Get update alerts
Locations
.All Trips / Central USA / Colorado / North America
Walking Main Street in Gold Hill, Colorado
There are many mining towns in the Colorado Rockies, one of the most interesting being Gold Hill. This town is located in the mountains northwest of Boulder at an elevation of 8,300 feet (2530 m). A scenic drive, most of it on gravel roads, leads you through the transition of the great plains to the foothills, with the grand peaks of the Rockies visible at some distance to the west.
Gold was discovered by a group of prospectors in a small stream near the town site in January 1859. This stream was named Gold Run and in March of that year, the first mining district in the Nebraska Territory was created (Colorado had not yet been granted statehood). The site and …
Tagged gold, Gold Hill, Main Street, mining
“Pic of the Week”, February 15, 2019: Arabian Tea House Cafe, Dubai
Just outside one of the more interesting neighborhoods in Dubai, the Al Fahidi Historic District, sits a small picturesque cafe — the Arabian Tea House Cafe. I’d been on my feet for more than three hours and the heat of the day was ramping up, so I thought I’d take a break to rest and get a snack.
The cafe was situated in a shaded courtyard (shade provided by both trees and canopies) with comfortable tables. Some sofas for waiting were placed outside and inside the restaurant, so it must get busy at times, although that late morning it was not. Fans moved air around and it was quite pleasant, despite the ambient heat. The clientele was a mixture of locals …
.All Trips / Car Culture / England / Europe
Toys for Boys! The Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection
As with all good museums of its type, a visit to the Cotswold Motoring Museum is like stepping back in time. Located in one of the most beautiful parts of England, in the town of Bourton-on-the-Water, the museum is housed in a building that once functioned as a mill.
A modest admission fee lets you explore the many features inside (see link above for details). There is an assortment of interesting vintage cars, caravans and motorcycles dating from the early 20th century through the 1970s. You can see the museum at your leisure as you walk from one gallery to the next. Most of the vehicles are of English vintage, but not all are. Lining the walls …
“Pic of the Week”, February 8, 2019: Downtown Baker City, Oregon
I’d driven past Baker City in northeastern Oregon a number of times before finally visiting it — twice — in one year. One visit was a relatively quick one, just driving through to see the historic district while on a road-trip. For our second visit it was our destination for viewing the 2017 Solar Ellipse as it was in the path of totality.
Baker City is relatively small, with around 10,000 residents. The community lay along the famous Oregon Trail and really took hold after the railroad came through. By 1900 it was the largest city between Salt Lake City and Portland. It rests between the picturesque Wallowa and Elkhorn Mountain and the setting is quite pretty. The city …
.All Trips / Food / Nevada / North America / Southwestern USA
We breakfasted at Peg’s a number of times during our week in the Reno area and tried a variety of breakfast entries. All were excellent! Peg’s is especially known for its omelets and “Glorified Skillets”. While …
Nevada’s great Breakfast Diner! Peg’s Glorified Ham n Eggs
While I don’t usually focus on reviews of restaurants, I do like to share special places that I’ve enjoyed during my travels. Today I’d like to make you aware of a wonderful breakfast/lunch diner I discovered while visiting Northern Nevada .
Peg’s Glorified Ham ‘n Eggs was founded in Reno in 1999 by a husband-and-wife team, Fred and Joanna (aka “Pops and Peg”). The original restaurant became so popular that there are now eight sites, including Carson City (the one we visited), Sparks and Henderson.
Peg’s Glorified Ham in Eggs
We breakfasted at Peg’s a number of times during our week in the Reno area and tried a variety of breakfast entries. All were excellent! Peg’s is especially known for its omelets and “Glorified Skillets”. While …
Tagged breakfast, Carson City, diner, food, Reno
.All Trips / Europe / France
The Eiffel Tower at Night
Everyone loves the Eiffel Tower! In today’s post I wanted to talk a little about the transformation that takes place at the Tower with the setting of the sun.
As the glow of the sun fades, the Eiffel Tower shines! Plus it’s a good time to view the Tower as it’s not very crowded. The views in the gallery below were taken from the Park Champ de Mars southeast of the tower. It was a pleasant atmosphere — many people sitting on blankets and enjoying the sights.
Beyond the regular lights that illuminate the tower, there’s a twinkling show of lights that lasts for five minutes every hour on the hour. There are apparently some 20,000 strobe lights on the tower, installed for …
Tagged Eiffel Tower, lights, night, Paris, tourism
“Pic of the Week”, February 1, 2019: St. Peter’s Church, Colombo
Christianity is a minority religion in Sri Lanka with just 7.5% of the population being Christian. Most residents are Sinhalese Buddhists (70%), with smaller numbers of Tamils (12.5%) and Muslims (10%). Historically all these people have gotten along quite well, although there have been periods of serious conflict (eg. a bloody 50 year civil war between the Sinhalese and Tamils). While there are many ancient Buddhist temples throughout Sri Lanka, it’s not common to find older Christian churches.
It’s worth looking for the entrance to St Peter’s in the Fort District of Colombo. St. Peter’s is located on Church Street beside the Grand Oriental Hotel, adjoining the city’s harbor. The area is quite secure, with barricades and fencing, because Police headquarters …
.All Trips / Eastern Canada / Food / North America / Nova Scotia
Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Brewery, Halifax
While almost certainly not as famous as it’s founder would have liked, Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Brewery has developed a niche following throughout Canada, especially in its eastern provinces. The brewery was created almost two centuries ago, in 1820, making it one of the oldest breweries in North America (the oldest surviving commercial brewery is John Molson’s, founded in Montreal in 1786).
Alexander Keith was a Scottish immigrant who had been a brewer in Edinburgh and London before moving to the New World. He had an interesting career that extended beyond brewing and including being mayor of Halifax and President of the Provincial Legislative Council of Nova Scotia. While in Canada he experimented with ale, porter, ginger wine and spruce beer, …
Tagged Alexander Keith's, beer, brewery, Halifax
