Yesterday was the first day of a one-week road trip. I’m heading up to Southern Vermont and New Hampshire. I decided to take it slowly, less driving, more sightseeing. But as usual plans and reality didn’t quite mesh. What should have been about a 2-1/2-hour drive took a whole lot longer, thanks to two massive traffic jams involving serious accidents. … Read More
Untermyer Garden Conservancy, Yonkers, NY
I’d only been to the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy – which is about 15 miles north of New York, in Yonkers – once before. That was years ago for an outdoor concert. While lovely, the garden hadn’t been well maintained and so I forgot about it, with so many other beautiful options to choose from. Recently I saw photos and read … Read More
Columbia River Gorge — Oregon
(Excerpt from my travel journal in 2001 when I was on a 9-month road trip) On the drive to the gorge the sky was a patchwork of clouds and hints of blue but not a single ray of sun. Paralleling I-84 and the Columbia River, but a whole lot more interesting, is the old scenic road. The road includes a … Read More
American Museum Of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History, New York City
The newly reopened Hall of Gems and Minerals is a stunner. If you have any interest in geology, this is the place for you. If like me, you just like seeing beautiful things, get yourself to the museum—the displays are breathtaking.
I think of diversity in the living world but the range of minerals on display is extraordinary. There are colors I’ve never seen in any plant, crystal patterns that look like 3-D architectural blueprints, light absorbing, reflecting and translucent surfaces and that only touches on the numerous distinctive qualities exhibited.
Plus, there are cut gems and a display of outrageous jewelry.
Fes, Morocco
As I passed through ancient key-hole gates, I traveled to the past. A world heritage site, this medina is believed to be the largest walled city on earth. Narrow lanes create a massive maze; without a guide any non-local is certain to get lost. There is little evidence of the twentieth century. With a young guide, Said, I ventured into … Read More
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY
Twenty years ago today, I was was well into my 9-month road trip. The first sign I saw upon entering Lexington read “Leave racing to horses – work zone ahead”. It was non-stop horses for days; the town is horse crazy. There was horse statuary everywhere, tourist publications advertise equine jewelry, fine leather tack, riding apparel and saddlery, horse racing, … Read More
Seneca Falls, NY
Most people know Seneca Falls as a central location of the women’s rights movement. It is certainly that, but also so much more. But let’s start at the beginning. We started this morning at Connie’s, a timeless diner. Apart from having the right décor and great food, the prices were also retro. In New York City you can barely get … Read More
Andamooka
My first book, Travel Mania: Stories of Wanderlust will be released in a few weeks. I’m already at work on the second book—more travel tales. Today I’ve been revisiting a trip to a very remote town in the Australian outback, Andamooka. When I visited, nearly forty years ago it was about as isolated and desolate a place as I could … Read More
Bryce Canyon, Utah 1991
I’ve been focusing a lot on my extended road trip twenty years ago, but my ramblings around the US go much further back. The southwest has particular appeal for me and over the decades I’ve explored the area many times. In 1991, I traveled around Utah visiting national and state parks—Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Sand Hollow and … Read More
Indonesian Kids
Each Indonesian Island has a unique culture, partially based on the prevailing religion (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Protestant, Catholic). On each of my trips to Indonesia I’ve been impressed by people’s friendliness on all of the islands I visited. Kids in particular wanted to connect. As with children around the globe, they were curious and open. They experimented with the few … Read More