by Corina Clemence

Certainly the main attractions of the Loire are romance, history and architecture. The renaissance chateaux built by Charles VIII, Francois I, Catherine de Medici and other royals during the hundred years that the French court relocated to the Loire Valley from Paris it a distinctive storybook charm.

Like the river Loire, this vast region runs through the heart of French life. The lush Loire valley is supremely regal. Its sophisticated cities, luxuriant landscape and magnificent wine and food and wine add up to a bourgeois paradise. It is now classed as part of the world heritage of mankind by Unesco (from Chalonnes-sur-Loire to Sully-sur-Loire).

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by Donald Pyle

Hopefully you have taken a spring vacation with the family. If not, there is still time before the crowds and the heat limit privacy and comfort. But it’s not too early to be thinking about a special summer vacation in the Colorado Rockies. But where?

If you’re a native of Colorado, you already know that you have lots of options; If funds are not a problem, you can choose from amusement and theme parks in the city, swimming and slides at Glenwood Springs, cave excursions, white-water rafting, zoos, mountain climbing, hiking one or more of the many 14,000 foot peaks, jeeping, 4 wheeling, and many, many other options.

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by Patrick Walshe

“In more ways than one, you get an entirely different view of the world from a mountaintop” say scientists Richard and Sydney Cannings in British Columbia, A Natural History. Rugged valleys, icy streams, and sloping meadows of wildflowers undulating in the subalpine wind: these are what catch the eye when hiking Vancouver Island’s mountains. Like lower elevations, the Island’s ranges have vistas enough for photographs, but they also have geological oddities, unique plant and animal communities, and trees so determined to survive that they bend themselves into all manner of contortions. Since this is one of the snowiest places on earth, hiking the Island’s mountains means being prepared. Read the rest of this entry »

by Cliff Calderwood

Lake Winnipesaukee nestles in the foothills of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It’s the states largest body of water and one of the deepest. Centered in the popular vacation area known as the Lakes Region it provides 4-season pleasure for millions every year.

Before Europeans visited the native people had been enjoying the lake for 10,000 years. They gave Lake Winnipesaukee the Indian name meaning “Smile of the Great Spirit.” Spend a week on the lake and you’ll understand what they mean. The area is a magnificent playground for both water and hiking activities.
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