The Texas dust blew in the wind as we approached The Cadillac Ranch along Route 66. We walked by a tour bus parked crookedly along the side of the road. It was nestled between haphazardly placed vehicles along the street. Looking out into the field at this random roadside feature […]
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One amazing stop along Route 66 is The Rock Cafe! Dawn Welch is the proprietor. She and her best friend, Beverly, create a fun, family atmosphere for regulars and travelers alike. Dawn’s first job was on a cruise ship, so she has a world-wide repertoire of recipes on her menu. […]
On our 2,400 mile journey along Route 66, Da Viking and I were intrigued by unique roadside attractions and curiosities. At St. Louis University we searched for “The Billiken.” As we strolled on campus we passed by their baseball field. We marveled at the baseball banner with this character’s face […]
Have you ever spray painted graffiti? I never imagined I would, but near Amarillo, Texas there are ten Cadillacs buried, fin-up for anyone to leave their mark. This was just one of our stops along Route 66. As we drove on the highway from Chicago to Arizona we followed alongside […]
How did Mardi Gras become part of New Orleans culture? We were curious. Da Viking and I wanted to look behind the curtain to learn more. We started our New Orleans caper by visiting Blain Kern’s Mardi Gras World. This large studio houses year-round float construction. As we approached the […]
When we think of Voodoo our minds conjure up dolls and magical hex bags. This is all thanks to Wes Craven who created horror films for decades. (1975-2011) His films shaped our thinking and beliefs about Voodoo. But what’s the real story about Voodoo? Well, Da Viking and I went […]
I was honestly hesitant at the idea of seeing slithering alligators in the wild. I imagined the airboat ride would possibly be rough. ‘But, what the heck, we only live once.’ I gave myself a pep talk. ‘We would be safe in the boat and I had on my rain […]
We happened upon a small Leonardo di Vinci museum when we were in Rome. (Feb. 2020) It was under a church near the Piazza del Popolo. We were intrigued and found the most magnificent displays of Leonardo’s artwork and inventions. This replica of the Mona Lisa painting was captivating! There’s […]
I have marveled at this statue and the life of it’s inspiration, Leonardo di Vinci. Each year I would read, “Monday with a Mad Genius,” by Mary Pope Osborne to my students with the hope of sparking interest in past inventions and artwork. Leonardo di Vinci was an engineer, sculptor […]
We walked to the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Italy last February 2020. We had wanted to investigate Basilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo located at the piazza. After perusing the church, we made our way into the center of the plaza. With scaffolding rising near an entrance we nearly […]