Travel Examiner

Visit Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa -From the Pool to the Table

January 27, 2019March 11, 2020 California, Destinations 2

Story and Photos by Stephanie Levin. Like a beacon of good will that is anchored in the history of a bygone era, the Flamingo

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The Shanghai Bund as viewed from the Vue Bar at the top of the Hyatt Hotel, Shanghai, China

Revisiting The Bund in Shanghai with Harry and Selma.

January 15, 2019March 11, 2020 China, Destinations, John, Shanghai 5

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo. Shanghai was where my Great Uncle Harry died and my Great Aunt Selma was imprisoned during World War-II.

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Monterey Harbor from Lower Presidio Historic Park, California

Monterey’s Mosaic Mural Memorializes Missions, Marauding Mariners & More

January 9, 2019March 11, 2020 California, Destinations, Monterey 4

Story and Photos by David A. Laws. With more Mexican-era adobe buildings preserved and restored in downtown Monterey than anywhere else in the state,

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Escape to Chimney Rock at Point Reyes National Seashore,San Francisco Bay Area, Marin County, Northern California, California (Photo: John Williamson)

Point Reyes San Francisco Escape

December 27, 2018March 11, 2020 California, Destinations, Marin County, San Francisco 3

Story by Lee Daley Photos by John Williamson & Lee Daley. We are blessed in the San Francisco Bay Area with the stunningly beautiful

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In the Footsteps of a Genius Outlaw in Malta

December 9, 2018March 11, 2020 Destinations, Malta 2

Story and Photos by Libor Pospisil. Many places in the world claim to sit at some kind of crossroads. Malta, a small island in

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AmaPrima in Traben-Trarbach, Middle Moselle river, Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Rhine and Moselle Fairytale Cruise from Amsterdam to Basel aboard AmaPrima

December 9, 2018March 11, 2020 Cruises, Destinations 6

Story by Carol Canter Photos by Carol Canter and Jack Heyman. My first Zumba class took place on the Sundeck of the Ama Prima,

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Paul Gauguin’s Spiritual Journey Now at the de Young Museum in San Francisco

December 4, 2018December 4, 2018 California, News, Reviews, San Francisco, Stephanie 3

Text and photos by Stephanie Levin. French painter and Post-Impressionist, Paul Gauguin, cultivated and inhabited two images, one a sensitive artist, the other a

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Blueberry Memories

November 26, 2018December 30, 2019 Destinations, Food and Wine

Story by Judith Horstman. All year long the color of blueberries sleeps in the mind’s eye, elusive. A few days each year, I go

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Helpston Village sign, John Clare Country: Bucolic landscape of the most famous English poet you have never heard of

John Clare Country: the bucolic landscape for the most famous English Peasant Poet you’ve never heard of

November 26, 2018March 11, 2020 Destinations, England, UK 3

Story and Photos by David A. Laws. Byron, Keats, Wordsworth – for a few brief months in 1820, when his first book of verse

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Tongjng Hot Springs Resort, Chongqing, China

Tongjing Hot Springs Resort – a Three Gorges diversion on the Yangtze River in China

November 23, 2018March 11, 2020 Destinations 4

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo. Travelers to China often tour to Beijing (one of the oldest cities in the world; the Great Wall),

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Midnight Truffle Hunt

November 21, 2018January 10, 2020 Destinations, Food and Wine, Italy

Story and Photos by Jacqueline Harmon Butler. Somewhere in the distance a church bell chimed the midnight hour. A heavy mist made visibility along

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Yucatán immersion cruise: culture, history, archeology and cuisine.

October 29, 2018November 13, 2021 Destinations 2

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo. Taking a page from Anthony Bourdain: “Travel is not reward for working, it’s education for living.” For me,

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John Steinbeck: “Something to do in Salinas”

October 24, 2018March 11, 2020 Destinations

Story and photos by David Laws. “There was always something to do in Salinas. For pure culture we had The World of Art, with

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Oslo to Bergen by Train, Norway by Train

Norway by train: across mountains and through time

October 19, 2018March 11, 2020 Destinations, Norway, Train Travel, Train Travel 1

Story and Photos by Libor Pospisil. Traveling through Norway by train, I boarded the coach at Oslo’s Sentralstasjon (Central Station) and made myself comfortable

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Slow and Easy for a Barge Cruise in Burgundy

October 17, 2018March 19, 2019 Barge Tours, Cruises, Destinations, France, WineTasting 1

Story and Photos by Jacqueline Harmon Butler. Taking things slow and easy was Tina Turner’s advice in her song “Proud Mary.” Well, I’m taking

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The Andes, Ollantaytambo, Peru, The Road to Machu Picchu, Cusco region, Peru

Road to Machu Picchu: Ollantaytambo to Aquas Calientes

October 6, 2018August 17, 2021 Agua Calientes, Destinations, John, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, Peru, Road to Machu Picchu 2

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo. This is the third article in a series entitled “Road to Machu Picchu.” My wife and I thought

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Last Song in Mazatlán

September 27, 2018March 19, 2019 Destinations, Mexico 4

Story and Photos by Robert W. Bone. MAZATLÁN – Life moves smoothly along the shores of this Pacific coast town. Sunbathers take their cue

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An Appetite for Lisbon

September 6, 2018October 22, 2018 Destinations, Food and Wine, Lisbon

Story and Photos by Wanda Hennig. A gastronomic walking tour takes us on a devouring orgy as we taste our way through ten of

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Road to Machu Picchu: Pisac in Highlands Peru

August 20, 2018August 17, 2021 Destinations, Peru, Pisac

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo. Our journey into the Sacred Valley of the Incas, on the road to Machu Picchu, began in Cusco

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Stepping out Solo in Paris

August 13, 2018October 29, 2018 Destinations, Food and Wine, France, Stephanie 2

Story and Photos by Stephanie Levin. Traveling alone for a woman affords multiple advantages: she meets people she would never mingle with when traveling

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Croatian Islands cruise,Katerina Lines Futura, Dalmatian Island cruise, Croatia, Aegean Sea

Croatian Islands Cruise in the Adriatic Sea

August 4, 2018August 13, 2021 Croatia, Cruises, Destinations

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo. Croatian Islands Cruise: “There are more than a thousand Croatian islands in the Adriatic sea” our Katarina Line

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Bergen: Gateway to Norway’s fjords

June 22, 2018August 14, 2018 Destinations, Norway 3

Story and Photos by Carol Canter. Bergen was bathed in sunshine, turning our late afternoon arrival in Norway’s second city into a Kodak

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Croatian Wine Tasting in the Dalmatian Islands

June 11, 2018March 11, 2020 Croatia, Destinations, Food and Wine, John, Winery News, WineTasting

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo. On a recent Katarina Line cruise of Croatian discovery, we learned that wine makers in the Dalmatian Islands

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Rocky Mountaineer, riding the rails from Banff to Vancouver, BC, Canada, Canadian Trains, train travel, Maple Leaf Train, luxury train travel,

The Rocky Mountaineer from Banff to Vancouver

May 4, 2018June 15, 2018 Canada, Carol, Destinations 2

Story by Carol Canter with photos by Carol Canter and Jack Heyman. The train whistle blew, signaling the arrival of the sleek Rocky Mountaineer

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Parisian Train Stations, Gare d'Est Parisian Train Station, Paris, France

Exploring Parisian Train Stations

May 1, 2018May 28, 2018 Destinations, France, Paris, Stephanie 7

Story by Stephanie Levin. I’m often miffed that tourists prefer air to train travel once inside Europe, especially in Paris with its beautiful Parisian

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Upper Lake County, Upper Lake County, Timeless Main Street, Upper Lake, Lake County, California

Miles from Nowhere is just fine in Upper Lake County

April 16, 2018January 10, 2020 Destinations, Stephanie, Upper Lake County 1

Story and Photos by Stephanie Levin. We, who live in the Bay Area, have a tendency to boast about our place on the planet.

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Find Your Happy in Mendocino County

April 13, 2018April 14, 2023 Destinations, Food and Wine, John, Mendocino County 1

By John Sundsmo. The catchy logo of Mendocino County, “Find Your Happy,” was on display at the recent Taste of Mendocino held at San

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Sacred Valley of the Inca, Chincero, Peru

Road to Machu Picchu: Cusco to Pisac in the Sacred Valley of the Incas

March 24, 2018August 17, 2021 Cusco, Destinations, John 1

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo. Considering the once in a lifetime nature of a visit to Machu Picchu, my wife and I decided

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Hvar Island, Jewel of the Adriatic, A village trapped in time, the jewel of Croatia's Dalmatian coast

Hvar Island, Jewel of the Croatian Islands in the Adriatic Sea

March 21, 2018October 22, 2018 Croatia, Destinations, Stephanie 1

Story and Photos by Stephanie Levin. If you’re traveling to Croatia, and have only time for one island, set sail to Hvar Island. The

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Mekong River cruise, RV Amadara moored on Mekong River, Cruising the Mekong River with Ama Waterways, Vietnam and Cambodia cruise

A Mekong River cruise aboard RV AmaDara

March 11, 2018March 11, 2020 Carol, Destinations 3

Story by Carol Canter. Photos by Carol Canter and Jack Heyman. On a Mekong River cruise, we meandered along Asia’s “Mother River,” from Vietnam

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Kauai for Valentine's Day, Garden Isle, Hawaii, romance, Princeville, Poipu, Beach House, Princeville Resort Ocean Villas

Kauai for Valentine’s Day and Beyond

February 13, 2018September 29, 2020 Destinations, Kauai, Lee

Story by Lee Daley Update 9/29/20: Hawaiian Airlines has implemented a Keeping You Safe program and is now offering 36 hour and same-day drive-up

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Entrance to the Grand Canal by Canaletto, Casanova exhibit, Legion of Honor, San Francisco

Casanova, The Seduction of Europe opens at the Legion of Honor

February 9, 2018June 10, 2018 Italy, News, Reviews, San Francisco, Stephanie, Venice

Story by Stephanie Levin. An intellectual, social and artistic enlightenment swept through Europe in the 18th Century that lasted a hundred years. In an

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Renaissance Barge, Floating the Loire Canal on the Renaissance Barge, Burgundy, France

Floating the Loire River Canal on the Renaissance Barge

February 6, 2018March 19, 2019 Barge Tours, Cruises, Destinations, France, Jacqueline, Uncategorized 1

Story and Photos by Jacqueline Harmon Butler. “Madame, would you like another glass of Champagne?” “Oh yes,” I replied with a smile, holding

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Céret, Céret, France, town square and plaza, murals on walls painted by local artist, FAS.

New Faces in Céret

January 28, 2018June 10, 2018 Destinations, France 2

Story and Photos by Elaine Koerner Spotted any new (or should that be old?) faces of late while strolling the streets of Céret in

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Exploring the Cheshire Ring Canals

January 26, 2018August 31, 2021 Barge Tours, Cruises, Destinations, England, John, UK 1

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo Exploring the Cheshire Ring Canals: “Wheer yo’ fro’?” said the man in tweed as he and his spaniel

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Taste of Travel, Bay Area Travel Writers Taste of Travel Fall 2017

Bay Area Travel Writers publishes Taste of Travel Fall 2017

January 18, 2018May 28, 2018 Food and Wine, John, Lee, Reviews

By Lee Daley and John Sundsmo Taste of Travel News: Reading the Fall 2017, second publication, by the Bay Area Travel Writers Taste of

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Georgos greek wine captures the spirit of wines produced on the island of Santorini, Greece

Greek Wines from Sonoma

January 11, 2018March 11, 2020 Destinations, Europe, Food and Wine, Greece, Greece, John, Santorini, Santorini, WineTasting

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo. A memorable few years ago my wife and I visited the Greek islands of Santorini and Paros. There

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Caribbean cruise, Holland America Lines Half Moon Cay island in the Bahamas, Caribbean visited from the ship ms Nieuw Amsterdam

Caribbean Cruise Vacation

December 22, 2017March 11, 2020 Bahama, Caribbean, Cruises, John 4

Story and photos by John Sundsmo. “Welcome to Half Moon Cay population 45, five miles long and 2.5 wide” our Bahamian nature guide said.

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dinner at Chez Didier, Moule au fou, Eclade, a specialty of the Charente region of France,French dining with friendship on mussels, La Rochelle, France

My Dinner at Chez Didier

November 22, 2017December 4, 2018 Destinations, Food and Wine, France, La Rochelle, Stephanie 2

Photos and story by Stephanie Levin. It’s never about food. It’s about the people who share your table, who invite you into the beautiful

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European Train Travel, Why I love Train Travel in Europe. TGV train, Riding the Rails in Europe from Paris to Dijon

Why I love European Train Travel

August 30, 2017June 8, 2018 Destinations, Europe, Food and Wine, Hotel Reviews, Jacqueline 2

Story by Jacqueline Harmon Butler. On my first trip to Europe many years ago, my sister Patty and I traveled around Ireland, England, Scotland,

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'Blues is a Woman' Custom Made Theater, San Francisco, CA

Review: ‘Blues is a Woman’ relives the Greats

August 11, 2017May 28, 2018 Carol, Concert Events, News, Reviews, San Francisco

Story by Carol Canter. ‘Blues is a Woman,’ from Ma Rainey to Bonnie Raitt, at San Francisco’s ”Custom Made Theater through August 27 I

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A slice of Tuscany, Sunset in Pogiacolle agriturisn, Tuscany, Italy

In Italy, a Slice of Tuscany

August 7, 2017January 10, 2020 Food and Wine, Italy, Stephanie, Tuscany 2

Photos and story by Stephanie Levin. When Frances Mayes’ book, Under the Tuscan Sun, became an overnight success, traveling to Tuscany became De rigueur.

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Burgundy Canal aboard European Waterways’ La Belle Epoque

June 24, 2017March 19, 2019 Barge Tours, Carol, Europe, Food and Wine 3

Story by Carol Canter Photos by Carol Canter and Jack Heyman. La Belle Epoque, European Waterways’ six-room floating boutique barge hotel, cruises the Burgundy

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Impressions of Venice Then and Now

June 17, 2017January 10, 2020 Destinations, Stephanie, Venice 2

Story and photos by Stephanie Levin. My last memory of Venice was as a 21 year old, running to catch a train with a

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Fairy Ring Search at Haunted Waterford Castle

June 11, 2017May 28, 2018 Destinations, Europe, Hotel Reviews, Ireland, Jacqueline

Story by Jacqueline Harmon-Butler. “There’s a wee Fairy Ring out there in that meadow somewhere,” said the taxi driver as we drove up the

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Switzerland, Swiss Travel Pass, Paddlewheel Steamer La Suiss on Lake Lucerne, Switzerlande

The Best Way To Travel Through Switzerland

May 29, 2017May 28, 2018 Carol, Destinations, Switzerland 1

Story by Carol Canter with Photos by Carol Canter and Jack Heyman. We looped through Switzerland on a 15-day Swiss Travel Pass in May,

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Rancho La Puerta, Mexico, Patio off the dining room where many choose to relax during lunch at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico

Rancho La Puerta to Enrich, Relax and Renew

May 25, 2017March 19, 2019 Desert, Food and Wine, Hotel Reviews, Mexico, Reviews, Stephanie 3

Story and Photos by Stephanie Levin. Located at the base of mystical Mount Kuchumaa range, Rancho La Puerta defies definition. Some hail it a

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The Fire of Mount Etna, Antico Souvenir shop near the summit. This is where shop keeper, Enrico, offered samples of various olive oils.

In Italy, the Fire of Mount Etna

May 17, 2017January 10, 2020 Destinations, Italy, Jacqueline 2

Story and Photos by Jacqueline Harmon-Butler. Mount Etna, Italy. As I stood pondering the wares of the Antico Souvenir, near the summit of Mount

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Lisbon. The ubiquitous pastéis de nata, Portugal’s most famous pastry, a love affair tart, Lisbon, Portugal's very best where people stand in line.

A Lisbon Love Affair with a Famous Tart

April 26, 2017May 28, 2018 Destinations, Food and Wine, Lisbon 2

Story and Photos by Wanda Hennig. Pastéis de nata: Portugal’s sweetest and most replicated tartlets. Versions of them tempt fans in cafés, tea rooms,

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Carnevale di Venezia, Carnival of Venice, Carnival, Venice, Italy

Carnevale Di Venezia is hot but Baby It’s Cold Outside

April 24, 2017February 27, 2020 Destinations, Jacqueline, Venice 2

Story and Photos by Jacqueline Harmon Butler. Tuesday was the last day of Carnevale – and my last chance to wear one of the

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Summer of Love, 1967 Summer of Love Exhibit, De Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA

The Summer of Love Opened at the DeYoung Museum in 2017

April 14, 2017October 16, 2022 Destinations, News, San Francisco, Stephanie 2

Story by Stephanie Levin. Summer of Love: If you are of a certain age, Scott McKenzie’s lyrics are forever etched in your memory. “If

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Road to Death Valley Meditation

March 26, 2017March 11, 2020 California, Desert, Destinations, John 1

Story and photos by John Sundsmo. Symbolic of new beginnings and new life, wild flowers are just beginning to be seen in the deserts

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Scottish Highllands, Dazzling Achmelvich Beach, Scottish Highlands

Road tripping in the Scottish Highlands

March 24, 2017May 28, 2018 Destinations, Food and Wine, Scotland

Story and Photos by Monique Burns. Road tripping through the Scottish Highlands. Framed by lofty mountains and etched by trickling burns and rushing rivers,

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Willits The Heart of Mendocino County California; sign given to the city by Reno, NV

Willits Whistlestop Weekend

March 12, 2017March 11, 2020 Destinations, John, Mendocino County, Willits 3

Story and Photos by John Sundsmo. “You’re moving where? – Willits – where’s that?,” my museum guide, Dirk, told me his personal story as

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Claude Monet painting "La Grenouillère", a boating and bathing resort on the Seine, not far from Paris. Monet quote: "I do have a dream, a painting, the baths of La Grenouillère, for which I have made some bad sketches, but it is only a dream. 1869 Medium: Oil on canvas Now on exhibit "The Monet Early Days" at the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, CA

Monet: The Early Years at The Legion of Honor

March 7, 2017May 28, 2018 Destinations, News, Reviews, San Francisco, Stephanie

Photos and Story by Stephanie Levin. On a chilly, wintery Parisian afternoon I descended the staircase in the Musée de l’Orangerie and discovered Monet’s

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Bay Area Travel Writers 2017 publication Taste of Travel, Cover Photo by Rhonda Gutenberg.

Bay Area Travel Writers publishes Taste of Travel

February 27, 2017May 28, 2018 Food and Wine, Lee, News 1

By Lee Daley Taste of Travel News: Reading the latest publication by the Bay Area Travel Writers put me in the mood for a

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Views of Rio de Janeiro and Sugarloaf Mountain from the cable car

Rio de Janeiro Highs

February 20, 2017May 28, 2018 Brazil, Carol, Destinations

Story and Photos By Carol Canter. The annual approach of Carnival turns my thoughts to Brazil and especially to Rio de Janeiro. I fell

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A Dylan Thomas Pilgrimage in Wales

February 16, 2017January 10, 2020 Destinations, Wales

By Monique Burns. With velvety green hills and dells, craggy mountains and moon-shaped bays, sandy estuaries dappled with cockles and mussels and miles of

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Best Places to Kiss in San Francisco

February 7, 2017January 10, 2020 Destinations, San Francisco, Stephanie 1

by Stephanie Levin. “It’s in his kiss, that’s where it is.” Yes, indeed, that zingy sensation causing our hearts to turn somersaults is in

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Pozole Thursdays at El Profe, Coacoyul, Mexico

January 26, 2017March 19, 2019 Carol, Destinations, Food and Wine, Mexico 4

Story and photos by Carol Canter. El Profe puts the hamlet of Coacoyul on the map every Thursday afternoon from 2 p.m. when the

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Culinary Poland in the time of Chopin

January 20, 2017May 28, 2018 Destinations, Food and Wine, Poland 4

Story and photos by Wanda Hennig. When Fryderyk Chopin was born March of 1810, 29 miles west of Warsaw in Żelazowa Wola, in the

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Hoi An, Vietnam, port town, fishing village, UNESCO

Our Dreams of Vietnam. Part Two

January 15, 2017January 10, 2020 Destinations, Vietnam 1

By Karen Misuraca and Jessica Misuraca This article originally appeared in the curated site: www.deepculturetravel.com. Old Town of Hoi An Our Vietnam journey continues

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Lower Laurentians, Bases-Laurentides, Canada

The Lower Laurentians Canada

January 12, 2017May 28, 2018 Canada, Destinations, Stephanie

Story and photos By Stephanie Levin. Warning! This is not a quiz. But if you’re not from Canada, or your geographical antenna isn’t pointed

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maritime heritage, Old Harbor Reykjavik, Iceland, wooden fishing boat, harbor

Old Harbor Reykjavik and its Maritime Heritage

January 10, 2017August 21, 2021 Destinations, Iceland, John

Story and photos by John Sundsmo. As our plane came in for a landing at Reykjavik Keflavik International Airport on Iceland I looked out

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Adventurous Pursuits in Coastal Peru

January 8, 2017January 10, 2020 Destinations, Peru

By Monique Burns. Ernest Hemingway came to the Peru Coast in 1956—partly to hunt black marlin, partly to oversee the filming of his monumental

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South Africa’s Buddhist Retreat Center

January 2, 2017May 28, 2018 Africa, Destinations 3

Story and photos by Wanda Hennig. The Buddhist Retreat Center in rural South Africa has been ranked among the top ten on CNN’s “Best

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Vietnam floating maket, Mekong River, Vietnam

Our Dreams of Vietnam. Part One

December 30, 2016January 10, 2020 Destinations, Vietnam 1

By Karen Misuraca and Jessica Misuraca. This article originally appeared in the curated site: www.deepculturetravel.com. Mother and daughter, we embarked on a three-week tour

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Paris Progressive Supper and Moveable Feast

December 14, 2016May 28, 2018 Destinations, Food and Wine, Jacqueline, Paris 1

By Jacqueline Harmon Butler. Ernest Hemingway called Paris a “movable feast,” and I have always agreed with him. On my last night in Paris,

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Mexico’s Dia de Guadalupe Celebration

December 8, 2016March 11, 2020 Carol, Destinations, Mexico 2

Photos and Story by Carol Canter. The magic of the holiday season in Mexico begins the eve of December 12 with candlelight processions all

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Norway: Cruising, crab hunting and fine cuisine

December 7, 2016March 19, 2019 Destinations, Norway

By Monique Burns. In Norway, I signed on for Hurtigruten’s six-day coastal cruise in late summer when the Midnight Sun stays high in the

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Transcendence Theatre Company, Sonoma performancerformance

Transcendence Theatre Company Performance

November 30, 2016November 19, 2018 Lee, News 1

By Lee Daley. Transcendence 2018 will be held Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2018 at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. For

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Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. Part Two

November 28, 2016May 28, 2018 Carol, Destinations, Ireland 1

Story and Photos by Carol Canter. Continuing our exploration of Ireland via its Wild Atlantic Way, we returned to Killarney, gateway to the magnificent

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2017 Cuisine and Culture Tours Foodies Alert

November 18, 2016May 28, 2018 Food and Wine, Reviews

By Karen Misuraca. My first food-focused vacation was with Kandra Kitchen Crete, when the queen of Greek cuisine, Rosemary Barron, held forth in her

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Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way

November 18, 2016March 11, 2020 Carol, Europe, Ireland 1

Story and Photos by Carol Canter. Part One. To experience the coastal drama of Western Ireland, we took to the road in early October

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Alluring Autumn Art Exhibitions at 3 San Francisco Museums

November 7, 2016May 28, 2018 Carol, Destinations, Reviews

By Carol Canter. Three of the top San Francisco autumn art exhibitions feature artists as diverse as Bruce Conner, “realist, surrealist, hippie, punk;” The

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