It’s that time of year when we start thinking about what to get family and friends for the holidays. If your loved one is a traveler, there’s seemingly no limit to great gift giving ideas. Luggage Luggage is a great gift idea even for the little ones on your list. I decided earlier in the year to get my three-year-old granddaughter a suitcase. At first I looked at the usual child’s suitcase, but I kept

During my travels I stay in lovely hotels all over the world, but none lovelier than the opulent Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul. After a 12 hour Turkish Airlines direct flight from Houston I am taken to the hotel by a representative of KD Tourism & Travel. The hotel reception area is charming and beautiful, but, as I will soon find out, only the tip of the iceberg. Shortly after I arrive

I am picked up at the airport in Kayseri, Turkey by Travel Atelier guide Bunyamin Ozmen. It’s close to noon, so we head for the Old Greek House for lunch in the village of Mustafapasa. The restaurant is housed in a 19^th century stone mansion. Its first owner was a Greek artist by the name of Yorha Vasil. The house was sold to the Ozturk

I am on a mission. I check into Riverview Mansion Bed & Breakfast for the night, but I hardly take in the ornate Victorian beauty surrounding me in this mansion overlooking the Ohio River when I am out the door and back in my car again. This is Metropolis and, according to the State of Illinois Legislature, the hometown of Superman. My first stop is the iconic 15-foot tall Superman statue on Superman Square. After

A few miles from Charleston and Wild Dunes Resort where I am staying is Boone Hall Plantation; a gracious, beautiful plantation lovingly restored and open for tour for anyone wanting to grasp a little of yesteryear. I have wanted to visit since I saw a young Patrick Swayze ride a horse up the long entrance lined with live oak trees draped in Spanish moss in the 1985 historic miniseries “North and South.”

I just discovered a great new computer! The HP Envy x360 laptops are 2-in-1 devices that can transfer from a laptop to a tablet in seconds. HP Envy Highlights Featuring Windows 10, it brings back the start menu from Windows 7 and new features, like the Edge Web browser that lets you markup Web pages on your screen. The full HD touch screen offers 1920 x 1080

I admit I am a little nervous when I sign up for a sweetgrass basket workshop. Making one of the traditional baskets associated with Charleston seems nearly impossible as I watch my instructor taking out amazing examples of her work to show me. This is an activity coordinated for Wild Dunes Resort guests. Located on Isle of Palms, South Carolina, the resort is known for its beautiful

I set out to see America on May 27. With my bags packed, gifts for family and friends ready, and a 2018 Kia Niro to try out, I set off on a three-week solo adventure. I left my home in Texas and headed east to Birmingham, Alabama. The Westin Birmingham in downtown was my base. Between raindrops the next day, I visited Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Vulcan Park and Museum, and

Vulcan Park and Museum should be the first place you visit when you arrive in Birmingham. With its spectacular view of the city and the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau information center, it’s the best place to learn about the city, its rich history and its many attractions. Vulcan, at the center of the park, is the world’s largest cast iron statue. Made of 100,000 pounds of iron, the 56 foot tall