Travel
Lovely Loretto
There are certain cities in the world that wrap you up and take you to another place in time. Of course, cities like Paris, Venice, and Rome come to mind, but within the United States, one of the most unique and diverse cities that you’ll encounter is Santa Fe. From the high desert setting and unbelievable sunsets to the fiery food and talented artisans, Santa Fe offers so much for the cultural traveler.
I’ve had the privilege to visit Santa Fe on numerous occasions. My husband is a native New Mexican, and most of his family still resides there. Each time we visit, we’ve had the opportunity to check out one of Santa Fe’s spas and with each visit, I learn a little bit more about the culture and the history of the area.
This last visit, we visited the Inn & Spa at Loretto. The property was built in 1975 and is located next to the historic Loretto Chapel ...Wind Therapy: Kite Buggying in the Quebec Maritime
I am standing on a wind-swept sand dune trying to fly a kite, completely frustrated. It’s a perfect blue-sky day here in the Magdalen Islands of the Quebec Maritime (Les Isle de la Madeleine), where I’ve come to relax and try surf kayaking and kite-buggying. Relaxing and surf kayaking are easy, but kite buggying is another story.
The buggy is small three-wheeled vehicle that looks like a go-cart. To accelerate and slow down, the driver maneuvers a kite attached to the back of the buggy. Kite buggying is usually done on the sand, and you can fly along at up to 70 miles per hour and even jump 50 feet in the air. Kite buggying is like kite surfing, because in both, the rider is pulled by the same kind of kite. The main difference is you kite surf (synonymous with kite boarding) on a surfboard in water. Learn how to control the kite, and you can pretty much do any power kite ...Glittering Spas of the Emerald Isles
By Debra Bokur
Lolloping along the soft edge of the road is a pony, the color of honey. It’s being piloted—rather expertly—by a tiny girl, perhaps 7 or 8, whose ebony colored hair bounces against her shoulders in rhythm with the pony’s long, swishing tail. She’s riding bareback, one small hand wrapped securely around a hunk of the pony’s thick mane. With the other, she gives a jaunty wave as I pass, and I fall instantly and completely in love with her, the pony, and this beautiful country.
Ireland is full of moments like that, ones that persist even after you’ve run out of words that mean “green.” All throughout this friendly island, world-class destination spas are nestled among the lush countryside, interspersed with ancient healing wells, mystical standing stones, and fascinating historic sites.
Deep spiritual significance ...
Volunteering in the Ghost Town of Ashcroft, Colorado
In no way am I a handywoman, but here I am with a Philips screwdriver removing rusty screws from an old boardwalk. I’m also huffing and puffing because the altitude is 9,500 high in Ashcroft, a ghost town near Aspen, Colorado. Right now I could be shopping or hanging out at the hotel’s pool 1,000 feet below in Aspen, but, instead, along with five other visitors, I have volunteered with ACES, the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies to spend the day replacing the old wooden walkway ...
