Dam Good Kayaking on Skokie Lagoons

Glencoe, IL–What a treat! Record rainfall covered the Skokie Lagoons dams, making it easy to access all ponds without portaging.  I paddled from the Tower Road boat launch down to the Willow Road dam first.  Cormorants fished in their usual spot at the far south pond.  A great blue heron eyed me from his perch [...]

The Skirt is Off!

When the temperature hits 90° plus, it’s time to ditch the spray skirt.  Head out early, keep to the shadows, and paddle out in the Skokie Lagoons on a hot July day.

Lots of fishermen: a baker’s dozen of blue herons doing their goofy, loping head forward walk in the shallows, a family of mallards, a tern diving [...]

Back to Mayberry

Floyd's City Barber Shop in Mt. Airy, NC

Mount Airy, NC–Remember The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry RFD?  Even if you never saw the original TV show, you can see the original Mayberry in real time at Griffith’s hometown.  There’s Floyd’s City Barber Shop, where haircuts are still $8.  Dine on a pork chop sandwich [...]

Greensboro's O. Henry Hotel: Local Flair

Lobby of the O. Henry Hotel, Greensboro. Photo courtesy O. Henry Hotel.

Greensboro, NC–The O.Henry Hotel is quirky.  But it’s the good kind of quirky, one you wish you’d see more often in a hotel.  

A genuine London taxi (gosh, it’s cute!) sits at the portico, waiting to take guests to and from the nearby airport.    The [...]

Arts A Poppin’ in Kansas City

Meretites sarcophogus, getting moved into exhibit position

Kansas City–Arts galleries, shops, and museums are blooming along with the spring flowers here.  The venerable Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, with a 33,000+ collection, in May opens  a new Egyptian permanent exhibit featuring a 7-foot tall sarcophogus of Meretites.  Other don’t miss sites at the free admission, free parking museum: many [...]

Swiss Cow Fighting Coming Soon

Bikers ride past cows in St. Moritz. Photo by Laurie Borman

Switzerland–The English had their bulldogs baiting bulls (outlawed in the 1800s) and the Spanish have their bullfights.  In spring, it’s time for cow fighting in Switzerland.

A special small, black breed, Heréns, found in  Central Valis, and Valle d’Aosta in Northern Italy as well) like [...]

Vancouver Olympic Tidbit

A Vancouver Island friend has been regaling me with her Olympic insider tips.  She suggests hitting the Quebec House, with an open-air bar and a poutine chef.  If you’ve not been to Quebec– and maybe even if you have–you might not have tried poutine, a gooey gravy-and-cheese-curd-covered french fry mess.  Seriously, how did the Québécois with their [...]

Vancouver Top Five Favorite Things

 

Aquabus will take you in and around Vancouver. Photo by Laurie Borman

Vancouver, British Columbia–Everybody’s watching Vancouver, with the Olympics in full swing.  It’s cool, it’s sophisticated, it’s laid-back, and one of the best cities to visit.  Here are my top five favorite things about Vancouver:

Artful Caffe Artigiano latte. Photo by Laurie Borman

Custom-made lattes.  Get a [...]

Indianapolis vs. New Orleans: It's Not As Big Easy As You Think

It’s Super Bowl weekend when the Indianapolis Colts face the New Orleans Saints in Miami.  I don’t know much about football, so I was wondering, “What if the game were decided on which city was a better destination to visit?”  Now that’s a topic I’m well versed in!  And it’s not as Big Easy as you [...]

A Few of My Favorite Chicago Winter Things

 

Chicago, IL–Six inches or more of fluffy white powder is falling today in the city.  It’s making a nice covering of all the dog tracks in my yard and helps keep those icy spots on the sidewalks from being too slippery.  Along with fresh snow, these are a few of my favorite Chicago winter things:

 1. [...]

Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes