English Lake District’s poetic landscape
The Lake District offers a network of well-marked hiking trails through the highest mountains in England and past 16 bodies of water. Several small towns have preserved the homes of famous poets and writers who lived and wrote in the area.Photo by Victor BlockViewing a high country landscape accentuated by a blanket of yellow, the poet William Wordsworth in 1804 described what he saw as... READ MORE
Try a swig of Danish culture in Solvang
Solvang touts four replica windmills built as tourist attractions in the late 1940s.Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.comAs a Southern California native with a Danish dad and the tongue-twisting Danish name “Solvej,”‘ I’ve always been asked, somewhat cheekily, “Hey! Do you know the town Solvang?”I do, of course. Yet, as an adult, I only passed through the... READ MORE
On the presidential trail in Charlottesville
An aerial photo shows the University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819. The 21,000-student university is ranked second among the 2014 top public schools on a list produced by U.S. News and World Report. Read about the school on page 41.Photo courtesy of the University of VirginiaThe gracious mansion is a perfect example of an 18th century gentleman’s country estate. Its ... READ MORE
Flying around Europe on low-cost airlines
If you’re heading to Europe next year, and if you plan to move around a bit, you may consider some intra-European flights. You will quickly find that Europe hosts more than 100 low-cost airlines, some huge, some tiny.On my recent trip to England and Italy, I tested Europe’s two largest low-fare lines, and came away with some impressions that may be helpful to you.EasyJet and... READ MORE
One great day trip: Diamond Valley Lake
Nestled in the hills south of Hemet, a visit to Diamond Valley Lake can offer a much broader experience than you might suspect.First, there’s the lake itself that flooded the Diamond and Domenigoni valleys, once home to 19th-century homestead pioneers. Before that, it was home to Cahuilla and Luiseno Indians and even earlier to Ice Age animals.Hailed as the largest public works... READ MORE
A walking tour thru picturesque Tuscany
Walking from the towns of Buonconvento to Montalcino as part of a weeklong trek through Tuscany, I was faced with a tough decision.How many bottles of wine could I reasonably carry in my daypack?The road that led to this quandary had passed right by the Caparzo winery — so naturally, we stopped in for a sample.Now I weighed the taste of the award-winning Brunello against the realities ... READ MORE
Aruba’s varied island culture and terrain
Aruba’s arid, desert-like terrain, where cacti abound, contrasts with its tropical beaches, palm trees and turquoise water.Photo by Len KaufmanA gleaming white sand beach that rims the azure sea is set off by an explosion of scarlet, purple and other vivid colors of lush tropical foliage. Nearby, stretches of rocks and pebbly soil interspersed with cactus comprise a very different... READ MORE
Memphis — Elvis’ legacy and much more
The living room of Elvis Pressley’s Graceland features a 15-foot-long sofa and stained glass peacocks. The white-columned mansion is the second-most visited home in America after the White House.© Steve Kingsman | Dreamstime.comSome teenage fantasies never die. For those who were teenagers in the 1950s and 1960s, there was a “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On” ... READ MORE
Fans can follow trail of famous Roosevelts
Ken Burns’ recent documentary about the Roosevelts — presidents Theodore and Franklin, and Franklin’s wife Eleanor — is bound to stir interest in some of the places connected to them.Here’s a look at some major Roosevelt sites, including birthplaces, family homes, vacation retreats, and national parks and monuments across the U.S.Theodore Roosevelt sites... READ MORE
Go totally bananas at a fruity-tutti museum
If you head nine miles past Mecca toward the north shore of the Salton Sea, just before you get to the Albert Frey yacht club building, there it is: the International Banana Museum in all its golden splendor. Swerve over and check it out.You’ve never seen so many banana-themed objects: thousands of gadgets, from staplers to a banana-shaped record player with the 45 rpm of Harry... READ MORE