After being closed for almost a year, the free-admission walk-up visits to the grave of Elvis Presley are now open again. Visitor walk-up times are daily from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Although many people may not know it, fans can visit Meditation Garden at Graceland in Memphis without charge before the mansion opens for the day. The Garden was closed to walk-up times in March 2020 because of COVID-19. Read more...

With great ceremony and celebration, the Holy Door of the Cathedral of Santiago is now open. And because of the global pandemic, the Vatican has announced a major exemption to allow the Holy Door in Spain to remain open for two years instead of the traditional one. Read more...

Surrounded by cats of all sizes waving their paws is a bit hypnotic. Maybe that’s how the owner of this unusual place got started on her surprising feline collection. The little cuties might have hypnotized her.

Micha Robertson shares her lucky cat collection in her museum

“I’ve just always loved cats,” owner Micha Robertson said. “From the time I was born, I have had cats. And I’ve always collected cat-themed merchandise.” Read more...

                        You never know who you are doing to meet or what a topic of conversation might be on a cruise ship.  On a 2019 S.S. Legacy cruise on the Columbia and Snake rivers, my dinner companions were talking one night about gourmet mustard. Read more...

For those planning a cruise, Crown Cruise Vacations President Ross Spalding and his team of travel and cruise specialists are experts at booking families, friends and individuals on their dream cruise vacations. A great place for inspiration and insight when booking a cruise vacation is the Crown Cruise Vacations blog. Read more...

Dear Friends,

As we head into Fall, we want to take a moment to share with you where things stand in the Cruise World and when we might see some cruises resume in the US. Today, we have good news to share!

Cruise Lines in Europe have started returning to service in Europe on a limited basis, and with success. As a result, Cruise Lines across our country put together new plans of action that take the lessons learned from these first steps to ensure that we have a healthy return to cruising in the very near future. All the major cruise lines have submitted plans with the CDC in the last week to institute new protocols to minimize any risk and help guarantee the safety of guests and crew alike. Read more...

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

This is a toughie. It has two parts. Who is the man in the sculpture and where is the sculpture located?

I might have been able to answer the first question correctly. But I’m pretty sure I would have been stumped at the second one if I hadn’t visited the museum a few months ago. Read more...

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

Growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains, Dolly Parton read a book that helped change her life. Although her father couldn’t read or write, he encouraged his children to embrace education and was proud to see his daughter enjoy “book learning.” Read more...

She made it look so easy. A few knots here, some stylish tucks there, a loop around the neck. And viola. A beautiful pareo, the sarong-like clothing worn by Polynesian men and women.

Asking for volunteers from our group of cruise ship passengers, the Mama Ruta designer created four different sarong styles. That was quite impressive but what I found even more interesting was how the artists at Mama Ruta’s hand craft the colorful fabrics used to make the pareos. Read more...

The first cruise I ever took was the 1976 inaugural tour of the Mississippi Queen. The paddle wheeler went from New Orleans to Cincinnati for my memorable voyage.

A favorite of cruisers, the Mississippi Queen was dismantled and sold for scrap in 2011. A sad loss for her many fans. Read more...