Featured image: Reflections in a window at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma (photo by Cheryl Landes) Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 15, with free admission to the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. Explore the exhibits in the Great Hall, where you'll learn about the events, people, and geology … Continue reading Washington State History Museum in Tacoma celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day with free admission, performance

Featured image: The courtyard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (photo by MarkSk, Trip Advisor contributor) The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is my favorite art museum in Boston. It's like a four-story Italian palace that has been turned inside out. From a bird's-eye view, the museum resembles a framed rectangular courtyard filled with … Continue reading Free admission to Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, January 15

Featured image: Steam locomotive (photo by H.P. Gruesen, via Creative Commons) See model trains at different scales chug through miniature landscapes, talk to the creators, take a mini-train ride, and try your hand at vehicle building through interactive exhibits at the 44th Model Railroad Show, Saturday-Monday, January 13-15, at the Pacific Science Center, 200 Second … Continue reading 44th annual Model Railroad Show chugs into the Pacific Science Center in Seattle January 13-15

Featured image: Glacier View trail at Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska (photo by Cheryl Landes) On Monday, January 15, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the National Park Service offers free admission to all national parks and recreation areas that charge entrance fees. Find a park near you.

Featured image: A Calvary sabre made in 1840 (photo courtesy National Park Service) Learn the sabre techniques used by US Army Dragoons soldiers who arrived at the Fort Vancouver Barracks in Vancouver, Washington, in 1855 in two seven-week classes, sponsored by the National Park Service and Academia Duellatoria: Basic 1 is for students new to … Continue reading 19th Century Dragoon Sabre Training starts January 21 at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

Featured image: The nested spiral pattern of sunflower seeds Photos from the Museum of Science, Boston Nature has many mathematical patterns. Some examples are the layers of scales in pine cones, the ripples in windblown sand, nested spirals of the seeds in a sunflower, the shape of a seashell, the ridges of a mountain range, … Continue reading Lose yourself in nature’s mazes at a new Museum of Science exhibit starting February 4 in Boston

Photos courtesy Stowe Winter Carnival It's cold outside in January in northern Vermont, so why not celebrate in this winter wonderland? That's exactly what happens at the Stowe Winter Carnival for most of the month. The carnival kicks off its 44th season in the village of Stowe on Saturday, January 13. This year, organizers nicknamed … Continue reading It’s winter in Vermont, which means it’s carnival time in Stowe

Featured image: A scene from "Megallanica", by Oregon award-winning playwright E.M. Lewis, one of the new works featured at the 2018 Fertile Ground Festival in Portland. It's a story about eight scientists and engineers who came to the South Pole Research Station in 1985 to figure out whether there's a hole in the sky. During … Continue reading Ninth annual Fertile Ground Festival brings bumper crop of new works to Portland January 18-28

Featured image: The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, by Caitlin Cunningham Two art museums in Boston are celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 15, by opening their doors to the public for free. The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA), 25 Harbor Shore Drive, opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. All … Continue reading Free admission to Boston art museums on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Featured image by StockSnap, via Creative Commons January 3 was J.R.R. Tolkien's 126th birthday. This high fantasy author is best known for his books, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, both set in a mystical, magical place called Middle Earth. On January 13, McMenamin's is hosting a "Happy Birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!" celebration at … Continue reading There’s a big birthday bash for J.R.R. Tolkien in Portland January 13, and you’re invited