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American Roads and Global Highways is starting with a great vision for the new year. Boy is it hard to start remembering we're in 2020. Let's hope it will be a Roaring 20s.
We are also starting off with a brand new host so please be patient if you see some errors. This is a HUGE website and there are often errors in coding that creep in when transfering all these pages.
We have a brand new sister ezine, Highways and Byways at https://highwaysbyways.sojournfam.com/ It will have more overall desination and roundup pieces where as here you will find the more in-depth stories.
Our older stories are archived and always available.Newer ones will be available under topics as well as archives.I will be removing most of the really older ones, pre-2013.
Looking for food or drink related stories? Just click "Food." Stories with a historic tone, click "History" and so on. If I haven't gotten around to putting them in the catagory tab, everything not showing on Home Page will be in Archives.
Latest StoriesInformation Highway 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 Willie Amps it UpKathleen Walls Two
events happened in 1965. Country Willie – His Own Songs
became Willie Nelson's first RCA Victor album leading to his
success as a singer instead of just a songwriter. The same
year, the Saint Augustine Amphitheater was built commemorating
Saint Augustine's 400th birthday. Willie and Saint Augustine
have another thing in common, being the oldest. Willie is the
oldest, male, country star still performing; Saint Augustine
is the oldest city in the United States and they are both
still in great form. Read more.Delving into Durham, NC (part one)Renée S. Gordon Cities
are, in their own ways, canvasses that depict the history,
culture, and dreams of the residents. Stories reflected there
are ever changing but the past never really disappears and, if
one looks closely enough, one can see traces of earlier times
and their ongoing impact.Durham is a classic example of a
city with a storied past intertwined with a modern vibrancy.
Read more.Delving into Durham, NC (part two)Renée S. Gordon The
use of slave labor in NC was, from the outset, a money making
proposition. In 1663 eight Lord Proprietors were granted a
charter from King Charles II. The Concessions of 1665”,
in which 50 additional acres were assigned to settlers based
on the number of enslaved 14 years and older each brought into
the colony. The 1669 Colonial Carolina Fundamental
Constitution legalized slavery.
Read more.Fort Selden: Where History OverlapsKathleen Walls Off
the beaten path places always appeal to me especially if there
is a history connection. Las Cruces has many. One is an
ancient adobe fort that tells a story of the old west.
Read more.A Landmark Reborn: Centennial PlazaKathleen Walls Little
did I know many years ago when I lived in the Mississippi Gulf
Coast and was attending college at The Jeff Davis Campus of
the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, I would get to
see an amazing reincarnation 40-plus years later.
Read more.Oklahoma City National Memorial MuseumKathleen Walls Oklahoma
City is filled with interesting places to visit. There is one
that is not a fun quest but no one should pass it by without
stopping. The Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum walks you
through one of the most horrific acts committed in modern
history.
Read more.Montgomery, Alabama (part two)Renée S. Gordon Montgomery,
Alabama has, from its beginning, acted as a historical vortex,
drawing people and events into its orbit in astonishing
configurations. Read more
Montgomery, Alabama
(part one).
Renée S. Gordon
 Montgomery,
Alabama is widely recognized as both the Cradle of the
Confederacy and the Birthplace of Civil Rights.
Read more.Bayou Rum: The Spirit of LouisianaKathleen Walls David
Friedman, author of Food Sanity, gives us one good reason to
drink rum. He states, “Also, while too much drinking can
damage your brain, moderate consumption of rum may actually
lower that risk: Rum has properties that may help protect your
brain cells and decrease your risk of dementia and
Alzheimer’s.” Read more.PHLASHING Through PhillyRenée S. Gordon Whether
your latest resolution was to spend more time with your family
or not, this column is for you. Philadelphia was designated
the nation’s first UNESCO World Heritage City in 2015, placing
it on par with Berlin, Mexico City, Paris and Quebec City.
Read more. Punta Gorda, FloridaRenée S. Gordon Spanish
explorer Juan Ponce de León is believed to be the first
European to explore Florida although earlier expeditions
reached the region hunting for native slaves to export to
Spain. He set sail in 1513 on a search for gold and new lands,
later stories tell he sought the Fountain of Youth.
Read more.Baltimore’s Ever Present PastRenée S. Gordon The
Mid-Atlantic region is the most historic corridor in the
country and consists of a series of metropolitan areas within
220-miles and accessed by I-95. The major cities, New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC, each have
distinctive attractions, New York’s glitz, glamour and
Broadway, Philadelphia’s historic sites, art and music scene
and DC’s museums, memorials and institutions.
Read more. Ghost Ranch: Past and PresentKathleen Walls As you drive into Ghost Ranch, you are going to be driving slowly. That's because the eye-catching beauty of the mountains surround you. You would not be human if you didn’t stop to stare at such overwhelming beauty. Read more.
Fort Hill and John C.
Calhoun
by Tom Straka
 There
are lots of old plantations and plantation houses scattered
across the South. Many are special, usually due to some sort
of historical connection. Fort Hill was the antebellum
plantation of John C. Calhoun, a preeminent nineteenth century
southern statesman and later the home of Thomas G. Clemson,
his son-in-law. Luxury at Sea, Regent Seven Seas NavigatorRenée S. Gordon The
Hamburg-America Line launched the Princess Victoria Louise,
the first ship built solely for luxury cruising, on June 29,
1900. Prior ships were ocean liners created to transport
passengers and cargo on transatlantic journeys as
expeditiously as possible but the Victoria Louise was designed
to provide a truly luxurious experience with the aura of a
floating 5-star hotel. Read more.Beaumont--Port Arthur where Music LivesKathleen Walls The
Beaumont, Port Arthur Metropolitan area in Texas is called the
Golden Triangle in reference to the wealth that flowed in
after the oil gusher at Spindletop in 1901. It includes other
smaller cities such as Orange, Nederland, Groves, Port Neches,
Vidor, and Lumberton, and smaller places within the area. It
could also be called "Golden" in regard to the number of gold
records local musicians have earned.
Read more.Two Casitas Offer an Old Santa Fe WelcomeKathleen Walls Nothing
is more welcoming on a cold night than a warm fire flickering
in an old fashioned cast iron stove. It's really a gas heater
but it looks and feels like a real old fashioned wood one.
Naturally, there is back up heat and air conditioning if you
visit in summer. When I visited Two Casitas in November, Santa
Fe's nighttime temperature dropped to 19%. It didn't bother me
at all. Read
moreTouching on Texas and New MexicoKathleen Walls The last few days on the road were a
whirlwind of fun. I didn't have time to write about them—until
now. It was on to Ghost Ranch and Las Cruces inNew Mexico and
then to Beaumont and Port Arthur in Texas.
Read more.A Touch of New MexicoKathleen WallsI'm
in Santa Fe now after a fabulous pre trip to Albuquerque.
Albuquerque is filled with great food and amazing museums. Our
IFWTWA (International Food Wine and Travel Writers
Association) Convention was very helpful to improve my career
as a travel writer.
Read more.Alien Touch in RoswellKathleen WallsSay
“Roswell, New Mexico” and everyone’s first thought is
“aliens.” Mine too. That’s way I am so thrilled to be here
today exploring the unknown. My first stop naturally was the
International UFO Museum & Research Center. This is not some
hokey museum dealing just with Hollywood’s version of aliens
from outer space. Read more.Treasures in Oklahoma CityKathleen WallsOklahoma
City is filled with treasures I discovered yesterday and
probably many more I did not have time to visit. My stay began
at the historic 21C Museum Hotel. This early 1900s building
earned its place on the National Register of Historic Places
by being a former Fred Jones Ford Motor Company assembly plant
that crafted Model Ts. Read More.A Brand New Event: First Southern Cast Iron Cook OffKathleen WallsI’m in Lake Charles and just visited the very first Southern
Cast Iron Cook-Off. Picture
Cajun food and culture, music, venders offering samples of and
information about everything from alligators to cast iron pots
and pans. Professional chefs and amateurs competed in four
categories– Meat & Game, Seafood, Sweet & Savory Baking, and
Vegetables & Sides. Awesome Lake CharlesKathleen WallsI'm
in awesome Lake Charles, Louisiana now. It's such a different
kind of place. It's not a descendant of the plantation South
or the old West. It's a mish mash of both. It's history is
influenced by the fact it was not exactly included in the area
of the Louisiana Purchase as it is not land drained by the
Mississippi River. Read more.
The Secret CoastKathleen WallsThe
Secret Coast won’t stay a secret much longer. There is so much
going on along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast now. The last two days
was rainy but I still managed to see a lot more of the coast.
It brought back many memories of the days when I lived in Bay
St. Louis.
Read
more.
Phase one: Bay St LouisStory and photos by Kathleen WallsTo
paraphrase Willie Nelson, "I'm on the road again." But instead
of making music, I'm visiting some fantastic places. Some
brand new to me; some I am visiting again and enjoying the old
while marveling at the new. Read more.
Small Town Tales: Short
Pump and Ashland, Virginia
Renée S. Gordon In
1607 a group of 105 people led by John Smith established a
permanent Virginia colony, named in honor of Queen Elizabeth
I, at Jamestown on land inhabited by Native Americans. A
colony, also established by the Virginia Company, was to
become Richmond, situated on the fall line of the James River.
Read
more.Central Virginia,
Appomattox and the Blue Ridge Mountains (part two)
Renée S. Gordon More
Civil War battles were staged in Virginia than any other state
and many of those battles played out in and around the
34,000-sq. mile Blue Ridge Mountains’ region. The mountains
are more than 1 billion years old, wind through eight states
and are stunning in their majesty.
Read more.Ten Haunted Hotels in the South Halloween
is an especially good time to seek out haunted hotels. But
these are fun any time of year. Southern hospitality mingled
with the spirits of long ago.
Read more.Central Virginia, LynchburgRenée S. Gordon Contrary
to what some might believe Lynchburg was named after John
Lynch who took over the family’s James River ferry service in
1757. In 1786 45-acres of John Lynch’s land was used to found
the town that was chartered 29-years later. The location of
the ferry service was memorialized in 2004 with Langley
Fountain spouting a 190-ft. stream of water into the air.
Read more.Cleveland, Living with LegendsRenée S. Gordon In
1669 the French explorer de La Salle, the first European in
the Ohio was met by the Iroquois Indians who migrated there in
the early 1600s. The river and the state would be named the
Iroquois word for “beautiful river”. The land was a
bountiful native beaver hunting ground and although the
Iroquois were quickly decimated and supplanted by the tribes
including the Delaware and Shawnee, the French established
posts to trade with the natives.
Read more.Franklin, Tennessee, Yesterday's WineKathleen Walls I
wonder if Willie Nelson was thinking of Franklin, Tennessee
when he wrote "We're agin' with time like yesterday's wine."
Just like a good aged wine, Franklin had a unique past and
today is a city that beckons travelers of all types.
Read more.Savannah, Where the Past is Ever PresentRenée Gordon Georgia,
named in honor of King George II, was the 13th of the 13
colonies and was founded in 1733. When the ship Anne
landed the 120 colonists on the shore of the Savannah
River, at the foot of a 45-foot bluff, founder James
Oglethorpe brought with him the plans for the city with the
river as the northern boundary. Read
more.Vingenzo's: A Touch of Italy in WoodstockKathleen Walls Woodstock,
Georgia has a huge variety of great restaurants but if you
like Italian, Vingenzo's stands out. It is an Italian treasure
in Woodstock's downtown entertainment district. One
taste of Vingenzo's Chef Michael Bologna's Neapolitan Pizza or
homemade sausage will have you thinking you died and went
to—no, not Heaven—Italy.
Read more.DeKalb County, Georgia: The Presence of the PastRenée S. Gordon The
history of DeKalb County has been archeologically traced back
as far as the late Ice Age and Indian mounds from the Late
Archaic Period have been found that predate the 1567 Spanish
claim to the land by thousands of years. Read moreExperience Saint Luciaby Renée S. Gordon Saint
Lucia was possibly inhabited 3,000 years ago by the Ciboney
and based on archaeological research and artifacts it has been
proven that “Iouanalao” island, “land of the iguanas”, was
settled by the Arawaks around 2,000 years ago.
Read more. Savannah EatsKathleen Walls You may go to Savannah for the history
and fun but you gotta eat. So why not eat at the most fun and
interesting restaurants. As icing on the cake many of
Savannah's restaurants have a historic background. Here are a
few I loved there and why.
Read more. Always Patsy ClineKathleen Walls She
was born Virginia Patterson Hensley on September 8, 1932. In a
life filled with much misfortune, she not only survived but
became a role model for female singers and women everywhere.
Read more.Wilmington, Delaware’s “Chateau Country”Renée S. Gordon In
1800 Pierre-Samuel du Pont de Nemours and two sons left France
to settle in the United States. This voyage would alter the
course of American history. Pierre had been elevated to
nobility because of his position with Louis XVI as an
economist, secretary to the Assembly of Notables
and his assistance in crafting the 1783 Treaty of Versailles
that ended the American Revolution.
Read more.Tribute to Lum YorkKathleen Walls On
the 50th Anniversary of Hank Williams death, I had the honor
to meet the man who slapped his bull fiddle for Hank's
Drifting Cowboys in the 1940s.William Herbert "Lum" York,
(November 16, 1918 – August 15, 2004) was a musician best
known as the bass player in Hank Williams Drifting Cowboys.
Read more.Wonderful WoodstockKathleen Walls Who
knew there is so much to see and do in Woodstock, Georgia?
Just visited it with Travel Media Showcase this year and
discovered a treasure. It began with the Georgia Gold Rush and
grew when Marietta and North Georgia Railroad built a depot
there in 1879. There are a couple of legends about the city's
name. Read more.Wilmington’s Harriett
Tubman Underground Railroad Byway
Renee S. Gordon On
Monday, September 17, 1849 Araminta “Minty” Ross set out from
Poplar Neck Plantation, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, to
freedom in the North. Prior to her escape she changed her name
to Harriet, after her mother, and took her husband’s last
name.
DeKalb County's Terrific
Trio
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Long awaited Westville, a living history
recreation of a typical Georgia town in the 1800s is now alive
and in full swing again in Columbus, Georgia. Its authentic
homes and building have been moved from around the state. It
had begun in Lumpkin and was closed down for a good while to
complete the move.
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