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PARK CITY, UTAH Summer Festivals and Other Fun

Toni Dabbs — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:57:00 CDT

PUERTO VALLARTA-Center of the Mexican Riviera

Toni Dabbs — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:13:00 CDT

Some Texans consider it the next best thing to paradise, returning year after year to enjoy its comfortable climate and affordable prices.
Located near the midpoint of Mexico's west coast, Puerto Vallarta sprawls around tranquil Banderas Bay at the feet of the jungle-clad Sierra Madre mountains. It records 345 sunny days per year, with average high temperatures of 28 C (86 F) from January to April and 31 C (92 F) from May to December.

HISTORIC RUGBY A Victorian Utopia in Rural Tennessee

No Author — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:07:00 CDT

�Wanna stop an� have a look?� asked my hostess in her soft Tennessee twang. Did I ever!
We had been driving through the rural countryside northwest of Knoxville on our way to Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, when we came upon an assortment of Victorian buildings dotting the fields and woods on either side of the road.
�This is the historic town of Rugby,� she said, as she parked the car in front of what appeared to be a general store and led me back down the road.
Rugby was founded in 1880 by British author and social reformer Thomas Hughes as a Utopian community, where colonists could work in an agricultural cooperative, while maintaining a cultured Christian lifestyle free of the rigid class structure that prevailed in Britain.

CARTER COUNTRY: The Plains Background of the 39th President

Toni Dabbs — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:55:00 CDT

The gate silently swung open as our vehicle approached. We had been granted rare permission to drive through the Carter Compound in Plains, Georgia. We knew former President Jimmy Carter and no one else from his family was there that day, but we welcomed the opportunity to glimpse the ordinary brick ranch house that they have called home for more than 40 years. We saw not a soul, but we knew the Secret Service was watching our every move, as mounted cameras turned to follow our progress. We had been asked to drive at a certain speed, not to stop, and not to make any sudden moves. As we neared the far end of the drive, another gate opened, sending us back into the real world.

OLD SAN JUAN- Puerto Rico's Colonial Legacy

No Author — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:39:00 CDT

Strolling the streets of Old San Juan truly is like stepping into the past. The second-oldest European settlement in the New World, this enclave from which the modern capital of Puerto Rico grew includes some of the best preserved examples of Spanish Colonial architecture anywhere.
Stucco buildings in a rainbow of pastel shades, trimmed with white shutters and archways, line narrow cobbled streets. Balconies, laden with potfuls of tropical plants, extend like hanging gardens over skimpy sidewalks.
Some facades conceal grand houses of the past; others, dimly lit bars and cool courtyard cafes. Still others have been converted to shops selling the kinds of items for which the Caribbean has become known: imported glassware, leather goods, designer clothes and glittering jewelry.

AMARILLO: Cattle, Cowboys and Canyons

Toni Dabbs — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:09:00 CDT

The colors of the canyon wall (sienna, ochre and mauve) softly glow in the day's first light. The aromas of a mesquite wood campfire and freshly brewed coffee scent the air. Fluffy scrambled eggs and flaky sourdough biscuits are set on the picnic table by a Stetson-hatted cook whose kitchen is a chuck wagon.
It�s our first morning in Amarillo, and we�ve risen at the crack of dawn to travel by horse-drawn wagon to the rim of Palo Duro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the United States, for a Cowboy Morning breakfast at the Figure 3 Ranch.

SOUTH KOREA- An Exploration of Old and New

Toni Dabbs — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:58:00 CDT

Once reserved for nobility, today Seoul is home to about one-quarter of South Korea's 46.9 million citizens, making it the fifth largest city in the world. The country's capital, it is the diplomatic, political, commercial, financial and cultural heart of the nation.
At the center of Seoul is a mountain called Namsan, with a tower on top that provides a view of almost the entire city on a clear day. From here, it is apparent that the modernity of Seoul�s high-rise office towers and neatly aligned apartment blocks masks its antiquity.
Namdaemun, or South Gate, is one of the most imposing of nine city gates that punctuated the 17-kilometer wall which once encircled the city. The 14th century structure now is the center of a traffic circle surrounded by 20th century skyscrapers.

LUGANO-A Swiss Resort with an Italian Accent

Toni Dabbs — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:04:00 CDT

Palm trees along Lugano’s lakeside promenade can be glimpsed from the Piazza della Riforma. People chat amiably in Italian as they browse the market stalls or sip cappuccino at the outdoor cafes. The sights and sounds might be those of the Italian Riviera, but this is Switzerland. Lugano’s Italianate environment surprises visitors who more often associate Switzerland with nations to the north and west, Germany and France. Yet, it is evidence that the history, traditions and climate as well as the language of Switzerland’s southerly neighbor also contribute to the country’s multi-faceted personality.

PENANG, MALAYSIA A Heritage of Multiculturalism

Toni Dabbs — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:35:00 CDT

Drivers and pedestrians stop to stare as a convoy of several dozen trishaws, each with a blue and white umbrella shielding its occupants from the tropical sun, snakes its way through the congested streets of Georgetown. Although such a large group of the little three-wheeled man-powered vehicles might be unusual, trishaws are a common means of touring this historic city's compact labyrinth of narrow lanes and alleys.