The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a gem of a facility, a living museum of performance, replica buildings, jewelry, pottery, weavings, furs, tools and more. It offers insight into a long ago life preserved in many ways. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER "The Carpe Diem Kids" WE HAVE visited Alaska many times, but never have we felt so awed and fascinated by the culture as we were this most recent trip. That's because we spent an eye-opening day at the fabulous Alaska Native Heritage Center near Anchorage. Young Alaskan men show off athletic skill in games. What a splendid place. It gave us a unique, memorable and moving look at Alaskan Native life in a format we'd never experienced. Its focus is largely devoted to explaining the rich culture of indigenous people. We entered a large hall and gallery space to be directed to a large, open auditorium. A dancer shows off elaborate hand-crafted moccasins, artfully topped with fur. There we watched young people prepare costumes and props to dance and play games. It was a live performance -- fascinating and beautifully executed. We sat spellbound as we listened to stories, met carvers, and visited with artists. The setting is small and intimate and a young couple near us were so moved, they joined the dancers. At each structure, knowledgeable volunteers explain the use of items and answer questions. As museum and culture buffs, we have been to many facilities, admiring painting, pottery, crafts and handiwork. Never had we seen such meticulous work: intricate moose hide boots, beautifully woven birch baskets, seal hide tunics, detailed jewelry and fishing gear. The Carpe Diem Kids, "Cookie and Keller" pose beneath a whale bone arch as they hike the facility. We strolled a half-mile loop to enter and admire life-sized traditional native dwellings to see the richness and diversity of Alaska's Native cultures, including a Southeast Alaska longhouse -- a large wooden constructions with no windows and only a smoke hole at the top. We learned that they were designed to weather harsh elements and housed several families. We admired four beautifully carved posts, each representing a different culture, carefully carved and painted with themes of respect -- for the individual, family, the land and sea. Each structure offered insight into indigenous life. Flowers and perennial gardens are abundant, including on the grounds and restaurant. Nature is part of life and much revered in the culture. It was wonderful to see love expressed in gardens, visual arts, crafts and in casual lectures offered at each structure. The pride, precision and sincerity in dancing, games, and docent explanations was moving to us. We bought lovely souvenirs created by Alaska Native Artists at Ch'k'iqadi Gallery and had a tasty bite -- delicious sandwiches and pastry -- at D’eshchin Café. It's a one-stop offering for a full day of exploring and expanding horizons. The Center is launching a $25 million fund-raising campaign which will be used to enhance and expand this intriguing facility. Our hotel, lovely Anchorage Hilton, offers a shuttle to the center several times a day. More information: www.alaskanative.net Vancouver is a beautiful city, full of attractions, color, fine food, fun window shopping and welcoming people. UP NEXT: Vibrant, vivacious Vancouver is an exciting, colorful city and we explore it in our next two pieces. From a world class art gallery with stunning Canadian artists, to an oasis larger than Central Park, and a hop on-and-off bus system that's one of North America's best. Coming next, tips as The Carpe Diem Kids share their adventure in Vancouver, one of the continent's most vibrant cities. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, the arts, nature, family and more. Check back often, share the links.

Interested visitors come and go on the top deck of the USS Midway. Actor Tom Cruise in "Top Gun." Press promotion shots were made aboard USS Enterprise, not Midway as many people think. Cruise posed for photos on San Diego's waterfront where Midway now resides and is a popular tourist attraction. STUNNING MIDWAY MUSEUM TELLS TALES OF WAR, HEROISM, HONOR, VICTORY AT SEA STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER THE USS MIDWAY MUSEUM in San Diego is a unique testimony to the power of military might, brilliant design and the dedication of hundreds of people devoted to the concept of service to country. Midway Museum is both an enormous floating ship and a fascinating museum. The famous aircraft carrier -- named for the Battle of Midway -- is a carefully curated collection of more than 60 exhibits. Hospital, cafeteria, quarters, rooms where battle strategy was discussed.... you'll even have an opportunity to "chat" with the captain in an "animatronics" exhibit, in one of the museum's many interesting chambers. Bruce Keller in the cockpit of a Midway plane. This one allows visitors to sit inside. Bruce Keller, aka "Keller" and Christene "Cookie" Meyers enjoy a day on the top deck of Midway. We climbed aboard recently in my husband's hometown, with guests from Britain. We four had a wonderful time on this historic, fascinating "fighting machine" as we explored exhibits, walked through cabins and viewed 29 carefully restored aircraft. THE FAMOUS Battle of Midway -- in June of 1942 of World War II -- turned the tide of war between the United States and Japan. Although Midway was built in a record 17 months, she missed World War II by a week, commissioned on Sept. 10, 1945. So while she was not in the battle for which she is named, she played a crucial part in other actions, particularly Operation Desert Storm. Jazzercise dancers exercise in celebration in a fundraiser to fight breast cancer on Midway. The ship is beloved by its port. HERE'S WHAT we learned of that: On Jan. 17, 1991, aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 5 launched from the flight deck of Midway in a combat air campaign against Iraq, preparing the battlefield for a coalition of nations’ counter-invasion and the liberation of Kuwait. This was in response to the surprise attack and seizure of the small, oil-rich kingdom by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s military. Midway's career was officially nearing the end. The rapid collapse of communism after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 rendered the Cold War moot, and the Midway -- after nearly 50 years of service -- was slated for decommissioning. But the aging carrier didn't fade away. On Oct. 2, she cast off from Yokosuka, Japan, bound for the Persian Gulf. She arrived Nov. 1 to relieve the USS Independence to watch over oil fields. With military action likely, the Midway was joined by USS Ranger and USS Theodore Roosevelt battlegroups. Despite her age, the Midway remained the flagship for the rest of the Gulf conflict. She was decommissioned in San Diego and remained in storage in Bremerton, Washington until 2003 when she was donated to the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum organization. It opened as the USS Midway Museum in June 2004. Bravo, Midway. The Midway from the sea strikes a handsome pose. MANY GROUPS and organizations visit Midway. Music groups are regularly scheduled to play on her top deck; a community band serenaded us with patriotic tunes and Sousa marches the day we visited. Movies are shown from time to time, including the film "Midway" and of course, "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise. My Jazzercise group celebrated the 50th birthday of Jazzercise aboard Midway, with a thousand of us dancing to celebrate the ship and our exercise program's fight for a cancer cure. "The Kiss" can be seen from San Diego's embarcadero near Midway. Yorkshire visitors Sue and John Speight enjoyed a day on San Diego's waterfront and especially their Midway and Star of India visits. HIGHLIGHTS of our recent visit: a walking tour through the officers' quarters, and a contrasting look at the much smaller and more cramped enlisted men's bunks. Our friends -- who also visited nearby Star of India with us -- took the elevator down to the galley and infirmary area and pronounced it fascinating. "We were impressed with the realistic food display and layout of the galley," said Sue Speight. Added husband John, "It's amazing how they churned out hundreds of meals for the sailors in such limited space." The two found the compact infirmary "incredibly well equipped to be able to deal with all the ailments and emergencies they encountered." One of San Diego's most famous artworks -- "The Kiss" statue -- is very near Midway and worth a short walk to view. It's inspired by the famous WWII photo shot in Times Square of a sailor and nurse hugging in jubilation at war's end. More information: www.midway.org; sdmaritime.org Plan to take visitors or family for an educational yet fun outing at the San Diego Natural History Museum, a whale of a time is guaranteed. (Here, a replica of an extinct megalodon shark which once lived here, awaits your view.) UP NEXT: The San Diego Natural History Museum in the captivating city's beautiful Balboa Park, is an educational yet fun place, a wonderful family outing. It was founded in 1874 as the San Diego Society of Natural History and is the second oldest scientific institution west of the Mississippi, the oldest in Southern California. From the life of native peoples, to vegetation, minerals and, dinosaurs, visitors will find it an interesting place to spend a few hours. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on nature, travel, the arts and more: www.whereiscookie.com sdnat.org

A patron pauses outside the San Diego Natural History Museum, where fans of nature and the natural world are treated to a variety of exhibits which inspire to visit and appreciate nature and the diversity of the San Diego region. A long extinct shark, whose teeth were found near Oceanside, Calif., greets visitors in artful replica. ARTFUL EXHIBITION SPACE IS A HIGHLIGHT OF A VISIT TO SAN DIEGO'S BEAUTIFUL BALBOA PARK STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER THE SAN DIEGO Natural History Museum makes for a great family outing. A magnificent dinosaur skeleton, bears, elephants and more await inspection, framed by colorful murals. Affectionately nicknamed "The Nat," it's also perfect for visitors looking to get a feel for our region, for couples seeking an educational yet fun outing, or for a single person who wants a beautifully curated stroll for a look at life as it continues to evolve and change in southern California and the Baja California peninsula. First, there's a remarkable Moreton Bay Fig Tree gracing the lawn in front of the museum -- planted in 1915 for the city's famous Panama-California Exhibition. Inside, visitors tilt heads upward to gaze at a realistic looking replica of an extinct megalodon shark, inspired by teeth collected from Miocene sandstones in Oceanside, California, and near Ensenada, Baja California. Minerals are "hidden" throughout the museum. WE WATCHED people posing for animated selfies in the atrium there, and knew we were in for a treat by the pleased comments of visitors coming and going. Evolution and diversity are what this well established museum is about. Founded in 1874, the San Diego Society of Natural History is the oldest scientific institution in southern California, and the third oldest west of the Mississippi. The name was tweaked as the building and ambitions grew and the Society grew from a small group of natural history lovers and collectors to a large museum with 8 million specimens, spectacular outreach programs, and award-winning exhibitions. So for nearly a century and a half, the organization has delighted and educated hundreds of thousands of us. Bruce Keller, left, with Sue and John Speight, and Christene "Cookie" Meyers, in Balboa Park. WE TOOK GUESTS, a pair of history buffs from York, England. They're natural history museum aficionados, having visited some of the great ones around the world: Vienna, Cambridge, London, Dublin, Geneva. Our San Diego treasure, they noted, is no slouch, compared to the others these world travelers have seen. For 150 years, the organization has studied, protected, and introduced people to nature's wonders. Its museum doesn't disappoint. Exhibits span five levels with a sparkling and clever "hidden gems" display starting in a small corner of the basement, then appearing on a corner of each floor, thus the "hidden" moniker. On up to the ground entrance floor, or Level 1, as it's called, for several learning labs about various topics including your own back yard. A wonderful movie theater shows three revolving films. We picked "Dinosaurs of Antarctica" -- thoroughly entertaining. We followed this fascinating creature from Permian through Jurassic periods -- emerging from his south polar landscapes hundreds of millions of years ago. The museum's open, airy expanse offers a pleasant perspective and draws the eye upwards and around. WATCHING AN engaging film with friends about our own planet and the creatures who struggled for survival gave us fodder for dinner conversation later in the day, as we pondered the emergence of giant mammals, fierce carnivores, gentle vegetarian giants and the scientists who work to understand the effect of the ice continent's transformation on us. Two other films rotate -- and both won praise from viewers and fellow museum enthusiasts we met. A grade-school teacher with her charges said "The Story of Earth" had her class spellbound. "It takes the planet from dying stars, through collisions in space into the world we know today -- with life forms unknown elsewhere in the universe." All with beautiful special effects, she said, and dialogue that kept easily distracted kids entertained. "Ocean Oasis" is the third film, which takes viewers on a journey through two seemingly opposite worlds -- Mexico's Sea of Cortes and the great Baja California desert. A beautiful fig tree graces the lawn in front of the museum. The stately tree is one of the oldest in California. OTHER EXHIBITS include "The Living Lab," a display popular with curious youngsters and others of us who love critters. We viewed lizards, snakes, scorpions and more; "Coast to Cactus" shows the diversity of this corner of California where a person can surf in the ocean, hike in the desert and ski on a hilltop in the same day. There's a wonderful dinosaur skeleton replica -- cast from bones found in Utah; 200 (count 'em!) skulls of every kind, a lovely California flowers photo display, fossils and "Cool Stuff From Storage," which shows off intriguing items from the archives. An exhibit on Baja is coming soon. A fascinating exhibit on amazing discoveries by ordinary people caught Cookie's attention. The museum is respected for its outings and video offerings: A "Virtual Live Lesson: Earth Wants You" is Friday, April 22, at 10 a.m. "Nature Hike: Pacific Crest Trail - Eagle Rock," is Sunday, April 24, at 9 a.m.; "Nat Talk: Picture a Scientist," is Thursday, April 28, at 6:30 p.m.; "City Nature Challenge" is Friday, April 29, at 3:41 p.m.; "Nature Hike: Oakoasis Preserve, Oak Grove Trail," is May 7 (check the museum for time.) The popular "Nat Talks" feature museum staff and other experts speaking on the latest in scientific research, history, conservation, and the natural world. The museum's website is a good place to confirm times and get a wealth of information about changing exhibits and outings. Remember that residents can visit Balboa Park museums free on rotating days throughout the month. sdnat.org Bruce Keller admires a mural at Hilo, Hawaii's famed Lyman Museum and Mission House, which takes visitors on a colorful, engaging tour of the islands' history. UP NEXT: While we're visiting world class museums, check out this one -- even if only by "armchair travel." In Hilo, Hawaii, the Lyman Museum and Mission House takes visitors into the natural and cultural history of the Hawaiian Islands with over 20,000 square feet of stunning galleries. Affiliated with the Smithsonian, the two-part museum includes fascinating exhibits and a 19th Century Mission House. Volcanoes, wildlife, sea life, nature habitats and more await. Meanwhile remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on the arts: www.whereiscookie.com

The dreaded tsunami was the focus of an interesting afternoon for Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers, who visited the engaging Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo, Hawaii. An extensive collection of photos, oral histories, videos, artifacts and displays awaits. We recommend staying at Hilton's Grand Naniloa Hotel, a welcoming Double Tree with gorgeous harbor views. The wreckage caused by a tsunami is enormous. The Hilo museum explores the causes of the killer waves. KILLER WAVES EXPLORED IN VIVID DETAIL AT PACIFIC TSUNAMI MUSEUM IN HILO, HAWAII ENHANCE YOUR VISIT WITH A SPLENDID VIEW AT GRAND NANILOA HILTON DOUBLE TREE STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Dramatic displays tell the story of how humanity is affected by tsunami's horrors. TSUNAMIS are among the planet's most fearsome natural disasters. And nowhere are people more aware of the dangers of this raging act of nature than in the Hawaiian Islands. In Hilo, Tsunami sirens are on alert and school children are taught to watch for warning signs: tremors, roars from the ocean, receding waters exposing the sea floor. All spell impending doom. Evacuation Zones are marked and families store emergency kits. Since 1812, more than 160 confirmed tsunamis have been recorded on the islands, causing countless deaths and damage topping $625 million. The April, 1946, tsunami in Hilo alone, killed 159 people and destroyed $26 million in property. Its cause was an undersea earthquake off the Alaskan coast triggering the massive Big Island tsunami. IT SEEMS fitting, then, that the world's only museum dedicated entirely to the tsunami is located in Hilo. Tsunamis around the world are explored in well designed displays with photographs, news clips. The fascinating Pacific Tsunami Museum -- a thoughtfully renovated bank-- tells the fearsome tale of the tsunami, pronounced soo-NAH-mee, and its impact in Japan, Alaska, the Indian Ocean and elsewhere. Taken from the Japanese, tsunami means "harbor wave" but is usually a series of waves caused by an underwater disturbance. Earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions are among tsunami's chief causes. Getting a breath of fresh air after the intensity of the fine Pacific Tsunami Museum. Hilo's small but excellent museum interestingly weaves specific tsunami occurrences with data, photographs and narrative. It features an interesting mix of scientific exhibits. A favorite with school children is an interactive wave-making model which allows the visitor to make his own miniature tsunami. Stories of rescues and heroism are also well told. AN ABSORBING film includes moving personal anecdotes of brave tsunami survivors, interlaced with graphic details of personal brushes with monster waves. The museum is all about stories and tells them well. Diagrams, maps, newspaper accounts and displays show various horrifying tsunamis over the last 500 years. Visitors learn what caused them and see stories of the human survival spirit. Maps show "runup points" -- measurements of the heights wave reach. Positano today is a highlight on Italy's Amalfi coast. In 1343, it was the scene of a huge tsunami which destroyed the town, ending the republic's sea power days. Where tsunamis were caused by earthquakes, the quake's magnitude is analyzed through wave energy creating this fearsome natural disaster. TSUNAMIS GO back centuries. The oldest recorded one occurred in 479 BC, destroying a Persian army attacking Potidaea, Greece. Fast forward to 1958, in a display recounting effects of a huge tsunami triggered by an Alaskan landslide. Its 1,700-foot wave -- the largest ever recorded -- inundated five square miles of land and cleared thousands of trees. Another catastrophe occurred in Europe on the Amalfi coast, where we've many times visited. In its maritime republic days, it was a thriving port with a wealthy population of 70,000. The ocean awaits, with beautifully landscaped grounds, at Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo, Hawaii. That was until 1343 when it was wiped out. A massive earthquake under the Tyrrhenian Sea sparked a devastating tsunami along southern Italy's coast. Amalfi’s harbor and its boats were destroyed; the lower town fell into the sea. A once thriving city shrank to a village of 6,000, ending Amalfi's days as a sea power. THE LOVELY stretch of coastline from north of Naples to south of the Cilento National Park bore the brunt of the huge killer wave, which wiped out the towns of Bussanto and Blanda, near present-day resorts of Sapri and Maratea. Both Naples and nearby Salerno suffered huge damage, including a death toll of tens of thousands. The Hilo museum is a testimony both to the power of the tsunami and the power of the human spirit. More information on this intriguing museum: www.tsunami.org Best bet for your Hilo stay: Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo, www.grandnaniloahilo.com A refreshing green tea drink is served at Just Matcha Tea Shop, one of seven varied stops on a highly recommended "Taste of Victoria" food tour. UP NEXT: Food glorious food! Plus history, exercise, variety, fun. Victoria, British Columbia, has much to recommend it, and we frequent visitors found a new, delightful, food-sampling, history-telling venue. We take readers on a "Taste of Victoria" food tour, Canada's top-rated food tour, with stops at a variety of large and small bars, eateries and food stands. We found it an engaging way to spend a few hours. Owner Andy Olson delivers a delightful time showing his love both of food and his adopted city. Rain or shine, he takes foodies and history lovers around downtown Victoria, from tea and sweets shops to pubs, Indonesian and barbecue eateries and other hidden gems in this lively, historic city where he knows everyone. Remember to explore, learn, live and catch us weekly. Please share: www.whereiscookie.com

Queen Elizabeth II, watches a "fly-past" of the Royal Air Force, with Prince Charles, heir to the throne, and her great-grandchildren, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, and their mother, Catherine Middleton, who became the Duchess of Cambridge when she married Prince William. LONG LIVE THE QUEEN AS AN AMERICAN WRITER RECALLS LONDON VISITS, ROYAL ENCOUNTERS STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER & C MEYERS and courtesy The Times of London and CNN Thousands are gathering in the Mall outside Buckingham Palace in a four-day holiday celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's remarkable, record-setting 70 years on the throne. Here the Royal Air Force does a "fly-past" as it is known in the UK. MY AFFECTION for Queen Elizabeth dates to her coronation and my introduction to television. As a toddler in 1953, I sat fascinated on my mum's knee as we watched history and majesty unfold. What transpired on our new black and white TV heralded the beginning of my lifelong fascination with London and the Royals. It also represented the introduction to the world of television as mainstream media. LITTLE DID I know how remarkable QEII's reign would be -- or that I would be invited to cover her Silver Jubilee in 1977. Or that as a travel writer, I would visit London dozens of times and write about it for magazines and newspapers. Lifelong love of the Royals Street parties were everywhere in 1977, when Christene "Cookie" Meyers covered QEII's Silver Jubilee. Thousands of parties are taking place this week as well, throughout England. In July of 1977, at London's posh Intercontinental Hotel on Hyde Park, as champagne flowed, I learned with 49 other American journalists the protocol for meeting royals. While we were told there were no obligatory rules for Americans meeting royals, we females were urged by a protocol advisor to give a small, polite curtsy. Men were to give a neck bow, from the head only. This was in preparation to our meeting Princess Anne and the "Queen Mum," at a gala black tie party the next evening. THAT MEMORABLE weekend was 45 years ago, celebrating QEII's 25 years on the throne. Although we didn't meet the Queen, we saw her from the crowd as she waved from the famous Buckingham Palace balcony. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip wave at the crowds at her coronation in 1953. This is her first celebration without her husband of 73 years. We did meet Princess Anne at the world premiere of the latest James Bond film, "The Spy Who Loved Me." We also met the Queen Mum at a pub in Leicester Square near the Odeon Theater where many activities took place and she pulled her own pint and finished it with a gin chaser. I'VE WATCHED "The Crown," have seen many plays on the royal family, read biographies and visited their palaces and castles. But I'll never forget that long ago black-and-white viewing of the coronation. The young queen was beautiful; the event was magical. I memorized the names of the eight grey gelding horses which pulled her and Prince Philip in the gold state coach: Cunningham, Tovey, Noah, Tedder, Eisenhower, Snow White, Tipperary and McCreery. Westminster Abbey is one of the world's most famous examples of gothic architecture. James Bond, Princess Anne, Cookie The Admiralty on London's Trafalgar Square is a favorite of locals and visitors, who enjoy its old-timey feeling in a decor suggesting a ship. The pub is one of hundreds celebrating the Queen's Jubilee. I adored those horses, the pomp and circumstance, the jewels, the hats. I supposedly told my mother, "I'm going to to 'West Minister" to pray for the Queen." (That often quoted family malaprop came from an awestruck four-year old's lips.) A dozen years later as a teen-age visitor to London, my first London stop was Buckingham Palace, then Westminster Abbey, where QE2 became the thirty-ninth sovereign to be crowned. That magnificent gothic building is one of the world's most famous architectural masterpieces with its magnificent stained glass, sweeping arches, vaulted ceilings and gargoyles. I never tire of a visit. I IMAGINE 1245 when King Henry III pulled down the eastern part of the 11th Century Abbey and made it his own, complete with flying buttresses. For even on our little 16-inch telly -- the largest money could buy at the time -- I was hooked on history, royalty and marvelous old buildings. IN DOZENS of visits to the UK, I never miss a chance to hoist a pint in a pub, or take a side trip to Windsor, Sandringham or Balmoral or any of the string of palatial residences owned by the royals. Hats off to the Royals Princess Diana, Prince Charles on wedding day. The Queen has seen Diana die and Charles remarry, to his longtime mistress, Camilla. IF MY MOTHER had lived, she'd be a year younger than the Queen. Prince Charles is just a couple years older than I, so one could say I've grown up with the royal family. I've followed their triumphs and tragedies. I set my alarm to watch the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana, then again, the wedding of Prince William and Katherine Middleton. Didn't miss a minute of Diana's touching funeral, and am tuning in to ABC to watch highlights of the four-day 70th Jubilee Celebration. A highlight: the Queen's pre-recorded tea party with Paddington Bear. Delightful fun. Queen Elizabeth II is surrounded by, left, her son Charles, the Prince of Wales, next in line to the throne, Prince George and his father Prince William, whose mother was Princess Diana. Although she was only 25 when she was proclaimed Queen after her father died in 1952, she would have just turned 27 when she was officially crowned in June, 1953, after the customary mourning period. The coronation pre-empted "I Love Lucy" and "Dragnet." More than 20 million tuned in. It was the first time in history that a TV audience outnumbered radio's. I've grown up with TV -- and the Royal Family. My favorite corner of Westminster, the Lady Chapel, last phase to be finished. I admire the Queen for her fortitude and grace. She's seen the family through scandal and tragedy, divorce and controversy. She grieved the loss of her husband of 73 years and has lately experienced issues with balance and walking. Of course. She's nearly a century old, bless her. She still enjoys a daily cocktail, pets her beloved corgis and chats up the next generation, her great-grandchildren. Yes, she's the world's richest woman and lives what many consider an extravagant, pampered life, but it must also be lonely at times. Her only sister and best friend, Princess Margaret, has been gone for years. Yet she arises each day, faces the world, goes to work, does her duty. For me, she is an endearing, enduring figure, a "grand dame" in the grandest sense. MORE INFORMATION: To watch the festivities, tune in to ABC, which per an agreement with BBC, is broadcasting live from London and Buckingham Palace through the weekend. Come aboard the Love Tours "hippie bus" for a fun time in San Francisco. Here Christene "Cookie" Meyers and Bruce Keller pause in the wind by Golden Gate Bridge. UP NEXT: We're aging hippies, and sometimes we listen to the music from "The Summer of Love." So come with us on the "Hippie Bus," for a Love Tour of San Francisco. We take a magical trip aboard the colorful VW bus to Haight Ashbury, accompanied by the music of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Love Tours tells the tale of a generation which shaped music, politics and art. It's counter-culture time and we promise a lively experience. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, nature, the arts, music, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com Please share the link.

A VW bus is painted in colorful fashion as Christene "Cookie" Meyers and Bruce Keller enjoy a tour down memory lane to the summer of love and more. JANIS, JIMI, HISTORY, ART, HAIGHT-ASHBURY COME ALIVE ABOARD VW 'HIPPIE BUS' TOUR STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Above, top right: the home of famed guitarist Jimi Hendrix at 1524 Haight Street, is featured on entertaining Love Tour. Above, the neatly mowed lawns of The Presidio. FROM ITS famous streets to its nightclubs, galleries, monuments, stately mansions, street musicians, dive bars, posh eateries and renowned cable cars, San Francisco is a city to behold, savor and revisit. The city's Love Tours is a heartfelt way to see this intriguing and mixed-bag town in new light. Whether you're a frequent visitor or a newcomer to the city by the bay, this entertaining look at one of the world's most photographed towns is guaranteed to have you tapping your toes and remembering way back when. We two aging hippies booked the tour, which includes a musical soundtrack as visitors admire the sights and streets, bars and cafes frequented by the hippie generation during the 1960s and '70s. But San Francisco's Love Tours is more than that. It weaves in the broader history of the town, too -- its ethnic mix, architecture, military past, the great 1906 earthquake and fire and more. Five buses and a cadre of expert driver/guides take tourists down a splashy memory lane featuring not only the beat generation, but highlights of one of the world's most colorful cities. Crooked Lombard Street -- designed in 1922 -- is the result of engineers who deemed the hill too steep for vehicles. From book stores to military housing and time honored nightclubs, we explored this pretty city of hills, parks, winding streets, tattoo parlors and more. WE SAW sturdy buildings that survived the 1906 earthquake, buildings erected for the Pan Pacific Exposition in 1915 to herald the opening of the Panama Canal, and the stately, well manicured digs of the Presidio which dates back to 1776. The Presidio represents the longest operating Army installation in the American West, and California's days as both a Spanish colony and territory of Mexico. A vintage fire truck by The Cannery near Fisherman's Wharf, is another tour in historic, lively San Francisco. This interesting part of town -- near fabled Golden Gate Bridge -- reflects the spirit of the city: a pleasing urban suburban mix with plenty of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. We savored it all, with a leisurely look at the elegant Palace of Fine Arts. WE STOPPED beneath the much photographed Golden Gate Bridge, while listening to the van's varied soundtrack including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and a mix of other iconic singers. Our group of six sang along with Joplin's "Mercedes Benz," then Roger Miller's "King of the Road" and the original Andrews Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Wayne Newton, the aging king of the fabled Las Vegas strip, made a guest appearance with a couple tunes. Remember "Danke Schoen"? We did. Japan Center is symbolic of what gives San Diego its international feel. So we could take photos, our amiable driver Andrew drove patiently past the home of Jimi Hendrix twice, pausing for photos at the intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets, “The Haight” still exudes vibes of the 1960s counterculture and its revolutionary spirit. Andrew described the culture then and now, noting vintage clothes shops, music stores, pop posters and body piercing shops. Although the Summer of Love ended decades ago, Haight-Ashbury has morphed into an eye-catching melting pot of hippies, hipsters, and professionals. As we drove through its streets, we stepped back in time. Grateful Dead tunes emphasized our time travel. SOON, ANDREW cautiously turned down Lombard Street, that famously crooked avenue. He skillfully maneuvered eight hairpin turns and pointed out beautifully landscaped flowerbeds. Alfred, both driver and guide, has a keen sense of humor and provided plenty of amusing anecdotes, stops for photographs and places to use the bathroom. Between soundtracks, he regaled us with tales of the key players in San Francisco's hippie days. A day care group trudges up a hill in a "buddy rope" which helps keep them together and navigate the slopes. THE CITY has been home to scores of the rich, famous and notorious. Andrew had insights into Patty Hearst, and her time in San Francisco. Like any good tour guide, he was interested in our questions and take on things, including the town's mansions, neighborhoods and its impact on us. He knew the childhood home of Mel Blanc, that unforgettable voice of Bugs Bunny and dozens of other cartoon characters. He pointed out two homes inhabited at various times by actor Nicholas Cage. He explained the city's evolution and its changing neighborhoods, pointing out that stately homes in now gentrified neighborhoods have replaced bawdy pockets of cheap rent. The draw for young folks was excitement, the counterculture's promise of "drug, sex and rock 'n' roll." It still has an appeal. If you look closely, you'll see a blue heron in the center tree, in a much loved oasis, center stage in Golden Gate Park. WE STOPPED in the middle of Golden Gate Park to admire a blue heron, nesting above the lake -- a wonderful sight in a city of 875,000 people. It was fun, too, to be noticed in the classic, colorfully painted VW van, Love Tours' symbol. People often flashed us the peace sign, and we were photographed by at least a dozen other tourists. The advertising gimmick of the colorful VW van is an effective marketing tool for a happy, entertaining half-day in a fascinating, ever changing city. More information for a delightful San Francisco tour option. Five-star fun. www.sanfranciscolovetours.com And for bargains in the city and 14 other American destinations, we recommend: www.cityPASS.com A house for Yellowstone National Park workers hits the river near Gardiner, Montana, now off limits. UP NEXT: Montana and Yellowstone National Park are faced with tremendous flood damage due to heavy rainfall and hot temperatures which have forced snow from the mountains in terrifying record-breaking river water levels. Yellowstone has closed all five of its gates to tourists, evacuating visitors and cancelling reservations. This is a first in the park's 150 years. The north part of the park may not be reopened until much later but workers are struggling with other entrances. We're traveling through that part of the world right now, so we'll take you there. Remember to explore, learn, and live and catch us weekly for an update on nature, travel, the arts, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com Please share the link.

Luiz, our fine Brazilian born guide in Porto, Portugal, took us around the city to its hidden corners as well as exploring its famous bridges, squares and plazas. He was lively, smart and well tipped. FUN WAY TO HIT THE HIGH SPOTS, DISCOVER A NEW PLACE, MAKE FRIENDS, LEARN HISTORY, ART, CULTURE A free walking tour is a great way to get a sampling of how people live. Note patio plants and laundry drying. Few Europeans have clothes dryers. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER This lively Portuguese guide is a singer, art history major and a wonderful ambassador for her country and her native Lisbon. WALKING TOURS are a wonderful way to get a quick fix on a new place. They're growing in popularity around the world. We've tried a dozen of them in seven countries, and enjoyed three more on this latest foray which concentrated on southern Europe. The enticement of a "free tour" is appealing to many travelers, when a group tour booked through a cruise line or travel agency averages $50 to $100-plus per person, depending on the length. Private tours for a couple can surpass several hundred dollars. So for adventuresome folks such as the two of us, and people trying to avoid breaking the bank, a "free" tour is a fine alternative. This shop window was a photo stop on a Barcelona free tour. WE APPRECIATE the fact that the guides are always articulate, well educated and have a sense of humor. They're helpful and eager to give directions, pointers and advice on ATM machines, shopping and dining. "Free" tours are not really free if you have a conscience. You'll want to tip at least $12 or $15 per person -- about the same equivalent in Euros. That's not much for a two or three-hour crash course in history, art, architecture, music, food, hotels, parks and gardens. "Free" walking tours started in Berlin in 2004 and have spread to over 40 cities around the world, including nearly every major tourist destination in Europe (Barcelona has several of the best), in most major U.S. cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, in South American capitals, and in Asia, where free tours are offered in Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo, Istanbul, Shanghai and Dubai. They're not a passing fad from the on-line reviews and international enthusiasm. Free tours are here to stay. OF THE MANY ways we explore a new city, we find a free tour combined with a half-day "hop on and hop off" bus tour make a perfect introduction to a new town. We even repeat this pattern in cities we've visited multiple times -- such as Barcelona, Paris and Amsterdam. For a quick fix on a new place, nothing beats a free walking tour. The tours usually start in a central, well known part of the town -- A tour in Victoria, B.C., pointed out this unique tea shop where we returned on our own next day. Dam Square in Amsterdam or San Marco Piazza in Venice, for instance. From there, you set off to visit landmarks and get tips on history: battles, marriages, mutinies and more. You listen to enthusiastic, well educated guides share facts and myths about the town they love and often grew up in. You find places you'd like to revisit -- so you can easily do so. You set off on a lively tour of discovery, finding hidden gems only locals know. Be prepared to walk fast: free tours cover a lot of ground, enriching perceptions of a city in a few busy hours. The Colosseum in Rome is a stop of most free walking tours. A free tour in Tuscany included a wine cellar tour with optional wine tasting for a small fee. FREE TOURS are one way savvy travelers see the world. From booking a packaged tour months in advance with travel guru Rick Steves, to picking up a half-day tour the night before, travelers find myriad options to tour -- from buses to bicycles, rickshaws to Segways. While each mode has its advantages, we prefer a walking tour. The main reason is because the worry and strain are removed. You're with a trusted guide, you walk with others, you feel safe while being informed. You also get gentle exercise -- and tips on ways to make up for that at local eateries, ice cream shops, bakeries and specialty restaurants. You get more bang for your buck -- while meeting other travelers. We've made friends on walking tours and contacts with people we've traveled with again. We've also noticed that single travelers like walking tours because they make connections with other people and find the trip less lonely. Language is never a problem, either. We speak Berlitz French, Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese, but we've always found English speaking guides in the reservation process. You'll also see an option for free tours in the local language -- so if you're daring, give that a try. (We've taken French speaking tours in Paris and fared well with our college French.) We've never met a European guide who didn't speak fluent English. Our "Freedam" tour guide in Amsterdam was fluent in several languages, including his native Italian. A lively history buff and art major guide (in far right corner) was our excellent free tour host for a free tour in Lisbon. (Cookie and Keller behind her.) TO PREPARE, we share a backpack to take a light jacket or sweater, a couple bottles of water, protein bars, hats and sun screens. We try to get a good night's sleep before a tour because you'll get a workout. The guides try to cover optimum ground in three or four hours. The routes are efficiently planned to include major sights, learn about the history and culture, with time for questions and stops for quick shopping if you ask. The group may go ahead, but the guide will tell you where to meet next. All our guides have been helpful in showing us where to find a rest room or grab a quick snack if we've forgotten to bring one. They're either natives of the city or have lived there long enough to be considered so. They've done copious research, visited museums and galleries, know who's playing at the concert halls and share anecdotes along with bits of history. Our guides have been jovial and fun to listen to, with a sense of humor and a knack for answering questions with precision. That's why tipping is important. These guides work hard to give us an enriching experience, with courtesy, patience and insider tips. We've even had guides make dinner and show reservations for us and take us to an ATM that didn't charge an exorbitant processing fee. SO DON'T forget to tip. And tell your friends. www.barcelonaturisme.com www.visitbarcelona.com www.catalunya.com www.freetour.com; www.freedamtours.com www.freetoursbyfoot.com; www.visitbarcelona.com www.internationalgreeter.org www.portocvb.com www.visitlisboa.com A pair of brilliant actors -- Bryan Banville and Luke Harvey Jacobs -- bring "The Mystery of Irma Vep" to San Diego. BEST BET: I first saw (and loved) "The Mystery of Irma Vep" in 1985 in New York City. Charles Ludlam's witty, wacky, fast-paced comedy is alive and well at San Diego's Diversionary Theatre through Dec. 24. It's worth a trip to southern California for the holiday cheer and laughter it provides. Two accomplished actors -- Bryan Banville and Luke Harvey Jacobs -- play a string of over-the-top characters in this crazy parody of Victorian Gothic themes and Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca." Think farce, exaggerated facial expressions, split-second costume changes and clever staging. Mix it up with a peg leg, a wolf, a vampire and audience participation for a hefty helping of queer, high-camp humor deftly directed by Matt M Morrow and Allison Spratt Pearce. More fun than a sleigh ride, sing-along or Santa visit. Put this in your Christmas stocking and don your gay apparel . 619 220-0097. diversionary.org Famed Portuguese actor Joao Reis narrates a beautiful music, light, energy and color show called "Spiritus." UP NEXT: Immersive shows are the trend -- from "Nutcracker" and the life of Vincent Van Gogh in Las Vegas to a thrilling multi-media show in Portugal celebrating classical music, nature and the world of the spirit. It's called "Spiritus," and it should put you in the spirit for the holidays. Everything is aglow and over the top with lights, and wonder at Clerigos Church, the famed Portuguese house of worship with its iconic tower. We share an insider's look at this inventive multi-media show in a beautiful sanctuary. So beam yourself to Porto and fasten your multi-media seatbelts as we share a trendy, immersive show with full lights, visuals and more. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, the performing arts, nature, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com

When and If is a beautiful sailing vessel combining the best characteristics of a racing boat with the comforts of a sturdy yacht built for pleasure and big enough for a family's comfort. Below, with wind in their hair, Christene "Cookie" Meyers" and Bruce Keller enjoy a sail. MAJESTIC SAILING YACHT IS A WAR HERO'S  BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED DREAM   STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER WHEN WORLD War II was in its full brutal fury, a much decorated general dreamed about a peaceful time when he could sail the world's waters. Hoisting the sails for a gorgeous sunset ride. Then Colonel George S. Patton shared his idea for a sleek yet comfortable yacht with famous boat builder John Alden. His clever and artistic friend, known for his beautiful designs, was up to the challenge. Thus the yacht When and If was commissioned by the internationally known American war hero. His luxurious private yacht was built that same year -- 1939 -- by boatbuilder F.F. Pendleton in Wiscasset, Maine. Its name comes from Patton's hope to sail the world "when" the war ended and "if" he survived. Sitting comfortably under When and If's sails, a couple from Portugal enjoys a leisurely sail and a beautiful sunset off Key West. WE RECENTLY  set sail on her, relaxing on comfy seat cushions on the vessel's handsome and sturdy, double planked mahogany. Black locust frames and an oak keel enhance the comfort on this smooth-sailing vessel enjoyed for its thoughtful detail by lucky passengers, including my lifelong sailing partner, Bruce Keller. His enthusiastic take: "When and If is unique -- a thoughtfully adventuresome notion." Photographer Keller knows his way around a sail boat and has sailed many of the world's seas, as Patton hoped to. "The general had a dream and knew the best builder to help make it come true. Now it lives on long after him." True enough.  Patton, who died in 1945, sailed the east coast of the United States in his treasured boat, but never did take his beloved When And If on the world cruise he imagined.  But he and his wife did sail her up and down the East Coast and on Chesapeake Bay. The general had high praise for designer Alden. When and If is his  show piece in a long list of creations made by this renowned builder of elite racing schooners. Patton said Alden's crafts "retained both beauty and style while winning premier ocean races of the time." George and Beatrice Patton aboard When and If on Chesapeake Bay. AT THE TIME of its conception, in 1939, When and If  was remarkable for its racing capabilities and for its comfortable and safe features.  Our captain said she sometimes hosts nearly three dozen people for gatherings of friends and family. One such event happened the day after our sunset cruise (more on that later.) Although our voyage was just hours long, When and If  is equipped for the long voyage which Patton hoped to take. PATTON DIED  in a military hospital in Germany, of a blood clot following a horrific auto accident which left him partially paralyzed.    But despite the general's untimely death in 1945, the boat he imagined took on a new life. His dream boat attained the immortality that escaped him. While Patton is considered one of the most brilliant military strategists of all time, his When and If is considered a brilliantly constructed vessel.  When and If 's galley is more spacious than most sailing vessels, with a large sink, stoves, storage and prep space. It boasts six comfy cabins for up to six adult guests. As a military leader, Patton produced more results in less time, with fewer casualties than any other general during his WWII Army years. Similarly, When and If has won accolades from sailors and celebrities, including longtime CBS anchor and famed broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite, a devoted sailor who praised its combination of sleekness and comfort. TODAY, THE POPULAR  yacht is used for parties and celebrations. During our visit it was booked for a memorial service and burial at sea for a much loved resident of Key West. The word yacht comes from the Dutch, and originally meant light and smooth sailing. Here is When and If at sunset.    The yacht has a colorful "post Patton" history.  She remained in the family until 1972 when the general’s nephew, Neal Ayer, made a gift of the vessel to the Landmark School in Prides Crossing, Massachusetts. She was the center piece of a sail training program for dyslexic children until November of 1990 when a storm broke her mooring line broke and drove her onto the rocks. When and If is kept in immaculate condition in Key West, and can be booked for a sail or celebration.   Although the damage was extensive, the structural integrity of the ship was unaffected. Soon, she attracted a sailing buff who purchased her.  She remained in private ownership, and over the next three years was painstakingly    restored. She was was re-launched to great fanfare in 1994 when keynote speaker for the celebration was sailor-journalist Cronkite. He praised both her strength as well as the superior work of Shipwrights Gannon and Benjamin in Vineyard Haven, Mass., the yard that brought her back to life. Fast forward. In 2013,When and If was purchased and restored anew by Doug Hazlitt, who eyed the boat for her “strength and elegance.” A sleek, modern catamaran is ideal for enjoying San Francisco with its wonderful sights.   Here, we pass under the Golden Gate bridge.  She was then purchased by Captain Seth Salzmann in 2015, and was part of Tall Ships Festivals in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The colorful travel that eluded Patton included When and If's journeys with Sail Training International. She made it to Bermuda, Boston and on to all corners of the Canadian Maritimes.  Perhaps Patton is smiling down from his crow's nest in the sky.  To book or inquire about Key West or this unique yacht:   https://fla-keys.com/key-west/     www.sailwhenandif.com     UP NEXT:   While we're in a sailing mood, come aboard Adventure Cat, and see San Francisco as you never have before. She's a sleek, modern catamaran ideal for a bird's eye view of San Francisco Bay. Remember to explore, learn and live and   catch us weekly for a fresh spin on sailing, travel, family, nature, art and more: www.whereiscookie.com

Clerigos Church and its magnificent cathedral host a light-filled wondrous show, "Spiritus." Gorgeous lights highlight windows and offer nature imagery and accentuate the church's large windows and baroque architecture. STEP INSIDE A WORLD OF WONDER, WITH PORTUGAL LIGHT AND SOUND SHOW STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER PREPARE TO  immerse your senses as you simultaneously celebrate an architectural wonder. This unique opportunity unfolds in a stunning show in an historic Portuguese church, Clerigos. In its sanctuary, "Spiritus" -- an inventive light and sound show --  examines with imagination the connection between man, nature and the heavens. Clerigos Tower aglow at night, a proud Porto landmark. We hurried from a city walking tour as dusk fell, to the lovely Baroque church in the city of Porto. Our "compass" was Clerigos Church with its impressive 75-meter-tall bell tower, the Torre dos Clérigos. As we hurried several blocks from our bus to the show, we could see the tower getting closer. It was fun to observe it from various vantage points and as evening fell and muted clouds blanketed the city. The immense Torre dos Clérigos towers over its surroundings and is a central point on virtually all views of historic Porto. The baroque tower was designed by Italian artist and architect Nicolau Nasoni in the mid-eighteenth century. Famous Clergios Church and Tower are worth a visit. Nasoni lived and worked in Porto for fifty years, designing many beautiful structures in Porto and throughout the north of Portugal. He was a busy man, also creating the loggia on the Porto Cathedral, the Episcopal Palace, Palace of São João Novo, and the Palace of Freixo, all proud landmarks of Porto. As we turned corners and navigated narrow streets and alleys, the tower remained nearly always in view. No wonder it was placed where it is -- on a high point in the city where all eyes are drawn to its magnificence. The small but fascinating museum at Clerigos is enjoyed by Cookie with insights from a docent. The interior of Clerigos Church Clérigos Museum  exhibits a collection of sacred art and liturgical  objects dating from the 13th to the 20th century. WE HAD  tickets in hand -- an advantage in moving through a line at the box office and toward the entrance of this popular production. The queue was long but moved quickly with visitors from around the world. People were quiet and respectful as we entered the cathedral to take our seats. Then a young man with a sonorous voice gave a brief introduction to what we were about to behold. He explained that the innovative multimedia show would "transcend the walls" and promised a spiritual and emotional journey in this lovely and much loved Baroque church. Then the lights dimmed and a wonderous light show appeared.  Spiritus is an audiovisual experience, pairing light, music, and architecture in the heart of the church. Created by OCUBO, an internationally known Portuguese art studio, the  experience uses its religious location to carry the spectator on a spiritual and emotional journey. The work is inspired by the poem “In the end, the best way to travel is to feel,” by Álvaro de Campos, respected Portuguese poet.  One need not be religious to appreciate the splendor.  CLERIGOS was built in 1753 and has been a national monument since 1910, much loved by the people of the city. It inspired the urbanization of the city, and is a landmark of the town. It was begun at the request of the Brotherhood of Clerics, with architect Nasoni commissioned to design a bell tower to dominate Porto's landscape.  The Clerigos light show, "Spiritus," moves many deeply. It was completed 10 years later, in July of 1763, with the placing of the iron cross on the top, and the image of St. Paul in the niche above the door, its construction was finished. Since 2014, the Church, Tower and House of the Brotherhood are a museum. Do make time to visit it when you book the show. It is small -- just a few rooms -- but filled with antique furniture, sacred art and centuries old liturgical objects Families and couples regularly make a pilgrimage to the tower, climbing the 225 steps to the top. The show and museum add dimension and can also be enjoyed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, too. www.visitporto.travel . www.portocvb.com www.citypasses.eu/en/citytrip-porto/porto-card/ www.porto.travel/clerigos-tower www.torredosclerigos.pt www.porto.travel spiritusporto.com rto.travel  › clerigos-tower   J efferson McDonald, Matthew McGloin are a hit in Northcoast Rep's "Two Pianos, Four Hands." BEST BET: "2 Pianos, 4 Hands" is a “must see” at Northcoast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, Calif. It’s a dazzling love letter to the world's most versatile and difficult instrument. Two gifted musicians deliver classical war horses laced with comedy and pathos. Part slapstick, part highbrow, the show features Jefferson McDonald and Matthew McGloin whose flawless technique was honed in years of study. While their artistry amazes, the show's physical humor and impersonations make it more than a mere concert. Themes honor the hard work a classical career demands, conflicts with parents and coaches, and the challenges of devoting one's life to a passion. In the style of Victor Borge and Anna Russell, the actors weave parody and slapstick with flawless Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, Bach and Mozart -- with tuneful nods to Rodgers and Hart, Dave Brubeck and Billy Joel. This perfect pitch production hits the high notes while tickling the funny bone -- all on a pair of 88s, through Jan. 1. Tickets at: northcoastrep.org ; 858 481-1055.    A colorfully clad Martinique woman prepares a holiday cocktail for us on New Year's Day. Fresh fruit -- delicious! UP NEXT : Holiday time is in full swing as a New Year approaches. We  find holidays make a lively time to explore new places, holding old habits dear while making room for new traditions. We'll share favorite places and activities for celebrating the flip of the calendar to 2023. We have a suggestion for our readers, too: How about making a resolution to travel, shake up your routine, broaden your worldly experience, take the trip you've long wanted, make new friends on another continent? Come along, remembering to explore, learn and live.  Catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, the arts, nature, family and more at: www.whereiscookie.com                                                                                          Please share the links and consider "following" us officially. It helps our ratings.

A Taste Buzz Food Tour of the Arts District in Las Vegas offered a fun outing for Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers. Consider Taste Buzz for a refreshing break from gambling. A happy group of foodies posed in the arts district of Las Vegas on a delightful food tour. TASTE BUZZ FOOD TOURS GIVES A SAMPING OF VEGAS OFF THE BEATEN PATH -- OR ON IT STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER Soulbelly BBQ offers tasty barbecue, craft beer and live music in an attractive space. IF YOU LOVE Las Vegas -- (count me in) but need an occasional break from the casinos, gambling and glitter, here's a winner of a tour. Taste Buzz Food Tours offers three unique tasting tours in Las Vegas and we highly recommend this lively, thoughtful trio of options. We opted for the Arts District tour, to get us off the Strip which we love but know well, so were happy to find something different. We picked a winner with the arts tour which took us to a unique, unexplored part of the city. We learned so much about this area new to us, between the famous Strip and older downtown. If you think Las Vegas is only a place to lose money and see great shows, here's another option for your next foray to Sin City: a food & art tour. We felt like locals as we prowled the streets, stopping at a popular wedding chapel, neighborhood bar and several small, high quality galleries. Our touring was divided into four tasty samplings -- appetizers to desserts. OUR FIRST "bite" was a delicious empanada with zingy homemade salsa and a fresh, flavorful ceviche at Misterio Mezcal. Then strolling past vintage shops, we admired murals and cottages from the 1920s and '30s, some reconfigured as attractive galleries and shops. Our spirited guide April described the area as "the real Las Vegas -- an up and coming local neighborhood." It felt very much like that -- a neighborhood coming into its own, adapting to changing times and trends. Empanadas and ceviche at Misterio Mezcal delighted our hungry Taste Buzz group. Our insiders' look took us past small businesses, coffee shops, cafes, breweries, barbecue and other specialty restaurants and the city's oldest bakery, Freed's, a much loved institution since 1959. It's famous for its pastries, cookies and elaborate wedding cakes. The Vegas food scene seems to be exploding, and our tour confirmed that. We sampled fabulous barbecue at SoulBelly and pizza better than that we've sampled in Naples at Good Pie Pizza. We walked that off with a stroll past the inventive Majestic Repertory Theater, a proud cornerstone of ALIOS, the arts district. The theater was named for an early 1900s Vaudeville house. Fun to learn this history. WE REALLY did feel like Vegas locals as April guided us past bright murals, antique and coffee shops and funky bars, chatting and informing as we walked. The two other Taste Buzz tours offer the same variety and fun activities as our arts tour -- a blend of sights, history and tastings. One of the other two focuses on Freemont Street and the old Vegas, the other on the newer and more flashy Strip. Each of the three Taste Buzz tours offers four to six local tastes, all at favorite, highly rated eateries endorsed by loyal locals as well as tourists. This gallery offered lovely pottery and wall hangings for sale and to admire between tastes. TASTE BUZZ has created a successful, highly rated mix of food stops, top attractions and insight into cultural landmarks that make Vegas unique. Bruce Keller pauses at a favorite neighborhood bar, Silver Stamp. A beautiful mural is one of many eye-catching attractions on a walking foodie tour in Vegas. We learned many fun facts and interesting Vegas history. At tour's end, we truly felt we'd experienced local culture through art, food and history. Our cheerful and knowledgeable guide was a delight, lingering at the end to share personal recommendations for more places to eat, drink, and play during our stay. Going off the Strip for a few tasty hours offered a wonderful trip down Memory Lane with the latest trends in culinary delights. Taste Buzz offers a trio of top food tours, not to be missed next time you're in Sin City. More information or to book: www.tastebuzzvegas.com Keller and Cookie braved the cool and found sunshine on world famous Santa Monica Pier on a recent fun trip with Hollywood Bus Tours. COMING UP: We're always on the lookout for the off-beat, the "undiscovered." So on a recent theater jaunt in Los Angeles, we hooked up with Hollywood Bus Tours. What a fun day. We spent a delightful afternoon in a small bus with a lively international group of fellow travelers. We visited famous attractions -- from Santa Monica Pier to Griffith Observatory. We cruised past stars' homes and hangouts, well known hotels and restaurants and family attractions including the popular Farmer's Market. Join us, remembering to take time to explore, learn and live. Visit us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, nature, the arts, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com Please share the link and we'd love to have you officially "follow" by signing up right here at the website.

Valenca, in the far north of Portugal, offers a relaxing, artistic place to visit for a few days. Sturdy, stunning buildings date back to the 13th Century, upgraded in the 17th Century. HISTORY, COLOR, MONUMENTS, SHOPS, CHURCHES, GRACIOUS PEOPLE AND TASTY FARE MARK VISIT TO PORTUGAL'S NORTH Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers above Valenca. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER VALENCA IS about as far north in Portugal that a traveler can go. Like many European towns, it was inhabited more than 300,000 years ago by the homo heidelbergensis, the first early humans to survive in colder climate. Its more recent history is still impressive, dating back centuries. Monuments on many corners tell of Valenca's history. Among the many who occupied Portugal, the Romans stand out because they occupied the land for more than 700 years, from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD. As they did wherever they explored, these enterprising travelers built cities, established civil government, fished and farmed the land, and connected settlements with a network of roads. In Portugal, they built above the Minho River which they crossed while traveling from Brago to Tui on the Spanish side, as early as the second century BC. Colorful fabrics are sold in Valenca's main streets and back roads -- aprons to tea towels and throws. AS ONE of the oldest countries in Europe, Portugal boasts a colorful history. Besides the Roman Empire, it was home to Iberian tribes, Celtic peoples, Germanic kingdoms, Muslim invaders and the consequent Christian Reconquista, and finally, the Exploration of the World. Portugal's Jewish community has a proud cultural and religious legacy dating back to antiquity. WE FOUND colorful Valenca a metaphor for Portugal itself. Beautiful streets and monuments, clean and welcoming parks and gardens, polite and gracious people, tasty simple fare and good local beer and wine. . Valenca is a little known stop to foreigners but has a proud history. The town is often confused with Valencia, Spain, by Americans and others outside Europe. That much larger Spanish city, however, is nine hours or 950 kilometers to the southeast. WE EXPLORED Valenca from our ship, docked at the nearby port of Vigo in Spain. We bought a tour package, but if one wants to go explore on one's own, it's only a $14 bus trip. Or take a train for a few dollars more. Remnants of Valenca's strong defense remain, as Keller illustrates with a canon. The streets of Valenca hold small squares, churches and mansions which held off invaders, even to the 19th Century. The short scenic drive makes it one of the few places in Europe where cruise passengers can easily visit two countries in a half-hour's time. THE MINHO River flows 210 miles through the northwestern extent of Spain, and marks Spain's border with Portugal for part of that distance. This border has been contentious for thousands of years, and today it's difficult to walk in this area without bumping into a star fort, a place where the enemy can be fired upon the entire length of the fortress wall, to the far bastion. This makes it difficult for attackers to find shelter outside the fort walls and from above, looks like points of a star. A Frida Kahlo pillow for a sister in Montana was a happy purchase from these Valenca artists. ONCE THE ROMANS left the area, the mix of cultures that became modern Europe galloped in: Arabs to Vikings were part of the mix -- people escaping persecution or poverty, or just looking for new horizons. Portuguese King Sancho I (1154-1211) earned the sobriquet "The Populator" by bringing Christians to northern Portugal in the 12th century. This squeezed out the aggressive Moors, who had conquered virtually all of the Iberian Peninsula by the 8th century. THE MOORS left beautiful architecture -- including exquisite tiles and mosaics -- and shaped the region's religion, cuisine, music and language. All this can be felt in Valenca -- though not to the degree of more southerly towns. We found Valenca a lovely place with some of the most pleasant people we've met on the road. Get ready for your close up soon when we venture to Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, through its famous gates and onto the lots. UP NEXT: We're taking readers on a star-studded tour of Paramount Studios so get ready for your close-up. The studio has produced some of the most famous films -- from "Forest Gump" to "Top Gun" and many time honored classics. Then on to Santa Barbara's beautiful Maritime Museum. And more food, glorious food as we take a bite of Mexican cuisine -- best seafood around -- with "AvoCabo Food Tours." Meanwhile, we urge readers to follow their dreams -- remembering to explore, learn and live. Please share the link: www.whereiscookie.com

A fine collection of seafaring artifacts combines with beautifully curated changing exhibits to show off Santa Barbara's proud maritime tradition and encourage preservation of the oceans. All ages welcome. School children enjoy the interactive aspect of the education oriented museum. UNIQUE MARITIME HERITAGE ON VIEW IN FAMILY ORIENTED MUSEUM WHICH EXPLORES WONDERS OF OUR FINE SEAS  Story by Christene Meyers Photos by Bruce Keller IF THE MENTION  of a maritime museum conjures thoughts of yellowing, ragged sails, salty old sea captains and outdated maps of long ago sailing days, think again. And head for the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. It's a jewel of a museum with a lively, contemporary spin on nautical life and an environmentalist's take on that precious, endangered commodity -- vital to our life -- the sea. Its beauty and importance are colorfully celebrated in this wondrous place, where all ages are educated about the sea's history and its critical contributions to our daily life. Christene "Cookie" Meyers pauses at the reception  desk during a visit exploring the sea's wonders. CALIFORNIA HAS  one of the country's longest and most colorful maritime collections and the staff at this lively museum knows this fact as it proudly shares the museum with tourists from all over the world. Says Rita Serotkin, director of marketing and public relations at the museum, "We provide a forum for  education and enlightenment" -- both of which we found to be true as she guided us through two stories of fascinating sea lore and lessons. We found the museum a joy to visit because it really has personality. It is warm, welcoming and friendly.  While many museums are a bit cold, austere and "stand-offish," the Santa Barbara  facility has an inviting aura.  Photographer Bruce Keller becomes the subject briefly on Santa Barbara's picturesque oceanfront by the museum. On our visit, we observed a lively mix of children, families, touring couples, sportsmen, "a fun mix of seafaring adventurers," as my sailor partner and photographer Bruce Keller observed. THE RANGE of programs includes presentations by native people whose connection to the sea goes back centuries.  Chumash Elder Puchuk Ya’ia’c (Alan Salazar) visited the museum in November to discuss “Chumash Maritime History—Past, Present, & Future” and encored recently with fellow writer and historian, Mona Lewis, to read from their new book, "Coyote Rescues Hawk." As with man of the museum's events, the presentation encouraged audience participation.  This time, participants created their own traditional seaweed rattles for a reasonable $25, including all materials for the artful project. Another presentation sets the record straight on who was first to complete a trans-Pacific voyage. (Hint:  it was not Magellan! It was a little known Afro-Portuguese pilot, Lope Martín.) As Serotkin explains, the museum's mission covers a wide range of ambitious goals -- involving children, entertaining adults and curious visitors, keeping its volunteer corps engaged and active, raising awareness, applying for grants, courting authors, getting the word out on upcoming programs and exhibits and beating the drum for important funding. Right outside the door of the museum, boats of every kind await. Audience participation and this time, participants created their own traditional seaweed rattles for a reasonable $25, including all materials for the artful project. Another presentation sets the record straight on who was first to complete a trans-Pacific voyage. (Hint:  it was not Magellan! It was a little known Afro-Portuguese pilot, Lope Martín.) As Serotkin explains, the museum's mission covers a wide range of ambitious goals -- involving children, entertaining adults and curious visitors, keeping its volunteer corps engaged and active, raising awareness, applying for grants, courting authors, getting the word out on upcoming programs and exhibits and beating the drum for important funding. WE URGE  visitors to make a pilgrimage to both floors where we learned about early Santa Barbara explorers -- Juan Cabrillo, who also explored our San Diego area. A Fresnel lighthouse lens offers beautiful shapes and colors. . The Chumash people are celebrated, along with whaling, the town's waterfront, and the birthplace of deep sea commercial diving. We also enjoyed elegantly crafted ship models by Dwight Brooks and learned about famous local shipwrecks. Oil spills, commercial fishing and Channel Islands ranching are also highlighted. THE MUSEUM has garnered awards for its fun, interactive maritime exhibits for kids as well as adults.  T he interactive visits include hands on and multi-media exhibits with an array of fine displays including photos. Families are encouraged to visit.  During our afternoon sojourn, we observed happy three generation groups, students and couples. We also wandered the wharf, had a delightful lunch at one of the great seafood restaurants, rented a boat for an afternoon jaunt and bought reasonably priced souvenirs at two of the shops. We recommend making a day outing to explore this important and artful museum -- nestled in the fascinating and historic Santa Barbara Harbor. MORE INFORMATION: www.sbmm.org 805 962-8404   A fado singer in Porto appears to be in a trance as she performs, surrounded by the two classic guitar accompanists.  On the left is the Portuguese guitar playing the melody and intricate counterpoints. On the right is the bass and rhythm guitarist providing those elements.   UP NEXT: Porto's fabulous Casa de Guitarra is a fascinating Museum of the Guitar, focusing on the instrument which is integral to Portuguese music. Fado singers must have the two guitars -- the traditional Portuguese guitar, left, and the rhythm and bass guitar, right.  Many clubs and bistros feature a fado singer or two on the program and we highly recommend guests take in a fado show while in Portugal.  Both Lisbon and Porto offer many options.  We'll explore several of the clubs and talk about the art form next week.  Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on music, theater, nature, family, travel and more. www.whereiscookie.com