I had heard about The Jam Pot bakery, located in the Keweenaw peninsula of Michigan, when I watched an episode of Gordon Ramsey’s “Uncharted” series about culinary and cultural occurrences. I distinctly recalled a grinning Monk, dressed in a flapping black gown, competing in a wheelbarrow race with the famous […]
History and Culture
111 posts
I was amazed to learn from our friend, Brian Toronyi, that a bomb had accidently been dropped near his home in South Carolina on March 11, 1958. The Mark-6 left a 50 foot wide crater that was 25 feet deep at Mars Bluff. With a little research we learned that […]
Giovanni, our guide, met us outside the gate of Vatican City’s wall in February 2020. (Our visit to Rome preceded the world shut down due to Covid-19.) Giovanni’s enthusiasm for the intricate art showcased in the Holy City was inspiring. From the moment we entered the hallway lined with artifacts, […]
I was curious to see who was sitting at the top of the hill at a Catholic cemetery in Brighton, Michigan. The figure was a person of about my height. There were seats surrounding a large table. As I approached the blue tarp informed me that this was a piece […]
Did you know that 90% of the silk market was housed in Belding, Michigan? “Belding Brothers and Company” silk mills had started operating in the late 1800’s and by 1920 the Belding business processed over one million pounds of raw silk each year. Honestly, I have lived just south of […]
Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona holds well preserved mysteries of ancient life. Hopi ancestors, the Ancestral Puebloans, lived in cliff dwellings for more than 800 years. 600-1400 A.D. Can you even imagine living here? As we gazed at the dwellings, I had questions. How did they get enough water? How […]
Have you ever ridden in a train engine? Chuck (DaViking) and I were able to experience two authentic engine excursions. One was in the October evening followed by another ride after the sun set. Costumed characters and guests boarded the Stewartstown Railroad’s open car and caboose for a four mile […]
When Chuck (DaViking) mentioned that he’d secured tickets on ‘The North Pole Express’ steam train, I was giddy! This was the steam locomotive that had been used in “The Polar Express” children’s book and movie! As a nanny and throughout my early elementary teaching career, I have always gotten goosebumps […]
Did you know that you can rent a four person railbike? I had no idea that there were such activities! When Chuck and I arrived in Stewartstown, Pennsylvania for a train ride, we found railbikes lined up. Jim, a railroad volunteer, stood ready as David drove the ‘train’ of bikes […]