Jackie Sheckler Finch

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite dresses had a pattern of blue poodle dogs with golden leashes surrounded by a smattering of pink hearts. I thought it was beautiful. One of my elderly neighbors said it was “quite gaudy.” To me, that was a compliment. Figured it was just another way of describing my twirly dress as pretty. Mom told me the truth. But I still figured it was a different way of …

Read moreGaudí designs ‘gaudy’ bachelor pad in seaside Spain

Andrew Thompson slipped off his sandals and scrunched his toes in the luxuriant grass. “We don’t have this at home yet,” the Michigan man said. “It’s still winter so this green grass is quite a treat. Never expected to find this here.” Wearing eye protection, Eleanor McCarthy gently turned the hot glass figure of a fish she was creating. Under the careful direction of instructor Justin Lewis, the Florida woman said she was crafting her own souvenir …

Read moreCelebrity Equinox cruise a happy 2020 memory

Here comes the American Cruise Lines coach rolling down the road. The road? Yep, the popular riverboat line has added personalized private coaches for the convenience and safety of passengers. It certainly is easy for American Cruise Lines passengers to identify their special bus when it pulls up. The new sanitized cruise coach has the American Cruise Lines logo with the red, white and blue stars and stripes and the words “Cruise Close to Home.” “All American …

Read moreAmerican Cruise Lines adds personalized coaches for passenger comfort and safety

“People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.”                                                      James Earl Jones’ character in “Field of Dreams” Hearing the number of runs that Pete Rose hit during his baseball career is impressive. Seeing them is mind boggling. A 50-foot-tall “wall of balls” at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum brings home that staggering fact. Arranged in rows, the three-story wall has 4,256 baseballs for the record set by …

Read moreHome of baseball’s first professional team–Cincinnati Reds

Part of the joy of cruising is the entertainment. A popular entertainer on American Cruise Lines is pianist Jon England and his “Velvet Virtuosity.” Although he has been docked at home as part of the COVID-19 shutdown, Jon is scheduled to cruise again in July. As though he knew I might be a bit homesick for cruising on the mighty Mississippi, Jon sent me an email today with a link to a half-hour program that’s going out …

Read moreCruise pianist Jon England shares music during this “quiet” time

On Oct. 15, 1868, the light beamed from the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse tower for the first time. Located in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, the lovely lighthouse honorably served sailors and ships as they navigated the treacherous waters of the Great Lakes. When modern technology made the lighthouse obsolete, it shut down in 1926. For decades, the lighthouse sat empty and neglected. Then a strange thing happened. In 1960, The Door County Historical Society received permission to restore and …

Read moreHistoric Door County lighthouse now a museum

A half-acre of luxuriant green grass. A glass furnace where visitors are taught to make their own unique souvenirs. A 3D dining experience where four teeny chefs create special dishes on each tabletop and dinner plate. Can all of this be on a beautiful cruise ship? Yep, these and other attractions are drawing compliments for the recently renovated Celebrity Equinox. Although I had cruised on other Celebrity ships, including the celebrated Celebrity Edge, I had never been …

Read moreCelebrity Equinox wows after extensive refurbishment

With its glistening white and shiny glass, it looks like the legendary city of Atlantis floating on a sea of blue. Or it might be a gigantic eyeball in a basin of water. Or a flying saucer that has landed in the midst of a city pool. It could even be a helmet that some mammoth warrior dropped. The City of Arts and Sciences is a work of art itself and can make the imagination soar just …

Read moreValencia, Spain: Hometown of famed architect Calatrava