Just thinking about giving gifts for road trips makes me smile. Images from movies–involving convertibles, head scarves, and no traffic jams–come to mind. I figure the perfect gift will only make the experience even shinier. These days, gifts for...
Apples and Autumn: Visit a Local Orchard and Start Cooking!
Apples and Autumn: For many of us, they’re intertwined. Can’t have one without the other. They mean back-to-school, cool weather, and a return indoors to “cozy in” for the coming winter. Depending where you grew up or live now,...
San Juan, Puerto Rico: Healing and Hopeful
San Juan, Puerto Rico, captured my heart about two years ago. One of the most charming cities I’d ever visited, I vowed to return. Maybe rent an apartment and stay for a month or so, hanging out at the...
How to Meet People When You Travel Solo
How to meet people when you travel solo? Not always easy. It’s not just a matter of being out-going. Some cultures don’t welcome “friendliness” from strangers. In fact, a woman can put herself at risk by seeming to encourage...
Madison Farmers Market: A “Capitol” Saturday
The Madison Farmers Market may be one of the prettiest in the country. With the Wisconsin State Capitol building at the center, farmers and vendors are on every side of the Capitol Square…and down State Street, behind the Capitol....
Disaster relief: What a traveler can do
Disaster relief: Many of us wonder how to help. Lately, there have been hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and fires. As travelers, we’ve been to many of these places. We’ve met the people. We’ve seen their communities, maybe visited their homes....
Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes: Favorite Fall Traditions
Pumpkin patches and corn mazes—American rituals that we welcome each fall. There is something in the air that makes humans want to get out before winter sets in. The shift in the sun’s angles and the shorter days trigger...
UNESCO: Why It Matters to Travelers
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) maintains the World Heritage List—the places that are “meaningful to mankind” and have significant history. UNESCO sites can be natural or manmade. You probably know some of the most famous ones:...
Italian Beef Sandwich–The Pride of Chicago
The Italian Beef sandwich: what Chicagoans crave when they move away. And what tops their “must have” list when they return. It’s a simple food: beef in its own seasoned juice–called gravy–and served on Italian rolls or crusty bread....
Chicago Columbian Exposition Fair Foods We Still Love
Some of the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition fair foods that rocked the world are still with us today. We take them for granted, but they caused a sensation among fairgoers. When I travel, I like to find foods that...