I’m hopeful Mr. Darcy will magically materialize and join our Art of Reading tour at Mint Museum Randolph. The Art of Reading tour is a free program that draws connections between art and literature, two of my passions. Our guide, docent Debbie Struble, spearheaded developmentRead more
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
I bite into a hot Dungeness crab beignet dipped in sriracha aioli, but it’s really forbidden fruit. I’m not supposed to be here at Timber Cove, and I’m not supposed to be having lunch at its Coast Kitchen restaurant. NoRead more
Competition is fierce, but my money is on the turtle named “Speedy,” the one the announcer says has been training by running, lifting weights, and swimming laps. I have no idea which turtle among the dozens is Speedy because theyRead more
Visualize the life of Candace Rose Rardon: Visiting and living in 50 countries, 19 of them in one year alone. Hiking solo on a 220-mile pilgrimage through rural Turkey. Driving an auto-rickshaw 2,000 miles across India. Bathing an elephant inRead more
A return to the fabled desert city of Palm Springs, CA, was on our radar after our terrific inaugural visit there last fall; we just had not anticipated that another trip would occur so soon. But fate intervened six monthsRead more
“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
The year was 1938. The times in London were tense and uncertain as Adolph Hitler threatened mass war in Europe. As a safeguard against sudden and unexpected air attack, the British government decided to establish a central emergency working refugeRead more
Its peak barely discernible from the parking lot of our hotel in Hood River, OR, Mt. Hood was a constant, albeit, distant presence. This majestic, commanding, snow-capped mountain loomed beyond us like an ever-watchful sentinel, all 11,240 rugged feet ofRead more