Latest Stories
 Want
to visit fun places but you are not sure what to see there?
How about taking a tour that is like having a friend along who
knows that city well to guide you. You can do that for under
$5 now. Here's some fun and informative tours at Tours4Mobile.
Read more
Kathleen Walls
 Did you know there are hidden treasures
in Middle Tennessee? I discovered a few in Perry County
recently. If you're driving across Tennessee from Memphis to
Nashville, Perry County is a gem. Stop over and
explore. Read more.
Renée S. Gordon
 Royal
Caribbean International Cruise Line’s first passenger ship,
The Song of Norway, set sail in 1970 heralding the launch of
the line. Over the ensuing years Royal Caribbean has
consistently been on the cutting edge in all phases of
the industry, technology, design, art, architecture,
personalized service, entertainment, amenities and
environmental responsibility.
Read more.
Kathleen Walls
 "In
the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the
life in those years." Kathy and Michael Dumont live up to that
slogan posted in the café of their Commodore Hotel in Linden,
Tennessee. Many people in retirement just take it easy
and go with the flow. Not the Dumonts. In fact, they bucked
the flow when they "retired" to the small town of Linden, in
Perry County Tennessee named for Commodore Oliver Hazard
Perry. Read more.
Renée S. Gordon
 A
postal clerk once told me that I needed to pay international
postage to mail a letter to New Mexico. She was surprised, as
many people are, to learn that it gained statehood in 1912,
has a documented history that spans thousands of years and is
literally a microcosm of southwestern history. It benefits
from the unique characteristic of featuring tangible sites and
offering immersive activities that bring the history, arts and
events to life in fresh and exciting ways.
Read more.
Renée S. Gordon
 Long
Beach, CA, situated approximately 30-minutes south of LA, is a
coastal gem with more than its share of lures for the
traveler. The city, deemed one of the most ethnically diverse
big cities in the country, has an average high of 82˚ and low
of 64˚ with negligible rainfall. It was named Long Beach in
1888 because the beach winds 22-miles bordering the Pacific
Ocean along San Pedro Bay. Today it offers a 3.5-mile bike
trail, 11.5-miles of inland waterways and bays and greater
than 30 water view restaurants.
Read more.
Kathleen Walls
 If you just have a one-nighter in
Columbus Georgia, here is the perfect way to enjoy your day;
go whitewater rafting on the river, eat at SaltCellar, and
stay at the Columbus Marriott.
Read more.
by Tom Straka
 First off, not all
readers will know the legend of Paul Bunyan. For
those who don’t, one of the links at the end of
this article is the Walt Disney version of the
American folklore tale of Paul Bunyan. Paul is
an American folk legend, along with the likes of
(using Walt Disney’s series of folk legends as a
guide) John Henry, Johnny Appleseed, Casey
Jones, Pecos Bill, and Casey at the Bat. Paul
Bunyan was a giant lumberjack that helped clear
the northern United States, making way for
progress and farmland. Legend has it that the
reason there are no trees in the Dakotas is that
Paul cleared them all away.Read
more.
Kathleen Walls
 Franklin,
Tennessee has a lot of stories to tell. Alma McLemore sat with
me on the porch swing of McLemore House and told me some of
that story. Alma's Porch Talks are famous around Franklin for
telling about the town's African American history.
Read more
Eleanor Hendricks McDaniel
 Gwinnett County is the most
diverse county in Georgia. So much so that it voted for
Stacy Abrams for governor. Only 30 miles from downtown
Atlanta, it brings its own eclectic mix of international
culture and cuisine, arts, music and more.
Read more.
Kathleen Walls
 It's fun when something old gets
refurbished to live again. But when that something gets a
second rebirth it is really something unusual. This is
happening now with Historic Westville. You say you've
never heard of Westville? You will soon. It's quite a
story. Read more.
Kathleen Walls
 I
love to visit new places and watch them grow over the years.
OWA in Foley, Alabama is just such a place. The name means big
water in the Muscogee Creek language; appropriate since the
destination was created and owned by the Poarch Band of Creek
Indians. It's an amusement park; it's a shopping and dining
location; it's an entertainment center. It's like a mini
Branson. Read more
Kathleen Walls
 Cassadage Spiritualist Camp is one of the most unique
places in Florida. It is possibly the most misunderstood as
well. So many people view mediums as charlatans at
carnivals. Here you learn a completely different version.
Read more
Renee S. Gordon
 Oxford,
Mississippi, located in northern MS and the heart of the
South, has a long and storied history that begins with the
three great tribes, the Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez, that
inhabited the region prior to European arrival in 1541. The
land was meagerly populated until the end of the French and
Indian War in 1763 and in 1798 Congress delineated the
Mississippi Territory. The Chickasaw Indian Cession
Treaty relocated the tribes in 1836 adding 6,283,804-acres to
the territory, including what is now Oxford. Read
more
Kathleen Walls
 New Orleans is not the only place in
Louisiana that you find mouth-watering dishes. While
you visit
Antebellum plantations in
the River Parishes, you can find a few places in the small city of LaPlace
that can show some big-name chefs a thing or two.
Read More
Kathleen Walls
 There’s
a reason why USA Today
counted St. Augustine among the top 10 travel destination in
America last year and it was one of only three Florida cities
included in TripAdvisor’s Top U.S. 25 Destinations in 2015. If
you haven’t visited in a decade and remember a sleepy little
town, you won’t recognize this new Oldest City.
Read more
Kathleen Walls
 Seafood lovers, have you ever eaten rock shrimp? If not, head
to Dixie Crossroads in Titusville, Florida as soon as you can.
These little critters are delicious and there are not too many
places you can find them. They are a cross between shrimp and
lobster leaning heavily to the lobster side but having the
shrimp size. The story of how Dixie Crossroads began serving
them is almost as good as the tasty crustacean itself.
Read more
Kathleen Walls
 There
has been a lot of interest in RVing. People who have never
done any RVing are saying "That sounds like fun." It is but
there are some things that make it different from traveling in
a car that you need to know. So here's a little more about our
GoRVing Minnie Winnie and what it takes for a successful RV
trip. Read more
Renée S. Gordon
 Portugal
is the primary destination for international visitors wishing
to explore Europe. The country offers something for all ages
from history, shopping and culinary adventures to beaches,
hiking and panoramic views from castle walls. Portugal is a
great value for the money, is the 4th safest
country in the world and English is widely spoken, all things
that make it ideal for families. Read
more
By Kathleen Walls
 Our GoRVing trip around Florida went
full bore. Not always smoothly because we had some strange
technical bumps in the road. Since we nicknamed out Minnie
Winnie “Ma Barker,” we can blame our problems on the ghost of
Fred Barker who must have become attached to Ma Barker. She
was his mother after all. Well, maybe! Or maybe strange vibes
affected the electronics on the road. I'll give you a quick
rundown of our trip but there will be many more stories coming
down the line about all the fascinating places.
Read more
Renee S. Gordon
 Travel
+ Leisure magazine, for the 6th year in a row,
designated Charleston, SC the number one city in the
US as well as the 10th best city worldwide. The city
is a traveler’s dream with a complete range of
dining experiences, entertainment venues, superior
architecture, historic sites and blended cultures.
The city was thriving years prior to the founding of
the country and as one of the 13 original colonies
the area has participated in every one of the
nation’s pivotal historic events.
Read more
By Renee S. Gordon
 The
majority of South Carolina’s 16 barrier Islands were formed
during the Ice Age along with nearly 200-miles of Atlantic
Ocean shoreline. The Hammock Coast (HC), ...
Read more
Kathleen Walls
 Jacksonville
is fast making a mark on the tourism market. People come to
see the art museums, like Cummer and Museum of Contemporary
Art (MOCA). They visit TIAA Bank Field to see the Jaguars play
football.
Read More
Renee S. Gordon
 Beaufort, established in 1711, is the second oldest city
in South Carolina and predates the founding of the US by
sixty-five years. It is situated in the Lowcountry on
Port Royal Island along the Atlantic shore.
Read more
By Tom Straka
 By
1778 the American Revolutionary War had stalemated, with the
French joining the war to aid the Americans. With the northern
campaign at an impasse, the British had decided on a southern
strategy of focusing their efforts on the colonies of Georgia,
South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.
Read more
Kathleen Walls
 Nemacolin Woodlands Resort located on
200,000 scenic acres in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern
Pennsylvania can fulfill all of your dreams. We
stayed there last year for a Mid-Atlantic Travel Public
Relations Alliance (MATPRA) Convention. This is far beyond its
five-star rating. It's more than a hotel. It's a resort in the
broadest sense of the word. Read
more
by Kathleen Walls
 National Butterfly Center in Mission,
Texas, a small town near the southern border, is a modern day
Garden of Eden. It is a favorite spot not only for butterflies
but birds and other wildlife species. This 100-acre preserve
is the largest native plant botanical garden in the country.
Read more.
Renée S. Gordon
 Lisbon is so filled with activities, fine cuisine and
wines that it is difficult for visitors to tear
themselves away from the city but I assure you there are
wonders throughout the country. Some of Portugal’s
most historic sites and monuments, as well as unique
experiences, are to be found within a day’s drive of
Lisbon and the small cities and quaint villages provide
glimpses into the heart of the country. You can opt to
rent a vehicle or book a Gray Line tour to one or more
of these destinations. Read
more
Anne Jenkins
 Travel with a purpose makes it more exciting, fun
and interesting, whether you're on an antique junket,
looking for art or exploring local food. If you ask a
group of New Mexicans where to find the best green chile
cheese burger, you better have time for a long
discussion. Read more
Renée S. Gordon
 Portugal
is the westernmost country in Europe and, along with Spain,
makes up the Iberian Peninsula. It is bordered by the Atlantic
Ocean on the south and west, with 500-miles of ocean coastline
and is the approximate size of Maine. The country’s geography
shaped its more than 800-year history and culture and
continues to affect tourism.
Read more
by Kathleen Walls
 Becker Farms in Gasport, New York,
just a short drive from Niagara Falls is the kind of place
every community needs. Imagine farm fresh and U-pick produce
coupled with locally produced beer and wine. Add to that
rental cabin for a romantic weekend and all kinds of events
and you have a perfect agri tourism spot.
Read more
Renee S. Gordon
 President
George Washington surveyed and chose a location on the Potomac
River to become the permanent site of the nation's capital and
the 1790 Residence Act made his dream a reality. He
commissioned Pierre L'Enfant to design the city. L'Enfant
tired for one-year then he abandoned the project taking his
plans with him. Benjamin Banneker, a free African American,
recreated those plans from memory so that the work could
continue. Read
more
Renee S. Gordon
 The
thing about Icons is that we somehow expect them to be
arrested in time and evoke our feelings In the same way
forever. They do not disappoint and they certainly do
not succumb to the lure of changing times. This can
prove daunting for artists, structures and, most of all,
cities. Asbury Park, New Jersey has managed to strike the
perfect balance between memory and modernization, retro and
revitalization and is a wonderful destination for families,
group or solo getaways, beach lovers and music aficionados.Read
more
KathleenWalls
 Jacksonville's skyline is changed
forever. The old city hall imploded this morning. No, it
wasn't terrorists. It was done to make way for new
improvements coming to Jacksonville. Story has a link to the
actual implosion from one of our local stations.
Read More
Kathleen Walls
 When
fickle sixteen year old Agnes Scuffs jilted her fiancee on the
eve of their wedding, she set in motion a series of events
that would lead to the construction of a monument comparable
to Stonehenge. She informed Ed Leedskalnin that he was too old
and too poor for her. Broken hearted, Ed left his native
Latvia and settled near Florida City. He began carving a
memorial to his lost love who he always referred to as "Sweet
Sixteen".
Read more.
by Kathleen Walls
 You know a city has come of age when
they repurpose a classic piece of their history. Detroit has
done just that with the new Foundation Hotel. It opened the
100-room boutique hotel in May 2017 in what was once in the
Detroit Fire Department headquarters. The building that is now
the hotel was built in 1929, but this location housed fire
equipment from 1840 until the Detroit Fire Department
abandoned it in 2013. The end result is a blend of museum, art
gallery, upscale dining and lodging with a touch of a local
hangout. Read
more
by Kathleen Walls
 A
road trip down Georgia’s I-75 from Tennessee to Florida
offers lots of fun stops along the way. Navigating I-75
through Georgia can be a nightmare. Or it can be fun. The
difference is in finding good food and interesting
attractions with convenient stops en-route. Read more
by Anne Jenkins
 Early in October you're
standing among hundreds on a historic Main Street watching
two long lines of enthusiatic citizens, in groups of three.
Each group is holding up a ski with three attached shot
glasses topped up with whisky, all trying to drink it at the
same time. Pinch yourself, you're in Utah. Park City, to be
exact, and they're engaged in a friendly rivalry with
Breckenridge, Colorado to see who can get in to the Guiness
Book of Records in 2018 for the “Shotski Challenge”. Park
City won. Breckenridge swears to rise to the challenge in
2019. Everyone has a grand time and lots of money is raised
for local charities.
Read more
By Renee S. Gordon
 Louisiana is
internationally famous for its Cajun and Creole cuisine and
generally Chef Paul Prudhomme is credited for its
introduction and popularization into the American
mainstream. You can literally find great food everywhere in
the state but ground zero for fresh, locally sourced,
regional dishes is the Lake Charles area in Southwest
Louisiana (SWLA). Here visitors can craft a special
experience and soak up the history that led to this unique
culture as well as dive into the adventure, music, art,
festival, beverage and dining scenes. Read
more
by Tom Straka Photographs by Pat Straka
 Back in the
Fall 2014 we visited Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, on the edge of
the Ohio River where a free ferry crosses over to Kentucky.
It is a favorite route of ours and an especially fun
alternative that avoids the interstate, facilitating a
cross-state route (the long way) on mainly U.S. highways.
We’ve covered the history and geology of the location in the
past issue, but missed a key aspect that makes the stop even
more attractive. So attractive, we’ve
revisited it. Read
more
by Kathleen Walls
 It's so nice when a
historic building gets refurbished for a new use. Such is
the case in Pittsburgh. The Drury Plaza Hotel was once the
Federal Reserve Bank of Pittsburgh. The Georgia marble
faced Art Deco building began life in 1931 and was bought
by the hotel in 2013 and began renovations in 2014. The
Drury has kept many of the historic features. Read
more
Story by Tom Straka
Photos by Pat Straka
 My spell checker tells
me I have two suspicious words in the title. It has not
heard of turpentining or a catface. Many of the readers
can probably figure out what the former means, but I bet
they don’t know what the latter is. There are lots of
festivals across the country which provide a travel
adventure immersed in local history and folk culture. The
CatfaceTurpentine Festival held annually in early October
in Portal, Georgia is one of those. Read
more
by Renee S. Gordon
 Musical symphonies are
composed of individual movements, distinct sections, written
to be played by a large orchestra. Haydn and Mozart are
credited with creating the classical symphonic arrangement
and later composers have layered the form with creativity
and innovations. Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, the
aptly named Symphony of the Seas, has deftly blended all
aspects of the perfect cruise into one awesome experience
much like an orchestral arrangement.
Read more
Chuckwagon Roundup
by Kathleen Walls 11-29-2018
 Food is an intricate part
of Cajun culture.
Café Vermillionville, (circa 1835) was built as an inn
for salesmen in Lafayette then named Vermillionville. During
a Union occupation during the Civil war supposedly a Cajun
shot a Union soldier for making advances at the man's wife.
Rumors claim the old building is still haunted by the
soldier as well a young female ghost. Read
more
War Roads
by Kathleen Walls 11-29-2018
 Long before United States
was born, there was a world war. It started in the American
colonies and spread across Europe. There it was called the
Seven Years' War.Read more
Renee's Road
by Renee S. Gordon
11-29-2018
 While academic
programming may be considered the most important factor in
selecting a college, also essential to success are both the
campus and local culture. College tours are an excellent way
to experience a slice...Read
more
by Kathleen Walls
11-29-2018
 Saxonburg,
Pennsylvania is a beautiful example of what one
immigrant can do for this country. John Roebling and his
brother, Carl, came here in 1832 to escape totalitarian
conditions in Germany.
.read
more
Civil Rights Trail
by Kathleen Walls
11-29-2018
 Pittsburgh has so much history related
to the Underground Railroad. Senator John Heinz History
Center has an exhibit, From Slavery to Freedom, that tells
the story...read
more
Fork in the Road
by Kathleen Walls 11-29-2018
 Say “sandwich” in Pittsburgh and it
conjures up a different image than anywhere else in the
world. In Pittsburgh, a sandwich is often a Primanti
created by Joe Primanti during the depression. ... read
more
Renee's Road
By
Renee S. Gordon
11-29-2018
 At
the end of August in 1619 the White Lion landed
at Old Point Comfort, in what is now Hampton, Virginia,
and exchanged “20 and odd negroes” for food and supplies.
These Angolan ... Read more
Innroads
By Kathleen Walls
11-29-2018
 First
Colony Inn is the perfect place to immerse yourself in
Outer Banks history while enjoying all the modern
conveniences. Lost Colony Inn is not luxurious but it is
comfortable and so welcoming. ...
Read
more
Renee's
Road
By
Renee S. Gordon
11-29-2018
 The
Buffalo-Niagara Corridor in Western New York has the
distinction of having always been both a permanent
sanctuary and a reliable embarkation point. Geography,
accessibility to the Falls and ...
Read
more
Happy Trails
By
Thomas Straka 9-1-2018
 One of the
best attractions along Interstate 81 is the Natural
Bridge of Virginia. Early in the nation’s history,
Hudson River School artists painted the landscapes of
America’s most iconic natural scenes. These are the
large landscapes that hang in the U.S. and state
capitols. The Natural Bridge, Virginia,
painted by Frederic Edwin Church, is one of them. That
landscape is little-changed from 1852 when he painted
it... Read more
Historical Trails
By Kathleen Walls
9-1-2018
 American's
oldest mystery has never been solved.The story began
with the settlement of Roanoke in the Outer Banks of
North Carolina. The prelude was the earlier all-male
expeditions. The first led by Arthur Barlowe and
Philip Amadas, in 1584 was more of an exploratory one.
One thing they did had a profound on the final
settlement; they brought two young natives, Manteo and
Wanchese, back to England. Read more Off the Beaten Path
By Renee S. Gordon and Kathleen
Walls
9-1-2018
 Cattaraugus County New York is known
as the Enchanted Mountains for good reason. It may be a
lesser known destination but there is so much to see and
do among those picturesque mountains you will be
enchanted.Read More
By Kathleen Walls 9-1-2018
 It's
always exciting to watch a new state park develop. North
Carolina's newest is Carvers Creek State Park. It was
authorized in 2005 and opened the first stage in
September 2013. Park Superintend Jane Connolly, told us
about the park's background. In the mid 1700s Scottish
immigrants began moving into the area. Read
more
by Renee S. Gordon 9-1-2018
 No experience has so impacted
the United States as profoundly and lastingly as the
years of black enslavement from 1619 to the end of the
Civil War. “The peculiar institution” remains a
defining characteristic of who we were, are and will
become as a nation. How do we align the events of the
past with the view of ourselves that we are a country
founded on the principles of liberty for all and
malice toward none? Read
more
by Renee S. Gordon
9-1-2018
In 1793 when Revolutionary War veteran Colonel John
Hardenbergh, the first documented white settler in the
Finger Lakes area, arrived in the Auburn, NY region it
was home of the Haudenosaunee and was called “Ahskuby.”
Read
more
by Kathleen Walls 9-1-2018
 There is nothing more beautiful
than Mother Nature's most powerful places. Niagara Falls
is one of those special places. I just returned from a
visit there and was literally blown away. At the top of
Cave of the Winds as I stood on Hurricane Deck I felt as
if I was experiencing the most powerful storm ever.Read
more
    |
Connect with us.
|
|
|
|
Public Disclosure-- Please Read The FTC has a
law requiring web sites to let their readers
know if any of the stories are "sponsored" or
compensated. We also are to let readers know if
any of our links are ads. Most are not. They are
just a way to direct you to more information
about the article where the link is placed. We
also have several ads on our pages. They are
clearly marked as ads. I think readers are smart
enough to know an ad when they see one but to
obey the letter of the law, I am putting this
statement here to make sure everyone
understands. American Roads and Global Highways
may contain affiliate links or ads. Further, as
their bios show, most of the feature writers are
professional travel writers. As such we are
frequently invited on press trips, also called
fam trips. On these trips most of our lodging,
dining, admissions fees and often plane fare are
covered by the city or firm hosting the trip. It
is an opportunity to visit places we might not
otherwise be able to visit. However, no one
tells us what to write about those places. All
opinions are 100% those of the author of that
feature column. |
© 2018
American Roads and Global Highways.
All Rights Reserved website hosted by ci-Interactive
|
American Roads and Global
Highways has so many great articles you may want to
search it for your favorite places or new exciting
destinations.span>
|
|
