Happy Mardi Gras, Y’all!
Part II (continued from yesterday)
After natural action and human inaction devastated New Orleans, many have eulogized the city, calling it one of the greatest in the world. But most have not told us why New Orleans is such a unique and important place. Continue reading
In honor of Mardi Gras, which begins tomorrow, and to continue to celebrate one of my favorite cities, I am reproducing a two-part article I wrote for The Traveler’s Pen website in 2007. I’m posting Part I today and Part II tomorrow. Continue reading
[Worldwide] travel is not compulsory. Great minds have been fostered entirely by staying close to home.
New York is nothing like Paris; it is nothing like London; and it is not Spokane multiplied by sixty, or Detroit multiplied by four.
E.B. White, Here is New York
About a decade ago, my partner and I began what has become a cherished tradition: spending Thanksgiving in New York with dear friends. Unlike what tends to happen as traditions over time become burdensome obligations, our annual trek to New York is one I look forward to all year. Continue reading
New Year’s Eve has always been one of my least favored days of the year. I think its forced retrospective nature leaves me feeling melancholy. I don’t mind New Year’s Day, however; it brings out my natural inclination to plan, especially for travel. Continue reading
I have been reading a rather obscure travelogue from the 1930s entitled Ilf and Petrov’s American Road Trip, which documents the travels of two Soviet journalists across the Depression-era United States. The account is fairly objective and somewhat propaganda-free. As we have seen repeatedly since de Tocqueville, it seems we learn the most about our national character from outsiders. Continue reading
I thought I would share with the readers of this space the first TGBSW article I wrote. It appeared originally online on The Traveler’s Pen website in April 2007. I am reproducing the article below. Enjoy! Continue reading
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.