikes, and an easy return to the bus. Our break for lunch at Hard Rock Cafe was a nice break. Then time to hop back on. Climbing aboard a Big Bus Tour offered a shift in perspective. Elevated above the usual street-level bustle, the city unfolded as a connected whole rather than a collection of individual stops. Neighborhoods flowed into one another, architectural styles told a chronological story, and familiar landmarks took on new meaning. The Jimi Hendrix Red House is a popular sight on Big Bus, with a lively commentary on his influence and impact on the music of the 1960s. BIG BUS offers many advantages, including convenience. We drove into the city from Redwood City, parked near Fisherman's Wharf and walked a short block from the garage to board the comfy bus and pick up our map and headphones. Seeing this familiar and beloved city from the top deck was a thrill -- the Painted Ladies, the red house of rock legend Jimi Hendrix, the iconic St. Francis hotel on Union Square, Golden Gate Park and of course the spectacular bridge, one of the world's most photographed landmarks. Our family of six -- three generations -- enjoyed the ease of Big Bus. Perhaps the greatest surprise was how refreshing it felt to be a passenger in a familiar place. Letting someone else do the navigating created space for discovery. Details once overlooked — the curve of a façade, the placement of a public sculpture, the rhythm of a street — came into focus. Cities reward those willing to see them anew. Whether you’re arriving for the first time or rediscovering a place you call home, sometimes all it takes is a higher seat and a slower pace to remind you why a city calls you back again and again. We did leave our hearts in San Francisco. MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK: www.bigbustours NEXT ON TAP: UPCOMING STORIES include a piece on San Diego's Paradise Point, features on the sexy art of flamenco and Barcelona's state of the art aquarium, hot shows in Las Vegas, a story about travel as a link to friendship, food and Segway tours in Arizona, a dazzling exhibit of Cartier jewels and a feature on New York's award winning Guggenheim Museum. We'll take readers inside the cave houses of Puglia in southern Italy and look at the endangered olive trees there. Remember to explore, learn and live and check back here often and travel safely and with enthusiasm, remembering that travel changes how we see the world — while enhancing how we see what’s already close to us. www.whereiscookie.com