Great Escape Publishing

A Naked King Starts a Trend in Croatia

By Audra Brianne ITWPA Member Nude sunbathing isn’t for everyone. Hot sun beating down on head-to-toe exposed skin, displaying less than pencil-thin bodies, and sand traveling everywhere.

Escape to a Fairyland at Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens

Today the park is an oasis for locals and tourists alike. Managed by Parks Victoria, the gardens are a well-maintained blend of exotic and native flora. Maples, ginkgoes, and catalpa intermingle with indigenous ferns, orchids, and eucalyptus trees. Beautiful all year round, each season offers something new. Rhododendrons, azaleas, and cherry flowers bloom in the spring, and hydrangeas and fuchsias in summer. Autumn brings colorful foliage, and camellias and kalmia flower in winter.

Romance, History, and a Seven-Course Breakfast — Cliffside on the Oregon Coast

Two parlors with cozy fireplaces, each furnished with an antique velvet couch and period tables and lamps, invite reading and playing games. While you are relaxing, you might want to read a story about the resident ghost, Rue, or peruse the Cook Book, for a look-see at what might be on the breakfast table in the morning.

Short Stop Big Reward: Victoria Butterfly Gardens

Although Victoria Butterfly Gardens is small in size and can be toured in an hour, you may wish to stay longer, wandering the pathways that will bring you to ponds filled with koi, tortoises, frogs, and tropical birds including the peaceful and elegant flamingos.

The Helpful Little Lighthouse

For centuries lighthouses have stood guard over rocky shores the world over, providing safe passage to mariners and their ships traveling far and wide for industry and commerce. Portland, Maine’s Breakwater “Bug” Light is no exception.

Mostar’s Many Faces

Tightly compact arteries of merging alleyways are packed with shops, restaurants, art galleries, and mosques. Some shops sell very unique “souvenirs.” Look closely; those are genuine wartime military helmets next to an arsenal of knives, bullets, and weaponry. Looking for a gas mask for that special someone back home? You know U.S. Customs will have a LOT to say about your souvenirs.