Looking for a weekend getaway where the whole weekend isnt spent on the drive? Try the Hocking Hills area of Ohio, only about a two and a half hour drive from Downtown Cincinnati. This is an area of natural beauty with parks and caves, lakes, waterfalls and trails where you can explore it all. Some of the more popular areas feature such picturesque names as Old Mans Cave, Cedar Falls, Lake Hope, Rock Bridge, and many more. More...
We all know Kentucky's Bourbon is world-famous and big business for the state. For a delightful adventure (adults only), take a little time to follow the Bourbon Trail and visit one or all six of the most famous distilleries in the world, all in relatively close proximity. More...
Squire Boone Caverns near historic Corydon, IN. offers interesting and informative cave tours with underground waterfalls, rushing rivers, and ever-changing stalactites and stalagmites, all accessible by lighted walkways in a comfortable 54 degree temperature.Discovered by Squire Boone and his better-known brother, Daniel, around 1790, the caverns are now the final resting place of Squire, who passed away in 1815. He once escaped a band of Indians in the caves and lived with his family in the area. More...
PARIS (Reuters) - Defenders of the French language are furious at plans to introduce courses taught in English at public universities, arguing that France must protect itself against linguistic encroachment or risk losing its cultural identity. More...
ANKARA (Reuters) - Scholars around the Muslim world were alarmed five years ago by news reports that Turkey planned a new, possibly heretical compilation of the Prophet Mohammad's sayings that might scrap those it thought were out of date. More...
KUWAIT (Reuters) - After two lackluster decades, Kuwait is experiencing a quiet revival of an arts scene once known as the most avant garde in the Gulf, thanks to a new generation eager to tackle sensitive issues using cutting-edge art forms. More...
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - An 80-year-old Japanese mountain climber who has had four heart surgeries reached the top of Mount Everest on Thursday becoming the oldest person to conquer the world's highest mountain. More...
ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday urged Catholics in China to remain loyal to the Vatican, whose authority is challenged by China's Communist rulers. More...
Before I continue with the Walt Disney World portion of my recent trip to Orlando, I just have to stipulate that I am a dyed-in-the-wool Disney World fan. Even though I have no children, and my two friends and I were there to enjoy a girls trip, we really get into the Disney spirit. More...
Just got back from a girls getaway to Orlando, and we had a great time. There were three of us, all single, and we chose Orlando for a number of reasons. One, we love the hot weather. Two, we enjoy the Disney experience. And last, but certainly not least, Orlando is one of the cheapest destinations you can fly to from Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. More...
In an earlier column I mentioned that when I was in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to attend the 2012 Billboard Music Awards held at the MGM Resort & Casino. A couple of friends and I were in Vegas and headed up to the MGM hoping to catch a glimpse of a music star or two as they entered the arena, when a rep of one of the sponsors of the show, Sundrop, asked us, out of the blue, if wed like to see the show. Of course, we jumped at the chance, and joined the throngs of fans in the huge MGM Garden Arena. Fortunately, I had my camera with me, and wanted to share a few of the shots I got with you. More...
I mentioned last time that I had visited the Grand Canyon while on a recent vacation to Las Vegas. This was a great side trip, and, if youre going to be in Vegas for longer than a few days, its a nice way to break up your trip. We took the Canyon tour smack dab in the middle of our week in Sin City. This way, we didnt feel we were giving up any of our time for the Vegas experience the first few days, but we didnt get bored with the casinos and the glitz. After a veeery long day of touring the Canyon, we were ready to relax and start the Vegas part of our get-away all over again. More...
A couple of weeks ago, I went to Vegas with two girlfriends for a week. We had all been there before, so we were somewhat familiar with the town and its ups and downs. The ups are numerous. Great hotels, fantastic entertainment, restaurants, restaurants and more restaurants, shopping to die for, lots of sunshine, and time to relax. More...
Our final port of call on this unforgettable cruise was Copenhagen, Denmark. After all the historical sites and museums we had seen over the past few days (gorgeous as they were), we decided to do something a little different in Copenhagen. In this lovely city, we opted for a short overview tour, with a destination of Tivoli Gardens and Amusement Park. More...
When we read on our sailing itinerary that one of our stops was Tallinn, Estonia, our first question was, Where's that? Well, Tallinn is the Capital of Estonia and is located in Northern Europe, south of Helsinki, Finland, east of Stockholm, Sweden, and west of St. Petersburg, Russia. More...
Our next port was the one I was most looking forward to because I never thought the day would come when I would be visiting St. Petersburg, Russia. Just a comment about a cruise that goes to Russia. For all cruises, of course, you need a valid passport. The cruise line tries to make it easy for their passengers by arranging with the other ports in Europe for you to go ashore without a visa for each country. This is not the case in the Russian ports. You do not need a visa if you are on a recognized tour while in the country. However, you cannot leave the ship on your own without a visa. Theres no getting off and hailing a cab to go into town and sightsee or shop. If you are not on a tour, you must stay aboard the ship. You can use a tour company other than the ship; however, you must be sure they are licensed to take tours off the cruise without visas. To avoid all this hassle, we just booked a tour on the ship. More...
Our cruise continued from Berlin on to Stockholm, Sweden, after a day at sea. These sea days (we had one before Berlin as well), are life-savers on a longer cruise such as this one. The days in port are strenuous because you want to see everything possible, so sea days are a time to relax, meet your fellow passengers, or maybe even take a nap so that you can dance till dawn in the ships disco if thats what suits your fancy. There are numerous ways to pass the time if youre looking for something to do. You can use the indoor pool, or have a spa day. There are lectures on the upcoming ports, and classes on various subjects if that interests you. More...
The first official stop on our cruise was Warnemunde, Germany, a small coastal village with a few attractions within walking distance of the ship. There is also a nearby medieval town, Rostock, for passengers who dont want to go too far for some shopping or sightseeing. However, the big attraction at this port is its proximity to Berlin, around a two and a half hour train ride from the port. More...
