An Attempt to See the World with New Eyes
Breakfast in the morning was mint chocolate chip donuts, procured from Sedona Arizona’s eponymous “Sedonanuts” and lunch was a ham hoagie ordered from the Subway in Meteor Crater’s gift shop. Ordering dinner in Shiprock New Mexico’s That’s A Burger, I was feeling a bit disoriented, as one does when they’ve driven 350 miles in a … Continue reading Patti B and Mesa V(erde)
National Parks of the US give their visitors a park map and newsletter as they enter. The contents usually cover the local flora and fauna, popular hiking trails and park history, as well as recent goings-on like nature walks and seasonal advisories. Newsletter introductions are proud ones, affirming the importance of the park — Mesa … Continue reading Petrified Forest: The Little National Park that Could
The beer scene in the US is stellar. It’s the trendsetter (Hello hazy IPA). The country dwarfs all others when it comes to the sheer number of craft breweries its borders contain. Within twenty minutes walking distance from my house I can get to six independent breweries. But, when it comes to a history with … Continue reading My 5 Favorite Beer Gardens of Berlin and Munich
There are places I look forward to travelling to as I age — In New Mexico and Arizona I’ll collect turquoise jewelry which will look glorious against my long silver hair. In Tuscany I’ll drink wine in the afternoons before walking across the street to dinner, feeling no guilt about going to bed at 7:00pm. … Continue reading To Be Young In Berlin
At 5am I am woken by the donkey. I knew donkeys brayed, but didn’t realize that like roosters, they come alive at dawn. I learn much about donkeys in Tufo. Sipping coffee in the morning I watch the donkey toss its head from side-to-side, swinging its ears in perfect arcs. Reading in the afternoon I … Continue reading East of Naples, a Home
We take the morning train from Rome to Pompeii, switching trains in Naples. Carl has warned me about the Naples train station, which seemed like overkill to me. I’ve spent hundreds of mornings commuting on New York’s subway cars and Philadelphia’s SEPTA buses. None of the things I’ve seen or smelled on those days prepared … Continue reading The City Beneath the Volcano
When I think of Italy there are two Italy’s that come to mind: One is the whirlwind of Rome and Milan where posh women in tight skirts while zip by on Vespas — Making it look easy as pie. Where curly haired men smoke cigarettes in front of shops and bars, wearing suits a shade … Continue reading A Tale of Two Duomos
When the buffalo came to camp I texted my mother — It was one of those “just in case” reactions where I figured that if a trampling happened, it would be better for the family to know sooner rather than later. It was early evening when they arrived. Dozens of buffalo, or bison, whichever you … Continue reading South Dakota Isn’t Boring
Let’s get something straight before we dive into this — my “ranking” of parks stems from my being somewhere at a specific time and under specific circumstances. This does not mean you will not enjoy or find infinite value in the “last place” park. This should go without saying, but I once saw a popular … Continue reading Utah’s National Parks Ranked (Somewhat Arbitrarily)
At 5:00pm we pass a parrot bar. The door is made of the heaviest wood but it’s wide open. Revealed within sits a woman, early sixties with the whitest hair woven tightly into a bun. She’s drowned by the pearls wrapped round and round her neck, nearly weighted down by them as they clash against … Continue reading The Colors of San Juan
