Before traveling to Burma, I’d always pictured Buddhist Monks as older, wise gentlemen. Then I visited a teaching monastery. It’s customary for young boys, especially those from intensely religious families, to enter a monastery. In Burma, becoming a “novice” monk is considered a great honor. Young monks sometimes stay for only one week but can remain there for years. Poorer … Read More
New England Coastal Road Trip – Day Eight
We are now traveling south, heading back to New York City. Our day was spent in Salem, Massachusetts, the stop we aborted last Saturday due to the traffic, crowds, and general mayhem. Today, a Tuesday, was significantly calmer, though the city was still filled with people. I suspect that ANY day in October will be that way, culminating on Halloween. … Read More
New England Coastal Road Trip – Day Seven
The forecast was for a cool, overcast day. Once again, the meteorologists got it wrong – fortunately in a way that was beneficial. On what turned out to be a warm, sunny day we tried to spend as much time as possible outside. We started in Portsmouth New Hampshire, a town I visited about a month ago and fell in … Read More
New England Coastline Road Trip – Day Six
As we headed to Portsmouth NH, I pulled off the highway to get gas. Needing gas changed the entire day. I’d pulled off in Newburyport MA. Seeing a sign for the historic downtown, we decided to head into town and look. We spent the entire day in town. Circling the harbor and then extending for miles is a walking path. … Read More
New England Coastal Road Trip – Day Five
When I sketched out a rough plan for this trip, I was excited about the prospect of visiting Salem MA. Home of the witch trials Salem does Halloween in a big way. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only ones headed there, it seemed as if half of everyone on the eastern seaboard wanted to go there too. It didn’t help that … Read More
New England Coast Road Trip – Day Four
Newport, Rhode Island is a vibrant town with so much to do that a single day doesn’t really seem enough. But we crammed so much in today that it felt as if we’d spent a week here. Our first jaunt was on Ocean Drive, marveling at the expansiveness of the mansions and properties for which the city is known. Rocky … Read More
New England Coast Road Trip – Day Three
Mystic Seaport Museum (Connecticut) has changed in numerous ways since I last visited it. And from my perspective, most changes have been positive. My only real issue was their map and signage, which need a lot of help. Hugging the Mystic River, the seaport is both a recreation of a whaling village from the 1800s and a working ship restoration … Read More
New England Coast Road Trip – Day Two
While this is definitely a road trip, the distances we are driving each day are short. This morning we went a whopping ten miles to New London for breakfast. Jake’s diner on State Street was a terrific way to start the day—a veggie omelet filled with heaps of fresh mushrooms and broccoli, excellent coffee, and a charming host. We meandered … Read More
New England Coast Road Trip — Day One
Today is the start of a ten-day road trip up the New England Coast. I’m with my friend Sue, a wonderful travel companion. We had a plan, and then abandoned it completely. Driving up Interstate 95 I saw a tiny sign, “Pez Visitor Center.” How could we resist? It’s a totally silly place that brought me back to my childhood. … Read More
Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs Arkansas
If you have no other reason to visit Eureka Springs (Arkansas) you should go to see Thorncrown Chapel. E. Fay Jones, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed it. The small mountainside chapel has received many prestigious architecture awards, including being named one of the top ten American buildings of the twentieth century by the AIA. It’s easy to understand … Read More