It is 26 degrees outside. A frigid wind is blowing in from Canada, but I’m floating along the lazy river in SoundWaves, the first upscale indoor/outdoor resort water attraction in the nation. Gaylord Opryland Resort has always offered its guests lots to do from the impressive atriums filled with plants, flowers and a meandering indoor “river” to live music, dining,
“Abandoned Italy” Chronicles forgotten beauty
I often drive by deserted houses, factories and businesses and think about what they must have been like when they were brand new and their owners were full of hope for their families and their livelihoods. I wonder what I might find if I stopped and trudged through overgrown lawns, past no trespassing signs and enter these buildings. Would I
Travel: Taking Tours of Savannah
Bringing history to life BY MARILYN JONES 0 Centuries-old homes line the streets of Savannah. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARILYN JONES The Pirates’ House, serving meals and beverages to seafarers since 1753 — including pirates —is one of Old Savannah Tours’ hop-on-and-off stops. Characters from pop culture and Savannah’s storied past visit passengers at several locations along the tour route, including The
Cruise Offers Insight Into Russian Culture
By Marilyn Jones I am often asked what I liked best about a trip when I return home. Invariably I say the people. Most of the world’s population has the same priorities as I do: taking care of their families, cultivating friendships and their faith. Human differences are usually superfluous, proving to me we are all more alike than different,
Try Cruising on Your Next Family Vacation
By Marilyn Jones “Dr. Seuss is on the loose!”, children, their parents and at least one grandmother (me) shout as we parade with the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and Sam I Am from one end of Carnival Fantasy to the other. With provided noise makers and banners, we march past shops, the casino, a café, and passengers
Texas “dinosaur museum” is a big hit with children
My four-year-old granddaughter Ainsley loves fish, sea turtles, sharks and dinosaurs. Although when she started to talk she stumbled over certain words, she quickly learned the names of many dinosaurs – Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Brachiosaurus. Naranjo Museum of Natural History in Lufkin, Texas is an excellent place to visit for a little girl interested in all things prehistoric. This
January Brings Big New Year Savings for Adventurous Travelers
The gifts of the holidays continue at G Adventures this month, with savings on more than 300 of its guided, multi-day trips around the world during a January “Must Go Sale” designed to spark 2019 travel planning. Running now through January 31, discounts will offer travelers savings of up to 25 percent. I first experienced G Adventures when I visited
Louisiana fort opens the door on history
I am in luck. Well, sort of. It’s raining and not just a little. It’s pouring and there is no way I can tour Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site in the drenching rain especially without waterproof boots. I love history and the Natchitoches, Louisiana attraction is one I really want to explore. I look at the exhibits in
The Christmas Market Tradition
Northern European Christmas markets have been around since the fourteenth century originating in the German-speaking part of Europe. Although they have been popular with world travelers for a long time, the river cruise industry has shown a new spotlight on the fun, holiday shopping experience. When I sailed with Viking River Cruises, I visited markets in Nuremberg, Kelheim, Regensburg and
In central Turkey’s Cappadocia, a landscape of fairy chimneys and cave dwellings
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