One of my favorite places to visit during the holiday season is the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley California. The library staff decorates the property so well. The highlight is always the collection of Christmas trees that are so creative and beautiful. The 2025 display includes 26 trees decorated to represent each decade in our country’s history.
I have included a photo of each tree. My personal favorites include the trees from the 1770, 1870, 1920, 1930, 1950 and 1970.
The 1770 tree includes the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s Lantern, George Washington and the fife and drummers.
The 1870 tree is especially fun because so much happened in this decade – including the establishment of Yellowstone as the first national park. American football and tennis were developed and the typewriter was created. In addition, Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb.
The tree representing the Roaring Twenties includes film star Rudolph Valentino who starred in The Sheik in 1921 and died in 1926 at the young ages age of 31. The 18th Amendment banning alcohol became effective in 1920 so this tree dramatically features speakeasy signage. Also, the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was ratified in 1920 so the tree is adorned with Votes for Women buttons.
The 1930s tree includes baskets of apples, the Great Depression, the Hindenburg blimp and Shirley Temple.
The 1950s tree includes a beautiful lit-up Wurlitzer jukebox as well as Elvis memorabilia, a tribute to the Korean War and a photo of President Eisenhower.
The 1970s is especially important to me because it was the decade of my childhood. So much happened in this decade and the tree reflects it with: the bar code creation, the start-up Apple Computer Company logo and the movies Jaws, Star Wars, Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Watergate, President Jimmy Carter, the Bicentennial and the short-lived eight track are all included on this tree.
The trees are on display until January 4 so you still have time to schedule a visit to the library.
I have visited approximately half of the presidential libraries and the Ronald Reagan Library located in Simi Valley California is my favorite one – so far. Both the permanent and traveling exhibits are impressive. Plus, it is located in a beautiful area of Simi Valley with spectacular mountain views from every direction. In addition, the library has the most friendly and helpful staff.
First, the library has the Air Force One plane that Reagan flew on as president. The plane was in service from 1973 to 2001 and Reagan flew on it the most out of the seven presidents who used this particular plane. It is impressively displayed in a glass structure and visitors can walk around and through the plane. One year, we even enjoyed a fun lunch during the Christmas season where the tables were set under Air Force One. The food was delicious and the table settings and decorations were perfect.
Speaking of Christmas, every year the library showcases an impressive number of beautifully decorated Christmas trees. This year, we enjoyed looking at 26 trees representing each decade in American history. Last year, the museum displayed trees for each Country that Reagan visited during his eight years in the White House.
The rotating exhibits are wonderful as well. Currently, the library is curating a fun cowboy themed exhibit. Past exhibits include: the FBI, Pompeii and Auschwitz.
Finally, no visit is complete without a visit to the gift shop. I never walk out empty-handed. I usually pick up a few fun Christmas tree ornaments. One year, I picked up a great book regarding the White House gingerbread houses.
Front Entrance From the Front of the Library Front Entrance Front Entrance The Current Exhibit Statue Outside the Front Doors Buffalo CoatCongressional Gold Medal for Louis L’AmourChuck Wagon Typical Western SaddlesChapsThe Evolution of the Cowboy Hat and Birth of the StetsonWild ChairCattle CarBranding Irons Including the One Used ByWill RogersThe History of the Branding Iron Barbed Wire Was Patented Modern Cattle Ranching Utilizes HelicoptersRodeo AttireReagan’s 1960 Jeep The Exhibit Has a Rifle Demo Yellowstone Television Series Costumes Wagon Trigger of Roy Rogers FameChristmas Tree in the Gift Shop – Ornaments for Sale A Piece of the Berlin Wall Inauguration Clothing for the Reagan’sNancy’s Second-Hand Rose Costume Clothes Worn by Nancy Sinatra Was a Huge Supporter In High School Nancy Starred in Her High School’s Play First Lady Air Force One Another View of Air Force One
A highlight of our Viking River cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam was the morning we spent on the roof deck watching the plethora of beautiful castles. Our cruise director Elena provided really helpful commentary while crew members handed out shots of German apricot schnapps. This all took place during a 40-mile stretch of the Rhine prior to landing in the town of Koblenz.
As John and I sat on the deck, looking at the spectacular scenery, we felt we were participants in a Viking River television commercial. We had a lot of “pinch me am I really here” moments. This experience, alone, was a main selling point for going on this cruise. We sailed miles without seeing another ship and saw so many beautiful castles with little effort. For me, our arrival in Koblenz was especially dramatic. It was hard not to be in awe as our ship approached the Deutsches Eck and the enormous statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I.
Castle Watching with John Beautiful Church Along the Rhine John Taking in the Scenery Ehrenfels Castle Mouse TowerAnother View of the Ehrenfels Castle Rheinstein Castle Another View of the Rheinstein Castle Another View of the Rheinstein Castle Reichenstein Castle Sooneck Castle Another View of the Sooneck Castle Heimburg Castle Another View of the Heimburg Castle Liebenstein CastleVillage and Scenic Church Along the Rhine Stahleck Castle The PflazGutenfels Castle Schonburg Castle Picturesque Village Old Guard Tower Lorelei RockKatz Castle Another View of Katz Castle Sterrenberg CastleAnother View of the Sterrenberg CastleMaus Castle Sterrennberg Castle Viking River Castle Brochure Landing in Koblenz with Kaiser Wilhelm I in the Background Kaiser Wilhelm I Statue Kaiser Wilhelm IKaiser Wilhelm I
My First Attempt Using My New Stash of Imported Paprika From Budapest
I recently returned from an incredible 15 Viking River cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Budapest was probably my favorite place we visited. While there, we visited the Great Market Hall where I stocked up on a variety of paprika products including paprika paste.
Today was the day – I finally felt alert enough, after battling severe jetlag from a nine-hour time difference, to attempt making homemade soup.
The result was an amazing soup with so much flavor that my family gave me a standing ovation.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 large onion finely chopped
3 smashed cloves garlic
4 peeled carrots – diced
3 stalks celery – diced
1 red bell pepper – diced
2 tablespoons paprika paste
1 12 ounce can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
2 cups vegetable stock
3 bratwurst sausage links
1 cup shredded green cabbage
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups diced potatoes
First, sauté the garlic, onion, carrots and celery in the avocado oil. Add in the diced red bell pepper. Add in the paprika (preferably in paste form).
After five minutes, add in the tomato paste, wine and vegetable stock.
In a separate pan cook the sausage links until partially cooked. Cut into pieces and then add into the soup. Add in the shredded cabbage and salt and pepper to taste. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes at medium heat.
Finally, add in the cut up potatoes pieces. Let the soup continue to cook at a low temperature for another 20 to 30 minutes. I dislike overcooked potatoes so I always add them in last.
This is a great soup to make the day before and then reheat the next day. It gets better overnight.
While all of the food was wonderful on the Viking River Cruise, the desserts were legendary. A variety of desserts were offered at both lunch and dinner. Most days, my husband and I opted to pass on desserts at lunch but it was tough because they were really good.
My favorite was the apple strudel that was part of a special afternoon cooking demonstration executed by the ship’s head chef – Chef Chester.
I enjoyed the food so much that I purchased the Viking River Cruise cookbook which is sold onboard the company’s ships for 20 Euros.
Apple Tartan Linzertorte Homemade Peach Melba Ice CreamApricot Tart Apple Strudel Banana Split Lava CakeDonauwelle Black Forest Ice Cream Chocolate Mousse Key Lime PieBrioche Pudding Mango and Coconut Cake Bread Pudding with Berries and Pralines Opera Cake Ice Cream with Vodka-Soaked Strawberries Viking SachertorteViking RecipeViking’s Cookbook Sold Onboard
This was my second visit to Amsterdam and it was even better than the first time. On my first visit, I winged it on my own. This time, we went on a two-day extension of our Viking River cruise . Our ship docked in Amsterdam and we immediately went on a 2 and 1/2 half-hour walking tour of the city.
We lucked out with our guide. He was extremely knowledgeable regarding the architecture styles of Amsterdam. Some of the highlights he showed us included the famous Skinny Bridge (which I remember from the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever), Rembrandt’s Square (where there are a ton of interesting restaurants as well as a plethora of pot cafes – strong aromas!) and the school where Anne and Margot Frank, as well as many other Jewish children, were segregated during WWII. Throughout our excursion, he made a point of showing us elaborate architectural details that other guides might ignore. Plus, he showed us an assortment of residential neighborhoods so that we really got a feel of how the locals live. Some of the building communities even have their own mini neighborhood libraries. Like many other cities, Amsterdam real estate is very expensive. Our guide showed us several very unimpressive house boats that recently sold for $1.5 million Euros. As the Realtors in California like to say – location, location!
We really enjoyed the local food, too. Amsterdam is a very damp city and cold during the winter months. I can see why the Dutch enjoy so much fried food. We loved the Olieballen served warm with powdered sugar and a drizzle of Nutella. We first tried the Bitterballen on our taste of Amsterdam tour. We liked this dish so much that we ordered it, again, at the Rijksmuseum’s cafe. The balls are a mixture of beef, beef stock, flour and seasoning covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried. Traditionally, you dip them in mustard.French fries are really popular and the city has numerous fast- food outlets selling them hot with mayonnaise slathered over them. Since neither of us really likes mayonnaise, we passed. That said, tons of the locals were buying them.
One of our favorite experiences was dinner at a Greek restaurant near our hotel. The Viking concierge recommended it and she was so right. My husband and I both thought it was the best Greek food we have ever eaten. The restaurant was owned by a Greek couple and the wife cooked everything from scratch.
While my husband John and I both have many more places we wish to visit, we can easily visualize another trip to Amsterdam in our future. Next time, we want to visit Amsterdam during tulip season.
Rembrandt Square – Decorated for Christmas The Famous Skinny Bridge Traditional Row Houses – Amsterdam is Slowly Sinking So These Are Leaning Fun Architectural DetailGraffiti Is Here, too.InterContinental Amstel Hotel Amsterdam Lobby of the InterContinentalThe Jewish School the Nazis Made All Jews Attend During WWII House Boats Sell for Over $1 Million Amazing Architectural Details Everywhere “Coffee” Bars Are Prevalent Around Rembrandt Square Olieballen Shop at Rembrandt SquareOlieballen VendorLocal Sweet Treat – OlieballenHistoric Art Deco Cinema Theater Lobby Local Cheese ShopGouda!Fun Architectural Detail In a Residential Neighborhood 1920s Worker Housing In De Waag Restaurant – Building Dates Back to 1488Beer at In de WaagBitterballen Interior of a Popular Dutch Pancake CafeDutch Pancakes Coffee and Stroopwafelsde Bijenkorf Department StoreChristmas Window Displays at de BijenkorfMore Holiday Window Displays Local Greek Restaurant Hubby Reading the Menu My EntreeAppetizer At Our Greek Restaurant Even in November, the City Has Flowers Bitterballen Snack Plate at the Rijksmuseum Rembrandt Square
Amsterdam truly has an amazing collection of museums. While in Amsterdam, we visited Rembrandt’s House, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank House.
Rembrandt’s House was our first stop. Rembrandt spent the final years of his life in poverty with massive debts. To cover his debts, he was forced to sell his house in Amsterdam as well as all of his possessions. The detailed list is of his possessions is what makes the museum possible. The curators had a complete list of everything in the house. The house is spacious with both lots of living and working space. His studio is impressive with the massive windows that flood the room with light. He had a massive collection of everything from a stuffed alligator to unusual sea shells that he used for inspiration for his paintings. His enormous collection is partially responsible for his debt. Even as he struggled with paying his bills, he continued to acquire new items for his collection.
After spending the morning at Rembrandt’s House, we took the trolley to Museumplein. There we first visited the Museum of Contemporary Art. It was a real treat. It is located in a small art-deco building from the 1920s with a charming sculpture garden surrounding the museum. The exhibits included a fun Banksy exhibit downstairs and a star-studded exhibit upstairs including Keith Haring, Julian Opic and Jeff Koons.
Interestingly, it was the only museum where we did not need to buy tickets in advance. Over 20 years ago, on my first visit to Amsterdam, I was able to walk into Rembrandt’s House, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House. Those days are long gone. We walked by the Van Gogh Museum and the line for those on standby was wrapped around the building.
For our next stop, we went to the Rijksmuseum where we had tickets. The museum let us in early and we had a fabulous lunch in the museum cafe. We sat next to a fun couple from Windsor England. They were on a cruise with a bus tour of Amsterdam and had a few hours off before returning to their ship. We shared travel stories and discussed our mutual dislike of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson . Upstairs in the Dutch Masters exhibit, we had another chat with a tourist from Toronto Canada. When people are on holiday, they are usually so relaxed and receptive to meeting new people.
The Dutch Masters collection is impressive. Having just visited Rembrandt’s House, it was fun to see the museum’s extensive number of Rembrandt paintings. The only disappointment is that The Night Watch by Rembrandt is undergoing an extensive restoration that is anticipated to take 10 to 15 years. The museum has hired 8 art restorers to undertake this impressive project. This project is being done in public and visitors are able to see the restoration work being done. The first stage is the painstaking process of removing the old varnish. As a reminder, this painting has been vandalized twice – including in 1975 when a deranged man slashed it with a bread knife.
Our final museum visit for the day was an evening visit to the Anne Frank House. The museum is so popular that it stays opened until 10 PM at night. Our tickets were for 7PM and the museum was filled with a combination of people from The Netherlands and around the world. Tickets are only released online 6 weeks prior to the desired date. I actually had to set my alarm for 2 AM on a particular Tuesday to purchase our tickets. When I successfully purchased our tickets, I felt like I had won the lottery. I had previously visited the museum over 20 years ago and a lot has changed. The audio guide is phenomenal as is the revised curation of the Frank hiding place. The tour includes great video clips of Otto Frank as well of the former employees who helped with the hiding process. There was also a temporary exhibit about Otto Frank’s experience traveling from the concentration camp back to Amsterdam. The museum is extremely poignant and worth visiting. As an FYI, no photos are allowed.
Rembrandt’s House Rembrandt’s House Standing in Front of Rembrandt’s House Kitchen At Rembrandt’s House Kitchen At Rembrandt’s House Foyer At Rembrandt’s House Main Reception Room At Rembrandt’s House Main Living Room At Rembrandt’s House Rembrandt’s Studio Rembrandt’s Studio One of the Box Beds in Rembrandt’s House when People Slept Sitting UpView of Rembrandt’s Studio Another View of Rembrandt’s Studio Lots of Steep Steps At Rembrandt’s House Teaching Studio Room At Rembrandt’s House Center Courtyard of Rembrandt’s House Rembrandt’s House Has A Great Audio Guide Museum of Contemporary Art in Amsterdam Courtyard Sculpture Exhibit At the Museum of Contemporary Art Garden At Museum of Contemporary Art in Amsterdam Interactive Sculpture At the Museum of Contemporary Art Part of the Museum’s Banksy Collection Art-Deco Detail of Museum of Contemporary Art in Amsterdam Art-Deco of Museum of Contemporary Art in Amsterdam Part of the Banksy Exhibit Banksy Created a Series of Gangster Rat Paintings Amazing Opic Sculpture Painting At the Museum of Contemporary Art Interactive Exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art Interactive Exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary ArtInteractive Exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art Front Exterior of the Rijksmuseum Exterior Front of the Rijksmuseum Restorer at Work on The Night WatchRestoration of The Night Watch Vermeer’s The Milkmaid from 1658Stained Glass Windows At the Rijksmuseum Stained Glass Windows At the Rijksmuseum Dutch Masters Section At the Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum Has a Beautiful Collection of Furniture This Is An actual Carved Coconut Salt Mills Beautiful Architecture At the Rijksmuseum Souvenir Water from the Rijksmuseum
We visited Kinderdijk to see the windmills and they didn’t disappoint. At one, there were over 11,000 windmills throughout the country. Now, there are approximately 1,100. To be a miller requires years of training. If you make a mistake, you can cause the windmill to self-ignite.
Also, it’s no myth – they really wear wooden clogs. Apparently, wooden clogs are waterproof and inexperienced. The millers we met wore unpainted clogs. Yellow clogs became popular as well because yellow use to be the cheapest color of paint. Painted designs on the clogs indicate which region of the Netherlands the person is from.
The windmills we visited serve a critical function. They pump water into the rivers to prevent flooding in the Netherlands. They are so hypnotic to watch. If we didn’t have an appointment with a cheese maker, I would have stayed for hours watching.
Sunrise in Cologne Sunrise in Cologne Entrance to Cologne from Our ShipCologne Church Restaurants Facing the Waterfront Older Housing That Survived WWIIGraffiti Is Everywhere In Austria & Germany Einstein’s PubCity Hall Where the Locals MaryAnother View of City Hall Fountain Near City Hall View of the city square near city hall Fun Tree in the Main Shopping Area Cologne Post WWIIA Display By a Business That Survived WWII Bombing Roman Part of TownRhinus Pater – Roman God the Rhine is Named After Part of Roman Sewer System Cologne Cathedral Pretty fountain area near the main shopping center Local Pretzel ShopCologne Specialty Pretzels Goodies At the Pretzel Shop The Original 4711All the Taxi Cabs Are MercedesThe Lindt Chocolate Museum The Lindt Chocolate Museum The Lindt Chocolate Museum The Lindt Gift Shop The Lindt Gift Shop The Lindt Gift Shop
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Cologne Germany. First, the city experienced 95% destruction during WWII. Fortunately, the cathedral was the first of its kind – built with steel reinforcement so most of it survived. Overall, the city is a mixture of old and new. Some of the modern architecture is spectacular but other buildings, such as city hall, are really ugly and depressing.
Our tour guide explained that Cologne is more about a certain attitude. The locals appreciate being social and enjoying life much more than the more serious Berliners. Cologne natives, apparently, talk to everyone and are less reserved than other Germans. Consequently, bars in Cologne are much more likely to be filled with people chatting versus loud music drowning everyone out. At night, I did notice a few bars aimed at a younger crowd with blaring music.
The city seemed very safe. Our evening tour guide, for our pub crawl, confirmed my impression of Cologne. It is also a very walkable city with lots to explore as you walk. I actually got in almost 17,000 steps in one day of touring Cologne.
The city has a Lindt Chocolate Museum that is worth visiting. We found the gift shop to be almost overwhelming. My husband and I saw items that we never see at home in the U.S.
We did take a brief break from the city to visit the hunting lodge and Bruhl Palace. Both were impressive. When Bonn was the capital of West Germany, the government used the palace to entertain top visiting dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth and Ronald Reagan. Both structures are impressive. Interestingly, both interiors incorporate the most beautiful Dutch blue and white tiles on the walls.
If given the opportunity, I would like to return to Cologne to spend a few more days. Our tour guide noted that the London Times describes the Cologne Christmas Markets as the best in the country. I see a December trip in my future!
Koblenz might be my favorite German city so far. First, it’s on the Rhine and Moselle Rivers surrounded by beautiful historic castles. Second, it’s a very walkable city with so many charming old buildings combined with interesting modern architecture. Koblenz is actually over 2000 years old.
The tram system was initially installed as a temporary structure to celebrate the arrival of 2000. The city then wanted to keep it open post Millennium. It spent the next five years negotiating with UNESCO to keep the tram system without losing its UNESCO status for the valley. I am glad things worked out. The views from the cable cabins are spectacular. Plus, we were able to see the fortress which dates back to 1815. It actually occupies the same location of an earlier fortress that the French destroyed in 1801.
The city has been through a lot. The most is several severe storms that flooded out much of the town. Koblenz was severely bombed by the Allies during WWII. Yet there is a really positive energy and sense of whimsy. There is a really fun fountain in town that consists of a young boy who spits out water every few minutes. If you stand too close to the fountain, you will get soaked with water. It is called the Schangelbrunnen Fountain. Also, near the city’s modern art museum is a series of whimsical modern sculptures – a giant thumb, a purse and a bottle of Channel 5.
The huge memorial statue of Prince William is located where the two rivers meet. The original statue was copper and destroyed by the Allies during WWII. The current statue is a replica and only dates back to 1993.
We ended our visit on a very high note with a round trip ride on the cable tram that took us across the Rhine to the city’s fortress and then back to where our ship was docked.
Prince WilliamCable Tram Over the Rhine Park Along the Rhine Park Along the Rhine Church Near the Rhine Church ParkHerz Jesu Kirche Near the RhineGiant Purse Sculpture Giant Channel No. 5The Famous ThumbIn Front of Prince WilliamWalkway Near Prince William Statue Near the Prince William Memorial Three Panels from the Berlin Wall Corner Red Building Survived Allied Bombing Older Downtown Building That Survived the WWII Bombing Our Guide ChristianTypical Alley in Older Neighborhood That Survived the Bombing During WWII Virgin Mary Above the Main Church Our New Friends Beth and Steve from Ohio Residential Courtyard Statue Tribute to an Eccentric Former Resident of Koblenz FlorinskircheAwareness of Breast Cancer Month FlorinskircheVirgin Mary at FlorinskircheInterior of Florinskirche Florinskirche Interior of Florinskirche Interior of Florinskirche Interior of Florinskirche Portrait of Saint Nicholas at Florinskirche More Hanging Bras Promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Fun Bistro on the Main Shopping Street The Main Shopping Street Johannes Muller 19th Century Respected Anatomist City HallThe Boy Who Spits Statue Local Bar & Restaurant The City is Preparing for the Christmas MarketsThe Cable Tram That Goes Over the Rhine John and I Taking the Cable Tram The Fortress Our View from the TramThe Outer Wall of the Fortress The Fortress Koblenz at Night The Night ViewIn Front of the Rhine Viking River Cruise Ship
NO time for boredom today 