Another installment in our series on abandoned places in the world. Continue reading
Travel
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In May 2010, a few days short of her 17th birthday, Australian girl Jessica Watson became the youngest person (male or female) to sail around the world solo and unassisted. Concerns about encouraging young people from attempting this incredibly arduous achievement had already led the Guinness Book of Records to stop recognizing “youngest” attempts at sailing around the world, and the World Sailing Speed Record Council to stop accepting any records from sailors under 18. Watson did it anyway. Continue reading
The great state of Colorado is known for a number of things: the Rocky Mountains, great skiing, beautiful vistas, the mile-high city of Denver. Every state has its own unique culture and flavor, and many people have a general sense of what Colorado has to offer.
However, there are a number of lesser-known destinations and events of which the average tourist may be unaware. A visitor may enjoy any number of music, art, or cultural festivals throughout the year, but could easily miss out on a weekend festival centered around a cryogenically-frozen Norwegian grandpa in a Tuff Shed. Continue reading
Ok, wipe the drool off your screen. The glorious house you’re looking at is Highclere Castle, being used as Downton Abbey in the tv series you might have heard of.
The current castle was built in 1842 by Sir Charles Barry, the architect who designed the Houses of Parliament in London. The property has been owned by the Carnarvon family since 1679. The site has had one house or another on it since at least 1086 – the date of completion of the famed Domesday Book, which records a house being situated there. Today, the Hampshire estate covers 1,000 acres. Continue reading
Monkey Mia, located on the Indian Ocean coast of Australia about 800km north of Perth, is a beach-side holiday destination best known for two things: the warm, sunny sub-tropical weather and the dolphins who visit the beach daily for hand-feeding. Continue reading
Another installment in our series on abandoned places in the world. Continue reading
Having hosted two German foreign exchange students (and being of mostly-German descent), I am completely and totally in love with Germany. Joke about Germany all you want, but they know how to do Christmas-time. First of all, you have beginning in late November, the Weihnachtsmarkts, which are these glorious open-air Christmas markets where you can wander around, buy lots of cool stuff AND get snockered on Gluhwein (a mulled wine). Continue reading
Once again, we’re in one of those periods wherein Americans get fed up with their own government (or looming government) and declare their intention to move to Canada. It happened the last time Bush Jr. was elected, and the time before that when he wasn’t really elected, but everyone wanted to move to Canada anyhow. Continue reading
Commie Socialist death-panel-loving Europe has gone and banned TSA-style backscatter x-ray machines from its airports. The terrists are winning!
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I love long-distance train travel. When I was a kid, we took an overnight train trip every Easter, with roomettes. I’d lie awake and listen to the rattle of the train, see the dimly-lit little stations that we stopped at at 2am, 3am, one or two people got on or off then rattle rattle off we went again. You could see the far-off yard lights of isolated farms, close to the track but far from any major road. Breakfast in the dining car!
We went from the wilds of northern Ontario to Toronto, to see the big department stores’ fancy Easter windows. Stayed at a reasonable hotel, with a big lobby the way old-fashioned hotels have, big sofas, an enormous crystal chandelier overhead. Ate at restaurants, of which my small town had none. The Grill didn’t count, it was just a diner. Whatever the opposite of glorified is, it was that kind of diner. So real city restaurants were a revelation, and an education.