History and Hospitality Captivate at Winston-Salem’s Graylyn

History and Hospitality Captivate at Winston-Salem’s Graylyn

A jagged hole marring one of the oak wall panels in the richly appointed library of Graylyn, once the second largest private home in North Carolina and now an international conference center, is all that remains of a Parisian loveRead more

Reconnaissance at Point Reyes Station

Reconnaissance at Point Reyes Station

I’m dropping by parachute into the small, western California town of Point Reyes Station. Sam pilots my private plane. Lucky me that he sports the rugged blond good looks of Robert Redford in his Butch Cassidy and the Sundance KidRead more

Paying Respects at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum

Paying Respects at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum

Bill’s and my visit to the imposing National September 11 Memorial and Museum during a recent trip to New York City was a potent reminder that the horrific events which occurred that day in 2001 bore such monumental significance that they becameRead more

Wing Haven — Charlotte’s Hidden Gardens

Wing Haven — Charlotte’s Hidden Gardens

“Are you cruel enough to be a gardener?” That challenging question was imprinted on a T-shirt for sale at the Elizabeth Lawrence House and Garden in Charlotte that I was touring on a sultry day with curator Andrea Sprott asRead more

Normandy, D-Day, and Remembrance

Normandy, D-Day, and Remembrance

“D-Day, June 6, 1944, was a day without precedent,” said our guide, Stuart Robertson of Normandy Battle Tours. We were on the Normandy coast of France, the region that was the site of the D-Day invasion and the subsequent 11-week-longRead more

Versailles — The Ultimate Royal Residence

Versailles — The Ultimate Royal Residence

It’s good to be king. Surely that thought occurred to King Louis XIV of France in 1682 when he moved his family and the seat of the country’s government to the Chateau de Versailles, the extravagant and majestic 2,300-room palaceRead more