Tagged With "Martin Luther King"
Blog Post
The Valley Island of Maui: 3) Central, Upcountry and South Maui
The largest stretch of (relatively) flat land on Maui is the valley between the two volcanoes, Haleakala and the West Maui Mountains. This area is commonly called “Central Maui” and it’s here most locals live....
Blog Post
Quebec — A Walled European Fortress In America
Quebec, like New York, is both a city and a state (or rather, a province). It’s an island of French heritage and culture within our Anglo-North American continent. We combined this visit with stops in Montreal and...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 13, 2013: Jeronimos Monastery
Sunlight and shade highlight the complex carving of this stonework at the Monastery of Jeronimos at Belem, in Lisbon. This late-Gothic style is called Manueline, after King Manuel I. It’s marked by ornate stonework, often including maritime...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan 31, 2013: Lindisfarne, the Holy Island
Located 2 miles from the north-east coast of England and linked to the mainland by a tidal causeway, Lindisfarne has an area of some 1,000 acres and is the site of the first Christian monastery established by Saint Aidan in 635AD when he came here...
Blog Post
Lisbon: Cheap, but Steep!
That’s my short take on Lisbon after two weeks there last summer. A variety of economic factors, not all connected with the Euro crisis of the past few years, have made Portugal incredibly cheap for foreign travelers—but you have to be...
Blog Post
A Visit to Ireland: Part 2) the Rock of Cashel
There are few places in Ireland with a richer history than the Rock of Cashel . Situated at the edge of the town of Cashel, the rock is a huge outcropping on top of which rests a complex of old buildings situated some 60m (200ft)...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 8, 2015: Statue of Elvis Presley, Beale Street, Memphis, TN
Today is Elvis Presley's eightieth birthday. In honor of this event, it seemed fitting to do a Picture of the Day dedicated to "The King". I came across this attractive bronze statue of Elvis on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee....
Blog Post
San Juan's El Morro: Layers of Stone, Layers of History (Where Gumbo Was, #84)
El Morro, the giant fortification that's guarded San Juan Harbor for nearly 500 years, is the sight we saw before we saw it. Its image is everywhere when you do online research for a trip to Puerto Rico; its "garitas"—small domed...
Topic
Most overrated travel destinations
I recently came across this short piece on escapehere.com, in which the author provides his perspective on the 10 most overrated travel destinations in the world. It's worth a quick look. While I agree with a few of them, I'm surprised to...
Blog Post
El Yunque: A visit to the rain forest
When we began planning a trip to Puerto Rico, and planning to include our 14-year-old granddaughter, we sent her some of the material we were gathering and asked her what her priorities were. She, and we, both had El Yunque right near the top of the...
Blog Post
UKs First National Civil War Centre to Open With Huge Civil War Re-Enactment
Over 1,000 Civil War re-enactors and cannons from across the UK will be in Newark to help launch the National Civil War Center on May 3 and 4th . The museum recounts the 17th century clashes between King and Parliament . The museum...
Blog Post
Who Is Puerto Rico's Artisanal Ice Cream King?
That's a tough question...and can only really be decided by tasting and tasting and tasting and...well, we couldn't spend all our time at it, could we? So, intrigued in advance by tales of great ice cream and unusual flavors, we identified...
Blog Post
National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta (Where Gumbo Was #109)
Exterior Albert Vecerka-Esto & The Freelon Group-HOK We had some good guesses for this week's Where in the World is TravelGumbo, but believe it or not, no one offered the correct guess. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights opened on Monday, June 23rd 2014 in Pemberton Place, adjacent to the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola. This area is in Downtown Atlanta, just north of Centennial Olympic Park. The Center links the American Civil Rights...
Blog Post
Pu`uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park (The Place of Refuge), Big Island of Hawaii (Where Gumbo was #113)
Perhaps the best place on the Big Island to enjoy a sunset (from many great possibilities), Pu’uhonua o Honaunau (the Place of Refuge) is a remarkable destination. This is a National Historic site which should be...
Blog Post
Nashville, Tennessee.....the Elvis tour continues!
Until I attended my first medical meeting in Nashville, I'd never thought much about visiting this mid-sized city, an oversight on my part. Nashville's a fun destination in many ways, especially if you're a fan of Country music. I...
Blog Post
A Day in Caguas
Caguas is a late-comer by some standards; San Juan, 30 miles away, was already 250 years old when Caguas was settled by Spain—and yet it proudly calls itself “La Ciudad Criolla” and “El Corazon de Borinquen,” the Creole...
Blog Post
Las Vegas -- last stop of the Elvis tour
This post marks the end of our journey to see sites related to Elvis Presley's life. So far we've visited Elvis' birth home in Tupelo , his mansion, Graceland , its car museum , and we've toured Memphis ...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, June 5 2015: Portland isle at dusk
For no better reason than I rather like this picture, please allow me to show you the island of Portland in Dorset, England, at low tide as the sun sets on a late winter's afternoon. We look out from below the defensive castle - the 'Nothe' (or 'Nose'...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, March 12, 2015: King Kamehameha Statue, Kapaau, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
King Kamehameha I (1758 - 1819) conquered the Hawaiian Islands and united them to formally establish the Kingdom of Hawai ʻ i in 1810, thus founding the Kamehameha Dynasty. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha...
Blog Post
"World's scariest walkway" re-opens; may be safer
A skinny walkway crossing a mountain face above a gorge in Spain has been rebuilt and re-opened; it was closed in 2001 after five deaths, but people just wouldn't stop walking it. The new version has safety features and requires a helmet, but is still...
Blog Post
Gallery: Signs of Toronto -- the City at Large
Toronto is one of Canada's great cities. Often called the "New York of the North" (I presume as a complement), it's a fun place to visit. There's lots to see and do in Toronto, from the amazing CN Tower which soars 1815 ft (553 m) into the...
Blog Post
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge – The Creepy and the Miraculous
By JP Chartier If you follow Interstate 275 south through the city of St. Petersburg, Florida until you run out of land, you’ll be greeted by a gentle slope of road that seemingly rises from the waters of the Tampa Bay. This...
Blog Post
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Toronto
One of Toronto’s newest big attractions is Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada , with underwater creatures and habitats from across the globe. It's in a fabulous location, on the harborfront adjoining the CN Tower, Rogers Center and...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov 6th, 2014:Brighton, England
The Brighton Dome is an arts venue in Brighton on the south coast of England. It contains the Concert Hall, the Corn Exchange and the Studio Theatre (formerly the Pavilion Theatre). All three venues are linked to the rest of...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 26th, 2014: St. Simons Island, Georgia
A wide sandy beach stretches out in front of The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, Georgia. The hotel was founded in 1935 as a seaside dance club by Frank Horn and Morgan Wynne. The hotel took on this name...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 8, 2014: Hudson Bay Blankets, Banff
This past summer I'd spent a day wandering the streets of Banff with my dear friend, LestertheInvestor, and our lovely wives. Sylvia and I stopped by the Hudson Bay Co (HBC) store and spotted this clever display of blankets drapped over a canoe....
Blog Post
Parc des Buttes Chaumont, Paris: A Park with a Past
Like so many of the great parks, Paris' Parc des Buttes Chaumont, seems to be at one with nature, or even to be nature itself. But while this park is beautiful, and a favorite of Paris families in the northeastern part of the city, it has a...
Blog Post
Over There! Poster perspectives of World War I
While visiting Boston recently I encountered intense late winter weather that made me focus most of my free time on indoor activities, rather than strolling through the interesting streets of this historic city. I enjoyed these days and...
Blog Post
Paris by Night: Fleeting Glimpses
I've never set out to document Paris at night, never had a conscious plan to record a particular area or its life. These are just selections from several visits, held together only by the late hour or by something that pleased me. Night doesn't have...
Blog Post
Capella Palatina, Palermo, Sicily (Where Gumbo Was, #102)
I've visited dozens of wonderful churches in my life, some vaste and grand like St. Paul's in Rome or Westminister Abbey in London, others smaller and with a more intimate feel. As a rule, I'm partially to smaller chapels and...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, March 28, 2015: Runnymede, England
I first visited this meadow (mede) beside the River Thames in 1966, to visit one of several memorials located there. Back then the grass was far less manicured than I found it more recently and my reason for going was just slightly older...
Blog Post
Elvis Plays Las Vegas again...sort of
Elvis Presley's Memphis estate, Graceland, is planning to open a permanent Presley exhibit in the King of Rock 'n Roll's second home, Las Vegas. The plans include not only a big display of memorabilia (including a 35' sign from one of his concert...
Blog Post
Columbus Antiquities Discovered in the Unlikeliest of Places
Who would have thought a great collection of Christopher Columbus artifacts could be found in a small Pennsylvania town. Stephanie Kalina-Metzger shares her discovery!
Blog Post
Four Ways to Savor Savannah
Stephanie Kalina-Metzger shares some of her favorite ideas on what to see and do when visiting Savannah, Georgia
Blog Post
October 9, 2017: Views from the Giralda, Seville
Originally built as a minaret to a mosque, the belltower of Seville's Cathedral has long been used as an observatory. Thousands of tourists walk up its ramps every day to enjoy the wonderful views of the city.
Blog Post
Sept. 23, 2017: Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily
Jonathan L takes us to the hills above Palermo, to visit an unusual cathedral with an unusual history.
Blog Post
A Tale of Two Cathedrals - Palermo Italy
Palermo, Sicily has two beautiful cathedrals, less than three miles apart. Jonathan L explores them both and explains their history.
Blog Post
Back to Oaxaca: Hoofing It, Zegache to Tilcajete
PortMoresby’s southern Mexico walk this week takes her from a wildly colorful church to an even wilder Carnival celebration.
Blog Post
Tired of airlines? Buy Elvis's private jet
One of Elvis's private jets goes on auction Saturday, along with other celebrity memorabilia. Bring a few million along if you want to buy!
Blog Post
An Afternoon in Ortigia: Syracuse's Island Heart
Ortygia is where Syracuse started, when it was one of the most important Greek cities in the world. And it's still a living center of the city's life.
Blog Post
Martin Luther: Wittenberg's big tourism attraction
Where Luther once nailed a religious protest on the church door, merchants are now nailing profits from Luther souvenirs on the 500th anniversary.
Blog Post
Galleria Umberto I, Naples: Reborn again
Naples' glassy galleria has had several roles in Naples' history, and it's getting a glitzy makeover for its next one.
Blog Post
Summer heat keeps Paris parks open
Sixteen of Paris's larger parks will be open all night to relieve the heat expected this summer.
Blog Post
Ski operators battle to be 'King of the Hill'
Vail and Aspen operators in competing moves to dominate North American ski-resort industry
Blog Post
Manholes: More Art Beneath Your Feet
PHeymont's fascination with 'civic pride' manhole covers and the art and history they portray keep him looking down as he travels...
Blog Post
Three Churches in Nürnberg
Only blocks apart, these three churches each have their own history and feel, despite sharing common medieval roots.
Blog Post
Empire State Building - The Experience
Samantha shares her Empire State Building experience with us, including some great views of the building as well as from it!
Blog Post
New Brexit referendum called—in France!
Festival organizers in western France, once ruled jointly with England, are offering a chance for a reunion.
Blog Post
Spotted in Vancouver: Cherry-Red 2CV
In Vancouver, PHeymont spotted this pristine charmer, from the last years of 2CV production.
Blog Post
Britain's medieval immigration issue: Viking settlers
A new study highlights an early wave of immigrants, and the hostile reaction they faced from England's rulers.