Deep Culture Travel

First Nations Aboriginal Culture in British Columbia: Add-ons to a Vancouver Visit

It's easy to add a culture-oriented daytrip or a museum visit to your stopover in Vancouver. B.C. and/or Vancouver Island, with the option of a little exercise and fresh air at the same time. A vibrant mecca of First Nations culture, British Columbia preserves and expresses its heritage in many ways, from carvings, art and totem poles to traditional festivals and world-renowned interpretive centers. And for cultural immersion, local tour companies give visitors a chance to learn about and experience First Nations traditions and history through narrated walks, talks, and kayak and canoe expeditions.

Salish Canoe Expedition
Near Vancouver in the spectacular, waterfall-sprinkled glacial fjord of Indian Arm and in Burrard Inlet, in replica 25-foot Salish canoes, First Nations guides with Takaya Tours tell of legends, sing traditional songs and explain the history of century-old villages as you gently paddle up the inlet. You can also take a 2-hour canoeing and walking tour that includes introduction to ancient lore, and identifying and harvesting indigenous flora and fauna on the ancestral grounds of Whey-ah-Wichen (Faces the Wind) Park.

Canoe Paddle at Tofino
On the west coast of Vancouver Island at Tofino, T'ashii Paddle School will take you on a cruise along Clayoquot Sound, by way of a handcrafted cedar vessel. You'll hear stories and history of Nuu-chah-nulth culture as you meander along. More here about how the dugout canoes are hollowed out of old-growth red cedar.

(In August, the Tofino Lantern Festival is a family-friendly evening happening that glows with hand-made lanterns, beginning with the Children's Lantern Parade. Food, live music and dance, a laser light show and fire spinning are on the magical menu of events.)

U'mista Cultural Centre
To the Kwakwaka'wakw people of northern Vancouver Island, u’mista means “the return of something important". The U'mista Cultural Centre and Museum, in Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, displays something very important indeed: a collection of stunning masks and ceremonial regalia that was returned to the Kwakwaka'wakw beginning in 1979 after being confiscated by the federal government earlier in the century. In a totem-fronted Big House, the centre also showcases Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw history and art, including a spectacular potlatch collection. Guided tours and dance performances are available, too.

Shxwtà:selhawtxw Interpretive Centre
Also near Vancouver,  the unique world of the Stó:lō people is showcased at Shxwtà:selhawtxw Interpretive Centre––the House of Long Ago and Today. Stó:lō tour guides recount stories and legends, demonstrate traditional arts and explain the artifacts on display. They talk about the language, salmon and fishing, cedar bark weaving, hunting and gathering, tools and weapons, carving, archaeology and much more. At the Coquleetza Longhouse, you will hear performances of the Stó:lō hand drum, sxowxiyám and sqwelqwel. And, the Ethnobotanical Garden is comprised of foods and medicinal plants that Stó:lō used in the past and still use today.

Nearby is the Sqeltzwer Creek Campground, and comfortable accommodations at the Sasquatch Eco-Lodge bed and breakfast style house on an 80-acre site with a waterfall, a creek, and a saltwater swimming pool.

More here about cultural tours and heritage in British Columbia.

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's iPhone app, California Coast North.

New Architecture & Design Center to Open in Palm Springs

A world-famous mecca of Mid-century Modern architecture and design, the Greater Palm Springs area will welcome a new museum dedicated to the art of architecture. In an  iconic, classic 1960s Mid-century Modern international style building in downtown Palm Springs, the Architecture and Design Center will open November 9, 2014.

The Palm Springs area is known for Desert Modernism, which took its cue from Le Corbusier, Gropius, Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright, and is expressed in preserved historic neighborhoods, homes of Hollywood stars, striking desert landscaping, and spectacular civic structures that capture the glamour of midcentury lifestyles.

The sophisticated, often minimalist architectural style is comprised of glass walls and windows, open floor plans, dramatic rooflines, and flow between interior and exterior spaces––all elements that are showcased in monumental style in the new museum, making it a major attraction for visitors. This will be the country's first free-standing architecture and design museum housed in a historic, Mid-century Modern building.

A hugely popular 11-day event held in Palm Springs area in February, Modernism Week features design, architecture, art, fashion and culture. 100 events include:

• home tours; walking, garden & bike tours; double-decker architectural bus tours  
• films, lectures, Modernism Show, nightly parties
• prefab Showcase and Modern Living Expo
• tours of Sunnylands
• vintage fashion, classic cars  
• vintage travel trailer expo and more!   

In October, a “mini Modernism Week” is a lively preview of the February blockbuster, with several walking and driving tours, such as:

• Golden Era Hollywood Homes"
• Heart of the City Historical
• Stars and Star-chitects, and events

All year round, Palm Springs Modern Tours conducts small group tours that feature stories of architects, designers and builders who contributed to the city's modernist legacy and the actors and Hollywood elites who lived and played here in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.  

Author of the best-selling book Julius Shulman: Palm Springs, Michael Stern is famous for his long-popular, 2.5 hour expedition, The Modern Tour. He leads small groups to some of Greater Palm Springs' finest examples of Mid-century Modern architecture, while discussing such noted architects as Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Donald Wexler, E. Stewart Williams and William Cody, to name just a few. Unlike other tours, Stern's includes visits to interiors of selected homes. He is known throughout the modernist world as a museum curator, documentary film producer, and lecturer.

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's iPhone app, California Coast North.

World War II and Micronesian Museums in the Dive Mecca of Palau

Although Palau is primarily known as a scuba diving mecca, many people go to those idyllic Micronesian islands for a variety of other attractions. And, of course, there are the visitors who accompany those avid divers who spend every day underwater! Besides beach combing, snorkeling, exploring Jellyfish Lake, kayaking, fishing and riverboat cruising, culture vultures can look forward to more than a week's worth of daytripping to historic and cultural sites: 

• Belau National Museum
• Etpison Museum
• Badrulchau ancient monolith
• World War II Museum on Peleliu

The oldest museum in Micronesia, the Belau National Museum has indoor and outdoor exhibits of regional history, art, artifacts and natural history. You can watch events in the theater, nosh in the cafe and purchase carved hardwood sculptures, local jewelry, books on Palau, and other handicrafts.

The Etpison Museum has two floors of Palauan and Micronesia artifacts, displays, photography and a gift shop.

Day Trip to Badrulchau Island: stone monoliths, faces and other ancient stone installations, and a  Japanese lighthouse. A one-hour drive from Koror to Ngarchelong, the highway runs through forest and savannah. Stop along the coastline and at local markets. (rent a car or take a guided tour) 

The site of the bloodiest battle of World War II, full of war memorabilia and memorials, the World War II Museum on Peleliu is dedicated to how the Japanese and the Americans affected the island, and the island’s recovery. Several tour companies based in Koror offer day trips via boat to Peleliu (one hour ride each way). 

An archipelago of more than 586 islands, Palau has been called one of the "Seven Underwater Wonders of the World". The Southern Lagoon Rock Islands are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

 

More here about Palau

And more here

And even more!

 

 

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's iPhone app, California Coast North.

Amsterdam October Weekend: Private Tour of Restored Rijksmuseum & Golden Age of Dutch Art, Architecture & Culture

An award-winning tour company based in London, The Ultimate Travel Company specializes in small-group, luxury tours with local guides, scholars and experts, and custom-designed itineraries just for you and/or your group.

They occasionally offer one-of-kind special opportunities, such as this October long weekend in Amsterdam, which would be a great add-on to your European visit this fall.

Amsterdam and The Rijksmuseum, October 2014

Highlights are the recently renovated Rijksmuseum, the Rembranthuis, the Van Gogh Museum and the Museum Van Loon. The small group will also visit Delft and The Hague including a visit to the Mauritshuis, all enhanced by a series of talks by guest lecturer, Douglas Skeggs.

Accommodations at uber-chic Hotel Pulitzer, which consists of 25 beautiful 17th and 18th century Dutch canal houses. On the first day, you visit the Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic) Catholic Chapel, a restored 17th century canal house that conceals a secret Catholic Church.

Private tour of the Rijksmuseum to see the magnificent restoration and such treasures as Rembrandt’s “ Night Watch”. A visit Rembranthuis to see the artist’s own 17th century objects and furniture and 250 of his etchings and drawings.

The Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of the artist’s works: Skeggs will lecture here on the life and work. Private cruise on a vintage barge on Amsterdam waterways. 


Private visit and reception at the Van Loon Museum with the curator of the museum. This is an exquisite canal-side house filled with treasures from Amsterdam’s Golden Age of culture.

In Delft, a morning walk to the picturesque market square and Nieuwe Kerk and guided tour of Stedelijk Museum Het Prinsenhof, dating from the late 14th century. The former residence of William of Orange, it now houses Delft’s municipal art collection.

A stop in The Hague, more of a “grand village” than a capital city; including the Mesdag Panorama and Mauritshuis, a 17th century classical palace with a magnificent collection of Dutch paintings including works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Rubens, Teniers, Jordaens and van Brueghel. 

Tour Guides for Amsterdam and The Rijksmuseum

One of the company’s most expert guides, Marie-Thérèse Hill is a Viennese woman who is fluent in French, English, German and Italian, with extensive knowledge of European art and culture.

Educated at Cambridge, Douglas Skeggs has a degree in Fine Arts and is a veteran lecturer on the history and techniques of painting. He has made several art documentaries and is an accomplished painter. He is also an author of a biography of Monet, River of Light: Monet’s Impressions of the Seine. Over the years he has accompanied numerous tours across Europe.

Prestigious Awards for The Ultimate Travel Company

The Ultimate Travel Company has been nominated in the ‘Specialist Tour Operator’ category by The Telegraph, and recently WON a first in the Best Luxury Tour Operator category by The Times. 

Keep up with news and special offers on the tour company’s Facebook page and by subscribing to their blog.

Lee Daley’s Amsterdam Adventure

Just back from a visit to Amsterdam, travel journalist and photographer, Lee Daley, describes her adventures in the city and details about her magical day at the Rijksmuseum.

Photo by Lee Daley

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's iPhone app, California Coast North.

 

 

Ancient Myanmar on a Culture-Focused Tour with Boundless Journeys

Villagers, monks, nuns, artisans and traders are among the locals with which travelers will connect on Boundless Journey's "Myanmar: Ancient Passages" tour in October. With the focus on cultural encounters, and enriched by the tour company's incomparable local connections, the trip includes:

• Artisan districts of Mandalay, the cultural center of Myanmar
• A jade market, 11th and 12th-century temples in the ancient capital of Bagan
• 2-night deluxe, small ship cruise down the Irraawady River
• Fishing and pottery villages
• Ancient capital of Bagan, home of thousands to 12th-century temples.
• Explore the markets and villages by foot, bicycle, or horse and carriage
• Inle Lake leg rowers, floating gardens and silk weaving

Your guide Ohnmar Htun: born of an Intha family in a small village on Inle Lake, a university graduate who is eminently knowledgeable of her home country and proficient in English, Ohnmar is one of Boundless Journey's most personable and fun traveling companions and expert guides.

Travel & Leisure says Boundless Journeys is one of the Top 5 Best Tour Operators and National Geographic Adventure called them one of the "Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth" !!

You can count on:

• Gorgeous, deluxe accommodations, including two nights on a cruise ship
• Private, air-conditioned ground transportation
• All meals except 3 dinners
• Entry fees, all activities
• All tips except for the lead guide and cruise staff
• From $5,995 pp

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel journalist and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.

Backpacking the Trail of the Nez Perce inYellowstone

One of many summer educational programs offered by the Yellowstone Association Institute, Backpacking the Trail of the Nez Perce in Yellowstone National Park is a unique combination of moderate hiking and camping in glorious surroundings and a total-immersion history lesson. With their expert guides, hikers follow the trail of the Nez Perce as they left Yellowstone on their 1877 flight from the U.S. Army. The trail starts along the Lamar River, follows Miller Creek up into Hoodoo Basin, then emerges into Sunlight Basin. You learn about tribal history, how the Nez Perce evaded the army, and why this trail remains significant to the tribe today. Expect to hike 5 to 8 miles a day with significant elevation gains, including one day climbing 3,000 feet and another descending as much; and enjoy a layover day to explore Hoodoo Basin or climb Hoodoo or Parker peaks.
August 8-15, 2014; $1,080 pp

This once-in-a-lifetime expedition starts in Bozeman, Montana, with a classroom orientation of the topic, the Yellowstone backcountry, the route and the itinerary and detailed backpacking information (you can make last-minute purchases or rent equipment here). The next morning, you’ll learn more about the park and backpacking on the bus on the way to the trailhead.

The first white people to enter the Nez Perce country of central Idaho were the nearly starving members of the Corps of Discovery, stumbling out of the Bitterroots in 1805. When they became seriously incapacitated, the Nez Perce decided to help them, rather than to kill them, and became the best armed, most powerful tribe in the upper Columbia Basin. That attitude continued as the Nez Perce welcomed both mountain men and missionaries to their homeland.

By 1877 though, the discovery of gold in the Nez Perce lands resulted in serious problems with the white explorers and settlers. When the non-treaty bands gave up and headed to the reservation in June, trouble broke out when three teenage boys went out to avenge a father's murder. The result was war and flight to Canada.

Instructors and guides: Jim Garry weaves natural history, human history, folklore, and myth into spellbinding stories. A naturalist and folklorist, he has spent most of the past four decades in the Yellowstone ecosystem. His books include This Ol’ Drought Ain’t Broke Us Yet and The First Liar Never Has a Chance.
Patty Walton has resided in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for more than 20 years. An outdoor enthusiast, she shares her passion when teaching safety, communication, and low-impact backpacking techniques through Leave No Trace principles. She is also a paramedic and CPR instructor.

More here about the flight of the Nez Perce

And more here about Nez Perce history in Yellowstone.

Not up for backpacking? Here's another culture-focused, guided program this summer, a daytrip: History on Yellowstone Lake.

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.

 

Historic Sites in Yosemite National Park & a New Cultural Exhibition

Heading to Yosemite this year? Did you know that below the spectacular monoliths and the waterfalls are fascinating historic hotels, camps, lodges and museums? A great companion to your Yosemite visit is the new book, Yosemite's Historic Hotels and Camps, which is filled with a collection of wonderful old postcard photos of the original (and several still existing) buildings, each described in detail.

For instance, it's well worth a drive from Yosemite Valley over to the Victorian-era Wawona Hotel, opened in 1879 and still a charmer. (Also the sweet Wawona Golf Course, opened in 1918 and still beloved by golfers.) Up the road from here, at the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, a circa 1930 cabin and museum has replaced the original Galen Clark Cabin.

Up at Tuolumne Meadows, the largest subalpine meadow in the Sierra Nevada, is the impressive, rustic stone Parsons Memorial Lodge (1915).

I love the quirky LeConte Memorial Sierra Club Lodge, a steep-roofed, rustic stone sort of cottage. A corner in the building is set aside for kids to spend quiet time coloring and leafing through nature books, while their parents browse the library and displays. Free evening talks, slide shows, and other programs are held on such topics as geology, history, Native Americans, flora and fauna of the park.

On the valley floor,  steepled Yosemite Chapel is oldest public structure in the park, built in 1879 and still popular for small weddings.

And, of course, the iconic Ahwahnee Hotel, completed in 1927. You don't have to be a guest here to spend hours exploring this masterpiece of Art Deco and California Craftsman architecture. In the museum-like building are Native American baskets and artifacts, historic photos and artworks, and Persian and American Indian rugs. We love to hang out on one of the sofas in the Great Room near the massive stone fireplace and peer at the big photos of cowboys and Indians; don't miss the anterooms where you can find a quiet corner when the Great Room is busy. Hung with baronial chandeliers, the 130-foot-long dining room at the Ahwahnee is world famous for its impressive structure and views through sky-high windows. Here is James Franco describing why he loves the Ahwahnee too!

Here is some inside dope: beyond the pool terrace past the cottages you can hang out in solitude beneath the pines beside the Merced River, and behind the hotel on the other side is a gorgeous meadow beneath Royal Arches, within view of Yosemite Falls.
 
It's fun to carry the book, Yosemite's Historic Hotels and Camps, around with you to see the great old photos and get an idea of old days in our country's favorite National Park. The author, Alice van Ommeren is an historian and a postcard collector. The publisher, Arcadia Publishing, has a huge collection of "Postcard History" titles, from New York and Vegas to New Orleans and Cape May.

This year through October, the park commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the Yosemite Grant with a new exhibit at the Yosemite Valley Museum entitled Yosemite, the Grand Experiment, featuring paintings, prints, artifacts, and ephemera from the early years.

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.

In the Shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Presidio Showcases 200 Years of History

A precious preserve of urban open space, the Presidio of San Francisco is 1,480 acres of wooded highlands, beaches, and vintage buildings that were used by the military for more than 200 years, from the Spanish and Mexican armies to the US Army, from Civil War times to the 1990s.

You could easily spend an entire day here. The free presidiGo shuttle stops at the main attractions, and there are ranger-led walks focused on history, architecture, nature, or historical personalities.

Visitor's centers are located in the Presidio at the Main Post; at Crissy Field both in the Warming Hut and at the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary headquarters; and at Fort Point (another historic site open for tours, beneath the Golden Gate Bridge.)

Now part of the National Park System, a main cultural and environmental attraction in San Francisco, the Presidio is threaded by quiet roads and paths for walking and bike riding. Secluded trails wind through cypress, pine, and eucalyptus forests to picnic tables in sunny meadows. Creeks and ponds are busy bird habitats. Along the southern border are a great playground and playing fields at Julius Kahn Park. Near the Arguello entrance, the easy Ecology Trail meanders through a grove of redwoods and wildflowery meadows.

In the San Francisco Film Centre here, the Dish Cafe is a good place for a casual breakfast,lunch and picnic items. Organic everything, from coffee to fresh juices, homemade soups, pastries, mini-pizzas, and sandwiches (closed weekends). And, there are a couple of other casual cafes in the park. Snacks and sandwiches are also available at the Warming Hut.

At the Letterman Digital Arts Center campus, lawns, benches, and a pond are great for GG bridge viewing and resting. (this is headquarters for Industrial Light & Magic, LucasArts, and part of Lucasfilm––think "Star Wars".)

Bordering the park, Baker Beach is unsafe for swimming but great for sunning (or fogging) and shore fishing, and there are World War II bunkers to explore. Smaller, more sheltered beaches and a waterfront promenade are found at Crissy Field beside the bay—also part of the Presidio.

Latest news: one of the two San Francisco buildings that remain from the era of Spanish colonization, the historic Presidio Officers’ Club reopens this Fall and will house  Arguello, a new Mexican restaurant and bar developed by the noted chef/restaurateur Traci Des Jardins. Besides the restaurant, the building will be a cultural destination with exhibitions about California history and archaeology

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.

Trace Your Ancestral Roots in Scotland: a Self-Guided Itinerary

HomecomingScotland lays out a rich, self-guided itinerary and a map with which you can trace the footsteps of your Scottish ancestors.

You start in Edinburgh at the ScotlandsPeople Centre and the National Library of Scotland (cultural highlights in this city are Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum and St. Giles Cathedral).

Highlights of "Walk in the Footsteps of Your Ancestry":

* Perth on the River Tay, Balhousie Castle, Black Watch Museum

* Living history at Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore

* In Inverness at the Highland Archive Centre, delve into records dating to the 14th Century, and find out more at the visitor center at Culloden Battlefield.

* Isle of Skye, Dunvegan Castle, Clan Donald Skye, Armadale Castle

* Road to the Isles, Glen Coe, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, battlefield of Bannockburn

* National Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle, Gretna Green

* Uncover your Scottish Borders ancestry in archives dating back 750 years, at Heritage Hub in Hawick.

* Back in Edinburgh, explore the National Galleries, the Royal Yacht Britannia, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Click here for the detailed week-long itinerary.

Do some preliminary research before your trip.

More here about discovering your family tree in Scotland.

And, while you’re in Scotland this year, enjoy hundreds of cultural events during the Year of Homecoming Scotland 2014!

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.

 

Murders, Mystery, and History at Oxford, England’s Oldest University

I'm a fan of three Masterpiece Theater PBS series based in Oxford, as much for the spectacular architectural and cultural riches of the city as for the devastating detectives. 

A 21st-century sequel to the beloved, long-running "Inspector Morse" series, the "Inspector Lewis" episodes feature Morse's former sergeant, Robbie Lewis, who is now accompanied by DI James Hathaway, a skinny, blonde, blue-eyed Cambridge grad who mutters literary references as he unearths the miscreants and murderers who seem to be rampant on the old streets of Oxford. 

 A prequel to the original Morse series, “Endeavour” stars Endeavour Morse as the young version of the original middle-aged Morse. A rookie detective for the Oxford police, he lurks around the city using his Oxford-educated intellectual powers to solve the grisly crimes that are so common at the university--hmmm, all those enrobed dons skulking around the ancient courtyards like black crows, having affairs with (and doing away with) artless students and the odd wife or husband.

Morse Walking Tour

Download this free “Morse” walking tour of the city, and when you’re there, stop in at the Randolph Hotel’s Morse Bar, where the episode “The Jewel that Was Ours” was filmed. Staying with a group of Americans at the hotel, a wealthy, elderly American tourist has a heart attack. Turning up missing is her handbag containing the Wolvercote Tongue, a priceless gem that her late husband had bequeathed to the Ashmolean Museum just across the street. Morse spends a great deal of time thinking and drinking in the bar, mulling over conflicting stories and suspicious goings-on, when a second murder happens. . . .

VisitBritain lays out a great "Oxford City Guide" that describes the main attractions; look on the right-hand column to find discounts and guided tours.

Scenes from Harry Potter movies were filmed in various landmarks in Oxford, including the glorious Bodleian Library (see here a fabulous panoramic view). 

The art- and archaeology-oriented Ashmolean Museum was the world's first public museum, founded in 1683, while the Botanic Garden on the High Street is the oldest botanic garden in the UK. Here also is the baroque extravaganza of Blenheim Palace, and The Grand Cafe, circa 1650, England's first coffee house.

Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. In the early 1500s, the notorious Cardinal Wolsey began building a college here, whereupon King Henry VIII kicked him to the side, built the college and Christ Church Cathedral. Today, the cathedral spire and the Tom Tower designed by Christopher Wren define the iconic skyline, along with a cacophony of buildings comprising 38 separate colleges, which make up the University of Oxford.

When you visit, you’ll share the sidewalks with lit fans walking in the footsteps of former Oxford residents C.S Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, and other notable writers and artists.

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.

Cuisine & Culture in Provence: Small Groups Cook, Tour & Taste in France

From the moment of your arrival at the TGV train station, you and just seven other foodie travelers slip into the world of culture and cuisine in Provence. Deeply connected with the villagers, the producers and the chefs of Provence, the tour company French Escapade specializes in 8-guest, hands-on cooking adventures that include the history, art, crafts and culture of the region around Avignon and St Remy de Provence.

Highlights:

Spend a morning with an olive grower in his orchards and his olive mill, tasting his olive oil and
tapenade, followed by lunch in the hilltop village of Gordes. 

A master truffle hunter and his dog lead a truffle-finding expedition under the oaks, with truffle tasting and wine, of course.

A Michelin-starred chef helps you choose fresh produce in the local marketplace and prepare a three course Provencal meal.

Outdoor market shopping in St Remy de Provence

A fabulous farm near Mont Ventoux is the site of "biologic agriculture" where you pick the herbs and veggies to prepare a traditional Provencal meal. 

Wine tasting in Chateau Neuf du Pape village 

Old monastery of St Paul Mausole where Van Gogh spent the last year of his life

Medieval village of les Baux de Provence

Explore Avignon: antiques and art, Provencal ceramics; Palace of the Popes, world-famous museums.

Cooking workshop at the luxurious Hotel La Mirande at Le Marmiton, the cooking school

Accommodations: restored villa-hotel dating from the XVIIIth century. 16 rooms with private baths, 2 heated swimming pools, idyllic country setting.

All breakfasts, 7 gourmet meals, bilingual guide. 

Women only, $3,590 pp, + $550 for single room.

Unlike most cooking tours, the French Escape cooking tour of Provence is taught by different French chefs in their restaurants or workshop kitchens, and the classes are in English.

Watch a short video by French Escape founder Jacqueline Grandchamps

She said, "I wanted to immerse very small groups of people in the culture, let them meet the locals, eat authentic regional cuisine and 'live' the actual local experience.That's how French Escapade was born".

A recent guest: "I learned about food, selecting produce and unique preparation methods, and I also learned more about French culture and values. To me, that's the most precious and priceless part of our trip."

 A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.

Columbia & Snake Rivers History Cruises, Book by June 20 to Save

The newly refurbished, 88-passenger S.S. Legacy, a replica coastal steamer, sails weeklong, 1,000-mile river cruises on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, roundtrip from Portland, Oregon.

Among the onboard heritage experts, historians and guides is Todd Weber, an expert on Lewis and Clark and early American history, who joins five departures in 2014/2015, presenting the fascinating details of Lewis and Clark’s expedition along the rivers. (Explorers, Lewis & Clark with Todd Weber: November 8, 2014; May 16, May 23, October 31, November 7, 2015)

Un-Cruise Adventures "Columbia and Snake River Cruises"

• Shore excursions to museums, forts, and wineries included!
• Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area & Multnomah Falls
• Transit eight locks and tour the Bonneville Dam Visitor Center
• Speed boat into Hells Canyon
• Storied past of the Nez Perce Native Americans
• Early American pioneer history on tours at Fort Clatsop & Fort Walla Walla
• Victorian Astoria & the Columbia River Maritime Museum
• Maryhill Museum & the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center
• Private tour & tasting at a Washington winery
• Retrace the epic journey of the Lewis & Clark Expedition

Follow Un-Cruise Adventures on Facebook

The company’s fleet of 8 vessels carries 22-88 guests in Alaska, Hawaiian Islands, Mexico’s Sea of Cortés, Columbia & Snake Rivers, and Coastal Washington & British Columbia. Un-Cruise Adventures is a member of Trusted Adventures, a consortium of travel companies that are dedicated to the highest standards of small-group travel and to giving back to the places visited.

Save $400 per couple on August - November 2014 departures! Book by June 20, 2014.

 A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.

San Jose is Cultural Heart of Silicon Valley

Adding cultural richness to the sophisticated, tech-oriented city of San Jose is an ethnically diverse population, including 1/4 million Latinos and nearly 1/4 million Asians. Add to this the history of 17^th century Spanish colonization, and a flowering of architecture during the Victorian  and Gold Rush eras, and for culture vultures, California’s third largest city is a treasure chest waiting to be opened.

The downtown is anchored by leafy Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park, where annual festivals are held, from Vietnamese New Year Tet to the Mariachi and Mexican Heritage Festival. Involving several hundred artists, the Tapestry Arts Fest happens in the park and on outdoor stages for blocks around.

Based at the parkside Fairmont San Jose, Michael and I spent a few days exploring. We walked to nearby performing arts halls for ballet, symphony, comedy and theater, and to the mango-bright Tech Museum of Innovation to see robots, astronauts and an IMAX film. Just down the block, the ultra-contemporary collection in the San Jose Museum of Art is housed in a monumental Romanesque edifice built in 1892; and, beyond that, the 1877 Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph is a soaring extravaganza complete with double bell towers, an impressive columned façade and a whopping dome encircled with saints and topped in dazzling blue stained glass.

Architecural Icons in San Jose

We took a private tour of the Rosecrucian Museum, which displays the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in western North America. At least once in your life, make a point of getting here to see the golden adornments of the pharoahs, a gang of mummies, images of gods and goddesses, the spooky reproduction of the Temple of Amon and much more. Established in the 1920s and studded with rare specimen trees, the glorious gardens, alone, are worth the visit.

(Click here to listen to a recent NPR podcast about the Egyptian Museum and the Tech by the noted broadcaster, Tom Wilmer.)

Just northeast of downtown, the streets of the Hensley Historic District are lined with Victorian-era mansions and homes, particularly on Third Street, while just north along Jackson Street is one of three remaining Japantowns in the country. Among several annual events are the Japanese Obon Festival, the Kimono and Vintage Sale (incredible offering of antique obis, kimonos, dishes, dolls, Samurai swords, paintings and hangings), and the Nikkei Matsuri Festival.

The oldest rstructure in San Jose, also within walking distance of Chavez park, the Peralta Adobe-Fallon House Historic Site is comprised of a 1797 adobe and the 1858 Victorian mansion, both open for tours. Nextdoor, the San Pedro Market is a super-fun destination for enjoying ethnic food and libations at tables under the trees. 

The city’s best known architectural icon, a Queen Anne Victorian spectacle of  turrets, towers, cupolas, cornices, and balconies, the Winchester Mystery House is another “must see”. Guilt-stricken by the thought of how many people had been killed by the Winchester rifle, which was manufactured by her husband’s company, beginning in the late 1800s, Sarah Winchester kept hundreds of workmen busy for years building a masterpiece––or a monster, depending on how you see it. Stairways and doors lead nowhere, windows open to walls, hallways twist and secret passageways are scary. Gold-plated chandeliers, Tiffany art glass windows, weird bathtubs and rare wood parquet floors are just a few things to see. Stay with your tour guide to avoid getting lost!

Across the street from all that mystery, Santana Row is not so much a cultural attraction as a fabulous European-style mixed-use complex of 70+ shops and nearly 20 restaurants with a glorious garden plaza where live music and entertainment take place on weekends. We like to come here at the end of our weekends, to stroll around and watch the denizens of San Jose having fun. Last time we listened to a Caribbean band and mariachis, and watched a Latin dance troupe and a children’s gymnastics performance. 

You can arrange for a guided walking tour through San Jose’s “Walks and Talks”.

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.

 

California’s Cowboy Country: Paso Robles History, Horses and Hot Springs

While American colonists were rebelling against England, Spanish conquistadors galloped through the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria River valleys and camped under the oaks in wild stream canyons. Falling in love with the seductive contours of the golden land and the natural riches of flora, fauna and the moderate climate, they stayed, establishing sprawling ranchos in what is now the Paso Robles area of San Luis Obispo County.

Settling in the foothills below the dark ridgeline of the Santa Lucia Mountains in the late 1700s, Franciscan padres built Mission San Miguel Arcangel and planted grapes for their sacramental wines. Decades later, when the Mexican army occupied the area, a land grant called El Paso de Robles––"the pass of the oaks"––was purchased for $8,000 by the Blackburn and James families (Drury James was the uncle of famed outlaw Jesse James). In the 1860s, the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived and the small town of Paso Robles began to grow as headquarters for farmers and ranchers. The Blackburns developed some of the natural hot springs into spas for travelers. An elegant hotel was built and train passengers arrived to “take the cure,” seeking the healing properties of the mineral-rich waters and mud baths.

Today, carefully preserved late 19th- and early 20th-century buildings around the grassy, 2-block square Paso Robles town plaza house a mix of restaurants, shops and homes in architectural styles from Mission Revival to redwood "stick," Western false front, and Victorian Queen Anne. A jumbo grain elevator, an acorn-shaped clock tower from 1892 and a 1908 Italianate Revival-style Carnegie Library, now a museum, are stand-outs among the trove of historic buildings.

A renowned pianist and freedom fighter, and ultimately Premier of Poland, Jan Ignace Paderewski came to the Hotel El Paso de Robles (now the upscale Paso Robles Inn) in 1914 in hopes that mud baths and hot sulfur water would relieve his rheumatism. He took to the place, buying property and planting walnut, almond and plum trees, and 200 acres of Zinfandel and Petit Syrah grapes on his Rancho San Ignacio Vineyard. The first of his several wine awards was a gold medal at the 1933 California State Fair. Each year in March, the community puts on the Paderewski Festival, with concerts, lectures, winery tours and a Polish breakfast. 

 

Since the early 1900s, farmers and ranchers have produced wheat, barley and cattle on the rolling hills and once there were more almond orchards than anywhere else on earth. Today, although vineyards are as evident as grazing meadows, a Wild West spirit continues to prevail. Winemakers wear cowboy boots, cowboys drink Cabernet and dusty pickup trucks pull up to elegant mansions. And, you are just as likely to see deer, wild turkeys and jack rabbits as a daytripper in a red convertible.

Nearby Paso Robles, in the little town of Templeton, the huge Templeton Feed and Grain silo is a reminder of the agricultural and ranching history of the area.When the Mexican army occupied California in the 1820s, they granted expansive ranchos to various local worthies who established cattle ranches and grain farms. By 1886, the Southern Pacific Railroad was shipping cattle out of Templeton. At today’s Templeton Livestock Market, real cowboys still buy and sell horses and cattle and you can watch penning and roping competitions.

On the main street, Jack Creek Farms Country Store represents a long agricultural heritage. The Barlogio family’s great-grandpa, James, immigrated from Switzerland in the late 1800's, and raised dairy cows and pumpkins on the banks of Jack Creek. Farm animals and antiques tractors are on display at the store among fields of flowers and pumpkin and tomato patches. Visitors can pick their own apples, plums, peaches and olallieberries. 

A general store and a bank in the 1880s, the A.J. Spurs restaurant building is crowded with Old West memorabilia, cowhides, spurs, horse collars and vintage photographs. You may find yourself elbow-to-elbow with a cowpuncher in riding boots or a vineyard worker in a wine-stained shirt as they dig into iron pots of Vaquero soup, and rib-sticking steak and ribs roasted in oak-fired ovens.

Hot Springs

The Salinan Indians and the Spanish mission padres knew the Paso Robles area as Agua Caliente, meaning "hot water," referring to the many natural underground hot mineral springs. As early as the 1860's, spas and mud baths in the town were tourist attractions and "taking the waters" a popular pastime. The Paso Robles Hot Springs Hotel was built in 1864 and was replaced in 1940 by the Paso Robles Inn, which today draws the healing waters into aromatic––think sulphur––whirlpool tubs on private patios overlooking a lush garden.

Another historic spa, Sycamore Hot Springs Resort has been a popular destination since 1897 and remains a tranquil retreat. You can arrange to soak in hot mineral-rich waters in a tub secluded in the woods, and explore the extensive gardens along Lopez Creek.

 Nestled against a forested hillside, Avila Valley Hot Springs maintains, year round, a huge, heated swimming pool and a mineral pool fed by 105-degree water from an artesian well. The mild marine climate and ocean breezes keep this corner of the valley twenty degrees cooler in summer and warmer in the winter than just a mile or two inland.

History and hot springs – worth a long weekend of discoveries on California’s backroads. And to get up close to a real cowboy, be in Palo Robles for the annual Pioneer Day Parade in October.

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.

Come Back to Sicily! Immersion in the Ancient Worlds of Sicily and the Aeolian Islands

Even if you have traveled in Italy a dozen times and even if you’ve been to Sicily, this exclusive, private, expert-led excursion may likely be more enlightening and educational of any of your previous visits––this is it, the ultimate, in-depth expedition in Sicily and the Aeolians.

Academy Travel's tour “Sicily and the Aeolian Islands” with a renowned forensic archaeologist caters to experienced travelers and to history buffs who love nothing more than pondering over old bones and clambering over thousand-year-old ruins. In business for more than a decade, the company is famous for small group, culturally-oriented, impeccably executed tours led by top-notch experts.

From one end of Sicily to the other, highlights of the tour are the major Greek sites of Syracuse and Agrigento; the Arab, Carthaginian and Norman worlds––Roman villas, Saracen palaces, Byzantine mosaics, Norman cathedrals and Baroque architecture 

Dreams of the Ancient World in Sicily

Departing October 12, 2014, the 17-day, power-packed Sicily and the Aeolian Islands tour includes:

• Some of the largest and best-preserved ruins of the ancient world - Syracuse, Agrigento, Segesta and Selinunte
• Spectacular Baroque' architecture at Syracuse, Noto and Ragusa
• Carthaginian site on the island of Mozia 
• Medieval Arabo-Norman architecture in and around Palermo, including the mosaics of the Palatine Chapel, Monreale and Cefalu
• 3 days on the Aeolian Islands exploring the bronze age archaeology of Lipari and the sea volcano of Stromboli
• 4 nights days in Taormina, with an ascent of Mount Etna 
• Archaeological and art museums in Syracuse, Agrigento, Palermo and Lipari

Sicily and the Aeolian Islands will be led Dr. Estelle Lazer, an archaeologist who has worked on Pompeii for nearly a decade and has an international reputation for her research. Lazer is also a university lecturer and has led numerous tours in Sicily.

Savvy traveler-focused itineraries, inclusions and amenities

Always on the Academy Travel’s itineraries are in-depth background talks and pre-visit briefings, and often, private viewings and exclusive access to historic and cultural sites. Originally affiliated with a university, the company continues to organize school, university and arts association expeditions, in addition to their acclaimed individual tours in Italy and around the world. Travelers who have experienced Academy Travel tours return year after year.

Click here for a detailed itinerary, inclusions (most meals, airport transfers, porterage, tips and more), brochure of 2014 tours, and complete information.

More for culture vultures in Italy:

• Curios on the Canal in Milano
• Biking Puglia

Your travels: let me know about your favorite tour company and I’ll try to feature it

A cultural tour curator, Karen Misuraca is a travel writer and the author of several guidebooks, including Backroads of the California Wine Country; Backroads of the California Coast, and Fun with the Family Northern California. Check out Karen's newly updated iPhone app, California Coast North.