There are many things that Italians are passionate about – football, wine, and food. It is more than just sustenance or getting the right vitamins and minerals. Food is a way of life. Have you ever been to a traditional Italian meal with an Italian family? It is organized chaos, complete with lots of tasty […]
The first Monday of August is a holiday for people in many parts of Canada. It is a statutory holiday in some provinces and territories but in others, it has another legal status. It is often called the August Holiday, Civic Holiday, or Provincial Day. Whatever you call it this is a time when many […]
By the time I was nearing age fifty I’d traveled extensively around the globe—visiting every continent except Antarctica and all fifty states. However, I’d mostly been to large U.S. cities and a few national parks. It was time to see more of my own country. So, in 2001, to celebrate my 50th birthday, I took […]
The abundance of off the beaten path but fascinating American towns is nearly endless. The more I explore, the greater my admiration for people who have transformed their hometowns into fun, beautiful places. What sets a town apart from the ordinary? Sometimes they have unique traditions, eccentric festivals, one-of-a-kind landmarks, or being home to museums […]
Columbus, Indiana is actually a city of 47,000. Not a town, but considering its small size, a mecca for world-renowned architecture. The American Institute of Architects ranked it sixth in the nation for architectural innovation and design – right behind Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. There are more than ninety buildings […]
I love the southwest for the scenery; the desert, cacti, vast expanses and endless sky are magnificent. But between the open spaces are slews of interesting towns. Here are just a few of my favorite towns in the southwest. Jerome, Arizona is just a few miles away from the far better-known Sedona. At one point […]
Cannon Beach in Oregon has a population of about 1,500. You don’t go there for the town, but for the beach, which is among the most beautiful on the west coast. When I first went there it was so foggy I couldn’t even see the famous Haystack Rock. Then it cleared and was spectacular. Nearby […]
I decided I needed to get out of the city, even if only for a few days. So, I’m spending the weekend in Cold Spring. It’s a charming Hudson River town. And, in many ways fits in with my recent posts about quirky American towns. For many years I lived close enough to come for […]
This morning, I traveled a short way upriver to Beacon. When I was younger, I often hiked in the area. Just driving past reminded me of the difficulty of those trails, including the aptly named Breakneck Ridge trail. As I watched rain dripping down rocks, I imagined how slippery the trail must be. Even on […]
Yesterday I headed home after my brief stay in Cold Spring. Driving back there were hints of spring—daffodils, weeping willows swathed in pale green, buds ready to burst. But, for the most part, branches remained bare and there was a grayness that contrasted sharply with the intense blue of the sky. My first start was […]
