He strutted down the street like he was cock of the walk.

“He’s beautiful and he knows it,” a woman said, watching me try to take a photo of the confident rooster.

I think she was right. Perhaps this preening critter knew that he was a popular sight and that he could come and go as he pleased – protected by the laws of this American city. Read more...

Once upon a time, Otto Osthoff brought his sick wife Paulina to Elkhart Lake in hopes that the peaceful place and rejuvenating waters might restore her health. They did.

So Otto did what any smart loving husband would do. In 1886, he opened a resort with room for 120 guests near the Wisconsin lake. Now his wife and family and guests could relax and enjoy to their heart’s content. Read more...

When I was a little girl, my Dad told me about the great New Madrid earthquake. It was so bad, he said, that the mighty Mississippi actually flowed backwards.

I wasn’t sure if that was true or if Dad was just regaling me with a tall tale. Of course, it actually was true. And it happened in New Madrid, Missouri. Read more...

Enjoy the weekend festivities! With best wishes from friends & family at Crown Cruise Vacations …

Thanks to my high school English teacher Miss Frances Cappel, I knew the significance of the pearl sculpture on the beautiful malecon in La Paz, Mexico.

I also knew a bit of the history of this Baja California Sur capital whose name means “The Peace.” Read more...

My grandson knew the answer to this cruise trivia. I didn’t learn it until I took a cruise aboard the Viking Sky. Of course, my young grandson is far more tech savvy than I am.

The cruise trivia question involves the popular Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth uses a radio frequency to share data over a short distance eliminating the need for wires. Bluetooth can be used on mobile devices to share documents or to connect with other Bluetooth-enabled gadgets. Read more...

Looking for a fun food day to celebrate? Mark your 2022 calendar for April 6^th as National Food Faces Day.

Appropriately, the celebration falls on the same day as the birthday for Rudi Sodamin, the Holland America Line master chef, who has been playing with food for years. In fact, the holiday honors Sodamin’s expertise and was created by Holland America Line which will be celebrating its 150 years as a cruise line in 2022. Read more...

After a year of suspending its tours and cruises because of COVID-19, Tauck has announced that the company plans to fully restart its U.S. tours by July 1.

To prepare for restarting, Tauck ran several departures of its “Wonderland: Yellowstone in Winter” itinerary in January and February. The overall success of those tours was a key factor in leading to Tauck’s decision for a full restart of U.S. tours. Read more...

A new riverboat will soon be cruising the mighty Mississippi. In fact, the river is included in her name and prospective passengers are booking up cruises.

“We are pleased with the continued response and support we have received from loyal guests and valued partners ahead of our new Mississippi River sailings,” Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking, said in a news release. Read more...