Meri Howard, World Traveler

06/12/2023

Most people have heard of Pompeii, but few know about another town that was covered by ash when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. The Ancient Roman town of Herculaneum was a seaside retreat for the Roman elite. The buildings are more intact than Pompeii because it was not excavated to the same extent and to this day only a fraction of the site has been uncovered. This is the destination on the third day of my small group trip to Italy next September. If you would like to get more information about the tour, email [email protected] with your name, phone number, and email address.

05/12/2023

I am excited to announce that I am organizing a 10-day trip to Italy in September 2024. It will be a small group tour. This is our itinerary. Day 1: Rome Day Tour, Dinner in Trastevere. Day 2: Villa d’Este in Tivoli. Day 3: Herculaneum. Day 4: Amalfi Coast. Day 5: A visit to farms for bufala mozzarella demonstration, olive oil and wine tasting. Day 6: San Leucio Silk Factory. Day 7: The Royal Palace of Casarta. Day 8: The Isle of Capri. Day 9: Naples Day Tour and Pizza Dinner. Day 10: Borghese Gallery and Gardens and Farewell Dinner. I already have some spots filled. To learn more about the tour before it fills up completely, send your name, phone number and email address to [email protected]. If I don’t know you personally, write me a little note about yourself and why you would like to come on this trip.

05/10/2023

The Temple of Luxor at night. Very impressive

05/10/2023

We had an epic evening at the Temple of Luxor. We were treated to royal music (Triumphal March from Aida) walking up the stairs, spotlights like a Hollywood premiere and a banquet fit for kings and queens. It was the best.

05/10/2023

In Luxor, we stayed at the Jolie Ville Resort on King's Island. The resort is completely surrounded by the Nile. The accomodations are small clusters of rooms in separate bungalow style buildings. It has a variety of restaurant choices. The main special features are the two large swimming pools that are so large they look like lakes. Next to this swimming pool is a spa where they offer 15 minutes free massage

02/10/2023

The entertainment continues throughout dinner with participation from our tour group.

02/10/2023

A traditional Egyptian dinner.

02/10/2023

More with the Egyptian dancers.

02/10/2023

Egyptian dancers entertained us on our first night in Cairo.

02/10/2023

Our Egyptian tour started in Cairo with our stay at the Marriott Mena House Hotel near the Pyramids at Giza. The Mena House was built in 1869 as a hunting lodge to receive dignataries who attended the opening of the Suez Canal. Over the years, it has hosted royalty like Princess Eugenie of France, King Gustav of Sweden, King Umberto of Italy, Albert, Prince of Wales, King George V and Queen Mary, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, and King Farouk of Egypt. Dignitaries who stayed at the Mena House include Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon, and General Chaing Kai-Shek. Celebrities who stayed there included Agatha Christie, Charlie Chaplin, Arthur Conan Doyle, Roger Moore, Charlton Heston, and Frank Sinatra. In 2018, Marriott took over operations of the hotel. It is popular for conferences and weddings.

11/09/2023

The Sphinx at Giza, Egypt

11/09/2023

The pyramids at Giza, Egypt

04/09/2023

Check out the room we got for free at the Grand Mayan Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta Mexico.

04/09/2023

I am on my way to Cairo. Photos to follow.

27/08/2023

I spent 5 days at the Grand Mayan Resort at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta. It has first class amenities and VIP service. Here are some highlights. More to come.

16/08/2023

I went to Cincinnati this summer for a conference. I had no idea what to expect since it was my first time there. I had an opportunity to go to a Cincinnati Reds baseball game. What fun! Cincinnati loves its Reds. After the game, there was a spectacular fireworks show that seemed to go on forever. One of the best I have seen.

10/08/2023

An Ivar Haglund animated commercial. He was a folksinger and collector of local Seattle folksongs.

A Tribute animation I created for Seattle's original singing Clam Ambassador Ivar Haglund.

10/08/2023

Learn about local Seattle Restaurateur and promoter, Ivar Haglund.

An upbeat, folksy musical reminiscence of Ivar Haglund, the "Mayor of the Waterfront" and founder of Ivar's Acres of Clams Seafood Restaurant in Seattle, Was...

10/08/2023

A discussion of Seattle would not be complete without talking about Ivar Haglund, a local celebrity known for his funny commercials advertising his seafood restaurants. He is best known for Ivar’s Acres of Clams, but his company owns 24 seafood bars, 3 fish bars and 3 full service restaurants. He started the first Acres of Clams in 1946 on Pier 56. It is still there. He entertained Seattleites for more than 4 decades with his 4th of July Fireworks. He was a Seattleite through and through. His family moved there in 1869 and he spent his whole life there. In 1976, he bought the Smith Tower, at the time the tallest building west of the Mississippi. His motto was “Keep Clam”. I will include some Youtube clips for you to learn more.

08/08/2023

The oldest part of Downtown Seattle is the Pioneer Square District. It is actually built up from its original level after the great fire in 1889. You can take an underground tour and see remnants of the original level of shops. The buildings in this area are still over 100 years old. The actual Pioneer Square is near the Smith Tower. However, the whole district is referred to as Pioneer Square.

07/08/2023

Seattle is surrounded by water. Puget Sound is to the west and Lake Washington is to the east. Boating is a passion for Seattle residents. An easy and inexpensive way to get on a boat is to take the ferry to Bainbridge Island. You catch it on the Seattle Waterfront. A walk-on for an adult is $9.45, seniors $4.70. You only pay one way. Coming back is free. If you have a car and you want to explore Bainbridge Island, it is $41.30 for one driver and car going, and $31.15 to return. You can also take a ferry to Bremerton from the same ferry terminal on the waterfront. It is the same fare for walk-ons as Bainbridge Island. Car and driver is $16.80. The Washington ferry system goes to many of the islands and leaves from different places. To find out more, go to

Most ferries are loaded on a first-come, first-served basis, though Vehicle Reservations are available and recommended for the Port Townsend/Coupeville and Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes. Purchasing your tickets in advance on all routes saves time when going through the tollbooth. Your ticket doe...

06/08/2023

One of Vivian William's young friends and proteges gives a tribute to Vivian at the Northwest Folklife Festival in 2023.

06/08/2023

I was fortunate to spend some time with the legendary fiddle player and historian Vivian Williams a few years ago. She and her husband Phil started the Northwest Folklife Festival in 1972. Phil passed away a few years ago and we lost Vivian this year.

06/08/2023

Seattle has many festivals and the Seattle Center is the location of many of them. My favorite Seattle festival is the Northwest Folklife Festival which takes place Memorial Day Weekend over 4 days with 20-24 venues going at the same time. It features music and dance performances, workshops and jams, food from many countries and cultures, arts and crafts from many nations, buskers, and is a weekend of ecstasy for those of us who like music. It was started in 1972 by local musicians Phil and Vivian Willliams and it has been going on every year since except for a couple of Covid years. It is financed by donations, grants, and some government funding. Because of that, anyone can enjoy the festival for free. It is the largest festival of its kind anywhere in the world with the variety of performances and even though I no longer live in Seattle, I try to make it to the festival every year. I shot this video in 2011 but it is a strong representation of what it is like today as well.

05/08/2023

An easy way to get to the Seattle Center from Downtown Seattle is the Monorail. It was built for the 1962 World's Fair as well as the Seattle Center where you find the Space Needle and many sports and entertainment venues. A ride on the Monorail is $3.50 for adults and $1.75 for seniors.

05/08/2023

Seattle has great public transportation. When you arrive at Sea-Tac Airport, my favorite way to get to Downtown Seattle which is almost 14 miles away is to take the light rail that has a station at the airport. The fare is $3.00 to Downtown for adults and $1 for seniors. Wow! You heard that right. The light rail and all of the buses in the Downtown area are underground which cuts down on the pollution. The light rail also continues to Capitol Hill, the University District and out to Northgate. If you are going to be using public transportation a lot on your visit, get an Orca Card which you can add money to. A day pass is $8. A fun thing to do is to take the streetcar that goes along the Seattle Waterfront. It can also be included in your day pass or is $2.75 for adults, $1.00 for seniors 65 or older.

04/08/2023

The condos at the Market.

04/08/2023

The first Starbucks which happens to be in the Pike Place Market.

04/08/2023

The famous Pike Place Fish Market where they throw the fish.

04/08/2023

The Athenian Cafe

04/08/2023

04/08/2023

04/08/2023

This week I am going to concentrate on Seattle, a city where I lived for 18 years. There is so much to do in Seattle. Here are some photos of Pike Place Market, the jewel of Downtown. In the early 70's, they were going to tear it down and build a parking lot. The citizens of Seattle saved it. I still have a manifesto I got off of a wall to save the market.

26/07/2023

If you are planning to go to Europe in 2024, you will now need a visa that you will get from the ETIAS website. It is not operational yet. It will cost 7 euros and you should get the visa electronically within minutes. The visa is good for 3 years. Here is the link to find out more information.

Official EU website on ETIAS, the new travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries. Applications should be filled in this website from 2024.

23/07/2023

People often ask me about my background. My father liked to travel on ships around the world. He was a regular new age Christopher Columbus. By the time I was 13, I had gone around the world 3 times with my parents on ships. At age 16, we took another trip through the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, and then from Portugal down the East Coast of South America to Buenos Aires across the Andes on a train and up the West Coast of South America from Valparaiso, Chile to Cartagena, Colombia and then through the Panama Canal. By the end of the summer of my 16th birthday, I had been on 12 ships, some as cruise ships and others as passenger ships. This started a love of travel that has continued throughout my adult life.

23/07/2023

This page is for anyone who travels, wants to travel, or just enjoys seeing the pictures of trips that I and others are taking when we travel. The page is meant to be a generic travel page and not meant to advertise any one opportunity for travel or business. No business opportunity posts by others including mentions of their business are allowed on this page unless I post it for you. I will post tips important for travelers like ways to get the best airfare, tips for packing, passport and visa information, opportunities for solo travelers and more information as it comes up. There will be ways to join Facebook groups that I will organize from this page’s followers for specific interests.