FROM THE EDITOR
Bob Rouse
Editor
101 Prosperous Place, Suite 350
Lexington, KY 40509 USA
+1.859.264.6548
[email protected]
I HATE MY BACKYARD.
I’m especially unhappy with it now—as we merge into
springtime in Kentucky—because of a landscaping project that
has created a muddy mess. But even when the project is com-
plete, my backyard won’t reach a level of beauty and sophisti-
cation worthy of a magazine. This magazine, for example.
Now, your backyard, I like.
In “Rooms and blooms,” starting on page 24, travel writer
Patti Nickell showcases several NTA attractions that boast
extravagant, historical homes and grand, gorgeous gardens.
This issue takes you into the backyards of NTA members
around the globe. Pat Henderson found loads of fabulous vis-
tas (and activities, events and museums) in the Four Corners
states, pages 30 to 36.
And Kendall Fletcher escorts you onto the property several
of members in eastern Canada; see pages 38–42. Look out
those back doors and see Montréal, an Ottawa museum and
Niagara Falls. And on page 43, Kendall helps shine the spot-
light on members in Greece, Italy and Turkey.
Speaking of spotlights, I took a different approach to our
feature on New York City. Last year, I wrote about my own
experience in the Big Apple. In this issue (pages 22–23), it’s
NTA tour operators who do the talking about the exceptional
city—with a big backyard.
OK, so look out into your backyard right now. Do you see
butterflies? One or two little yellow ones, maybe? Yeah, me,
too (except mine are muddy).
To see a truly enviable backyard, take a trip to Mexico with
Pat Henderson, who in late January ventured to the cen-
tral part of the country with A Closer Look Tours’ Monarch
Butterflies of Mexico tour. Even if you don’t have time to read
the whole story just yet, go to page 18 and enjoy the images.
This month’s cover features the glorious glass mosaic of
Cosmovitral in Toluca, another image from Pat’s fantastic voyage.
You also can take rail voyages with NTA members that give
guests a relaxing ride through picturesque mountains and
fields in their expansive, impressive backyards. Read details
and perspectives on pages 44–46 and 56.
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you this spring. After
a visit to Jordan with Tourism Cares, I’ll be in Charleston,
South Carolina, for Contact and
in Washington state for a trip
with Norwegian Cruise Line
and a look-see in Seattle.
And maybe by June, after
those trips, I can enjoy my
own backyard—as I did last
summer in the photo at right.
Read on,
March Courier Destination Index
Arizona 34–35 New Mexico 30
British Columbia 27–28 New York City 22–23
California 26, 48, 50 North Carolina 24
Colorado 32 Ohio 50
Greece 43 Ontario 38, 42
Italy 43 Oregon 28
Maine 49 Québec 40
Manitoba 49 Tennessee 24–26
Mexico 18–21 Turkey 17, 43
Michigan 28 Utah 36
Montana 15 Virginia 28
New Hampshire 16 Washington 50
New Jersey 15
4
March 2018
On the cover:
Cosmovitral in Toluca, Mexico,
includes beautiful botanical
gardens that are surrounded
by mosaic windows made from
more than a million pieces of
colorful glass.
Photo: Pat Henderson