Who knew that Washington D.C. had so many monuments and memorials! By the end of our trip I was nicknaming D.C. the memorial amusement park.  The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial are just some of the amazing sites you can check out while in DC.  I was amazed to see just how much we fit into this day tour of D.C.  Not only did we see the memorials but we went into the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, one of the most renowned museums in the U.S! I’ve been obsessed with National Geographic since I was younger, and the Smithsonian is right up there in the ranks.  There are about a bazillion (19 to be exact) different Smithsonian museums in DC, each with their own area of expertise.  Some of these include the National  Portrait Gallery, Postal Museum, and an Air and Space Museum.   » Read More

Continuing along Day 1 of our 3-Day San Francisco, Hearst Castle, Yosemite Tour!After the Travelers4Fun team wrapped up lunch in Solvang, CA, we were off to our next stop: Hearst Castle. Nestled atop a hill North of San Luis Obispo – about a two hour drive from Solvang – we arrived mid-afternoon. The Hearst Castle Tour is optional, and at $25 I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves art, history, architecture, or old Hollywood glamour. Many of the tapestries, paintings, sculptures, and mosaics are one-of-a-kind, and some pieces date all the way back to the 3rd century! A little history: Hearst Castle took just under three decades (28 years, to be exact) to complete. William Randolph Hearst worked closely with architect Julia Morgan to design a Spanish Revival-inspired estate. As a child, Hearst traveled through Europe with his mother, and inspiration from his tra   » Read More

One of the most surprising destinations on our list was the Corning Glass Museum in Corning, New York.  I imagined something out of Color Me Mine, but this was quite the contrary.  If a museum of glass doesn’t really peak your interest, you’ll be amazed by the unique and interesting artworks that people create with this delicate material.    Our tour guide told us that this particular artist (see image above) built an entire table out of glass to hold this amazing showcase piece: a glass ship with solid gold embellishments.  However, the glass boat was so heavy that the table couldn’t withstand its weight, and the artist had to rebuild it with a marble slab to better distribute it.  The details are so intricate you have to wonder just how they sculpt these spectacular pieces out of hot glass! The museum held an extensive collection ran   » Read More

Day 1 of our 3-Day San Francisco, Hearst Castle, Yosemite Tour!<br/>The bus picked us up from LA, and then the Travelers4Fun Team was off! First stop: Solvang, a Danish village nestled about an hour north of Santa Barbara. A sunny spring day was a perfect backdrop for the colorful red, green, and yellow buildings and charming, wood-thatched wind mills. Once off the bus our tour group quickly dispersed, each of us following our noses toward a medley of delicious scents coming from all directions. From freshly-baked, authentic Danish pastries, to chocolates made on the premises, to home-made ice cream shops on every corner, Solvang was a sugar-lover’s dream. <br/><br/>I personally couldn’t resist Ingeborg’s Handmade Danish Chocolates, their display of giant chocolate Easter bunnies was too enticing to pass up. Two friendly chocolate-makers were kind enou   » Read More

1)    The Palace of Fine Arts:Situated on a picturesque lagoon housing ducks and swans, the Palace of Fine Arts was originally built to exhibit art during the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. It was one of ten palaces built for the exposition, and the only palace left standing. The palace had to be re-built in 1965 due to structural problems and poor materials. 2)    The Seven Sisters:  These seven houses, located in Alamo Square, represent San Francisco’s famously characteristic Victorian architecture. They were also made famous from the opening credits of Full House. 3)    Grace Cathedral:Located on Nob Hill, Grace Cathedral is famous for its stained glass windows, mosaics by de Rosen, and a replica of Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. 4)    San Francisco City HallSan Francisco’s City Hall was completely destro   » Read More