California Sketches: Where time stands still

A gift of time brings me to a hill town in Tuscany this past winter. In the footsteps of D.H. Lawrence, Charles Dickens, Henry James and other artists, writers and travelers, I'm curious. I've come here for five weeks to find out why we search for sensations and connections from this ancient Etruscan place. What makes the Tuscan countryside so extraordinary?

Most picturesque hill towns [Photos]

QMI Agency chooses the world's most picturesque hill towns.

Haven: The Simpsons' Tuscan-style home in Kennett Square

Most families have a scrapbook or a photo album to show what they have been up to for the last decade or so. To document what they’ve been doing for the last 12 years, Wayne and Colleen Simpson have their house, all 4,000 Tuscan-style square feet of it, in Kennett Square.

BELLASARIO AT STONEBRIDGE ESTATES IS NOW OPEN

More than 700 home shoppers celebrated the opening of Bellasario at Stonebridge Estates last weekend. During a Tuscan-themed event, families had the opportunity to experience Bellasario’s brand-new home designs and tour three professionally decorated models. Expertly crafted by Standard Pacific Homes, the collection of luxury, estate-sized homes is priced from the mid-$800,000s.

Top ten tours in Europe

TravAddict compiles a list of the top 10 tours for European summer travel.

CU's Center for Community building gets top green rating

The University of Colorado announced Friday that the Center for Community building has been awarded a LEED platinum rating, which is the highest possible designation from the United States Green Building Council.