Carlye Jane Dougherty and I are casually seated next to an exposed red brick fireplace in her charming home in historic downtown Charleston, SC. We’re sipping a perfectly chilled white wine, which helps soften the balmy afternoon air wafting inRead more
I stand transfixed at the dominant picture windows inside the studio of the Georgia O’Keeffe Home and Studio, once the residence of one of the 20th century’s greatest American artists. The panorama from the seamlessly abutting panes of glass isRead more
Looming before us is “Sacred Rain Arrow,” a monumental statue by Allan Houser, the foremost Native American artist of the 20th century and the first Native American awarded the National Medal of Arts. Here at the Allan Houser Sculpture ParkRead more
Chef Deena Chafetz of the Santa Fe School of Cooking in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is preparing fried potatoes the same way Georgia O’Keeffe, one of the 20th century’s most significant and intriguing artists, enjoyed them at her historic adobeRead more
As part of the Charleston to Charleston Literary Festival in Charleston, SC, English author and aristocrat Charles Spencer (aka Princess Diana’s brother) is discussing his recently published book, To Catch a King: Charles II’s Great Escape. He speaks before aRead more
Our friends Jan and Art are already seated at a high-top table and sipping citrusy Sauvignon Blanc in the modern barn-style tasting room of Goosecross Cellars when my husband, Bill, and I enter. We’re in Yountville, tucked away on StateRead more
I’m perched 100-feet high atop an eroding and landslide-prone sandstone bluff in Santa Monica, CA. As I begin my fitness walk on this late summer morning, I’m less concerned about the possibility of the ground collapsing and sending me tumblingRead more
I’m flying, silently and leisurely at 11 mph, about 1,000 feet above the Yadkin Valley near East Bend, NC. Standing in a large rattan basket, I’m fully aware that the only thing keeping me aloft above terra firma is theRead more
Although it’s summer 2018, I’m thinking about my trip to Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, as if it’s Christmas Eve 1895. On that date, George Washington Vanderbilt welcomed family and friends for the opening of his new 175,000-square-foot country homeRead more
My fingers are itching to fondle the rich, carnation-red ruffles on the silk organza gown by Oscar de la Renta that Beyoncé wore in the March 2013 issue of Vogue magazine. I’m mesmerized by his pink cocktail dress in silkRead more