Nicole Pensiero

By
Nicole Pensiero | For NJ Advance Media
As much as I enjoy cruising, the idea of taking a longer ocean journey – say, 10 or 15 days – never crossed my mind, until some friends took a lengthy cruise around the South Pacific and came home raving.
The prospect of exploring several European countries in one visit -- without lugging baggage or having to deal with planes, trains, and automobiles – soon took hold. It was then just a matter of picking an itinerary and deciding how long to cruise.
A...

Travel story for Newark-Star Ledger/NJ.com about a 2-week long European adventure by ship.

Anyone who's traveled to the picturesque small town of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, — sometimes called the "Switzerland of America" — has undoubtedly heard of the famed Olympic athlete the town is named for.
Less known, however, is the story of how Native American Jim Thorpe came to be buried there — a place he had never even visited — and the ongoing struggle by several of his family members to have his body returned to his native Oklahoma.
On Thursday, the Penn Museum in Philadelphia will host...

There are typical glass paperweights and then there are the works of glass art created by Paul J. Stankard. One of the most influential artists to emerge from the Studio Glass movement, Stankard crafts three-dimensional sculptural works with all elements produced individually in glass using a technique called flamework. His pieces — in which flowers, leaves and natural elements like honeybees seem to float in glass — can be seen in more than 75 museums around the world.

Travel story for monthly publication, Mullica Hill Neighbors, published by Best Version Media.

Popular Queen Tribute Band Killer Queen Returning to Collingswood's Scottish Rite Auditorium in late September

By Nicole Pensiero
Playing an iconic rock star like Freddie Mercury onstage isn’t easy –but it is fun. Just ask Patrick Myers, who plays that part in the English tribute band Killer Queen.
He’s been “Freddie Mercury” for more than three decades -- far longer than the...

A friends' road trip to the mountains provides fun and relaxation

There are many wonderful things about New York State’s beautiful Catskills region, including its easy proximity to New Jersey. Just a few hours on the road and you are in another world — surrounded by mountains and abundant nature, fun little shops, and many dining choic...

They are billed as the “ultimate tribute” to The Beatles. And indeed, California-based band The Fab Four has earned major kudos since its start more than 25 years ago.
The group, which plays the Collingswood’s Scottish Rite on Saturday, July 27, was founded by Ron McNeil (John Lennon) and Ardy Sarraf (Paul McCartney), who met by chance at a Beatles convention in California in 1997.
When Sarraf, portraying Paul McCartney in a Wings tribute group, performed the Wings’ hit “Coming Up” for a soun...

Feature story for the South Jersey Times (NJ.com) about Fenwick Island, DE, and its nearby communities. June 2024.

It’s the No. 1 destination for people who want to see the world by ship: the Caribbean, which holds more than 40 percent of the cruise market. No real surprise there: it’s hard to imagine anything more relaxing than sailing around clear turquoise waters and visiting various islands along the way.
We were halfway through our 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruise when winter turned to spring – but for us, it was summer every day as we made our way from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to the U.S. Virgin Isla...

It is the furthest south and the most chill of all Delaware beaches: Fenwick Island, a relaxing shore town that, for us, provided a fun-filled change of pace from the Jersey Shore, while still feeling somewhat familiar in its look and vibe.
Having visited Lewes, Delaware, a few years ago -- a trip that included quick runs down the coast to Rehoboth, Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach – we didn’t even know that Fenwick Island was part of that mix. Along with its immediate neighbors to the north -- ...

Philly Loves Bowie Week
This year, Philadelphia’s annual, mayoral-endorsed celebration of all things David Bowie has ballooned to 10 days of events, with cover concerts, art exhibits, film screenings, trivia, cabaret, karaoke, and more. Created by Doobies owner Patti Brett (who stood outside Philly’s Sigma Sound Studios in 1974 while Bowie recorded Young Americans there) with fellow Sigma Kids, Philly Loves Bowie Week fetes the life, music, fashion, and feeling of the pop legend, who passed a...

Leo Moran of Ireland's Saw Doctors says it happens every year right around this time: He'll run into a slew of fellow Irish musicians at the airport, all heading across the pond to play St. Patrick's Day gigs.
"It's become such a tradition for so many Irish musicians," Moran said by phone from Ireland. "The States make more of St. Patrick's Day than anywhere else in the world, so you see each other at the airport, all carrying our instrument cases."
Boston's Dropkick Murphys have said their g...