diorabelle AND kimberly - Travel-Food-Lifestyle

  Under the Full Moon at Winchester Mystery House There is something about a California night that makes even the familiar feel a little mysterious. Add a full moon, a Victorian mansion with a history built on unanswered questions, and Halloween in the air, and the Winchester Mystery House becomes something entirely different. We arrived at Festival Fright Nights with VIP passes on a night when the moon seemed almost deliberately placed above the mansion. The historic San Jose landmark was illuminated against the darkness, its towers and turrets creating a silhouette that looked less like a piece of California history and more like the setting of a perfectly staged gothic film. And perhaps that is the magic of the Winchester Mystery House: the house doesn’t need much embellishment. For more than a century, its unusual architecture has captivated visitors. Staircases lead to nowhere. Doors open onto walls. Windows overlook unexpected spaces. Corridors twist through the spr...

     There are some travel experiences you plan carefully, and there are others that remind you that the best moments sometimes come from simply being there. For me, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta was one of those experiences. Last year, I had the opportunity to attend the Fiesta as media, arriving with the excitement of seeing one of the world’s most spectacular ballooning events firsthand. I was hoping to watch the famous Mass Ascension — hundreds of colorful hot-air balloons rising together over the New Mexico landscape. But the weather had other plans. The Mass Ascension was unable to take place because of weather conditions, and instead, we experienced something completely different: a Balloon Glow. As the morning began to settle over Balloon Fiesta Park, the balloons remained on the field rather than taking flight. Then the burners began to roar. One by one, the balloons illuminated from within, transforming the field into an incredible display of colo...