Celebrate Mark Twain’s Birthday
A trio of 175th birthday celebrations (almost) from coast to coast Samuel Clemens was born in Hartford, Connecticu, near Hannibal, Missouri, on November 30, 1835. He took on the pen name, Mark Twain, and became one of America’s most revered writers and humorists whose popular style masked his insightful thinking. I’ve always had an affinity for Twain, and [...]
Images of Baden-Baden
Presidential quote about German spa town nailed it “Baden-Baden is so nice they had to name it twice.” That’s what former President Bill Clinton had to say about this enchanting town of 55,000 in southwestern Germany. I’ve been here for just a few days, as part of a pre-convention trip before the upcoming Society of [...]
Travel Thumbnail: Old Idaho Penitentiary
Boise landmark, once a fearful prison, now a tourist attraction and history lesson This is the eighth of a series of periodic reports on specific places I’ve visited — and which you might want see to as well. The Place: Old Idaho Penitentiary, Boise The Story: The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historical Site, located on the outskirts [...]
Palestine: Day 8, Jerusalem
Winding down at the Temple Mount and old city Our group started our light Day 8 schedule with a tour of the Temple Mount (Haram ash-Sharif in Arabic). At the bottom is Western Wall (Wailing Wall), the last remnant of the Israelites’ Second Temple and a sacred to Jews. Men and women, facing the wall, pray separately, and [...]
Palestine Day 7: Ramallah and Ein Areek
Two more faces of Palestine: the capital and a small town with no major landmarks from antiquity Much of the West Bank and Ramallah in particular remind me of every developing country I have ever visited: Roads in various states of disrepair. Incomplete buildings that are either under construction or abandoned and crumbling. Graffiti. Weed- and litter-choked [...]
Palestine: Day 6: Wadi Qilt and Jerusalem
Wadi Qilt, a final desert drive and the last checkpoint into Jerusalem At a Society of American Travel Writers’ conference in Israel a quarter of a century ago, Wadi Qlt (or Wadi Qelt) was the first stop out of Jerusalem en route to several days of hiking and camping in the Judean and Negev Deserts. [...]
Palestine: Day 5, Part 1: Galilee, Jordan River Valley and Jericho
From the lush Galilee to the parched Negev Desert After the blinding light and barenness of the desert, Galilee green soothes the eyes and lifts the spirit. Much of the water that drains out of the south end of the lake and used to replenish the Jordan River’s flow is now diverted for irrigation, causing the [...]
Palestine: Day 4, Part 2: Nazareth
Nazareth remains one of the world’s major Christian pilgrimage centers, plus it’s got a disco As the site of Christ’s birth and, equally important, a Palestinian town in Israel rather than in the Occupied Territories, Nazareth is set up for day-tripping tourists from Jerusalem, including the Nativity Village I wrote about previously. Nazareth As is [...]
Palestine: Day 4, Part 1, Sebastia, Checkpoint Hassles and Nazareth
Excursion into antiquity marred by arbitrary stop at Israeli checkpoint What should have an easy trip from Nablus to Nazareth via modern highway was marred by a one-hour delay at a sizable checkpoint and an unexpected detour. Sebastia Sebastia, now a sleepy rural town in the hills above Nablus, traces six cultures spanning some 10,000 years: [...]
Palestine: Day 3, Part 2: Taybeh, Mt. Gerizim and Nablus
Visits with two priests who loom large in their small West Bank towns Christians, once a sizable chunk of the Palestinian population, are now a tiny minority. But a handful of clergymen and parishioners are keepers of the flame. Taybeh Tiny Taybeh is so much more than beer and antiquity. It is the location of St. George [...]
