Tagged With "Middle Eastern"
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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...
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Visiting Western Greenland. Part II – Western Greenland on Foot!
Part I covered three Greenlandic towns I have visited but my real passion is being out in West Greenland’s wilderness. So this part is about what it has to offer those willing to get out there on foot and under canvas! I...
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San Juan, Puerto Rico: Outside the Walls
Because Puerto Rico was the first freshwater island for 16th-century travelers from Spain, and because it guards the entrance to the Caribbean, its Spanish masters went out of their way to defend it, not only with the huge fortifications at the...
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The Minturn Summer Market
One of the pleasures of summer across the northern hemisphere is that farmers markets spring to life for a few months, serving a bounty of fresh produce along with other items people buy at a market, like handicrafts, baked goods,...
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Silver Plume, Colorado
I love going on leisurely road trips -- the kind where you've several spare hours to pull over somewhere and explore. If a place seems interesting, I like to check it out. So it was this past summer while we were visiting...
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Road Trip, Day 1: City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and The Skunk
Gateway to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas March 9, 2015 In the late ‘80s, I lived in L.A. for a couple of years. My S.O. knew lots of cool L.A. stuff. One of those was something he’d read that...
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Flying Round-the-World with no fuel!
Two veteran Swiss pilots are at nearly the midpoint of a round-the-world flight on the Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered plane with a wingspan greater than a 747's. Among other reasons for the huge wingspan is to make possible use of 17,000 solar cells...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 14, 2015: Opaekaa Falls, Kauai, Hawaii,
Opaekaa Falls is a waterfall located on the Wailua River in Wailua River State Park on the eastern side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. It is a 151–foot waterfall that flows over basalt from volcanic eruptions millions of years...
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Gold Country, California: The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
I thought this series about Gold Country was done. But I realize now that may not be true for some time. About 6 months ago, wanting to replace the wood stove in my house that was installed when the house was built in 1978, I called...
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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...
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Historic Route 66 (pt 2) - Needles CA to Flagstaff AZ
Leaving Needles CA, I drove a route that is a MUST DRIVE if you are the kind of person that loves road trips. The main portion of my day was spent on the longest continuous stretch of the original Route 66 that is still in place - From Topock AZ to...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 13, 2014: Statue of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, Kuhio Beach in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii
Duke Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968) is a legend in the world of surfing, but this was only one of his many great achievements. Duke (aka "The Big Kahuna") was born in Honolulu and grew up in Kalia, Waikiki (near...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 25, 2014: Fall colors at Upper Kananaskis Lake, Alberta
Fall is a special time of year in the mountains. While the colors in the Canadian Rockies are not as varied as in eastern North America, it's still very lovely. Here is some beautiful mountain lake scenery and a surprise...
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Where Was Gumbo? Paris. Where's the Statue? Everywhere!
Where in the World was TravelGumbo? If we simply said "At the Statue of Liberty," it wouldn't have been a very precise identification, because, as I found and you shall see, the iconic statue is everywhere and in so many forms! In today's blog, I'm...
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TravelGumbo Blogger HistoryDigger Wins National Travel Journalism Award
We at TravelGumbo are incredibly proud and pleased to announce that Whitney Stewart, HistoryDigger on Gumbo, has won a Bronze Award from the North American Travel Journalists Association for the 8-part series Finding Reiner, which ran in 2014....
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October 20, 2017: Black Middens Bastle House, Northumberland
Black Middens Bastle is a rectangular mid to late 16th century stone two storey defensible farmhouse in Northumberland.
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A solo female traveler in Palestine
Going to an area seldom visited by Americans, Melissa finds unusual sights and new friends.
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Boeing, Airbus tout their good news
Perpetual rivals Boeing and Airbus both have good news for their shareholders and fans.
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Arctic Tern Colony, Long Nanny, Northumberland
Ian Cook shares a gallery of photos and detailed natural history of this fascinating bird, which has the world's longest migratory routes.
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November 1, 2017: White Storks at Rust, Burgenland, Austria
Always a memorable sight on the rooftops of Europe, Professor Abe shares his experiences with the storks of Rust, Austria
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Syracuse's Greek Temple Cathedral, Sicily
Gumbo was visiting a most unusual cathedral. Built as a Greek temple about 500 BC, it was already over a thousand years old when it became a church.
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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.
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Out-Of-The-Box Last Minute Weekend Getaway Ideas
After a long week of fast life and pressure at work, you just want to unwind. Andrew Lowen has some ideas for how you can do it.
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Eastern Europe Rail Odyssey: Istanbul to Sofia
Wilbur's exotic train journeys continue, today with stops in Istanbul, Thessaloniki, Meteora (Kalambaka), Skopje, Niš, ending in Sofia. If you love train travel stories, you'll love this post.
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Apr. 20, 2017: World's Longest Train Journey?
A new rail route provides the first-ever direct service between England and eastern China.
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Ski operators battle to be 'King of the Hill'
Vail and Aspen operators in competing moves to dominate North American ski-resort industry
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Eastern Europe Rail Odyssey: Budapest to Kiev
Do you love unusual train journeys as much as Wilbur does? Check out this fascinating adventure through eastern Europe.
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Getting to know Canada's hidden gems
Canada's 150th anniversary this year comes with a tourism boom, free admission to National Parks, and a guide to lesser-known beauties.
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Red Squirrels
Ian Cook shares some great photos and a detailed natural history of the charming Red squirrel, whose population is declining.
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WestJet shows off its ambitions with big Dreamliner order
WestJet orders 20 Boeing 787s to expand its international reach, while also planning to enter the ultra-low-cost market at home.
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Eastern Europe Rail Odyssey: Zagreb to Veliko Tărnovo
Wilbur's train journeys around Eastern Europe continue, this week with stops in Zagreb, Split, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Sofia, and Veliko Tărnovo
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Dispatches from Ikaria: Part 1
Professor Abe begins the first in a four part series about visiting the beautiful Greek island of Ikaria. The landscape is lovely and the wildflowers were especially remarkable during his visit.
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200 Years of History on the Erie Canal
After 200 years, the Erie Canal is still at work, and at leisure. JonathanL follows it from Buffalo to Albany for a great tour.
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White Pass Railroad, Alaska: On the Trail of '98
From Skagway over the mountain into the Yukon, a railroad built for gold-miners today carries mostly visitors. It's still quite a trip.
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July 21, 2017: Venetian Ports, Lake Garda
Malcesine, on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, is a picturesque town with cobbled lanes and a castle. Today's view by Ian Cook is of its beautiful harbors.
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So, what’s it worth ?
Bob Cranwell shares a discussion and thoughts on the value of things using a memorable experience in Yemen.
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Boeing Everett: Where they build the big ones
At Boeing Everett, they're building the 747, 767, 777 and 787—all in one huge building that makes the word 'immense' seem too small.
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Eastern European Rail Odyssey: Gdansk to Vilnius
Wilbur's Eastern European train journey continues, with travels through Gdansk, Kaliningrad, Minsk and Vilnius.
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Passau: Small City, Big Past
A small German city on the Austrian border, Passau has a past bigger than its size would make it seem. It's a pleasant visit along the Danube
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France opens world's first Polar Lands museum
Premanon, in eastern France, is home to a unique museum, honoring the work of French explorer Paul-Emile Victor.
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Walking Through the NY Botanical Gardens: a Winter's Day
A winter walk takes Jonathan through an uncrowded park, and into an old-growth forest that mirrors what the area was like 300 years ago.
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Journey through Karnataka: Bangalore to Mysore
Professor Abe presents the first of a six-part series documenting a journey through Karnataka, India. Our journey begins in Bangalore.
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In the Cotswolds: Sezincote
After years admiring pictures of Sezincote’s Neo-Mughal design, PortMoresby visits the house in Gloucestershire and is in for a surprise.
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Top Long Distance Hiking Trails in the USA
Like to go for a long distance walk? Then Brian Bradshaw has just the post for you. Check out some of these beautiful (and challenging) hikes!
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Eastern Europe Rail Odyssey #5: Istanbul to Tbilisi
Wilbur takes us on another memorable train journey, this one starting in Istanbul, then on to Ankara, Erzurum, Batumi (bu bus), Yerevan and ending in Tbilisi
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Solar Eclipse 2017! The view from Baker City, Oregon
DrFumblefinger shares his experiences with viewing the total solar eclipse of 2017. He experienced it in eastern Oregon and found the moments of totality to be an amazing -- even moving experience.
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Qantas: If they'll build it, we'll fly it—20 hrs nonstop!
Qantas wants the two big plane-makers to come up with a variant that could fly from Australia's east coast to New York or London non-stop
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Big trans-Atlantic plan ties AF/KLM to Delta/Virgin
Four major airlines plan to share trans-Atlantic flights, schedules and profits in a new round of competitive moves.
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World Record: 456 hot air balloons in mass flight
After two postponements due to winds, hundreds of balloon enthusiasts succeeded in setting a world record.
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Mallorca gets tough new tourism-control law
Mallorca and Ibiza call a halt to some rentals and set new rules for others in one of the stiffest responses to perceived 'overtourism.'