Nancy Monson

Fresh, crisp air. The smell of apples, cider, and pies. Picture-perfect views of Green Bay and Lake Michigan as the leaves turn red, orange, and yellow. The stillness of the forest and the sound of gently lapping waves. These are just some of the reasons I was eager to visit Door County, Wisconsin, a 70-mile-long peninsula, for an autumnal road trip.
The Towns of Door County

Road Scholar Nancy Monson was pleasantly surprised by all she saw and learned about at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.
Learning from an expert horticulturalist, Nancy explored the many different types of cacti and their unique features, including the saguaro cactus and the prickly pear cactus.
Nancy discovered a new appreciation for the plants and habitats of the deserts of the American Southwest.

Road Scholar Nancy Monson is an experienced traveler and offers some of her packing tips learned from experience.
Among these tips, Nancy suggests packing light so you can easily manage your bags while traveling.
Nancy also recommends packing cubes, which can help keep your belongings organized within your bag and can help you to more easily find your items once you reach your destination.
Don’t forget about travel insurance — Nancy advises that insurance can be helpful for reimbursement if y...

How to navigate a wedding invitation in the 2020s
I recently was invited to an engagement party — a pop-up event that occurred on the same day as the proposal. The proposal itself was photographed by a friend of the young woman and immediately posted on Instagram. There was no bridal shower, and when I received the wedding invitation, the RSVP was requested via a QR code that led me to the website The Knot. The couple's online registry listed their top priorities for gifts as contributions to...

At these supermarkets, you can sip beer while you check off your grocery list, sample coffee as you grab gourmet cheeses or indulge in $20 smoothies that make your face shine. More of a bottom-line shopper? We've got you covered too. Plenty of the stores on our list focus on affordability and no-nonsense displays, so you can quickly grab what you need without blowing your budget. We also highlight which supermarkets have the most delicious prepared foods.
Vote for the best supermarket once pe...

Living in a hot-weather climate can be wonderful in the winter. Northerners often envy Southerners and Arizonans basking in warm, sunny weather while they shiver in the cold and ice — and they may even flock to those states as snowbirds. But come summer, the two groups swap places, and those who live in southern states and Arizona typically yearn for cooler destinations.
"The heat and humidity in Texas in the summer are constant, and it doesn't cool down at night like it does in other places,...

If you visit the South these days, you’ll inevitably see billboards for Buc-ee’s featuring a toothy beaver selling brisket, beef jerky, and gas. I never considered going near the place until a friend told me that Buc-ee’s brisket sandwich is amazing. Then, my nephew came back from a trip to visit a friend in Georgia, who immediately took him to neighboring Alabama to have lunch at Buc-ee’s. Lunch. At a gas station. Hmmm.
Intrigued, I made my first-ever stop at Buc-ee’s last year on a road tri...

Walking along the brick sidewalks of Portland, Maine’s waterfront, it’s hard to miss the state’s claim to fame: lobster. Traps are piled high on the wharfs near small day boats. You can catch the scent of the Atlantic Ocean on the breeze. Brightly colored lobster trinkets and t-shirts abound in gift stores. And on almost every menu, you can find lobster, whether it be steamed, stewed, fried, bisqued, scampied, or sliced and diced on a hot dog bun.
Although once so plentiful that it w...

Guide to Boston for American Way's website

Spa resorts in Southern California are among the best in the world. And that makes good sense: SoCal is an epicenter of wellness and a major proponent of a balanced lifestyle.
Jump to:
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
The Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa
Miraval Life in Balance Spa at Park Hyatt Aviara
Hotel Del Coronado
La Quinta Resort & Club
Golden Door
If you’re looking to up your quotient of Zen, there’s no better destination than spa resorts in Southern California.
Six Spa Resorts in Southern Cal...

When I travel, I enjoy myself most if my vacation has a purpose. I'm easily bored lying around a pool or beach for more than a day or two, and I'm not a big drinker or shopper. That's why I always look to view art wherever I go, but also to make art.
For instance, I recently visited Hawaii to learn about quilting on a specialized long-arm machine (with a side trip to Pearl Harbor). Next, I'm considering a group trip to Yosemite National Park to do some watercolor painting and gentle hiking.
J...

Sailing the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam with Viki...

“I’m calling you from my sunglasses,” I tell my sister, Linda, after having purchased a smart pair for myself this past Christmas. “I’m answering from my smart watch,” she replies.
At 65 and 67, respectively, we’re still at the forefront of technology!
My new glasses look like regular sunglasses but have artificial intelligence (AI) ca...

I was approaching my 50th state, Oregon, and Road Scholar is in its 50th year of existence, so there was a sense of synchronicity for me when I saw The Faces of Oregon: Mt. Hood, Columbia River Gorge & Astoria program in their catalog.
I've found that as I get older, it’s easy to feel like there is nothing new left to experience in life. I have this sense that I'm going to get up every morning and it's just going to be more of the same. That's where travel comes in, and especially the kind of...

Do your kids love mummies and brightly colored sculptures? Are you intrigued by the world of ancient Greece or the counter-culture art studios of the 1960s? Then it might be time to indulge your inner artist and expand your family's artistic horizons with our collection of top art museums in the U.S., where you'll find Old World masterpieces, contemporary creations and plenty of pieces that intrigue and inspire.
Vote for the best art museum once per day until polls close on February 27 at noo...