Category Archive: historical sites

Port Townsend and a Slice of the Northeast Olympic Peninsula

Tom and I managed to do quite a bit of sightseeing during our two weeks of building in Port Townsend and Allie and I did a fair amount of walking and hiking of… Continue reading

Vicksburg, Mississippi and Vicksburg National Military Park

Despite my interest in history, I was not enthusiastic when Tom penciled a stop at Vicksburg battlefield into the itinerary: I envisioned a day spent walking around looking at signs with regiments and… Continue reading

Mounds and Mounds: Emerald Mound Site and Poverty Point National Monument

It’s been seven months since I last posted, by far the longest time I’ve gone without writing since I started blogging in 2013. For now at least I don’t want to write about… Continue reading

Louisiana Lowlands

Louisiana is undoubtedly a unique place; the Acadian, French, Native, and Western African influences on culture, food, and architecture combined with the distinctive coastal marshes and swamps that dominate the delta make the… Continue reading

Hot Sauce History

Sometime in the 1860s a Mr. Edmund McIlhenny of Avery Island, Louisiana acquired some capsicum frutescens, commonly known as Tabasco peppers, planted and harvested them near his home, aged their pulp in white… Continue reading

Big Bend Ranch State Park

Our second and fourth days staying near Big Bend we headed to the state park, located to the west. I was armed with a list of potential trails but the threat of rain… Continue reading

Weekend in Minneapolis

After we finished our second week of building in Wisconsin we packed a couple bags and headed to Minneapolis for the weekend. Neither Tom or I had been there before but Tom had… Continue reading

Strolling Through Old Montreal

I’m not saying Tom was right about me loving Montreal, but I will admit that when he suggested we stop on our way west I was fairly indifferent. While I do love history… Continue reading

A Visit to Campobello Island and Tea with Eleanor

Campobello Island, a Canadian island located just off the coast of northern Maine, is a place I’ve wanted to visit for quite some time, both to explore the rocky coastline and to visit… Continue reading

Visiting in NYC

After Ithaca we began a month of visiting family and friends, starting with a 6 day stay with my sister in northern New Jersey. I intend to summarize many of these visits in… Continue reading