By Marilyn Jones In the predawn hours, an employee from Voyager Balloons meets me at my hotel and drives to a large facility where dozens of other would-be flyers wait. Each of us is assigned a number, and we are soon directed to corresponding vans. Our driver weaves along a bumpy dirt road lined with hot-air balloons in various stages of
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Exploring Canada by Rail
I want to again visit Canada in the New Year. I’ve read about and spoken to friends about taking the train to tour this country as well as researched sailing its waters. I came across Vacations By Rail offering dozens of rail options in Canada as well as the rest of the world. The company uses rail travel as all
Traces of Hollywood in North Carolina
By Marilyn Jones I’m greeted by a middle-age man draped in Mardi Gras beads and sporting a megaphone, waiting for others to join his Hollywood Location Walk in Wilmington, N.C. Spiel Stevenberg (Mike Hartle) thrusts a scrapbook at me of author Nicholas Sparks’ movies filmed in the area, including A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, and Nights in Rodanthe. He also shows me
Charleston Plantation offers a glimpse of yesteryear
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
This computer is a laptop and a tablet!
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
There’s nothing like a road trip to see America
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,
Vulcan – Always Watching Over Birmingham
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
Time Travel in Wilmington, NC
Colonized in the 1720s, Wilmington prospered as an English settlement because of its location on the Cape Fear River. It grew into a busy port community with new residents flocking to the area from colonies throughout North Carolina and South Carolina. For anyone curious about what it was like for the wealthy during this time, they can tour Burgwin-Wright House and
Visiting an ancient Egyptian Monastery
Thinking of Egypt and history brings to mind pyramids, tombs, gods, goddesses and ancient kings and queens. But on a G Adventures tour, I also visit St Bishoy Monastery. The Coptic Christian monastery was founded in the fourth century. The current complex dates to the ninth century. St. Bishoy is the most eastern monastery in the Wadi El-Natrun. The desert is located about
Luxury Accommodations Add to South African Experience
A hotel can stand alone as a destination anywhere in the world. While traveling throughout South Africa, I stayed at several hotels and resorts that were much more than a place to hang my hat and get a good night’s sleep. They had history, character and charm. The Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa The Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa in