Santa Barbara, California, is a paradise, where you can embrace endless pleasures of California landscape from the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains to wine vineyards and the Pacific coastline. It’s a classical city that reflects its dramatic Spanish history. …
The Birth of America & The Virginia Wine Industry
I have written about the wines of northern Virginia and the history of the Leesburg in Loudoun County area and its impact on the Revolutionary War. Another story dealt with both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars when I visited Valley …
Read More "The Birth of America & The Virginia Wine Industry"
Oxnard, A Great Destination Travel Spot by Bonnie and Bill Neely
Oxnard, California, is a special place, just north of Los Angeles, where you’ll find a quiet, beautiful, clean city for a perfect get away in the strawberry, vegetable, and flower growing center of Southern California. It is the Gateway to …
Read More "Oxnard, A Great Destination Travel Spot by Bonnie and Bill Neely"
Bourbon! Bourbon! Everywhere! by Maxine Sommers
Did you know bourbon is the only true American spirit? The enterprising early American settlers, taking advantage of the fields of corn surrounding their cabins, discovered they could use corn to brew whiskey. Today bourbon must be made with a …
New Zealand’s Dazzling Islands by Sandra and John Scott
Christchurch, on New Zealand’s South Island, a three-hour flight from Sydney, Australia, is the most English city outside of England. And, like England, people go punting on the tree-lined Avon River. The city is renowned for its gardens, and a …
Read More "New Zealand’s Dazzling Islands by Sandra and John Scott"
Cruising the Baltic Sea with Crystal by Lisa Codianne Fowler
Everyone looks glamorous. It’s like being in a movie, and we are all stars. The Captain’s Welcome Reception is some combination of senior prom night and the scene from the film “American President” when Annette Benning joins Michael Douglas at …
Read More "Cruising the Baltic Sea with Crystal by Lisa Codianne Fowler"
A Visit to the Kingdom of the Mountain Gorilla by Hank Lowenstein
We left New York on a frigid Friday evening in January, and after a brief stopover in Paris to acclimate to the time change, we arrived in Kigali Rwanda on the eve of the Inauguration of Barack Obama. I was …
Read More "A Visit to the Kingdom of the Mountain Gorilla by Hank Lowenstein"
Treasures of Portland, OR, & Willamette Valley Wine Country
Have you traveled to Portland, Oregon? If not, make plans soon to visit one of the most interesting cities in the country. Beginning with Portland’s airport I was immediately struck by the friendly attitude of everyone. Even though it’s a …
Read More "Treasures of Portland, OR, & Willamette Valley Wine Country"
It Was A Revolutionary Civil War by Ron Kapon
I recently experienced two historic years: 1777 and 1863 involving George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. I combined two invitations into a condensed four-day lesson in rather specific American history. Now some background material. Valley …
Galapagos: The Ride of Your Life by Terry Zinn
In Spanish, Galapagos, is related to the word saddle, which describes a certain shell shape covering the land tortoise found on the islands by early Spanish explorers. Saddle could not be a better metaphor for the whole Ecuadorian and Galapagos …
