With the recent retirement announcement of Justice John Paul Stevens, the Supreme Court is getting a lot of attention.  The highest court in the land, charged with ensuring equal justice under law, occupies a majestic building of classical Corinthian style, and is located across from the US Capitol Building and the Library of Congress in [...]

In Boston’s North End you’ll find the small wooden home that was the starting point for Paul Revere’s infamous ride.  He lived in the home with his wife, five children, and mother, remaining in the home long after the ride that made him a legend.  The house was eventually sold around 1800. The Paul Revere [...]

Since it’s President’s Day, I thought a fitting theme for today’s post would be something about one of our Presidents.  There were some obvious presidential choices, but never being one to make the obvious choice, I looked at some that might typically get overlooked.  And that led me to President Warren G. Harding, the 29th [...]

There’s gold in them thar hills, and in 1848 one of those hills was located in Coloma, California on the bank of the American River.  It was at this spot, while building a saw mill, that John Sutter and James Marshall found nuggets of gold.  This discovery launched the California Gold Rush, and the great [...]

The Coliseum in Rome is the largest remaining monument of Imperial Rome, and is the top landmark in a city that’s full of landmarks. Built between AD 72-80, the Coliseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater and was the center of the city of Rome.  It was the first and the largest (it covers about [...]

When I went to the Adventure Travel Expo last year, I had the great joy of meeting a real adventurer – Harry Rutstein. Harry is a fellow Seattle resident, and a recognized expert on the life of one of the world’s most famous adventurers – Marco Polo.  Harry gave me his recently published book, and [...]

With the Presidential inauguration just a couple weeks away, it’s a good time to think about our former Presidents and the place they occupy in history.  Putting politics aside, that’s just what the National Park Service has done – put Presidential PLACES on display – with the new Discover Our Shared Heritage on-line travel itinerary [...]

Crime may not pay, but visitors will have to if they want entry into The Gangster Museum of America in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Hot Springs is known for it historic downtown area, and now with the addition of the recently opened Gangster Museum, it’s edgy history from the 1920-40’s is also showcased.  After all, back in [...]