Marie Antoinette was a symbol of the monarchy of France, but she wasn’t French. Born Maria Antonia, she was Austrian, and grew up in Vienna at the Habsburg court. Her favorite palaces were Schoenbrunn, summer palace outside Vienna, and the Petit Trianon and Hamlet at Versailles.
Read more…Sonoma County in Spring
Spring in Sonoma County – after winter rains, hills are velvety green, flowering trees and flowers wave in the breeze, hello baby goats and lambs!
Here’s our guide to picnics, hikes, bike rides, and best family events – Petaluma Butter & Egg Parade and Sonoma Farm Trails.
Barcelona Dragons: Old and new
Gaudi’s mosaic dragon in Parc Guell is just one of many dragons kids will see on a visit to Barcelona. How to identify dragons and heroes (Archangel Michael, Saint George, Wilfred the Hairy), and where to see them in the city.
Read more…Summer 2025: Tips for Visiting US National Parks
Know before you go to US national parks this summer – firings of national park workers will significantly affect your experience. Tips for road conditions, wildlife and fire saftey, weather, especially extreme heat, plus information about specific national parks.
Read more…John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt: A timeless legacy
Here’s to John Muir for a timeless legacy of wilderness for future generations and creation of national parks, and Teddy Roosevelt, who used his presidency to create federal protection for public lands, national monuments, cultural heritage sites. Plus children’s books about national parks, and need for conservation today.
Read more…Uffizi Museum for Kids
The Uffizi Museum (Galleria degli Uffizi) in Florence has a magnificent collection of Italian painting and sculpture. Here’s tips for families visiting the Uffizi, and some favorite artworks to see – paintings by Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci, portraits of Medici children, angels, battles, and coats of arms.
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