Dr. Livingstone's Diary, I Presume?

Photo courtesy UCLA Livingstone Library

Los Angeles, CA–If you’ve ever wanted to see the actual handwriting of famed explorer Dr. David Livingstone, your wish is about to come true, thanks to the University of California-Los Angeles Digital Library Program. The library published the restored version of Livingstone’s  1871 diary, in which he [...]

Backroads of Northeast Germany

Twist, Germany–Geology and geography dominate life here. Twist, on the Dutch/Germany border between Dusseldorf and Hamburg, means “disputed border” in German. First settled in the late 1700s, it was a challenging marshy terrain only somewhat relieved when a North/South Canal was built in the late 1800s.  The Twist bog was once the largest area for cultivating [...]

Wildlife Watching at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in IL

Photo by Keith Wedoe/Alton Regional CVB

From my suggestion in USAToday‘s feature: 51 Great Places to See Wildlife

Bald eagles, white pelicans and trumpeter swans fly through Illinois along their highway, the Mississippi River, throughout the year. The Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Alton offers birders their best bet for seeing and learning about flocks [...]

Chicago's Secret Spaces

Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Emil Bach house

Chicago, IL–Want to see the inside one of the last urban houses Frank Lloyd Wright designed in Chicago, the Emil Bach house on Sheridan Road? How about the former stage of Louis Armstrong’s Sunset Cafe in Bronzeville, now a hardware store? What about the view of Millennium Park from [...]

Chicago, Land of the Free

Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park

Chicago, IL–The Windy City could be called the Land of the Free this summer. Free music, free museum and attractions admissions, free dance shows, free festivals. OK, no free lunch, but with all the other free things happening in Chicago this summer, you can spring for food.

Here [...]

Buckingham Fountain Open!

Chicago, IL–Buckingham Fountain in Chicago’s Grant Park makes its spring splash! One more reason to love this city. Did you know it’s one of the largest fountains in the world and runs from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.? Light and music shows lasting 20 minutes begin at dusk, with the last show at 10 p.m.. Buckingham Fountain [...]

Luggage

IT O 2 rollaboard bag by Landor and Hawa

Chicago, IL–It was all about the luggage at the Travel Goods Show last week. Manufacturers heard airline passengers and adapted their bags to fit multiple airline requirements. Huge bags are out, because airlines weigh baggage religiously and charge for anything over 50 pounds. The new [...]

Illinois Glacier

Highwood, IL–Where is Illinois like Switzerland or Alaska?  Along the icy shore of Ft. Sheridan Forest Preserve, and Openlands Lakeshore Preserve, where a shelf of icy looks like the edge of Alaska’s Glacier Bay, and deep fissures in the ice-covered sand appear to be crevasses.  If you’ve ever hiked a glacier, you will recognize its [...]

World’s Coolest Bus Stop

Lyric Opera Bus Stop on Madison St.

Chicago, IL–Lyric Opera of Chicago has the coolest bus stop in Chicago, possibly the coolest in the world. You’ll find it at Madison and Wacker. You have to admit, it’s an elegant way to wait for a bus.

Acorns Galore This Fall

Chicago, IL–Crunch, crunch, crunch.  The sound of fall leaves underfoot?  Maybe, but probably a lot of acorns, too.

You may have noticed an abundance of acorns this fall.  It’s not because the squirrels can’t keep up.  Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL  reports that this is a natural phenomenon called a mast year.  The warm, dry spring [...]

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