Category: History

Chefchaouen: Morocco’s Blue City Mesmerizes visitors

Adventures, History, Hotels, Travel, Wellness
by Barbara Redding
Photo opportunity in Morocco's Blue City.

Myriad shades of blue wash over the walls of Chefchaouen, a remote village cradled in the rugged Rif Mountains of northeastern Morocco.     Nicknamed Morocco’s “Blue City,” the town is one of the dreamiest places in this North African country. Smaller and calmer than frenzied Fez and Marrakesh, Chefchaouen’s arched doorways and maze-like alleys create stunningly blue photo backdrops.     In the heat of summer, tourists snapping selfies can overrun the medina, or old city. However, when I added a winter weekend in Morocco’s...

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Big brands, boutiques spice up the New Orleans hotel scene

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

Seafood gumbo, crawfish etouffee, and sugar-dusted beignets entice visitors to New Orleans. Along with Mardi Gras and the Jazz and Heritage Festival, of course.   But these days, the city’s hotel scene is also getting some special attention.   Luxury hotel brands Caesars and Fairmont are set to add new properties in the Crescent City. Plus, new boutique hotels are opening, and historic favorites are being renovated.   Plus, most of the new additions include restaurants that are offering the food that’s helped make New...

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Exploring the Bayside of the San Francisco Peninsula

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

As enticing as the cable cars and cioppino of San Francisco can be, California’s Bay Area is stacked with other options for travelers seeking more rural or small-town adventures.   On an excursion south from the city along the bayside of the San Francisco Peninsula, I explored several not-to-be-missed sights. At the serene country estate of Filoli, I enjoyed a wine tasting hosted by the prestigious San Francisco Wine School. Dinner followed in the walkable town of Burlingame at an inventive plant-based restaurant started by a...

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The Velvet Rope: A New Palm Springs Hotel Spins Old Hollywood Glamour

Adventures, Fashion, Food & Drink, History, Hotels, Lifestyle, Luxury, Travel
by Barbara Redding
Fancy bedroom in the Velvet Rope

The Velvet Rope, a new boutique hotel in Palm Springs, puts a modern twist on Hollywood’s heyday in this California desert town.   Nine deliciously themed suites and a speakeasy-style bar transport guests back in time to experience the mid-20th century glamour that attracted celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, and Hugh Hefner to Palm Springs.   The Velvet Rope opened in December 2023. But before the first official guests arrived, I was among a group of travel writers invited to experience a few days...

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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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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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