Featured image: A historic dining car decorated for a Valentine dinner in Chattanooga, Tennessee (photo credit: Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum) Enjoy a relaxing four-course meal aboard a restored 1924 dining car from early to mid-February on the Valentine Dinner Train in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Trains depart the Chattanooga Grand Station at 4119 Cromwell Road for the … Continue reading Valentine Dinner Train a leisurely ride through history in Chattanooga, TN

Featured image credit: Morton Arboretum Enjoy a miniature world of trains at the Enchanted Railroad through Monday, February 19, at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. More than 10 model trains wind through a collection of trees from around the world at a child-friendly height. Entry to Enchanted Railroad is included with admission to the … Continue reading Enchanted Railroad through February 19 at Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL

Featured image: A ski team dresses in costume for a previous Methow Valley Ski for Women event. (photo credit: Methow Valley Ski for Women) Whether you've never cross-country skied or you've done it for a long time, the Methow Valley Ski for Women on Sunday, February 4, in Mazama, Washington, is for you. Now in … Continue reading Methow Valley Ski for Women welcomes all cross-country skiing abilities February 4 in Mazama, WA

Featured image credit: Methow Trails Snowshoeing is my winter hiking. It's a nice way to get outside and enjoy the scenery. Walking is among the best ways to keep healthy, so for a low-impact workout, snowshoeing is ideal. On Saturdays through February 24, Methow Trails, the US Forest Service, and Atlas Snowshoes sponsor Nature of … Continue reading Snowshoe tours on Saturdays through February 24 in Winthrop, WA

Photo by Cheryl Landes In celebration of World Wetlands Day, the Oregon Zoo is offering free admission to everyone all day today, Saturday, February 3. Hours are 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The Oregon Zoo is located at 4001 SW Canyon Road in Portland. Pay parking is available, but the lot fills quickly on the weekends. The … Continue reading Oregon Zoo celebrates World Wetlands Day with free admission February 3

Featured image: A gingerbread houseboat from a previous Christmas Ship parade on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon (photo by Cheryl Landes) The 2018 schedule for the Christmas Ships Fleet in Portland is posted for the Columbia and Willamette River fleets. The fleets will sail November 30-December 20. Routes vary, so check the pages linked … Continue reading Portland’s Christmas Ship fleet announces 2018 holiday parade schedule. They’re also at the Portland Winter Light Festival, February 1-3.

Photos by Cheryl Landes After successful runs in Minnesota, Washington State, and Oklahoma, the Chinese Lantern Light Festival is coming to San Francisco Friday, March 2, through Sunday, April 29. Tickets are now on sale for the San Francisco Lantern Light Festival. If you go, I recommend buying tickets online, because they’re more expensive at … Continue reading San Francisco Lantern Light Festival coming in March, tickets on sale now

Featured image: Petal the Piglet, one of the felting projects to be completed at the three workshops taught by artist Juneko Martinson in Vancouver, Washington, in February 2018 (photo by Juneko Martinson) My first experience with felting was during a visit to an alpaca farm on Block Island, in Rhode Island, four years ago. For … Continue reading Learn felting or expand your skills at three workshops in Vancouver, WA in February

Featured image: During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks sunlight from the moon, casting a blood-like glow on the moon's surface. (photo credit: NASA) Tomorrow, January 31, we're in for a rare celestial treat: a super blue blood moon. That's when a supermoon, blue moon, and total lunar eclipse coincide. A total lunar eclipse … Continue reading Stream this rare all-in-one event on January 31: A supermoon, blue moon, and total lunar eclipse

Featured image: Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California (photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons) Griffith Observatory is opening the grounds tomorrow morning, January 31, for a rare celestial treat: a super blue blood moon. That's when a supermoon, blue moon, and total lunar eclipse coincide. The last super blue blood moon was December 30, 1982, and the … Continue reading See the rare super blue blood moon from Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles January 31