It’s been voted the World’s Friendliest amusement park for 11 years in a row and the World’s Cleanest for 9 straight years. In 2007, Consumers Digest named it the nation’s Top Value Park. You may think you know what park I’m talking about, but I bet you’ll be surprised to learn that these honors belong to belong to America’s first theme park—Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, located in the tiny holiday-themed town of Santa Claus, Indiana. Opened in 1946, the park is still going strong, attracting millions annually from across the Midwest.... Read More

     You don’t need to be a pro to take spectacular photographs. Here are seven tips that will help you take your vacation photo from simple snapshots to stunning images that you’d be proud to hang on your walls.

1. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
Simplicity is the key to a good photo. Many people try to get as much into their photographs as possible. As a result, they’re often disappointed with the end product. Ask yourself what it is about a specific scene that attracts you. Is it the single flower poking through the cracks in the brick wall or the colorful... Read More

   “Hello my friend.”

It was my first full day in Istanbul, Turkey, and I was leaving Gülhane Park, near Topkapi Palace, my mind contemplating where I would go for my first dinner in the city. For most of the day, I had been able to avoid the city’s notoriously pushy salesmen, but I knew as soon as I heard those three words that I’d been caught.

The two young men sidled up to me, one on each side. They were both well dressed, with sharply pressed slacks, suit coats and highly polished shoes. Their friendly dialogue was refined from years of practice on similarly distracted... Read More

     “Poor Carl.”
    
     Those two words will forever remind me of Costa Rica. My husband Jon and I had come to the Central American country to explore the area’s diverse ecology, from its landscape dotted with volcanoes and waterfalls to its rich array of plants and wildlife. And while I enjoyed exploring the dense rain forests and watching dolphins cavort in the waters off the Osa Peninsula, I was on a mission. I wanted to see and... Read More

     I confess. I’m obsessed with cathedrals—and churches and mosques and temples and just about any houses of worship. Ironically, I am not religious. I don’t look at churches from a religious viewpoint. To me, they are works of art. Art that I can walk into and touch and photograph. Art that tells about the culture and beliefs of the community in which it stands.

     I admire the talent that went into building these grand edifices, from the stonework of the structure’s towers, domes... Read More