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Elmwood Cemetery: A Microcosm of
Memphis History
Kathleen Walls
Published 5-13-2024
Often a historic cemetery reflects that
city’s history. That is the case with beautiful Elmwood
Cemetery in Memphis. Elmwood was founded in 1852. Elmwood’s
executive director Kim Beaden and Amanda Zorn,
Historian/Visitor Services & Volunteer Coordinator, showed me
around the cemetery. It has the feel of a garden with beautiful
southern magnolia, poplar tulip, and giant water oak trees.
Elmwood is divided into sections including the Masonic Section,
the Confederate Rest section, the Yellow Fever Section, African
American Section, and others. Many of the tombstone sculptures
resemble a museum.
Only in Little Rock
Kathleen Walls
Published 5-3-2024
You may think of Little Rock as just the
capital of Arkansas, but did you know it has many unusual
attractions worth a trip. Little Rock has attractions that are
the biggest, oldest, first, or only one of a kind ranging from
history to nature and culture. Here are a few things you will
find only in Little Rock.
Post Trip Fun in
Murfreesboro and Hot Springs
Story and photos
by Kathleen Walls
Published 4-30-2024
Take a Pink Jeep Trip into History
Story and photos
by Kathleen Walls
Published 3-6-2024
Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a place you could spend days or even weeks exploring. It is America’s most visited national park. Cades Cove is one of the most popular places in the park, but there is another lesser-known section where history still lives
Onslow County, NC From Fishing
Village to Travel Mecca
Story and photos
by Kathleen Walls
Published 1-21-2024
For the first half of the 20th
century Onslow County was a quiet fishing village. It also
produced naval stores, lumber, and tobacco crops as its main
source of income. Then in 1941, Onslow County and the entire
world changed. WWII brought Marine Barracks Camp Lejeune to
Jacksonville, Onslow’s main city. Today, tourism plays a major
role in the area. It has varied attractions and world-class
dining you won’t find anywhere else.
History Museums in Greenville, South
Carolina
Story and photos
by Tom Straka
Published 12-26-2023
Some cities are full of museums. For a history buff like me, it is fortunate cities often put a priority on preserving local history, making history museums fairly common. Greenville, South Carolina has an unusual assortment of museums, including two military history museums, a creative arts center, museum of art, children’s museum, music museum, and even a Shoeless Joe Jackson museum and baseball library. One of the art museum collections in the city is said to be the second largest collection of religious art in the world (second to the Vatican). Most of these museums are walking distance from one another, so Greenville offers a great opportunity for museum-lovers.
St. Johns Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve
Story and photos
by Kathleen Walls
Published 12-16-2023
As a long-time Florida resident, I am
familiar with palm trees but until I visited St. Johns
Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve (SJBGNP), I had no idea
there were so many variants. Dr. John Rossi, founder and
resident biologist led our small group on a tour of the garden.
The garden is St. Johns County’s newest attraction. It focuses
on an important, but often neglected side of the county, the
natural side.
Music a la Cajun in Lafayette
Story and photos
by Kathleen Walls
Published 12-10-2023
Lafayette Parish in Louisiana is alive with music. It's a part of their culture. In the 1760s, thousands of Arcadians driven out of Canada because of their religion were welcomed in Catholic Spanish owned Louisiana. They brought their music with them. However, in the new environment, it modified to create a totally different music from French Canadian. Ranger Jodie at the Acardian Cultural Center in Lafayette explained, "The main instrument in Cajun music is the German accordion. And then we have the fiddle which is French we also have a guitar which is a Spanish influence and we have the triangle, rub board and spoons which are African instruments."
A Spooktacular Jacksonville
Zoo Visit
Srory and photos
by Kathleen Walls
Published 10-26-2023
The Jacksonville Zoo And Gardens is one of the top zoos in the United States. They are doing it big for Halloween with their 36th annual Spooktacular. A few ghosts and ghouls fit right in with the wildlife. You enter beneath the watchful eye of some giant skeletons. Then pass under a Spooktacular archway.
Bristol: Birthplace of Country Music
Story and photos by
Kathleen Walls
Published 9-14-2023
Birthplace of Country Music in Bristol,
Virginia/Tennessee has a fantastic history behind it. The
Museum tells how country music was recognized as a genre at the
famous 1927 Bristol Sessions. It’s an amazing story. Kathleen Walls
Published 9-14-2023
The Gardens and Grounds at Monticello
Story by Tom Straka
Photographs by Pat Straka Published 9-4-2023
Photographs by Pat Straka
About a year ago we spent the better part of a day at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. The details are in an earlier article in this digital magazine. While Monticello is recognized as one of America’s most famous homes, the grounds surrounding Monticello are almost as interesting as the house. They were attractive enough to bring us back for a second visit, centered on the restored vegetable and flower gardens, orchards, Jefferson’s favorite trees, and a bunch of fascinating outbuildings. They were well worth a second better part of a day. Tours at Monticello have various options, mainly the house tour and the gardens and grounds tour.
Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Story and photos
by Kathleen Walls Published 7-27-2023
I
just visited Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s an
amazing time travel trip into American music. Sure, it’s
about rock and roll, but remember rock and roll evolved from
blues and country with many other genres adding a touch or
two. What I love about the museum is that it takes that into
consideration and showcases those early influences. Over the
years, they have inducted many influencers, including Sister
Rosetta Tharpe,
Ma
Rainey,
Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, Bob Willis, and countless
other musician whose music led to rock and roll.
An Extraterrestrial Heritage Area in Georgia
Story and photos
by Tom Straka
Published 7-17-2023
Newsweek magazine recently
published an
article
with a catchy title: “The Weirdest, Most Extraterrestrial Spots
You Can Visit, Here on Earth,” promising “some of Earth’s most
bizarrely surreal natural wonders.” There were eleven
locations, ranging from a national forest park in China with
bizarre rock formations, a desert in Canada’s Yukon, Easter
Island, the world’s largest salt flat in Bolivia, the Skeleton
Coast of Namibia, to Glowworm Caves in New Zealand. One
location caught my eye, as it is only a few hours away. The
Arabia Mountain Natural Area, just east of Atlanta, was
described as “as close to the experience of walking on the
moon’s surface as we have on Earth.” As you begin the hike up
Arabia Mountain, shown in the lead photograph, you are on solid
rock, and the scant forest soon gives way to the “lunar
surface.” You’ll be on a monadnock.
The Perfect
Home-Away_From_Home in New Iberia
Kathleen Walls
Published 7-2-2023
I
had a wonderful experience when I visited New Iberia. There
was so much more than I expected. New Iberia is a quiet
little town on the banks of Bayou Teche with a big history.
Founded in 1779, by Spaniards New Iberia is the only
Louisiana city retaining a Spanish name. Later, the Acadians,
settled there after being driven out of Nova Scotia by the
British.
San Antonio: Heart of Texas
Kathleen Walls
Published 5-28-2023
There is no question. San Antonio is the heart of Texas and the heart of San Antonio lies the middle of its 21st century downtown. There one piece of 18th century architecture reigns supreme. It is not the tallest or the largest. Not even the grandest, but it is unquestionably San Antonio's crowning jewel. The Alamo! No other symbol in American history is more revered as a shrine to heroism in the cause of freedom. In actual fact, the story is a little different. A group of American who had been invited to settle in Mexico's then owned territory, actually snatched Texas away from Mexico and created a separate county, the Republic of Texas. They declared independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. The Republic of Texas was not recognized by the United States until a year later in 1837.
26 Experiences you will only find in Onslow County, North Carolina
Kathleen Walls
Published 5-13-2023
Until 1941, Onslow County was a quiet fishing village that depended on naval stores, lumber, and tobacco crops as its main source of income. Then in 1941, Onslow County and the world changed. Marine Barracks Camp Lejeune located in Jacksonville, Onslow’s main city. Today, tourism plays a major role in the area. It has many unique attractions you won’t find anywhere else.
Huntsville: Relive the Past and Foresee the Future
Kathleen Walls
Published 5-4-2023
In Huntsville, you can foresee the future at the Space and Rocket Center. You can tour the museum’s artifacts from Apollo and Challenger to present day and experience a simulated space voyage aboard the Discovery Shuttle where you “launch” from Kennedy Space Center, go into orbit, and landing back at Kennedy.
A Walk on the Wild Side of St. Lucie County
Kathleen Walls
Published 4-7-2023
Published 4-7-2023
(Photo credit Ischell Laxton)
Western North Carolina Nature Center
Tom Straka
Published 4-4-2023
Ashville, North Carolina is a fun city to
visit, with lots of hidden gems. Among them is the
Western North Carolina Nature
Center, one of North Carolina’s accredited zoos, but much
more than that. It is both plants and animals, intended to
connect people with an appreciation of the of the Southern
Appalachian native wildlife and habitats. The
WNC Nature Center is a menagerie of over 60 species of wild
and domestic animals, set in a landscape including hundreds of
native plant species, all characteristic of the unique Southern
Appalachian bioregion.
Alachua County’s Magnificent
Museums
Kathleen Walls
Published 3-28-2023
Alachua County, Florida has a museum for every interest. As a college town, you expect this in Gainesville, but there are other towns around the county worth a visit. Here are some I have visited and enjoyed. I’ll start with Gainesville.
Dudley Farm: A Trip into Florida's Agricultural Past
Kathleen Walls
Published 3-4-2023
Dudley Farm Historical State Park is an authentic 325-acre
working “Cracker” farm on the western outskirts of Gainesville.
A visit there gives you an accurate picture of North Florida
farming through the eyes of three generations of the Dudley
family. The farm began in the pioneer days of the 1850s when
Phillip B.H. Dudley and his wife, Mary, began the farm. After
Phillip’s death, the farm passed it on to his son, Ben, and his
wife, Fanny.
Herlong Mansion: Reminder of a Earlier Time
Kathleen Walls
Published 3-1-2023
When Zeddy Clarence Herlong came to
Micanopy with his wife, Natalie, in the early 1900s and settled
into the house along an Indian trading route, now known as
Cholokka Boulevard, he never imagined it would one day be a
famous bed-and-breakfast. The two-story pine “cracker style”
home, built in 1845 by R. S. Stoughton, and then owned by
Herlong’s father-in-law, John Simonton, is now
The Herlong Mansion and
listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Catty Shack Offers Help for Homeless Animals
Kathleen Walls
Published 1-30-2023
There
has been a lot in the news lately about the homeless. Yes,
that’s a sad situation, but at least people can try to get
help. What about animals who cannot ask for help or go apply
for a job?
Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jacksonville,
Florida helps those homeless. Animals that have been abandoned,
confiscated by law enforcement due to abuse, or just cats that
are unwanted at bigger zoos can find a “forever home” here.
Manifest Distilling
Kathleen Walls
Published 2-25-2023
If you’re visiting Jacksonville and want an adult beverage at a fun location, visit the taproom at Manifest Distilling. They’re located in the heart of the sports district and since Jacksonville worships the Jaguars that is a good place to be. It began in 2016 as a dream of David Cohen, a graduate of the brew school at the Siebel Institute. He brought in Scott Kennelly, Trey Mills, and Tom Johnson at first. Today it has grown to 11 staff people and one territorial cat.
The Jesse James Trail
Renée S. Gordon
Published 1-25-2023
The whereabouts of Jesse James may have been mysterious in the latter part of the 1880s but scholars have successfully traced his movements from birth through his burials and exhumations. Across the country, from Texas to West Virginia, there are explorable sites and markers that refer to his domestic and his criminal lives. He joined the Civil War guerrillas in 1864 and Post-Civil War he and his brother Frank formed an alliance with the four Younger Brothers and became the James-Younger Gang to continue the fight. James is estimated to have participated in approximately twenty armed robberies.
Destination Kansas City,
Kansas
Renée S. Gordon
Published 1-15-2023
The consolidation and incorporation of eight small towns in Wyandotte County in 1872 led to the creation of Kansas City eleven years after Kansas gained statehood. A biography of the state, both prior to statehood and into the 21st-century, is a microcosm of the history of the United States’ westward expansion and the colorful characters who impacted on those events. Until entry into the Union the region was recognized as the Nebraska and the Indian Territories until 1854 and as such settlers, outlaws, lawmen, natives and African Americans entered the area. Kansas City, KS is listed as one of fifty-five National Heritage Areas based on its historical sites, culture and significant geography
Walking with Patsy Cline
Kathleen Walls
published 1-7-2023
I saw Patsy Cline last night. Well, she
looked like Patsy Cline. She talked like Patsy Cline. And boy,
did she sing like Patsy Cline! Actually, it was
Gail Bliss
performing in
the fantastic
A
Closer Walk with Patsy Cline at Jacksonville’s
Alhambra Theatre and
Dining.
Starr Hill Winery and Vineyard
Kathleen Walls
Published 12-8-2022
Starr Hill Winery is more than a winery and vineyard. It’s almost a one-stop-for-all place. The vineyard sits atop a hill in Curwensville in the Pennsylvania Wilds. We visited recently on a press trip and met with Kenn Starr who told us a little about Starr Hill Winery. It began with his father’s dream. He started making wine in the ‘50s when he returned from Germany where he had been stationed in the Air Force. He saw how they made wine over in Germany and started making wine in 1967. Kenn told us, “We have the original bottles here at the winery.”
Anna Maria Island
Kathleen Walls
Published 11-16-2022
Anna Maria Island’s history goes way back.
The first record of European explorers here dated to the 1530s.
They claimed Anna Maria for Spain. Of course, they weren’t the
first people here. The Tocobagans, Calusa’s and other native
tribes using the island as a base for fishing and hunting.
Trinkle Mansion Bed and Breakfast
Kathleen Walls
Published 11-15-2022
A stay at Trinkle Mansion Bed & Breakfast in Wytheville, Virginia is a way to experience traveling like the elite in the Victorian era. Those days, wealthy people stayed at the homes of friends and family many times when traveling. That’s how it feels when staying at Trinkle Mansion. It is a Classical Revival home built for William Trinkle, a gentleman farmer and brother of a Virginia governor, Elbert Lee Trinkle. Trinkle served as governor from 1922 to 1926 after serving in the Virginia Senate. That may give you a hint of what it would be like staying in William Trinkle’s home.
Isett Heritage Museum
Kathleen Walls
Published 11-14-2022
I always love to know all the little secret stories about a place I visit. On a recent visit to Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, I got the entire condensed history of the area at the Isett Heritage Museum. I’m using condensed loosely as the museum is huge. There are three large buildings plus some outside artifacts all telling the local history. J. Melvin Isett and his wife, Beulah, began the museum after many years of collecting and a variety of service-related businesses in Huntingdon County. In 2001, shortly after Mr. Isett retired, he opened his collection to the public in a 1940 renovated barn on the property. In 2004 the museum expanded adding a ten thousand square foot building, and once again in 2008, added another ten thousand square foot building. The three buildings house a collection of over forty thousand items.
Bilger’s Rocks:
A 300-Million-Year-Old
Rock City
Kathleen Walls
Published 11-1-2022
Bilger’s Rocks have been there since
before the
America continents split from Africa. It’s about 300-million
years old, give or take a few birthdays. Paleo-Indians used
some of its caves for shelter. The first European settler was a
German named Jacob Bilger in the 1800s. Today, it’s a park with
not only the rocks but a primitive camping area and playground
and the ruins of an old mill on Bilger’s Creek which runs
through the park. There are hiking trails and beautiful woods.
Cades Cove
A Treasure Trove of History and Nature
Article by Kathleen Walls
Photos by Martin and Kathleen Walls
Updated 10-28-2022
Nestled in the northwest corner of the great Smoky Mountains National Park, is a tiny treasure trove of Americana. Here, the heritage carved by the early settlers of this pastoral valley is preserved. Rustic log cabins still echo with the soft whispers of Elizabethan English. The mills and barns recall a time when man and nature were bound in an ongoing ritual. Their houses of worship still ring with the strains of joyous hymns from the past. On this eleven mile loop road you cover a span of a century in the lives of Cades Cove residents but the historic buildings are only a part of the Cades Cove experience.
Experience Kitsap
Peninsula, Washington
Kathleen Walls
Published 10-14-2022
Kitsap Peninsula is just minutes away from Seattle, but it’s another world. A place of diversity, both physically and culturally. It’s home to Native American Tribes, has one town with a Viking heritage, and is a diners and watersports lover’s heaven, with a lot of history.
Poplar Forest and Thomas Jefferson
Story by Tom Straka
Photographs by Pat Straka
Published 10-8-2022
Published 10-8-2022
Why
a tree to lead this article? To start with, it is a tulip
poplar, located at Poplar Forest. It is a very old tree,
believed to be over 200 years old. Popular Forest was a
Virginia tobacco plantation which included a plantation
house, also known as Poplar Forest. Work began on the
mansion, which is still there, in 1806. The tree is thought
to predate the construction of the mansion. The person who
owned Poplar Forest and built the mansion was an interesting
fellow.
Things I Love or Hate About Hotels
Kathleen Walls
Published 10-8-2022
As a long-term travel writer, I have
stayed in all kinds of hotels over the years. Most good. Some
not so good. Sometimes it's a wonderful experience and
occasionally, it's like a horror movie setting. There are some
little things that a hotel can do to make the stay a pleasant
one. These are the top loves and hates I have at hotels. Hotel
managers, this one is for you.
Monticello and Thomas Jefferson
Story by Tom Straka
Photographs by Pat Straka
Published 9-29-2022
Most readers will surely recognize the person and home in the title photograph. Thomas Jefferson standing in front of one of America’s most famous homes. The home in the photograph, Monticello, is real and Thomas Jefferson is interpreter Bill Barker. "Jefferson" spoke to us near the front of Monticello, in a small group of about a dozen, first giving us background, then allowing the group to ask questions. The presentation was at the end of a full tour of Monticello. The tour, the subject of this article, was outstanding and "Jefferson" was a fantastic way to end the tour. We expected the home to be the highlight of the day; instead, it was Jefferson, "himself" who was the true highlight. Think about it, spending time in small museum, then a full tour of the house, and ending with a conversation with "the man himself."
Visit
a Time Machine at Patee House Museum
Kathleen Walls
Published 9-1-2022
Patee House Museum in St. Joseph is like entering a time machine of Missouri history. I stood at the counter of the first Pony Express station and felt like I was back in 1860. Patee House was the Pony Express Headquarters when it began. Pony Express is the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of St. Joseph, but Patee House began several years earlier.
Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary
Kathleen Walls
Published 8-30-2022
Noah's Ark is a sanctuary in Locust grove, Georgia for abused, abandoned, neglected, or surrendered animals ranging from domestic livestock to exotic animals such as tigers, monkeys, wolves, primates, and bears. Basic tours are free but you can opt for a more close up paid tour. Volunteers, Patty and Mark, took our group on a Walk on the Wild Side tour. It’s 1.5-hour walking tour bringing us inside the first set of fences so we could get a closer look at some of their more than 1,500 animals.
Ride with the Pony Express
Kathleen Walls
Published 8-27-022
"Help
wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over eighteen. Must
be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans
preferred. Wages $25 per week.” Would you answer this ad?
During the 18 months the Pony Express was in operation, over
230 young men applied and were accepted. Some died in
performance of their duties. Others went on to different
careers after the Pony Express ended.
Getting Hand to Paw with Wolves
Kathleen Walls
Published 8-16-2022
Published 8-16-2022
Virginia Beach, A Place to Play
Kathleen Walls
Published 8-8-2022
Fayette
Historical State Park and Townsite
Michigan Upper Peninsula Iron-Smelting Town
Michigan Upper Peninsula Iron-Smelting Town
Tom Straka
Published 6-25-2022
Published 6-25-2022
Best Dining in the South
Kathleen Walls
Published 6-11-2022
Published 6-11-2022
Some Gave All:
All Gave Some
Kathleen Walls
Published 5-29-2022
Published 5-29-2022
Transformative Travel in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Renée S. Gordon
Published 5-29-2022
Published 5-29-2022
Colonial Williamsburg
Where Past and Present Meet
Kathleen Walls
Published 5-19-2022
Published 5-19-2022
Auburn, New York: The Spirit of Tubman
Renée S. Gordon
Published 5-18-2022
Published 5-18-2022
enslaved.
Buffalo Soldiers In the Heart
of America
Renée S. Gordon
Published 4-10-2022
Experience Southeast
Texas
Renee S. Gordon
Published 3-30-2022
Published 3-30-2022
The Not Too
Little Zoo That Can
Kathleen Walls
Published 3-29-2022
Published 3-29-2022
Shelby: Land of Rythym
and Roots
Kathleen Walls
published 3-34-3033
published 3-34-3033
Virginia Beach: The First Resort
Renee S. Gordon
published 3-20-2022
Native Americans, namely the Chesepians, inhabited the South Hampton Roads region of Virginia for thousands of years prior to first contact with English colonists on April 26, 1607. Three British Ships sent by the Virginia Company, sailed for 4 months, landed on Cape Henry and erected a wooden cross on the spot where they came ashore. Captain Christopher Newport, the first English tourist, was first to go ashore to reconnoiter and found “freshwaters, faire meadowes," and “goodly tall trees”. A second party built a small boat and visited the areas’ land and waterways. On May 14, the ships relocated to Jamestown and established the first permanent English settlement.
Norfolk, Virginia, Home of the Brave
Renee S. Gordon
Published 3-9-2022
Native
Americans inhabited
the Norfolk region,
in a settlement
known as Skicoak,
for thousands
of years prior to
the establishment of
a European colony in
1636 and in 1682
Nicholas Wise sold
50 acres of
riverfront
property to the
Virginia General
Assembly to found
Norfolk.
Fifty years later it
was the largest town
in the colony.
During
the American
Revolution the busy
port, shipbuilding
industry and
transportation of
goods made Norfolk a
prime target for a
British attack and
on January 1, 1776
they destroyed
two-thirds of the
city. Citizens
torched what
remained to prevent
confiscation by the
British. The city
was rapidly rebuilt
and again
established
prominence as a port
linking
transportation
between North and
South
Cape Henry Lighthouse's Unique Keeper
Kathleen Walls
Published 3-9-2022
Cape
Henry Lighthouse,
the 4th oldest
lighthouse in the
United States, was
authorized by
President George
Washington in 1792.
In 1881, the
government
constructed a second
lighthouse 350 feet
from the first. The
lighthouses are a
fun place to visit
but there is
something more in
their story.
Lighthouses are
beacons of hope, and
Cape Henry
Lighthouse offers a
story of one man's
hopes. From May 10
to July 26, 1870.
Willis Augustus
Hodges served as the
first African
American lighthouse
keeper at the Cape
Henry Lighthouse.
Winston-Salem, Where Two Cultures
Collide
Kathleen Walls
published 3-6-2022
Seek the Exceptional
in Clearfield County, PA
Renée S. Gordon
Published 2-3-2022
Western Pennsylvania’s Clearfield County is as close to a recreational paradise, replete with natural wonders, numerous outdoor activities, unique tasting trails and culinary delights, as any traveler can imagine. All season recreational offerings make any time opportune for a trip to the county’s wild side. More than 100,000-acres of State Forest and Game Lands allow sport hunting and game viewing. Those who prefer water-based experiences can choose from more than 250 lakes and rivers in which to fish, swim, boat or canoe.
Amelia Island:Like No Place Else on Earth
Kathleen Walls
Published 2-1-2022
It's no wonder Amelia Island is such an interesting place to visit. The blend of cultures that have created this special place differs from any other place on earth. It lived under eight flags. It was special to people from pre-Columbian Timucuans to pirates and con men, as well as hardworking settlers from many countries. Today, it's a wonderful vacation spot with fewer crowds than the better-known Florida beach towns. Here are just some of the best things to do on Amelia Island.
Discover Aiken, South Carolina
Renée S. Gordon
Published 1-30-2022
The
city of Aiken, named after William Aiken, SC Railroad’s first
president, was founded in 1835 after railroads entered the
area in 1833 and the world’s longest line, 136-miles,
connected the Savannah River with Charleston. In 1871 Aiken
County was formed from portions of four existing counties.
Ball’s Bluff Battlefield
Story by Tom Straka
Photographs by Pat Straka
Published 1-6-2022
Published 1-6-2022
The
Battle of Ball’s Bluff was a small one by Civil War standards,
but a consequential one. It occurred early in the War on
October 21,1861, by accident, just a couple of months after
Bull Run (or First Manassas). The battlefield is on U.S. 15 in
Leesburg, Virginia, just before the highway crosses into
Maryland on to the Antietam and Gettysburg battlefields. We’ve
passed it many times and recently had the time to visit. It
turned out to be a well worth the stop; it is a small
battlefield, but an interesting one that abuts the Potomac
River. The 300-foot bluff is surprising, while being so close
to the ocean, it contains 100-foot cliffs, is covered with
outcroppings, and only a single steep trail led up to the top.
Union troops had to cross the Potomac River twice to reach the
battlefield, as Harrison Island stood in the middle of the
river. Union pickets protected the island during the crossing,
taking cover behind entrenchments for protection from hostile
Confederate fire.
Tampa Bay:The Place to Play
Kathleen Walls
Published 12-17-2021
Tampa Bay is one of Florida’s most
popular playground areas. It has such a variety of attractions
even a picky group will find something each party will enjoy.
Horne Creek Living Historical Farm
Story by Tom Straka
Photo by Pat Straka
published 12-16-2021
Photo by Pat Straka
published 12-16-2021
Horne Creek Farm is a living history farm, a North Carolina Historic Site, and the actual Hauser family farm (as opposed to many living history farms that are relocated farm buildings or rebuilt farm buildings). This is the real thing, allowing visitors to experience farm life in North Carolina’s northwestern Piedmont circa 1900. The site features the family’s original farmhouse (with original furnishings), a tobacco curing barn, a corn crib, adjacent fields under cultivation, and even a heritage apple orchard. The Site also offers programs ranging from old fashioned ice cream socials to an annual corn shucking frolic. There is a visitors' center with exhibits and a gift shop. This living history is a chance to learn about the rural past, a chance to see, smell, touch, and hear things once common in rural North Carolina.orne Creek Farm is a living history farm, a North Carolina Historic Site, and the actual Hauser family farm (as opposed to many living history farms that are relocated farm buildings or rebuilt farm buildings). This is the real thing, allowing visitors to experience farm life in North Carolina’s northwestern Piedmont circa 1900. The site features the family’s original farmhouse (with original furnishings), a tobacco curing barn, a corn crib, adjacent fields under cultivation, and even a heritage apple orchard. The Site also offers programs ranging from old fashioned ice cream socials to an annual corn shucking frolic. There is a visitors' center with exhibits and a gift shop. This living history is a chance to learn about the rural past, a chance to see, smell, touch, and hear things once common in rural North Carolina.
Fort Dobbs State
Historic Site
Photo by Pat Straka
published 12-5-2021
During the COVID-19 pandemic we have visited attractions that were primarily out-of-doors and generally not that far off the highway.Fort Dobbs State Historic Site meets those requirements, being nearly at the intersection of Interstates 40 and 77, just north of Statesville, North Carolina. Most forts in the South were associated with the Revolutionary or Civil Wars. Fort Dobbs is a French and Indian War fort. It is the only state historic site associated with that period in North Carolina. The site is similar to Oconee Station in South Carolina, visited last October and described in an ARGH article, in that it is mainly a blockhouse and it is situated on what was back then the frontier, the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Enjoy the Holidays on Jekyll Island with a Holly Jolly Christmas
Kathleen WallsPublished 11-29-2021
For my friends who have never visited Jekyll Island, the
holiday season is the perfect time to visit. Take a ride on
Jekyll’s Holly Jolly Trolley to see over half a million lights
around the island. There are lights from the Historic District
to Beach Village. Trolley riders will enjoy festive holiday
beverages, and sing along to Jingle Bells and other carols. For older stories click here
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Fort Smith, Wild, Wild West Arkansas-Part Two
Renée S. Gordon
Published 11-28-2021
Cherokee Bill was born Crawford Goldsby in 1876 to a Buffalo Soldier and a mixed Cherokee and black mother. Bill’s father abandoned the family but at the age of 10 his mother managed to send him to Pennsylvania’s Carlisle Industrial School for two years. Stories differ but it is generally believed that he shot his first man at age 12 and soon after joined up with the Cook Brothers for a string of robberies and murders. During his brief career he both led his own gang and rode with other notorious felons such as Billy the Kid.
A North Carolina Grist Mill Tour
Story by Tom Straka
Photographs by Pat Straka
Published 11-28-2021
Gristmills were a commonplace in the eighteenth and nineteenth century South. Many gristmills still exist in North Carolina, including a few that still are commercial enterprises. We visited a historical gristmill which includes a surrounding historical district. Murray’s Mill Historic District is just ten minutes off Interstate 40 in eastern Catawba County. The mill is on the banks of Balls Creek, with a mill dam and large tranquil mill pond. It is a small historic district, not requiring a lot of walking. Of course, the highlight is an operating 28-foot waterwheel. The District qualifies as a National Register Historic Site. The tour starts at the General Store, which includes goodies, local and regular, and many general store items. There is a porch swing out front if you need to build up the energy for the tour.
Fort Smith, Wild, Wild West Arkansas-Part One
Renée S. Gordon
Published 11-14-2021
People
tend to forget that America’s frontier changed over time. The
earliest European settlements were along the coast and
gradually settlers and explorers, following Indian trails and
waterways, moved inland. Early 18th-century events opened the
Louisiana Territory and made western Arkansas the frontier,
the last stop between “civilization” and Indian Territory and
from 1817 until 1897 Fort Smith was the westerly outpost of
law and order.Published 11-14-2021
Ghost of Ybor City
Kathleen Walls
Max Herman of Official Ybor City Ghost Tours introduced me to his “friend,” Don Vicente Martinez de Ybor, the cigar entrepreneur who founded Ybor City in 1886. Of course, the “friend” is just a bronze statue, but without him, Ybor City would not exist. Ybor City is like a city within a city. It has some of the most haunted building in America. It’s one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida. Max led me on a terrific ghost tour of Ybor City. The Official Ybor City Ghost Tour is so good it’s ranked #1 ghost tour on US City Traveler. One thing that differentiates it from other tours is you go into some buildings, not just look from outside. In addition, my guide told a lot of authentic Ybor City history.
Maybellene's First Camping Trip
Kathleen Walls
Maybellene’s
first camping trip went well as far as her performance. The
rain both days dampened the trip some but it was a good test.
She sprung no leaks. The drive there and back went smoothly.
Just wish vans were quieter. Note: Maybellene turned out to have serious motor problems.Be wary of buying vehicles from Apex Auto in Jacksonville
For more about Maybellene's begiinings.
Chattanooga Dining
Kathleen Walls
Sure, you visit Chattanooga for the world famous
attractions like Rock City, Ruby Falls, and Tennessee
Aquarium. You do the less known ones like Naughty Cat
Café, Incline Railway, and Bluff View Art District.
You fed your soul with these interesting places, but
your body needs nourishment too. Here are some choices
near the attractions.
Amazing St. Augustine, Florida
Warren Resen
This is a city that continues to amaze, entertain, and educate visitors even those who have previously been here. As a frequent visitor to this old city, I can attest to the fact that there is always something new happening in America's oldest continuously occupied city."Ain't it Grand!"
Kathleen Walls
I'll bet the first thing the early Rocky Mountain explorers said when they viewed Grand Lake near the headwaters of the majestic Colorado River with the backdrop of the Rockies framing it was, "Ain't it grand!" I had the good fortune to visit and get out on Grand Lake recently and absolutely agree. Native Americans considered it special long before that. They called it "Spirit Lake" because of an old legend. The Utes and Arapahos were going to war. They put their women and children on boats in the lake and a storm overturned the boats and they drowned. The Native Americans believe the spirits of those drowned people abide there.
A Pennsylvania Pretzel
Bakery Tour
Story by Tom Straka
Photographs by Pat Straka
The
right factory tour can be a ton of fun and a great learning
experience. One of the right ones is the Julius Sturgis
Pretzel Bakery in Lititz, Pennsylvania. It isn't a long tour,
at just under a half hour (tours are offered every half hour).
However, the bakery is located in the middle of Pennsylvania
Dutch Country, with plenty of other attractions to fill out a
day. The claim is that in 1861 Julius Sturgis opened America's
first commercial pretzel bakery in Lititz. More than 150 years
later the Sturgis family continues to make pretzels, and the
original bakery is now used to give visitors a unique view
into the history of pretzel making in America.
Remember The Forgotten Coast
Kathleen Walls
It earned the name "The Forgotten Coast" when it was omitted from a map depicting the local businesses in Florida. Once you visit, you won't forget it. It's in the Big Bend area of Florida and has around 200 miles of uncrowded beaches and fantastic attractions. The food, especially the seafood, is heavenly and so fresh. The local oysters are the best in the world. What you won't find are crowds, traffic, and theme parks. This is REAL Florida.