Cruising with Oprah, Gayle and the girls

Photo: Joy Sewing

I was like many of the 2,700 women — and 60 men — on board hoping for an "Oprah moment," when I would cross paths, exchange words and maybe even hugs with Winfrey. …. Over the next few days, the experience of being on this cruise ship became more than a chance encounter with Winfrey and King. It was like Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday, her inspirational series of conversations with spiritual thinkers, magnified a thousand times and set on a beautiful ship surrounded by warm blue water.

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Colorado Springs resort setting is fit for the gods

The day before I arrived in Colorado Springs, the weather was unseasonably cold; it had even snowed although winter was over.

But by the time I landed, the weather was crisp, and the skies were blue. Mother Nature had a change of heart.

It was a nostalgic trip since I attended Colorado College, a small liberal arts school near downtown Colorado Springs.

This time, my visit was recreational, not educational. I was headed to Garden of the Gods Resort and Club, a private club founded in 1951 at the foot of the Garden of the Gods Park, with its natural red-rock formations and spectacular views of Pikes Peak.

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A dog-friendly weekend in San Antonio

Photo: Joy Sewing

When I debuted my children’s book, "Ava and the Prince," about my two rescue Boxers last fall, I envisioned a grand multi-city book tour with them.

Alas. Traveling with large dogs is nothing like having a cute little pooch you pop into a tote bag. Everything is super-sized, from the bed to the poop. So when I scheduled a few book events in San Antonio recently, I challenged myself with the task of a road trip with my dogs. Well, actually just one — I figured two would be too much for a first road trip, so I took sociable Ava while more introverted Prince remained in Houston in the comfy confines of a local pet spa.

READ MORE: Instagram-famous rescue dogs star in children's book

Mapping out lodging, parks, restaurants and more ahead of time made for a stress-free, fun trip. Here are my recommendations for a pet-friendly weekend in San Antonio.

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A weekend in Miami, beyond beaches and bikinis

Photo: Frost Planetarium

Somewhere along the mile-long trail that encircles Brickell Key, a small gated island in downtown Miami, I realized the runners around me weren't rushing to bask in the sun or dance all night at a pulsating nightclub. Like me, they were enjoying the view: a glimmering bay accented with towering skyscrapers reflecting the sunset. The sweet scent of flowers filled the air.

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Exploring Oahu: 5 things to see and do

Photo: Oahu Tourism

A Hawaiian vacation comes only once in a life time; at least, that’s what I thought.

I had visited Oahu with my brother in 2013 on a bucket-list trip that included swimming with dolphins, hiking the infamous Diamond Head volcanic cone and a road trip to the North Shore, at the suggestion of fashion designer Tory Burch.

It was wonderful. But I never imagined Hawaii would call me back to its calm, blue waters and relaxing beaches.

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Cuba: Forget all you've heard

Photo: Joy Sewing

HAVANA, CUBA - A United States flag is one of many international symbols hanging from the ceiling at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport. Its presence seems peculiar given the historically strained relations the United States has with Cuba.

It was one of things I noticed when I arrived.

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Find a spa nirvana at California's Cal-A-Vie

Photo: Cal-A-Vie

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Escaping Houston on an oppressive summer day was heaven in itself.

I arrived in San Diego to crisp blue skies, a subtle warm breeze and humidity so slight that taking a deep breath felt pure and invigorating.

Two sun-tanned young men greeted me at the airport wearing big smiles and aviator sunglasses.

"Is this your first time to Cal-A-Vie?" one of them asked, referring to the luxury health spa owned by Houstonians Terri and John Havens. "You'll love it. It's like heaven."

I had heard that from other Houstonians who had visited and returned rested, recharged and even spiritually awakened. They described it as a French chateau in Southern California where everyone speaks English, eats farm-fresh food, explores every imaginable fitness option and gets pampered with spa treatments.

Now, I was about to see what the fuss is all about. Would I find my own nirvana over the course of a brief visit?

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How I came to meet 'Mexicanoes Negroes' — and racism — in Mexico

(Source: Houston Chronicle July 17, 2005. Photo by Joy Sewing)

The "N word" was not something I expected to hear while I lived in Mexico.

A middle-aged man shouted the racial slur from a moving car as I and several other journalists — another African-American woman and a Puerto Rican man — left a restaurant in Cuernavaca. The verbal assault took my breath away.

In a country where I had grown to identify with its rich, colorful culture and brown faces, I was slapped with a racial insult, and I was stunned.

I spent more than five months in Mexico on a National Press Foundation fellowship to study Spanish. During that time, as I struggled to improve my language skills, I also tried to understand how racism could exist there.

"There's no racism in here Mexico," I was told frequently by teachers and friends. Economics, they said, was the issue. The poorer you are, the worse life is.

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New Orleans is the perfect place for a girlfriends' getaway

(Source: Houston Chronicle, June 5, 2015)

NEW ORLEANS - The last time I went on a girlfriend getaway, I wound up - unexpectedly, to be sure - sharing a moonlit sulphur bath with nudists at a yoga retreat in California.

So, ironically, the idea of girls' trip to New Orleans, where the good times always roll, seemed much more tame. A short flight (or five-hour drive) from Houston, followed by a few days of fabulous food, creative cocktails and fun? Perfect. Reconnaissance was needed.

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A first timer's guide to exploring Oahu

(Source: Houston Chronicle April 12, 2013. Photo by Oahu Tourism).

HONOLULU - The Hawaiian waters off Oahu's leeward coastline were the deepest blue I had seen. The rich, dense waves gently stroked the sides of the boat and carried us some miles away.

We had set out for a day of snorkeling, but I grew uneasy as we continued traveling to what seemed to be the middle of the ocean.

Looking out into the blue abyss, I tried to muster up my courage to jump in.

I lost the nerve.

But Armin Cullins, the boat's captain and owner of the Wild Side Specialty Tours (sailhawaii.com), didn't judge me. Instead, he offered assurance that I would still get amazing views of the Hawaiian spinner dolphins, which we came to see. My brother, Jon, looked at the water with consternation as well. Nevertheless, he suited up with a life preserver and goggles.

"I guess I have to take one for the team," he said, before reluctantly sliding into the water with the rest of the group.

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On a mission in South Africa

(Source: Houston Chronicle Jan. 9, 2009. Photo by Joy Sewing)

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — The auditorium of the Soweto YMCA, where Faithways Community Church holds its weekly services, was cold and drafty but filled with a congregation bundled for warmth.

As if a spirit moved across the massive room, voices of the parishioners, mostly women, swelled into a high-pitch shrill — an African call of excitement.

On this winter day, more than 40 members of Houston’s Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, including the Rev. Marcus D. Cosby and his wife, Audrey, were in attendance for a Sunday morning service. (The seasons are opposite in South Africa, so while it was cold there the summer sun was baking in Houston.)

The delegation made its way down the main aisle. Some received gentle handshakes; others were greeted with soft, comforting words from the Soweto congregation:

“Welcome home,” they said.

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Cuba: Forget all you have heard

(From Houston Chronicle 2011, Photo by Joy Sewing)

HAVANA, CUBA - A United States flag is one of many international symbols hanging from the ceiling at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport. Its presence seems peculiar given the historically strained relations the United States has with Cuba.

It was one of things I noticed when I arrived.

I was one of six black journalists visiting Cuba to examine racism in the country on a fellowship sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies. The Institute, which is housed at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., was founded by USA Today columnist and veteran journalist DeWayne Wickham, who has traveled to Cuba for more than a decade and has developed a network of Cuban journalists he now calls friends. Our goal was to interview key players in the areas of art, culture, journalism and politics to discuss the issue of racism, something that is rarely talked about in this country.

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