Aptly known as the Last Frontier, Alaska exerts a fascination that attracts visitors from all walks of life. With astonishing diversity, there is truly something for everyone.

Alaska is by far the largest US state at over 570,000 square miles and more shoreline than all other states combined. Home to three million lakes, it also boasts the largest collection of glaciers in North America, and with global warming, it will stay that way.

The breathtaking sights are brooding with a vast array of wildlife. There are more than 400 species of birds, including the majestic bald eagle. The most impressive mammals here include caribou, wolves, red foxes, moose and various bears. With so much shoreline, it’s no wonder Alaska is also extremely rich in sea life: bearded seals, walrus and killer, humpback and beluga whales.

Interestingly much of the territory and its accompanying wildlife are still yet to be explored. People often say that there are no more frontiers to explore, but Alaska proves to be the great exception.

Alaska’s Native Cultures

Making up approximately 16% of the state’s population, Alaska’s native people are divided into 11 individual cultures with 20 different languages. Visiting an Alaska Native village is an educational experience for those interested in understanding a way of life much different from their own. However there must be respect for the Native’s privacy; visitors should never treat this untouched way-of-life as a "tourist attraction". It is a great opportunity to learn how Natives really live, seeing how they preserve their way of life. Tours may include a Native language lesson, traditional dancing, singing and the chance to buy unique Native art.

Getting Around

Alaska actually has more transportation options than one might imagine. Many people opt for a cruise to make their travel effortless, while others prefer to explore on their own. Renting a car or motor home is a great option and you’ll find that the modern Alaska Highway has been greatly improved compared to past years. There are plenty of accommodations ranging from B&B’s to RV parks.

If driving isn’t your thing, you can always travel via rail. The Alaska Railroad provides service through 470 scenic miles. Regular or private seating is available. The private cars offer larger windows and dome cars with unrestricted landscape views. There’s a good chance of seeing Dall sheep, bear, moose and other wildlife. If you prefer to travel by air, there are many options including jets, floatplanes and helicopters. A fun choice is combining some of these options to maximize your experience.

Exploring Anchorage

As the largest city in Alaska, housing over 40% of the population, Anchorage is a great starting point for travelers. Weather-wise, Anchorage is considered mild by Alaskan standards, but it does still receive rain and snow.

Downtown Anchorage is bustling with unique shops and restaurants. Native crafts such as woven baskets, intricately carved masks and jewelry are abundant throughout the shops. To ensure you are purchasing authentic native art, look for the "Silver Hand" emblem. It’s a guarantee the item you purchased was made by an Alaskan native.

The Visitor Information Center Log Cabin offers maps, brochures and lots of useful information. Be sure to tour the numerous museums and historic sites too.

Being in a large city may lead you to believe you are far from wildlife, but do not let that fool you. An estimated 50 brown bears, 200 black bears and 2,000 moose live in the city area and local foothills. The more adventurous are sure to enjoy a guided moose tour. Walking amongst these massive animals is quite the adrenaline rush.

From Anchorage you can see the Aleutian, Kenai, Tordrillo, Chugach, Talkeetna and Alaska mountain ranges. Mount McKinly, the tallest mountain in North America, can also be seen on very clear days. A great way to view these mountains is by taking a flight-seeing tour, which is sightseeing from the air. Small helicopters and planes offer amazing views of these mountains, along with glaciers and lakes. Some will even land directly on the glaciers.

Stunning scenery lies along the Seward Highway, just south of Anchorage. A favorite stop is Beluga Point where you can watch beluga whales chasing the salmon that come in with the tide. Killer whales are sometimes seen here as well. The highway offers numerous stops with a great variety of things to see and do.

If you’re lucky, you may be able to view the Northern Lights, also know as Aurora Borealis. Bright lights ripple and pulse through the sky in a light show like no other. Alaska is the best place in the US to view the Northern Lights. The most common color is a yellow-green hue, but one may also see streaks of blue, purple and red. The most impressive displays tend to be accompanied by sub-zero temperatures and extremely dark, moonless skies. (This natural light show takes place in the earth’s upper atmosphere when charged particles from the sun collide with gas molecules.) Winter is typically the best time to view the lights, though they can also be seen in fall and spring. Many hotels offer a "Northern Lights wake-up call" for those who are willing to wake up at any hour to view this phenomenon.

Into the Wild

Brooks Camp is an incredible destination for those interested in viewing brown bears in their natural habitat. These coastal bears congregate here to feed on salmon, with July being the peak season. Located in Katmai National Park, Brooks is accessible by floatplane. Here you have the option of staying in a private cabin (Brooks Lodge) or camping in the well-maintained campground, which overlooks Naknek Lake and is surrounded by an electric fence for safety. Besides bears, this area offers beautiful scenery and sunsets. There are many simple walking trails and two safe-viewing platforms, which give you the advantage of relaxing and enjoying a full view of the bears going about their daily activities. It’s not uncommon to see a mother with cubs, males defending their territory or bears catching the jumping salmon at the falls. The bears are very comfortable in the water and may wait for hours at a time to dive on their prey. At Brooks, bears have the right of way and must be respected at all times.

Raingear and warm clothing are a must, with clear skies expected only 20% of the time. During the summer, the average daily temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit. There is also a basic buffet-style restaurant with a small bar complete with cozy fireplace, a real comfort after hours of bear viewing. Anyone interested in wildlife will enjoy this destination, but photographers and fishermen especially love it.

From Brooks, you can also take a tour via bus to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. The tour leads you to a site of volcanic ruin that took place over 90 years ago. In 1918 it was dubbed a national monument in order to protect such an important area needed to further the study of volcanism. You can peer out at the valley from Overlook Cabin. Rangers lead simple hikes through the area, or the more adventurous, can explore on their own. The landscape looks akin to something from a science fiction movie with its rough pumice, rocks and ash. The harsh Alaskan weather has only helped mold this marvelously peculiar setting.

Breaking a Sweat

There are many sports to be enjoyed, with activity levels ranging from those who want to take it easy to more athletic types who want a workout.

With its dramatic and endless coastline, kayaking is the perfect way to explore the state’s numerous islands and scenic coves. Kayak tours are great for beginners and most find the activity easier than expected. While kayaking, you may encounter a wide range of wildlife including puffins, sea otters and orcas. You can also get a close-up view of glaciers.

Year round, you have the opportunity to experience a key part of traditional Alaskan culture: dog sledding AKA dog mushing, the official sport of Alaska. Alaskans began racing dogs in the early 1900’s. Today the most famous race is the Iditarod, which takes place every March. Some tours offer you the opportunity to drive the dog sled team yourself. Of course you are always welcome to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Skiing is very popular in and around the major towns. Both cross-country and downhill skiing are possible when the snowfall permits. Several communities offer ski resorts for those who plan on spending at least a few days skiing.

While in Alaska, remember to tread lightly. The real beauty of Alaska lies in the fact it has remained wild. Its vastness and mystery help people truly get in tune with nature. It’s important to help protect its beauty so it can be enjoyed by generations to come.

Nicole Barton is a freelance writer and photographer from Southern California. She enjoys traveling to remote locations throughout the world to photograph nature and wildlife. nicolebarton.com.

Oldest Settlement

Like most of us, you probably thought that Jamestown was the oldest city in America. But like most of us, you’d be wrong. The honor of America’s oldest continuously occupied European settlement actually goes to St. Augustine in Florida. And the nation’s oldest city was founded in 1565, a lengthy 42 years before the English colonized Jamestown. The city belonged to the Spanish in those early days, and everywhere you turn here, you’ll be reminded of the significance of this city to the history of the United States.

The state of Florida itself was discovered by Ponce de Leon who claimed the territory for Spain and the Catholic Church in 1513. The name La Florida means "land of flowers”. But the English were not far behind and Sir Francis Drake was the first British visitor. He saw a lighthouse and came ashore then promptly burned the city to the ground.

The city of St. Augustine was discovered by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565. These days the influence of all countries who have claimed the town can be felt. "The whole town has a European flavor” says gallery owner Jan Miller who owns Butterfield Garage gallery. And you can see this almost everywhere you walk. History is waiting around every corner, it seems. And walking is one of the best ways to discover this history. The city gained kudos in 2006 as one of the top 10 most walkable cities in the nation.

Castillo de San Marcos

One of the best places to start that walk is at the Castillo de San Marcos, a National Monument that has been standing as sentinel over the city since 1672, a fact that makes it the oldest masonry fort in the US, as well as America’s oldest man-made monument. It took 21 years to finish the walls that are made of coquina, a porous material made of tiny seashells quarried from Anastasia Island across the water. The fort was commissioned by Spain’s Queen Regent Mariana who realized that St. Augustine was critical to the defense of the Florida coast, which at the time was getting attacked by pirates and other enemies.

History tells us that whoever controls the fort holds the key to all of Florida. Although originally built by the Spanish, the fort has been taken over in turn by the British, Spanish and Americans until it was finally declared a National Monument in 1924.

If you’re lucky, you can catch soldiers in period costume fire the cannon. It’s quite a sight. The blue and red uniforms made from wool might make you think the poor volunteer soldiers are sweating buckets, but their undergarments are made to allow the condensation that forms to keep them cool.

Hotel Ponce de Leon

No doubt one of the places where guests were kept cool was at the beautiful and grand Hotel Ponce de Leon, built in the Spanish Renaissance style. The building is now the Flagler College. In the days when the building was a hotel, guests had to stay for the whole season and pay the princely sum of $30/day, all in cash. Al Capone was even said to be a frequent visitor here.

Thomas Edison was the reason the hotel/college had lights in its day. These days, in the dining room, you can find outstanding glasswork by Louis Comfort Tiffany, valued at $35 million. With all this history and artwork, the students should be inspired to greatness!

Henry Flagler himself was a farmer and at age 14 he joined his brother’s general store where he saved his money and invested in grain, then salt and then grain again. He later met Rockerfeller and they started Standard Oil. He came to St. Augustine on his honeymoon and fell in love with the area. He built a Methodist church and in those days churches came with land. Flagler asked for the land (the church wasn’t using it) and they gave it to him. He then did the same for the Baptist church but they asked him not to build a bell tower which he agreed not to do. Flagler wanted to turn St. Augustine into a winter home for the rich and in many ways this is what he did.

But tragedy was to hit the family. Flagler’s daughter died giving birth to his granddaughter, and Flagler built a church in her memory. This is the beautiful Presbyterian Church, plain and comfortable inside but with a Venetian Renaissance style outside. This splendid church was built in a few days less than a year (361 days) with the labor of 1000 workers, all working 12 hour shifts. The work never stopped. It’s the only church of its kind in America and is now Flagler’s burial place.

Lightner Museum

Across the street from the college, you’ll see the Lightner Museum, originally Flagler’s second hotel--the Alcazar Hotel. This acted as an entertainment area for Flagler’s Ponce de Leon hotel guests-- after all they stayed for months and had to have something to do! Lightner later bought it in 1946, during the Depression, and it now houses brilliant cut glass, antique furnishings, period costumes, mechanical musical instruments and many of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s stained glass works. The impressive collections document American life during the Victorian Age and early 20th century. These days, this is the equivalent of Florida’s Smithsonian Museum.

And when those visiting guests got unruly, Henry Flagler knew exactly where to put them. He built the town’s Old Jail in 1891 and this actually served as a real jail until 1953. It was finally placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1987.

But if you’d rather see homes instead of jails, check out the period houses at the Old St. Augustine Village, a city block that is the location of 9 houses, all different and all nestled among courtyards and gardens. The owner, Kenneth W. Dow, bought one house for his collection of artworks, furniture and antiques gathered from his travels around the world, but soon ran out of space and bought another house. This went on for some time until he had squired a substantial collection of houses—9 in all—to go along with his substantial collection of artifacts. History doesn’t record what his wife thought of all this "stuff!”

Historic Living

This particular city block wasn’t wanted by St. Augustine and it is actually now owned by the city of Daytona Beach. The historic homes span from 1790 to 1910 and one even belonged to the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, Prince Achille Murat, who resided here before moving to Tallahassee.

Another house worth visiting is the Ximinez Fatio House, one of the original B&Bs in the town. Like most houses of its day, the kitchen is situated away from the house. This prevented the house being destroyed should the kitchen catch fire and helped keep extra heat out of the main building. Air conditioning did not exist and the heat would have been oppressive.

But oppressive heat or not, movie producers and directors always recognize a good thing when they see it And they saw it in the historic Aviles Street which has recently been used in the movie, The Celestine Prophecy. Dating back to 1572—35 years before the advent of Jamestown—this is one of the oldest streets in America and is typical of a Spanish street, just what the movie directors wanted.

Of course the oldest town is a fitting place for the Oldest House. "The Oldest House and complex gives a representation of how people lived from 1723 thought he Revolutionary War to the present day”, says Lynn Lesioka, a docent at the Oldest House, also known as the Gonzalez-Alvarez House, after the families that lived there. This is the oldest surviving Spanish Colonial dwelling in Florida. Check out how small the house was with only 3 rooms. Originally two rooms and one story high, the structure was changed when the British occupied it and added a second floor. The present house dates back to the early 1700s and these days it also houses the Museum of Florida’s Military and the Florida history Museum.

From the oldest house, be sure to check out the Oldest Schoolhouse as well. Built before 1763, with wooden pegs and handmade nails, this school stands just as it did over two centuries ago. Check out the roll call for the last class ever to attend. There’s even a photograph of those pupils with their descendents. Compare your elementary school experience and you’ll see that maybe it wasn’t so bad after all!

Do you know, for instance, what the children had to use instead of money to pay the teacher? Not only did children have to learn their lessons, they had to bring coal and food for the teacher as well. Bartering in exchange for lessons was often the order of the day. If you got this right, go to the top of the class!

The city of St. Augustine is also famous for its spring, known as the Fountain of Youth. The water was originally used by Native Americans and later Ponce de Leon in 1513. Here you can stroll the gardens, explore the excavations, see the life-sized exhibits and planetarium and drink from the prehistoric India Spring that Ponce de Leon hoped was the elixir of life. Check out the Navigator’s Celestial Planetarium showing how sailors of yesteryear navigated with the stars. The sky is shown on the exact day Ponce de Leon made his landmark discovery of North America. It is still operated by hand. There’s also a native Indian burial site on the premises which came as a surprise to the Smithsonian Institute team who discovered it.

Olde World Shopping

But if all this history makes you just want to switch off and spend half a day shopping, then you can do that too. Fantastic shopping opportunities are everywhere, particularly in the charming shops along ancient St. George Street. There it’s pedestrian traffic only among the hundreds of shops and boutiques that meet just about every need and desire.

And you just might run into bookstores in this city where the most well-known and well-loved author was Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, the Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Yearling. Among the guests in her modest but lovely home, now open to the public, were Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, A.J. Cronin and Dylan Thomas.

Exotic Wildlife

And when it comes to discoveries, one you’ll be glad you found is the Alligator Farm. Opened in 1893, this houses all 23 known species of crocodilian, plus exotic birds, monkey and giant tortoise. The farm celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1993.

"Crocodile tears are tears that are not real”, says a docent leading a school group around. "The expression came from the ancient belief that crocodiles shed tears while eating their victims.” The school group suddenly stops in its tracks, in awe of an albino crocodile. "It’s also said that those who gaze upon these beautiful albino reptiles will receive good fortune,” smiles the docent. And several school kids nod in agreement, or is it in hope?

Near the Alligator Farm is Marineland - a great place to watch and even feed dolphins, a creature humans feel much more inclined to interact with. Watch them play and frolic with their trainers. The center is used for marine scientific and dolphin research and if you always fancied swimming with dolphins, then this is your chance. You get to swim and play with the dolphins in their 450,000 gallon rectangular oceanarium in a program that’s normally reserved only for the staff members who work with them. Check it out.

More Colonial Icons

Another "must-see” in town is Florida’s first and still-working Lighthouse, built in 1824. St. Augustine’s oldest surviving brick structure is also its only "high-rise” building. It’s well worth a walk up the 219 stairs (equivalent to a fourteen story building) for the view at the top. The St. Augustine Lighthouse is one of 30 lighthouses still standing in Florida, and one of only six open to the public.

Also open to the public is the living history museum at the Colonial Spanish Quarter. Here the life of Spanish soldiers and their families is depicted in 1740. You’ll see how craftspeople like the calligrapher, the blacksmith, carpenter and leather worker went about their business. When you stroll through this area, you’ll also see how families gardened and prepared food.

But St. Augustine isn’t just all about history. It has its share of romance too. Want to snuggle up in a cozy B&B? Then check out Casa de Solana which dates back to 1821 and which you’ll find on historic Aviles Street. Each room is different and the lodging is surrounded by a walled courtyard. This inn promises an "oasis of comfort” and without a doubt, this is what you’ll find here. You’ll enjoy a whirlpool tub and open fireplace just to set the scene.

St. Augustine is not only the oldest city in America, it’s one of the nation’s most romantic and charismatic as well. It’s a "must-see” on every traveler’s list.

Sheila O’Connor is a freelance travel writer who lives in San Francisco. Although Sheila has traveled all over the world, she says there is nowhere quite like home—San Francisco.

"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood.” When architect Daniel Burnham gave this advice in his 1909 city plan, Chicago listened. Making no little plans, the generations of architects and builders since Burnham have designed and created a city of superlatives, where "biggest,” "best,” and "first” are the right words to describe dozens of city attractions.

The best way to orient yourself to Chicago – and to take a heavy dose of that Chicago magic that stirs men’s blood – is to ascend one of the city’s tallest buildings for a panoramic view out over "Chicagoland.” The Sears Tower, elegant and amazing, is the world’s fourth-tallest building overall (including antennae); but has the world’s highest occupied floor. From the 103rd-floor Skydeck Observatory, views sometimes extend 40 miles in every direction.

Chicago’s third-tallest building, the John Hancock Building, has its own observatory with its own charms. It’s the perfect place for a non-neck-straining look at the Sears Tower, and the open-air viewing deck allows you to test the weather at over 1000 feet above street level. Some visitors head to the 96th-floor Signature Room bar or the 95th-floor restaurant instead of the 94th-floor observatory; that way, they can purchase a drink or a meal instead of a ticket.

The Sears Tower and the John Hancock Building are just two of many reasons Chicago deserves its reputation as "the world capital of modern architecture.” The Federal Complex Center, the IBM Building, and the Bank One Building are three notables, each reflecting the "less-is-more,” "integrity-to-materials” ethos of modern architecture in the International Style. A city tour with the Chicago Architectural Foundation is the best way to learn about Chicago’s rich architectural history. Tours travel on foot, or by bus, bicycle, or boat.

Amid so much glass and steel, Chicago’s Art Deco and Gothic Revival skyscrapers really stand out. Observers have compared the shining white Wrigley Building, an example of the former, to a wedding cake, a sand castle, and Sleeping Beauty’s Disney palace. The nearby Tribune Tower makes an opposite impression. Inspired by Rouen Cathedral, its flying buttresses and gargoyles leave you expecting a swarm of bats to descend suddenly from an upper story. Pick up a flyer from the lobby to guide you through the hundreds of "borrowed” stones embedded in the exterior walls, from buildings like the Alamo, the Parthenon, the Berlin Wall, the Kremlin, and Westminster Abbey.

During Chicago’s long and blustery winters, the indoor visual arts scene may seem much more enticing than either Chicago’s architecture or its many famous outdoor sculptures. The Art Institute is a world-class museum, most famous for housing the best collection of Impressionist and Postimpressionist works outside of France. Don’t limit your tour to the Impressionist highlights, however. The Art Institute is a complete art history education, with masterpieces from every culture and period.

The Art Nouveau decorative arts style flourished here in the early 20th century, and stunning examples appear both within the Art Institute and scattered across the city. At the old Marshall Field’s store on State Street (now a Macy’s), the largest Tiffany mosaic anywhere covers the 6000-square-foot north atrium ceiling in iridescent glass. The 38-foot Tiffany dome in the Chicago Cultural Center is also the largest of its kind. Visitors can wander through the entire Cultural Center, and take in its rich, marble- and mosaic-clad interiors. The Chicago Office of Tourism is also inside. This building and the old Marshall Field’s are both in the northeastern part of the Loop; the Art Institute is across South Michigan Avenue from the Loop, in Grant Park.

South of the Art Institute, Chicago’s other large museums also have a few superlatives to call their own. The world’s largest collection of aquatic creatures swims, wriggles and scuttles its way along in the Shedd Aquarium. These animals live in re-created habitats as distinct and surprising as a 90,000-gallon Caribbean coral reef and a four-million-gallon Pacific Northwest aquarium.

After exploring Earth’s waters, explore its skies at the nearby Adler Planetarium, the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. Also nearby, the Field Museum Of Natural History’s 20 million artifacts reflect Victorian America’s collecting fervor, with exhibits expertly updated for more recent generations. The belle of the Field Museum’s ball is Sue, the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever discovered.

While the museums above welcome their share of Chicago’s 32 million annual visitors, the Museum of Science and Industry is actually the city’s most popular attraction. The Coal Mine exhibit takes visitors on an underground ride through a replica coal mine. There is at least one smaller-than-life exhibit in this larger-than-life city: movie star Colleen Moore’s Fairy Tale Castle. The miniature castle took 19 years to complete, and contains over 1000 tiny treasures. Another popular exhibit allows visitors to tour a U-505 German submarine. In 1944, this U-boat sank eight Allied ships off the coast of West Africa, before becoming the first enemy vessel captured at sea since 1815.

On the Museum Campus (where Shedd, Adler, and Field are located) and at the Museum of Science And Industry, interactive exhibits and delighted children can together make quite a bit of noise. The Harold Washington Library is an oasis of calm and quiet in the midst of the city, and a book-lover’s paradise, with more than two million volumes. The noble, neoclassically designed library is also the largest public library building in the world. The top-floor Winter Garden offers a refuge of both quiet and warmth. Read a book at one of the cafe tables, and enjoy the foliage, and the sunlight through the glass ceiling.

The library’s eighth floor houses the Jazz, Blues, and Gospel Hall of Fame. Here you will find the nation’s largest blues archive, along with lots of intriguing background on the development of America’s distinctive musical styles. Chicago, like New Orleans, St. Louis, and Memphis, has played an important role in the history of the blues. Dozens of blues clubs still jam across the city, and many people consider the Chicago Blues Festival (late May/early June) to be the best in the world. Chicago also annually hosts a Gospel Music Festival (June), a Country Music Festival (June), a Jazz Festival (August), and a World Music Festival (September). The blues event, however, is the largest and most popular. For current live music listings in all genres, pick up a copy of the Chicago Reader, or check it out online.

Chicago also deserves its reputation as a world-class city for classical music. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays at the 2600-seat Orchestra Hall on South Michigan Avenue. "Rush” seating sometimes allows the money-wise to grab an unreserved seat, at a much-reduced price, right before the show. Other venues around town, like the Chicago Cultural Center, Fourth Presbyterian Church, and Holy Name Cathedral, host smaller, free concerts throughout the year. The Chicago Chamber Musicians give free performances in the Cultural Center, at lunchtime on the first Monday of each month.

Along with its reputation as a great city for architecture, art, and music, Chicago is known for at least one negative superlative, largely undeserved. Chicagoans report that people from other countries, when they hear Chicago mentioned, often mime machine-gun action and bring up Al Capone. After all these years, "Scarface” is still Chicago’s most famous resident! Movies (like The Untouchables), books, and even comics (like Dick Tracy) have immortalized Chicago’s history of organized crime. Writers from Raymond Chandler to Sara Paretsky and Scott Turow have also gone beyond Capone in their imaginations of Chicago’s criminal underbelly. While parts of the city (especially some portions of the South Side, and the West Side west of the Gold Coast) are dangerous, don’t let the fictional portrayals of crime and corruption unduly influence your itinerary. Chicago is only about the 52nd most dangerous city in the U.S. Just use caution, and stick to well-traveled and well-lit areas.

Although the reputation is worse than the reality, perhaps the city ‘s bad name for crime has helped to keep Chicagoans unpretentious, and down-to-earth even as their builders have propelled day-to-day life into the skies. Or maybe it’s their dogged, loyal love for the best baseball team that never wins. 2008 will mark the 100-year anniversary of the Cubs’ last World Series win. And who knows? Maybe 2008 will be the year. Either way, don’t miss the chance to take in a game at the ivy-covered, tradition-honored Wrigley Field. The cheapest tickets cost only $6. The White Sox are less popular but more successful, having won the World Series as recently as 2005 (and before that, in 1917!). The Bears and the Bulls also draw huge crowds in their respective seasons, and give visitors a chance to join in on local excitement.

Scott Turow used the Cubs as a prime example when he declared Chicago "The Capital of Real Life.” "People tell me that they like Chicago, extolling it as ‘a real place, a real city.’ And that it is...no glamour, no jive...New York City is the city of winners; Chicago’s where there are losers too. L.A. is the home of stars. Just Plain Folks live in Chicago.” That’s how Chicago has earned another superlative: "Friendliest big city in America.” Big business and big politics haven’t overshadowed the presence of millions of ordinary, "just plain” people.

Many writers have instead described Chicago as a giant memorial to human striving and achievement: demonstrating what human culture can create given a vast flat landscape plus nothing. Chicago is a great humanist monument. However, the city started with much more than a swath of northern Illinois prairie land. Louis Jolliet said to Father Jacques Marquette in 1673, "Here someday will be found one of the world’s great cities.” But when he said it, the two were looking out not just over a field of wild onions, but also over Lake Michigan. The lake reflects Chicago’s skyscrapers for only the space of a few ripples, and then stretches vast and blue for miles to meet the far horizon. The lake constantly reminds Chicago of the beauty of the earth: the inheritance on which humankind builds its own achievements.

Of the many big plans Daniel Burnham recommended to Chicago in 1909, perhaps the most important was to preserve the lakefront as public ground and as the city’s "one great unobstructed view.” As Lois Wille wrote, "they made a promise that this city, hustler from its infancy, would do what no other city had done...it would give its most priceless land to its people.” With their rose gardens, fountains, wildflowers and sandy beaches, the parks at the water’s edge make Chicago’s lakefront exquisite, and utterly unique. The Chicago skyline to the west, Lake Michigan to the east, and open and gardened acres for everyone in between: now that’s superlative.

Andrea Curry lives in St. Louis, the city that fought Chicago for the railroad in the 19th century and lost. She loves Chicago and visits as often as possible.

Holland in Bloom is a glorious sight indeed. As a long time garden writer, I was asked to lead a river cruise and tour that included some of Holland’s most famous cities including Delft, the Hague, Leiden and Amsterdam with its world-famed Keukenhof Gardens. They were in peak profusion with more than 7 million flowers blooming in 70 acres of delightful designs.

River cruises have become increasingly popular over the past few decades according to Helena Novak, VP of General Tours who had planned this special trip. The ships are slim and trim, designed for canals and rivers throughout Europe. The MV Casanova, an elegant 5-Star Peter Deilmann ship had an appropriate romantic name for such a colorful springtime cruise.

As a veteran garden writer my goal was to provide insights so passengers could enjoy their visits to leading botanical gardens as well as the colorful Keukenhof displays. From there participants could transplant bulb growing ideas to their home gardens.

Our carefully planned General Tours itinerary included famed historic sites, medieval towns and landmarks, dramatic cathedrals and churches tracing their history back 1000 years and of course, gardens to enjoy too.

Venice of the North

First on our 9 day agenda was a cruise of Amsterdam’s canals to view that appealing city from its waterways. From the canals we could see many of the charming homes while we dined leisurely on board.

With its numerous waterways, Amsterdam has become known as the "Venice of the North”.

Amsterdam is noted for its Dam Square, (its real name) which is the very heart of the city. The square is dominated by the impressive Royal Palace, originally used as the town hall. It has a classical façade and fine sculptures intended to glorify the city and its government.

The Hortus Botanicus is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world. More than 6,000 plants from around the world grow in the gardens and greenhouses. Historically, the City Council founded Hortus Medicus, a medicinal herb garden in 1638 as a result of a plague epidemic. Only pure plant species as they are found in nature are grown in the Hortus as a resource for study and to conserve threatened species by growing them and exchanging seeds with other botanic gardens around the world.

Delft

Our second day began with an exploration of Delft and the imposing medieval houses, cobblestone streets, market squares and historic buildings. This city is renowned for its classic Delft Blue pottery, which was famous in the 17th and 18th centuries when there were 32 ceramic factories in Delft. Today, Royal Delft is the only factory remaining.

Delft citizens are especially proud of historic ties with the Dutch royal house, dating back to William of Orange. On the Queen’s birthday citizens enjoy donning bright orange hats and clothing to celebrate that part of their Dutch heritage.

The Old Church with its curious leaning tower dates to 1246. The New Church circa 1496, accommodates the mausoleum of William of Orange who is considered the founding father of the Netherlands. This impressive church is noted for its tall Gothic tower rising 109 meters and its set of chimes.

The Hague is the seat of government of the Netherlands and home to Clingendael Park with magnificent rhododendrons and a beautiful Japanese garden. This charming city combines ancient architecture with modern buildings housing foreign embassies. The Hague also is home to the International Court of Justice, a United Nation agency which began as the Peace Palace, endowed in 1903 by American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Leiden

Leiden is another appealing city, the birthplace of several important Dutch painters including Rembrandt whose 400th birthday was celebrated during 2006. In the 17th century the English settlers who became known as the Pilgrims took refuge in Leiden before leaving for North America.

The Leiden Botanic Garden is another resource garden worth visiting. It is the oldest botanical garden in Holland, dating back to 1590. The founder, Carolus Clusius in 1594 became the first person to cultivate tulips in Holland. Since then, Holland has grown to become the world’s premier source for tulips. Millions are grown every year and shipped worldwide.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, one of the most famous painters in history, was born on July 15, 1606, in Leiden, an area that became Holland’s famous bulb growing region. At the time of Rembrandt’s birth, the tulip was still a recent introduction to Holland. At 31, the artist was a witness to Tulipmania, the great Dutch speculative stock market frenzy and crash, 1620 - 1637.

Tulip History and Heritage

The first tulips were brought to Holland from Turkey in the mid-1500s and by the early 1600 were still rare, mostly found in university botanical gardens. Some locals, lusting after rare flowers grown at the University of Leiden botanical garden, stole some tulip bulbs and began cultivating them for sale. The tulips that "drove men mad” were multi-colored flowers with distinctive mottled streaks. No two were alike. During Tulipmania, these bulbs were traded as futures, sold sometimes hundreds of times over a single winter, while the bulbs were still in the ground, earning traders as much as $60,000 a month in today’s money! Prices finally collapsed in 1637, sending Holland and much of Europe into an economic depression. Tulipmania is still studied today, alongside the stock crash of 1929, as a classic example of a speculative market gone out of control.

The treasured rare bulbs actually were diseased plants. The streaks that gave the flowers their exotic looks were caused by a mosaic virus. Curiously, these long stemmed diseased varieties with broken colors were grouped together and called Rembrandt tulips.

Today, thanks to Holland’s professional hybridizers, tulips with the same exotic streaked coloration patterns are widely available. Though often sold as "Rembrandt” tulips, they are actually disease-free, genetically-stable look-alikes and are available from garden mail order firms.

Keukenhof Gardens

The most colorful feast for the eyes on a trip to Holland is the 70 acres of glorious blooming beauty of Keukenhof Gardens. For 8 weeks each year more than 7 million tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other bulb flowers burst forth into the most dramatic displays of floral beauty you can find anywhere in the world. Leading Dutch bulb firms have created eye-catching displays of their best and newest varieties, mostly tulips of every size, color and form. Other flowers include various types of daffodils and fragrant hyacinths. You can easily identify the most appealing varieties and order them for delivery to your home at the correct planting time in the fall.

Keukenhof is an inspiration to everyone, especially avid gardeners who wish to transplant stunning new varieties into their home grounds. Keukenhof began in 1949 when the major of Lisse in cooperation with several eminent bulb grower and exporters developed the idea for an outdoor display of flowers that would give gardeners an idea of the wide range of flower bulbs available. Eventually other perennials, shrubs and trees were added. Today more than 100 businesses supply bulbs for the displays.

The name Keukenhof dates back to the park that was once part of the property of Jacoba of Bavaria, Countess of Holland, who lived from 1401 to 1436. She spent much time gathering herbs for her castle kitchen and the name Keukenhof actually means "kitchen garden”. Today it is the world’s most colorful, extensive and beautiful display of bulb flowers, well worth a trip during the peak flowering period b between mid-April and mid-May.

Theme gardens include those devoted to color, fragrance, the Renaissance, abstract style and borders. All are produced on small and simple scale so home gardeners can copy ideas for their home grounds. Many more details and exceptional pictures of these appealing gardens are at the website: www.keukenhof.nl. The mailing address for literature is Keukenhof, P. O. Box 66, NL 2160 AB Lisse, Holland.

Maastricht

Once you have absorbed a day or more of Keukenhof’s blooming beauty, one other marvelous Dutch town deserves exploration. Maastricht is the oldest town in the Netherlands, which started out as a Roman garrison with trade routes to London, Cologne and Rome. In the 4th century a bishopric under St. Servaas bought the town great prestige and some of the landmarks date far back in town history. Once a rich cloth-producing city it has had a turbulent history under Austrian, Spanish and French control and finally under Dutch rule b y 1815.

Maasricht landmarks include the city’s Roman remains and rings of medieval fortifications, Romanesque arches and murals, French Gothic churches, indigenous Maasland Renaissance architecture, onion towers imported from the East and classic 17th century buildings favored by Dutch Calvinists. There are Baroque residences from the Louis XIV era but later in the 18th century, symmetry gave way to frenzied Rococo lines.

Holland offers some of the most dramatic contrasts in architecture from all major eras of early vintage through medieval to modern times. Whether you try a leisurely River Cruise that has shore excursions to the key historic and photogenic sites or prefer a different style trip, the Netherlands cities, landmarks, monuments, churches and the glorious Keukenhof Gardens are well worth your focus as you plan future vacations. Easy contact to the General Tours organization for Holland and many other tours is 1-800-858-0908.

River cruising, including the ups and downs of locks from rivers to canals and back has a distinct advantage. Holland is indeed a low country and you get to see much of it from a River Cruise ship as the Dutch have seen and traveled their country for centuries. Climb aboard and enjoy this distinctive, delightful country.

Best recommended "Rembrandt” type tulips:

Tulipa ‘Beauty of Volendam’ (Triumph Tulip) - Exceptionally elegant, a cream colored tulip with deep burgundy-rose feathering that flows upward from the base of each petal

Tulipa ‘Carnaval de Nice’ (Double Late Tulip) - Plump and multi-petaled with white petals marked in deep red

Tulipa ‘Flaming Parrot’ (Parrot Tulip) – Primrose yellow flowers flamed with blood red that mature to creamy white flamed with red. The petals of Parrot Tulips are ruffled and fringed along the edges with an exotic look reminiscent of the feathers of tropical birds

Tulipa ‘Ice Follies’ (Triumph Tulip) – A striking white tulip marked in bright red

Tulipa ‘Marilyn’ (Lily-flowered Tulip) - A bright white tulip with fuchsia flames that fan up pointed, slightly ruffled, petals

Tulipa ‘Mickey Mouse’ (Single Early Tulip) – Brilliant yellow flamed with blood red makes for vivid coloration on a small compact perfectly-shaped flower

Tulipa ‘Mona Lisa’ (Lily-flowered Tulip) – Primrose yellow flamed with deep berry-red feathering

Tulipa ‘Prinses Irene’ (Single Early Tulip) – Rich orange flamed with purple, fragrant, long blooming and resilient in the garden

Tulipa ‘Sorbet’ (Single Late Tulip) - White with raspberry-red flames.

Allan Swenson has been a nationally-syndicated garden and nature columnist for 25+ years and is the author of more than 55 published books. He enjoys capturing scenes from his travels to share with Senior Groups and Congregate Housing residents as colorful slide shows and writing about his travels.