A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
This was supposed to be a review of Latitude, a very nice restaurant on the West End of town. Instead, it’s a review of The Palms, located in the former Thunderbird Motor Inn, reborn some years ago as the Phoenix Inn. Five of us had reservations for Latitude, but when we arrived, the restaurant had … Read More “Changes in Latitiude” »
July 4, 2004 – If we were to believe science fiction predictions, by today’s date the following would have already come to pass… The Jupiter 2 would be lost in space with a family named Robinson, a madman named Smith, and a robot named, well, Robot. From the television series Lost in Space, broadcast from … Read More “Yesterday’s Tomorrows” »
“Hello. My Name is Tom” (Group responds – “Hello Tom”) “I am a choir director. It has been one year since my last rehearsal.” …and so the 12-step program goes. So what has happened in the one year since McCarter? We haven’t taken anywhere near the number of weekend trips we said we would be … Read More “Choir Directors Anonymous” »
I’ve just taken part in a workshop as part of the Adventures of the American Mind program. This program is funded by a grant from the Library of Congress, and is meant to increase awareness of the American Memory materials that the LOC has placed online. These materials include historic photographs, maps, audio files with … Read More “Adventure of the American Mind” »
We had breakfast at Cracker Barrel. The Cracker Barrel. The first one ever opened in Lebanon, Tennessee. It should have been more impressive than it sounds, but it wasn’t. The only interesting thing was that they serve syrup in mini-bottles. We were in a hurry to get home. Apparently traffic and construction were going to … Read More “There and Back Again” »
Kansas City seems like a nice city. St. Louis seems like a nice city. So what happened in between? I’ve been none too impressed with what I’ve seen along I-70. Blue Springs seemed like a loud, rude town, and it seemed like this attitude continued eastward. We saw more billboards along this route, particularly for … Read More “Last Night on the Trail” »
If some railroad official hadn’t driven a spike into a railroad tie 140 years ago about 600 miles west of here, we might have gotten more sleep last night. Our motel seems to be right across the road from the Transcontinental Railroad. We had seen lots of trains yesterday, bu we heard even more during … Read More “Flat as a…” »
If the settlement of the West had been left up to yuppies in fancy convertibles, the Sioux, Apache, Shoshone, and others would have had little to fear. Planning to make a life in, or ever crossing this harsh environment, must have taken a determination I can scarcely fathom. Today our route took us along more … Read More “Fly Over States” »
Our last meal in Washington State last night as at Chuckanut Manor. This scenic B&B overlooks Samish Bay, and as we feasted on local seafood, orioles, humming birds, and red-wing blackbirds feasted on seed just outside our window. (Laura just pointed out that the previous sentence sounds like we were eating seafood AND birds. Oh … Read More “On the Oregon Trail (Going the Opposite Direction)” »
I wonder if I’ll ever be able to take a vacation without contacting or being contacted by work. I guess I could leave the cell phone and laptop at home. Our plan was to catch a ferry to the San Juan Islands today. Plans change. Laura woke up with a terrible pain in her back, … Read More “Lone Roaming” »