Author: Barbara Redding

Wonders of the Sahara Desert beckon visitors to Morocco

Adventures, Family, Food & Drink, History, Hotels, Stories, Travel
by Barbara Redding

Morocco is known for its stunning diversity. The North African Country boasts windswept deserts and ancient cities, craggy mountains and lonely beaches, medieval medinas and modern mosques.   Since my visit in early 2023, I have written several stories about Morocco’s many treasures. Recently, I had the chance to talk about my trip to Morocco on Big Blend Radio with Lisa Smith.   I am excited to share my YouTube interview below with Lisa! You can also view the podcast on bigblendradio.com.   You can...

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Castles, Cardiff and a Coast Path draw visitors to Wales

Adventures, Beach, Food & Drink, History, Lifestyle, Stories, Travel, Wellness
by Barbara Redding
Wales-Coast-Path-winds-around-Cardiff-Bay

With more than 400 fortresses still standing, Wales has more castles per square mile than any other European country. Wales is the place to explore lofty towers, secret dungeons, and legends of Camelot. If you love castles, as I do, Wales should be at the top of your travel list. But castles are hardly the only reason to travel to Wales, which is part of the U.K. and shares the island of Great Britain with England and Scotland. Wales has its own story to tell...

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Wine, Cheese and Chill in ‘magical’ Tequis, Mexico

Adventures, Food & Drink, History, Hotels, Stories, Travel
by Barbara Redding
El Geiser hot springs pool near Tequis. @Diane Gierisch

The charms of traditional Mexico abound in Tequisquiapan, a small city in the arid highlands of Central Mexico.   Indigenous people named it for the steaming hot springs and minerals discovered there in the 1600s. Today, the city is better known as Tequis. It’s also a popular stop on the Querétaro Wine and Cheese Route.   To learn more about this pueblo mágico, or magical town, please read my Tequis story in Rovology.  For more travel stories, visit the Rovology website–a wonderful resource for anyone who...

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Barton Family Wines: Crafting Innovative Wines and More in Paso Robles

Adventures, Family, Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Luxury, Stories, Travel
by Barbara Redding

California’s Central Coast wine region was in its infancy when the Barton family bought an old farmhouse west of Paso Robles and started a family winery in the 1990s.   Today Barton Family Wines includes a winery, a farm-to-table restaurant, and a spirit distillery. Modern indoor tasting rooms and shaded outdoor patios with stunning vineyard views welcome visitors to the original farmhouse.   No longer a sleepy inland community, Paso Robles is the state’s third-largest wine region behind Napa and Sonoma.   Please read my...

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Time Traveling Aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California

Adventures, Family, Food & Drink, History, Hotels, Lifestyle, Luxury, Stories, Travel
by Barbara Redding

Pictures of a robust Winston Churchill and a young Queen Elizabeth decorated my art-deco stateroom aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.   The iconic 1930s ocean liner, now permanently docked on the Pacific Coast, has harbored movie stars, British royals, and prime ministers–as well as more than a few ghosts. In fact, Time magazine designated it one of the most haunted ships in the U.S.   I was thrilled to be one of the ship’s first overnight guests when she finally reopened in...

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San Miguel Enjoys Worldwide Acclaim for Art and Architecture in Central Mexico

Adventures, Food & Drink, History, Hotels, Lifestyle, Luxury, Stories, Travel
by Barbara Redding

San Miguel de Allende’s colorful colonial buildings and narrow cobblestone streets make this Central Mexico city an enchanting place to visit any time of year. But during Day of the Dead festivities, visitors can join locals in honoring loved ones who have passed and in celebrating life. To learn more about my visit and my stay at a colorful casita called Casa Carly, please read my story about San Miguel de Allende. My article is available on the Rovology travel website, which is a wonderful...

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Keukenhof Gardens Tulips: The World’s Most Beautiful Spring Garden

Adventures, Family, History, Lifestyle, Luxury, Stories, Travel
by Barbara Redding

Vibrantly colored tulips pop up everywhere in the Netherlands when warm weather heats the low-land country’s fertile sandy soil each spring.   The best place to appreciate the beauty and variety of this prized flower is Keukenhof Holland, an English landscape-style garden in Lisse, about 30 miles south of Amsterdam. The perennial with cup-shaped petals is cultivated by the acre at Keukenhof, but the show only lasts eight weeks each spring.   To learn more about my visit to the world’s most beautiful spring garden,...

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Pagosa Springs: Wine, Resorts and Hot Air Balloons in Colorado

Adventures, Family, Lifestyle, Stories, Travel, Wellness
by Barbara Redding

Pagosa Springs may be challenging to reach, but this southwestern Colorado town is an amazing place to take a hot air balloon ride, soak in hot springs, and sample wine from grapes grown on a remote sheep farm.   I’m exciting to share my article about my adventures in Pagosa Springs on the online travel website Rovology .You can also view my Instagram video of my hot air balloon flight.   Pagosa Springs is encircled by the largest contiguous wilderness areas in the lower 48...

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Magical Morocco Tour Explores the Country’s Vibrant Customs and Landscapes

Adventures, Food & Drink, History, Lifestyle, Stories, Travel
by Barbara Redding

A visit to the North African country of Morocco awakens the senses.   In Rabat, the savory aroma of chicken simmering with olives in a clay tajine pot piqued my sense of smell. The cobalt blue walls in Chefchouen’s maze-like medina nearly blinded me on a sunny day.   The lyrical sound of the “call to prayers” echoed in my ears from small-town minarets in the Atlas Mountains to the country’s largest Islamic mosque in Casablanca. I could not resist running my fingers over the...

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Fairmont Tazi Palace Hotel adds a Touch of Mystery and Luxury to Tangier

Adventures, Food & Drink, History, Hotels, Lifestyle, Luxury, Travel, Wellness
by Barbara Redding

The colors, the furnishings, and the decor of the Fairmont Tazi Palace are reminiscent of an earlier time when an advisor to the sultan of Morocco built this hilltop retreat in Tangier. After a major renovation and expansion, the Fairmont hotel now offers modern luxuries still fit for royalty—and curious visitors like me interested in exploring magical Morocco. I stayed at the palace, which has 133 rooms and several eclectic restaurants, on a recent press trip to Tangier.   To find out more about the...

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