In the debate of nature versus nurture, I’m pretty certain I was a food lover from the get-go. Born into a family of serious eaters, my food-obsessed parents honed my innate proclivities from a very young age. My New York City childhood was a culinary horn of plenty. While other babies were slurping rice cereal and applesauce, I nibbled spicy Indian samosas and Jamaican beef patties. I was blessed with restaurant-loving parents who exposed me … [Read more...]
Ha Ha Tonka State Park Named Most Beautiful Place in Missouri
Lake of the Ozarks, MO - In a recent article published by Condé Nast Traveler, the Lake of the Ozarks' Ha Ha Tonka State Park, located at 1491 State Highway D near Camdenton, was named the most beautiful place in Missouri. The article, which listed the most beautiful and compelling place in each of the 50 states, urges readers to consider the list as a "starting point to the most epic cross-country trip ever." According to Condé Nast: … [Read more...]
Added Flights, Expanded Train Service Offer Easy Travel Options to Colorado Ski Resorts
DENVER – New direct flights to and from Colorado’s eight regional airports and expanded service on the Winter Park Express will provide skiers and riders from across the country easy and convenient travel options to their favorite Colorado ski resorts by train, plane or car this winter. The Amtrak Winter Park Express, coming off a highly successful inaugural season, will offer expanded service for the 2017-18 ski season. The Winter Park … [Read more...]
A Remington and a Volvo
At 9, I thought it was crazy. My dad was going to squeeze Mom and all six of us kids into a boxy, top heavy, narrow Volvo station wagon, and we were going to drive for three months from our home in Paraguay to Kansas where my father grew up. This trip had been his dream since coming to Paraguay in 1951 to found and manage a Mennonite leprosy mission. “Is there really a road that goes all the way from Paraguay to the States?” I asked. Dad … [Read more...]
The Imaginary Kingdom of Belarus
John M. Edwards researches a future trip to a country he suspects doesn’t really exist. . . . I’ve never been there, and neither have you. The imaginary kingdom of Belarus, way off the beaten track, so far away in fact that no one ever seems to find it, belongs more to the world of fictionalized Tintin comics than the grip of postcardy Paid Advertisements. Even asking former communist expats from the various SSRs how to get there usually … [Read more...]
Biscuits, Booze, and Bodies – 36 Hours in the Florida Keys
Normally, I'm not big on cocktails before 10am. But when we blearily wandered in at 8am to the Blue Heaven, one of Key West’s signature restaurants, that’s what our server suggested. Sitting in the crazy-quilt courtyard, with its rustic artwork and scurrying chickens, looking up at the former bordello on the second-floor, and knocking back some booze seemed in keeping with all things Keys. I opted for the pancakes, which I found just as … [Read more...]
Pilots, Amelia Rose Earhart & Patrick Carter
When we were initially made aware that Amelia Earhart was going to recreate "her" flight around the world in 2014, we thought we had scored the interview of the century. However, we quickly realized the modern day Amelia Earhart is named after the famous aviatrix. But the similarities do not end with a name - Amelia is also an accomplished pilot and is going to recreate and symbolically complete her namesake’s 1937 flight around the world. … [Read more...]
Eureka Springs Revisited
In early November, I spent two serendipitous days in the tiny resort town of Eureka Springs, located in the Ozarks, at the edge of Arkansas. I had accepted an invitation from a friend in the American Midwest to join her on her ranch in Kansas, and she was taking me on a road trip. Since we would be riding through Missouri, I asked if I might see something connected with Mark Twain. “Hannibal is on the other side of the state.” I was mildly … [Read more...]
A Road Trippers Case for Traveling by Car
Taking a road trip is my favorite way to put "things" back into perspective. It's easy to let yourself get caught up in the trivialities of daily life and forget that this is bigger than the individual. A road trip can be just the thing to spark some creativity, break out of the mundane with some spontaneity or even deal with pain. There's comfort in seeing new things and the best way to challenge yourself and your views is by meeting new people … [Read more...]
Richard Petty Driving Experience Now Allows Drivers to Go Faster
Richard Petty Driving Experience Now Allows Drivers to Go Faster...Faster Concord, NC (October 30, 2012) – Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE), the worldwide leader in stock car drive and ride entertainment, is introducing a new way for drivers to get the most out of their NASCAR driving experience by placing a professional driving instructor directly in the passenger seat. The all-new format known as Right Seat Instruction (RSI) will be … [Read more...]