When I started my travel site in 1996, there were very few independent online travel focused websites. Like many others (especially those beginning blogs), my site began as a personal journal - a place to compile notes from various trips with tips and tricks to help other travels avoid mistakes that I made on my own travels. Over the years I've retained this focus - but the site has also morphed into more of a travel community with writers … [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...]
What’s New in Branson for 2018
Branson has lots of theaters offering live shows with entertainment choices from Broadway songs to country music, Rock 'n' Roll, to magic and comedy! A trip to Branson is not complete without experiencing Silver Dollar City, an 1880-style award-winning theme park where you'll find authentic Ozarks history along with crafts, eateries, six festivals and a brand-new thrilling ride. Visitors can enjoy three Ozark mountain lakes, perfect for fishing … [Read more...]
More of What’s New in Branson for 2017
Silver Dollar City's Festival of Wonder Leads this Year's Events BRANSON, MO. – The all-new Festival of Wonder in April, a new summer concert series and a big new Christmas expansion top the lineup for Silver Dollar City’s 2017 season in Branson, Mo., designated the Year of Food and Crafts. Come celebrate the art of American fine craftsmanship with new handcrafted treasures, new signature dining experiences with bold, innovative flavors and … [Read more...]
Visit Pearl Harbor and be Moved
It is hard to predict when the sadness and solemnity will hit you when you visit Pearl Harbor. For me it was when we set out on the Navy vessel across the channel that on a December morning in 1941 turned into hell on earth, a bloody chaos of explosions and smoke and fire and bombs. December 7 is Pearl Harbor Day, and 2014 will mark the 73rd anniversary of the attack that brought the United States into World War II. Ceremonies will … [Read more...]
Drive with a View: Colorado Scenic Roadtrips
DENVER - Spending a long amount of time in the car for a road trip can sometimes be uneventful, but not a road trip through Colorado. The state is home to 25 Scenic and Historic Byways (11 of which are also America’s Byways) celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2014 along with other roads and passes that offer amazing views. Summer through fall is the perfect time of year to travel the byways, roads and passes of Colorado. Following is a … [Read more...]
Jamaica’s Coolest Joint
JAMAICA – Last Christmas I realized I needed a little sun. I regretted missing two invitations to go to Jamaica — here was my chance! I enlisted one of my best friends to share in the adventure. We chose Negril, the beach resort for locals on the island (it's their Malibu or Montauk). Negril used to be a hippie enclave and has slowly evolved into a boho jet-set destination with great Chris Blackwell hotels and restaurants — my music video … [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...]
Civil War History Comes to Life at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks
Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. - Commemorate the Civil War's 150th anniversary with two thrilling reenactments of the Battle of Monday's Hollow at a Living History and Civil War Reenactment Weekend, Sept. 15-16, at the Missouri Trapshooters Association Grounds, 51 Trapshooters Road off of State Road A in Linn Creek. This event, sponsored by the Camden County Historical Society & Museum and the Fourth Missouri Cavalry Reenactors, will feature a … [Read more...]
A Bicycle Built for Two
While I was house-sitting a 15th-century farmhouse in historical Gascony, with a backyard view of the snow-capped Pyrennees, I decided one bracing morning over a cafe du lait to hire a bike and make a pilgrimage to one of France's oddest pilgrimage sites: "NOTRE DAME DES CYCLISTES." Looking decidedly uncool in my fuzzy Patagonia jacket, Tintin T-shirt, Gap shorts, white athletic socks, and Rockport walking shoes, I pedaled like a madman, … [Read more...]