Category: Miscellaneous
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West Branch of the Susquehanna River
Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA (September 2006) We took our time meandering up to the Finger Lakes and spent a couple of days in the vicinity of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. This included a leisurely cruise on the S. S. Hiawatha paddlewheel riverboat that departed from near the boat ramp at Susquehanna State Park (map). It traveled along a…
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Ithaca with Kids
Tompkins County, New York (September 2006) Ithaca is a small city that rests at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake (map). There are many cultural amenities due to its proximity to Cornell University. It also served as an excellent gateway to the larger Finger Lakes region of central New York. We visited the renowned Ithaca…
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The Old Howder Homestead
Cambria Township, Niagara Co., New York, USA (August 4, 2003) While in the area, I took the opportunity to track down some family history. My great-great-great-grandfather, George Howder built this home in Cambria Township, Niagara County, New York circa 1849 (map). The current owners were kind enough to allow me to visit and provided a…
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Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park
Cornish, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire, USA (October 2010) Augustus Saint-Gaudens hailed from Ireland but moved with his family to the United States as a small child. He studied in Europe and spent the formative years of his career in New York City. Eventually he became one of the most preeminent sculptors of the “American Renaissance”…
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Viva Las Vegas Mini-Vacation with Kids
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, May 2006 Our friends decided to get married in Las Vegas, and in all seriousness they had a wonderful traditional ceremony set in a beautiful outdoor area. We found ourselves with some free time though, and we had to figure out how to entertain two small children in a venue that…
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Mall of America
Bloomington, Hennepin County, Minnesota (August 2002) Anyone hunting for Americana in Minnesota absolutely must visit to Mall of America in Bloomington, a suburb of the Minneapolis / St. Paul metropolitan area (map). I will concede that it’s essentially just an overgrown mall, but what says more about America than its shopping mall culture? I’ve probably…
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Bermuda Shorts, Part 7 (Architectural Details)
I thought I would take the discussion in a more lighthearted direction by focusing on a few architectural details I noticed. Examples reflecting local culture, customs and tastes could be found on contemporary buildings all across Bermuda. Pastels Pastels appeared everywhere. Seemingly every building featured those characteristic soft pale hues. Walk down any street and…
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McIlhenny Co.’s Tabasco® Factory
Iberia Parish, Louisiana, USA (March 2007) Tabasco peppers grow commercially in several places including Louisiana, Central America and South America, but the bottling of the famous Tabasco® Sauce traces to only one location: Avery Island, deep in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun country (map) Making the Sauce This sign welcomes visitors to the McIlhenny Company’s…
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Global Wildlife Center
West of Folsom, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana (April 2010) We’re always looking for fun things to do while visiting family in the New Orleans area. They’d been talking about how wonderful the Global Wildlife Center was, and how much fun the kids had on their visits there (map). We hadn’t visited it before so we stuffed…
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Miscellaneous Bayfield Locations
Apostle Islands & Bayfield Peninsula, Wisconsin (August 2007) Stunningly clear views of the Apostle Islands and the mainland led the way to the Mawikwe Sea Caves. Now on our return trip, passengers jostled railings for viewing space as we sailed away from the northwestern tip of the peninsula towards the Bayfield marina. We completed our…