Florida Culture for the HOLIDAY Week of December 9 by Josh Garrick

TONIGHT – Dec 9 at 7 pm – Venetian Vespers with the Orlando Philharmonic

Even in winter, national wildlife refuges hold pleasures for nature lovers. Look for surprises, too: ducks and geese in profusion, a furtive red fox darting past, animal prints stamped clearly in the ground, the creaking of trees in the cold. Try exploring some trails by snowshoe. Or take a wildlife tour … on a horse-drawn sleigh.

Are there families that get along during the holidays? Possibly, but in my case, no. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family. They love me and are funny, and are always there for me, but they drive me absolutely nuts! Up until now, I never noticed how crazy and dysfunctional the Siegel family is.

Florida Culture for the Week of December 2 by Josh Garrick

Now through Dec 8 – Flashdance – The Musical

Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes painted fewer than a dozen portraits between 1820 and 1828, the year he died at 81. But the one that made headlines is Portrait of Mariano Goya, which was recently unveiled at the Meadows Museum in Dallas.

We've shared our passion for National Wildlife Refuges, in How (and Why) to Include National Wildlife Refuges in your Travel Plans.

Germany is known by most people for a few culturally biased things. Beer, pretzels, cuckoo clocks, and those glorified knee-length overalls known as Lederhosen. And most importantly, the German Christmas Markets.

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, as I recently explained to my American students, is celebrated in Andalusia through religious processions (called pasos) that wind their way day and night through the streets of cities and towns. As with so many Spanish traditions, such as bullfighting, it’s almost impossible to convey an accurate picture of Semana Santa celebrations to anyone who has never attended one. They must be experienced rather than understood at an intellectual level.