The “shot heard round the world” that started World War I was fired on June 28, 1914, when a student shot the archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo, beginning a conflict that lasted four years, involved 32 countries and cost 41 million military and civilian casualties, including 18 million lives. By 1917, the war was not going well for …

It was a cold, drizzly day with the constant pitter patter of rain.  I thought my eyes had deceived me as I noticed, a few steps ahead, a German soldier standing guard. I moved closer. It was a German soldier in a WW1 uniform trying, very cleverly, to make tourists aware of a unique attraction. I was near the village …

If you’re no fan of crowds, traveling after Labor Day makes a lot of sense. Kids are back in school and the noisy throngs that queued up for popular restaurants and attractions have thinned. No wonder some herald it as the start of “couples season,” that all-too-brief vacation period between the start of the school year and Thanksgiving. Consider Kennebunkport, …

Abroad with Beverly Cohn PART 1:  DAYS 1-2 Question:  How many trips should a travel writer take to Ireland? Answer:  As many as you’re lucky enough to receive.  Just as though I carried around a four-leaf clover in my wallet, I was invited by Tourism Ireland to participate in my fourth press trip to the Emerald Isle, this time to …

Vanity Fair has a thought provoking article about the Trump Administration’s incoming staff of the Department of Energy. It’s a long, but VERY important read: Why The Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming From The White House Now for my commentary on that piece/issue: This is one of the most important articles I have read in a long, long time.  It …

People travel to other lands to discover the people, the culture, the architecture, the history and the technology. But few realize that somewhere in the background is the political landscape that shaped what they see and/or “allowed” to see. Welcome to Traveling Boy’s Travels in Politics — specifically, American politics. We know there are many other blogs and websites out …

In the real estate business, the ever-intoned mantra is location, location, location. So, it is no surprise that when people are dreaming of fleeing the frost of January and February, seeking the embrace of the sun, they are faced with demand-pricing for lodging (not to mention inflated air fares) during those winter months — because everyone wants to be in …

Using music as a change agent is nothing new. In the 70s George Harrison and Ravi Shankar drew attention to the millions of victims devastated by flooding, famine and civil war by staging the Concert for Bangladesh. Since then the list has grown exponentially with global efforts like Band Aid, Live Aid, U.S.A. for Africa, the M.U.S.E. (Musicians United for …

Beverly Cohn: The Road to Hollywood – Director Marc Webb has a pretty impressive resume, which includes a portfolio of both television and film credits.  He was Executive Producer of the television series “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Limitless,” and “Battleground.”  His film credits include: “500 Days of Summer,” for which he received two Golden Globe nominations and won the National Board of Review Spotlight …

Pack up some picnic vittles and a soft chair cushion.  It is once again time for the free—as in it costs no money—eleven nights of opera (nine operas, as “Tristan und Isolde” is presented in two parts, on successive evenings, and the series kicks off with an operatic film), The Met:  Live in HD, in the Plaza at Lincoln Center. …

I always dreamed of staying in a French chateau, sipping wine beside a serene lake. And while I knew this day would come, I didn’t think it would be in the Palm Springs desert. But this is exactly what I discovered on a recent getaway to The Chateau at Lake La Quinta, the only lakefront hotel in the Palm Springs …

To travel in Mexico with Marina Aguirre de Samaniego, is to travel with a Google encyclopedia, a passionate, well-connected insider, and a caring mother hen. Marina in Mexico, the name of her seven-year-old specialty touring company, is a treasure and revelation in every way. Her knowledge and enthusiasm as your personal expert as well as her organizational skills as a …

They go very deep into the world’s oceans. They’re still – in my mind – beyond belief as one wonders how do so many tons of steel actually float. Some can even hide – yes, hide! – in the depths of Davy Jones Locker for months on end without coming up for air. If you have even half of one …

World-renowned Nashville has always opened its doors to an astonishing musical mish-mash of Western, Country, Hillbilly, Honky-Tonk, Swing, Rockabilly, and Blues ala BB King. It is home as well to gifted musicians who sing or play instruments from cowboy guitars to passionate Hoedown fiddles, and fervent songwriters with talent to share. Musicians and songwriters fully understand that to perform and …

Beverly Cohn: The Road to Hollywood – Joshua Z. Weinstein is a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer for over a decade with 20 shorts and features under his belt including, “Elaine Stritch: Shoot One Engine.” “Menashe” is his first narrative fiction feature and is loosely based on the real life experience of Menashe Lustig, a devout member of the Hasidic community, and the …