Act One Date: mid-1970s Location: Tucson, AZ; Nogales; Puerto Penasco, Mexico I was a student at the University of Arizona. College was demanding, frustrating, all-consuming and, like any other serious student, I did not take much time for fun. Then, someone said, “Let’s go down to Mexico for lunch,” a reasonable and economic suggestion since…
I have returned to the Mountain Time Zone and the arid southwest. This is a terrain I love, and I am overjoyed to be here again. I started out my adult life in Tucson, AZ at the U of A, then later lived in Colorado and Wyoming.Now: Idaho. I lived a few other places here…
I stayed over one night at the sweetest little town in Texas! La Grange, TX was formerly the home of the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (The Chicken Ranch) but it’s claim to fame now is the Texas Quilt Museum. Guess those girls liked sewing better. Or they got old like me and started quilting…
When I travelled north on the train towards DC, I was shocked by the number of dilapidated houses I could see, especially south of Birmingham. On that trip, a lady mentioned that it might be leftover Hurricane Katrina damage. Heading south this time, I paid closer attention and decided it couldn’t be hurricane damage, it…
My trip to DC was a walking on cement for many miles each day kind of trip. I knew that I was in for a big change from my sandy haven on Dauphin Island, and I was prepared: good, warm walking shoes and heavy socks with extra padding. The shoes, really zip-up, waterproof leather booties,…
My first Airbnb experience was wonderful, overall. The only problem was my naiveté around what I expected for $25/night in the DC area (College Park, MD). The house was a bit dumpy due to deferred maintenance. In fact, inside and out, the home was exactly like a college kid’s pad. Cheap furniture, aging paint, crummy…
So I walked to the Metro station and headed out to see the quilts at the Museum of American History (AH) I had one train transfer and it was fine. Up the steps from the Smithsonian Station and I am on the National Mall at last. I was close to the Washington Monument, the Capitol…
Twenty-six hours after boarding a train near New Orleans, I arrived in Washington, DC. Forty years ago I took an around the country trip by Amtrak and what a change between now and then. The high-backed seats in coach recline and the space between rows is about double that of airplanes, which made sleeping more…
Bayou la Batre clearly has French influence. The name means “Bayou of the Battery”, because the French constructed an artillery battery there in the late 1700s. So when I drove over to explore the fishing town, I was surprised to see an Asian grocery store. When I stopped to photograph commercial fishing vessels, I…
Considering the size of my sweet tooth, the last thing I need to discover is a new sweet treat that tastes like s’mores. This cannot be helped, however, in the South, where MoonPies reign. MoonPies are a cookie sandwich created with two graham cookies, marshmallow filling, and a outside coating of chocolate and, now, banana. Why go…