Discoveries

By Deborah Gaines Even the greatest writers struggle to describe redwood trees. John Steinbeck called them “ambassadors from another time,” while Walt Whitman hailed “the deities of the West.” Theodore Roosevelt compared a grove of giant redwoods to “a great and beautiful cathedral.” For a long time, I just didn’t

By Scott Stone From an early age I was fascinated by the Silk Road. It was Sunday night and that meant “Gracious Evening.” Mom would prepare a special dinner, and us kids would dress nicely and behave with best manners. But before mom served the food, she would lead a

By Everett Potter Plenty of travel websites and apps promise to help you plan a road trip in an RV or camper. Then there are those veteran road warriors still using dog-eared guidebooks, atlases, and planning guides to public and private campgrounds, which are unlikely to be up to date.

By Jules Older I’m a YanKiwi, a dual American-New Zealand citizen. Born and raised in Baltimore, I’ve lived in Vermont, New York and California. Oh, and in Dunedin and Auckland; Dunedin’s near the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island; Auckland’s high on the North Island. I tell you this because

By Beverly Stephen Is it okay to admit we basically went to Rome to eat? We did meet up with some family for a reunion, but by unanimous consent, it was a pasta-fueled one. Blame it on Stanley Tucci. His “Searching for Italy” series stirred up cravings. We did manage

By Jeanne Muchnick  I never expected to come back from Seoul raving about its markets and coffee shops but that’s exactly what happened. Yes, there’s history and yes there’s cool “must see” palaces (put Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung on your list!), but what really struck me were the street markets hawking

  Story & photos by Mark Orwoll The Blue Light, in the Depot Entertainment District, is one of Lubbock’s favorite music bars. A young man in a cowboy hat comes up on my left and orders a local cocktail called a Chilton (vodka, lemon juice, and soda water). On my

  Holland’s Zeeland Province is an epicurean delight for lovers of bounty from the sea – but it also offers a lot more to enchant the visitor  By Buzzy Gordon Tucked in between the most visited cities of The Netherlands (viz., Amsterdam) and Belgium (Flanders), sits a region that has

By Brian E. Clark In 1857, wealthy builder Alexander McDonnell asked architect and German emigrant August Kutzboch to design him “the best house money could buy.” The ostentatious McDonnell chose a wooded lot for his home on a promontory called Bug Hill on the isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona