Revealing summer solstice traditions from the past and present. Get out those sunnies, cause the solstice is almost upon us. This year summer solstice falls on June 21, 2015 and is the official start of summer. It’s appropriate, considering the word “solstice” is derived from the Latin term “solstitium,” meaning “sun stands still.” You may have big plans to celebrate this year, but will they compare to what went down on previous summer solstices?
Checking out new trends flooding the American Riviera
Long known for its gated estates, high-life hotels, “The Endless Summer” surf scene, and vine-covered hills, Santa Barbara quietly and confidently is adding another notch to its belt: Cultural curators, style-savvy experts who are taking the best of the seaside town and personifying it, California-style.
Soaking up Seattle’s summer outdoor music scene. It’s early morning in Seattle and I’ve just poured myself a cup of coffee. Outside the window, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. There is a change in the air. Spring is here and we’ve most certainly turned the corner from the long, grey days of winter. Summer is coming soon.
I’m standing on a flat, sandy trail with my two children, then ages 8 and 10, in Utah’s Arches National Park, known for more than 2,000 arches carved by wind and water erosion over millions of years, as well as some funky-shaped rock formations with names like Parade of Elephants, Sheep Rock, The Organ, and Three Gossips.
I arrived to the shores of Stockholm by sea. As our ship came up to the river city, the golden spires thrust up through the belly of the fog. I could hear Stockholm long before I saw her. Bells tumbled over one another and the lap of the sea along the pier called to me.
Exploring Monte Carlo on any budget
I’m inside the Saint Nicholas Cathedral of Monte Carlo, in Monaco. It is a cavernous church with tall, white stone walls, arches, and pillars. Gold-plated murals line the domed ceiling. Stained glass windows portray biblical tales. Rows of maple brown pews are adorned with red velvet cushions. And the priest’s words are echoing off the walls, making it very hard for me to understand his French.
Peeking behind the scenes at the country’s oldest baseball stadium.
Growing up in southern New Hampshire, I rooted for the Boston Red Sox. Most New England schoolchildren in the 1970s and 1980s knew the names of big hitters such as Carl Yastrzemski and Wade Boggs, catcher Carlton Fisk, and pitcher Roger Clemens. My parents weren’t huge sports fans, but every once in a while we’d make the one-hour drive to Boston to catch a summer game at historic Fenway Park.
Feasting on fabulous food in Atlanta’s can’t-miss eateries. With Atlanta’s emergence as an international city, the food scene has exploded with cuisine for every taste and budget. As a lifelong Atlanta resident and an avid foodie, it is my honor as a southern gentleman to guide you to five of Atlanta’s can’t-miss eateries.
