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Below is everything (newest at top) with "life+travel+usa+" in its title or subcategories. For a strict listing (matching all categories and subcats), click hereREDDING IN APRILfrom 2023 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Elizabeth and I were on our seemingly annual trip to California. This time, it was a gift for her 18th birthday. Years ago, I thought we'd be flying to Astrakhan, Russia, for this birthday, but things are a little dicey there now. Besides, you need a sponsor to be granted a visa. About a year ago, I emailed the current owners of the adop... read more
BNA TO SMF (2022)from 2022 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Elizabeth and I returned home late Tuesday night after a few days in California visiting family. I still despise air travel, and the mask requirement only makes it worse, but a couple of our American Airlines crew members were happy to tell us it expires next month. Using Doug and Jana's house in Sacramento as my home base -- with Elizabeth... read more
THANKSGIVING WEEK TRIP TO THE GULF COASTfrom 2021 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Just getting the rental car (minivan) in the first place was a bit of an adventure. Because we were leaving Monday morning, we wanted to pick it up Sunday night, but all local Enterprise offices are closed on Sundays, which I find weird, given that travel-and-leisure... read more
FROM HILL TO VALLEY, A LONG-WINDED POSTCARD FROM THE ROADfrom 2021 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
The drive from Spring Hill, Tennessee to Valley, Alabama was uneventful... until we were almost there. So close. That's a fairly generic name for a town, thou... read more
MADE IN THE U.S.A.from 2021 in ( life / money / shopping / usa )
Spread the word about this awesome website for American Made.And here is the video that launches it: on FacebookI just emailed them to inc... read more
2019 MOST DANGEROUS U.S. CITIESfrom 2019 in ( life / travel / usa )
This article is dated December 2018, and it's based on 2017 data, but whatever. :) RoadSnacks has a similar list here, and here's... read more
VISITING OLD SACRAMENTOfrom 2018 in ( life / travel / usa )
Observations while walking around Old Sacramento with Elizabeth:Jul 14, 2018 2:38pmAs I sat on a bench in touristy Old Sacramento, a little boy walked by and asked Are you a statue? I had to laugh. There was a statue/wooden carving of a man on... read more
THINGS TO DO IN NASHVILLEfrom 2011 in ( life / travel / usa )
Actually, in and around Nashville. Adventure Science Center Alpha M... read more
TOUR OF NASHVILLE (2011)from 2011 in ( life / travel / usa )
Elizabeth and I played tour guide to my sister Jeannie, her daughter Tiffany,... read more
S.F. IN 1906from 2010 in ( education / history / usa )
Things were a lot more freely-moving back then. And the kids seemed to be having fun. Reminds me of Russian traffic today, only they have slightly newer forms of transportation now. :) A film taken from a streetcar traveling down Market Street in San Francisco in 1906, a few days before the earthq... read more
TRIP TO ROANOKEfrom 2005 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
I'm home after a long trip to Roanoke, VA and back. It was quite an experience overall. The 1-3/4 hour drive to SMF was punctuated by the puppy screaming and howling in the crate behind me in the van. She messed the newspapers once and I stopped and changed them. Once I got to the airport, I put... read more
VISITING FAMILY IN KANSASfrom 2005 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Kansas. What an incredibly boring state. Tara, her sister Sandie, niece Destiny and I flew from Nashville to attend her youngest sister Stephanie's high school graduation in Council Grove, Kansas. Tara and I figured we'd find something to do that night upon arrival in Kansas City, followed b... read more
CHARLESTON AND SAVANNAHfrom 2000 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Charleston, SCWe drove ... and drove ... and drove - 10 hours or so- from Nashville until finally reaching Charleston, South Carolina. Along the way, westopped in Asheville, North Carolina at the Biltmore Estate because Tara had forgotten toget postcards when we were there a coup... read more
NEW ORLEANSfrom 2000 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
We flew into New Orleans about noon time on a Friday. Since the room wasn't ready for such an early arrival, we walked four blocks to the pier and decided to ride the paddle wheel boat "Natchez." It basically goes a mile up the Mississippi, then heads back. You'll see a lot of othe... read more
CALIFORNIA, WHAT A TRIPfrom 2000 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Before we left, I took Austin to his Grandma Joy's house. We had a good visit and he took to her immediately. I left him on Friday morning and drove back to Nashville. I was supposed to get my ear drums cut open for the plane ride because I had ear infections, but the steroids and antibiotics ha... read more
THE BREEDERS CUP AT GULFSTREAM PARKfrom 1999 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
...with a side trip to Miami from Ft. Lauderdale.
I flew from Nashville to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for the Breeders Cup horse races at Gulfstream Park (actually Hallandale). It was fun just being there. Southwest had given me a free round-trip ticket for some reason (I don't remember why), and I was taking advantage of it. I... read more
ALASKA, A TRUE WILDERNESSfrom 1999 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
I've always heard people use the words "wilderness" and "Alaska" in the same sentence. It didn't mean a lot to me until recently when my wife Carla and I cruised the Inside Passage of Alaska. The state is huge, but it still takes a good seven days (round trip) to cruise u... read more
ST. LOUIS TRIPfrom 1999 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Tara and I made a quick trip (if you can call a five-hour road trip quick ) to St. Louis over the Labor Day weekend. We visited their historic district ( old town ) along the river where they were hosting the Big Muddy Blues Roots Festival. That was just good timing on our part. We had not originall... read more
QUICK TRIP TO CHICAGOfrom 1999 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Tara and I left Nashville for Chicago on a Thursday morning. At the last minute I decided to let my cat Myca out. I figured he would return shortly after doing his business in the neighbor's bushes, as usual, and I could then lock him in the house for the duration of our trip. When he didn't... read more
ATLANTA TRIPfrom 1999 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Tara and I just got back from a long weekend in Atlanta. It was nice to see the town. I'd passed through before, but had never stopped to look. The first touristy thing we did after eventually finding our hotel - the downtown Courtyard-by-Marriott, picked out by Tara, which was... read more