I admit to being partial to medinas – those cloistered markets and neighborhoods encircled by old city walls in Northern Africa. Some, as in Tunisia and Egypt, have become centered around tourists, but in Morocco, many generations continue to call the medina home and there’s much to explore. An immediate challenge upon entering through an… Read more »
Small towns are rightfully proud of their people who make it big in the world at large. Paris’ Coach Stallings’ name is recognized across the country for his Alabama championship teams. Buddy Holly put Lubbock on the map. In my hometown of Plainview, Texas it was Jimmy Dean, country music performer, actor, tv host, and… Read more »
Ahmet, our Turkish friend, insisted we were welcome in the Eyup Mosque of Istanbul, Turkey, even though we were not Muslims. He wanted us to experience one of the many local spiritual centers of Islam and only required that my friend, Mary Grace, and I cover our heads. We entered through the women’s section in… Read more »
Did you know that Dr. Pepper is a year older than Coca Cola – 1885 vs 1886? Did you know there a career as a “flavorist” who is trained in chemistry to construct flavors? Were you aware that “drink a bite to eat” was the slogan in the 1920s to promote Dr. Pepper as an… Read more »
The approach to Uluru rock in the outback of Australia is long, anticipation building as the view of the massive structure grows over the desert horizon. From a distance, it appears as an ordinary isolated plateau but up close, visitors are dwarfed against its looming fortress walls. Millions of years ago the formation was pushed… Read more »
I knew nothing of Kunming, China until discovering it was the terminus for most of the WWII flights over the Himalayas from India bringing supplies to the Allied and Chinese armies. My father flew this dangerous route over the “Hump” 150 times. When I journeyed to follow his WWII footsteps in 2014, a stop in… Read more »
With photos available on the internet and travel sites galore, it is difficult to be surprised in traveling today. Professional photos online with their perfect lighting beautifully reflect a location at its best. An in-person visit can sometimes be disappointing. I do believe in being prepared for a voyage. If I know the history of… Read more »
Travel Advisory Levels When I first began traveling internationally to Europe in 1969, no warning system by the United State Department of State was readily available for citizens abroad. I have visited countries where travel advisories should have been in place. When I first landed in Santiago, Chile, in the spring of 1974, a year… Read more »
Most visitors to Italy believe they are viewing the best Roman ruins and certainly the Coliseum, Circus Maximus and the array of partial structures in the Roman Forum are a few examples that display the construction abilities of the Roman engineers over several centuries. I first saw them in 1969 after studying Roman architecture in… Read more »
It’s hard to believe that just a year ago, my daughter, her family, my husband and I were in New York City for the Thanksgiving holiday, worrying only about catching a cab or where to have breakfast before our visit to the Metropolitan Museum. Crowds were expected and we learned how to weave through them… Read more »
Mary with statue of John Lennon in Havana, Cuba park
Mary riding camel in Jordan desert
Mary Surrounded by Hmong women selling their wares in Sapa, Vietnam
Mary on glacier in southern New Zealand