July 22, 2019
It is one thing to walk along a path where people from centuries ago once traveled. But it is quite another to actually see the markings those people left behind; appearing as fresh and immediate as the day they were carved. Seeing the Waikoloa Petroglyph Field on the Big Island of Hawaii gives visitors an ...
October 18, 2018
A visit to Madrid’s Sorolla Museum almost feels like visiting the house of a dear old friend. Perhaps that may be due to the fact that this museum was once the actual home of artist Joaquin Sorolla up until his death in 1923. There is something very intimate and inviting about the structure, with its ...
August 9, 2018
Carlsbad, California has long been a favorite getaway for my family. Its proximity to Los Angeles makes getting there by car a breeze. Each visit offers something new. We usually stay at a charming resort overlooking the ocean. The town, quaint and very appealing, is perfect for exploring with its boutique shops, restaurants, cafes and ...
June 8, 2018
When I was a university student living in Europe as part of a study abroad program, my favorite places to visit were museums. They offered me a kind of solace. They were where I would go to get away from everything: the heavy course load I was carrying, the harried traffic of the city, the ...
March 3, 2018
On a beclouded winter day, when the sun cast a soft glow through the subdued haze and a mild gust stirred the air, I had the pleasure of visiting the South Coast Botanic Garden with my family. We picked a day that happened to be perfect: not too cold or too hot, and uncrowded, this ...
January 22, 2018
Hearst Castle was once a vacation home belonging to newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. It sits high atop a hill in San Simeon, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Its location is certainly beautiful, and was aptly named “La Cuesta Encantada,” The Enchanted Hill, for the views are simply enchanting. It was first opened to the ...
September 1, 2017
Upon passing through the main entrance to the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, one is greeted by tall palms flanking the drive like sentinels at attention. I couldn’t help whispering aloud, Ah… the avenue of palm trees, for I was reminded of the Avenue of Sphinxes leading to a grand temple in the desert ...
August 12, 2017
Not to be confused with the beach by the same name in Florida, Coco Plum Beach was my favorite beach on the island of Great Exuma, and easily the most beautiful beach I have ever visited as an adult, the other being one I went to as a child in the Caribbean. Several things make ...
August 1, 2017
The first thing that came to mind when I visited Alderbrook Resort & Spa was a dearly loved poem by Robert Frost: “The Road Not Taken.” Two roads diverged in a yellow wood… begins the famous poem. Only this particular wood is green and lies along the Hood Canal, and it led us to ...
July 31, 2017
Cats are amazing creatures: Intelligent, beautiful, strong and graceful. They have been celebrated in poetry and fiction, depicted in paintings and sculptures, and immortalized in myths and legends. The ancient Egyptians even had a cat goddess called Bastet who was the patron of Lower Egypt. The beauty and power of cats have inspired a sense ...
