One of my favorite places in Paris was the Pantheon, a neo-Classical church in the Latin Quarter.  It was modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, and topped with a dome similar to Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London.  Although it was originally an abbey, it now primarily serves as a burial place for many famous French heroes, leaders, artists, and writers.
This beautiful building was constructed as a result of a promise made by King Louis XV in 1744.  He was suffering from a serious and mysterious illness (later believed to be gout), and vowed that if he recovered he would …read more

Permanently docked in Long Beach, California, the Queen Mary represents an bygone era of elegance and style.  A time when it took an ocean liner to cross the ocean.
The Queen Mary served as both an elegant ocean liner and a WWII troopship, but for the last 40 years has been a California attraction, hotel, meeting center, and restaurant (actually three restaurants).  Although suffering from a little ship-worn look the past few years, the once elegant liner is being restored to its former glory with a major capital refurbishing campaign.
The ship is home to a 314 room Art Deco Hotel, …read more

Last week I wrote about things to do in Denver (besides the Democratic National Convention0), and this week the country turns its attention to the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minneapolis.
While I’m a little less familiar with Saint Paul, I’ve still spent some time in the area.  I still have a few things left to do and see on this list, but here are my Saint Paul list of suggestions:

Check out the Science Museum of Minnesota, across from the RiverCentre.  It is surrounded by parks and walkways, and is a wonderful spot to learn and to relax. …read more