Katie McElveen

1 month ago | columbiametro.com | Katie McElveen

Some residences are linear, offering guests a logical pathway from the front door, but not Ernest Haynes’ home. Instead, first-time visitors feel the need to pause and decide which direction beckons. Is it the dining room to the right, with its mural-covered walls and glossy white ceiling, where rainbow-hued shards of light explode from the crystal chandelier and dance like fireflies? Or perhaps the room on the left, with its moody light, coffered ceiling, and artful treasures.

1 month ago | travelcurator.com | Katie McElveen

Until recently, I had never been on an actual road trip. Oh I’ve driven to and from plenty of vacation destinations, but it has always been a get-there-as-fast-as-you-can situation rather than the multi-stop meander that I associate with a road trip. So when I had the opportunity to embark on a road trip anchored by a string of Relais & Châteaux properties, the journey offered a rare chance to experience the South’s most storied hotels and celebrated kitchens — I jumped at the chance.

Feb 27, 2025 | travelcurator.com | Katie McElveen

I’m floating on my back, eyes closed, when I feel the first prickle of rain on my face. It’s unexpected but not entirely so — I am, after all, drifting in a pool secreted deep in the Costa Rican jungle. The only sounds I hear come from water: the drip of rain on the leaves above me, the swish of my legs and arms as I move through the pool, and the rush of the river. I feel like I’m alone but I’m actually not.

Feb 20, 2025 | travelcurator.com | Katie McElveen

In my mind, the gate that I stumbled upon while wandering, sort of lost, in the city of Versailles, was my own discovery, a secret entrance to the vast park surrounding the world’s most famous palace. Of course this is not the case. A guard stood off to the side, taking advantage of the warm sunshine, and there were cars parked here and there. But there were no crowds or ticket takers.

Feb 20, 2025 | flipboard.com | Katie McElveen

6 days agoFrance: Versailles opens historic spaces for 150 years of the Third RepublicVersailles, France - February 14, 2025 The Palace of Versailles is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the French Third Republic and its institutional role with the opening to the public of the Congress Hall, the flat of the President of the Congress and the Royal Opera House which served as an assembly during the Paris Commune (1871).