Herman Melville said it best in Moby-Dick: “A good laugh is a mighty good thing, and rather too scarce a good thing.” Published in 1851, Melville’s statement could not be more pertinent today. Let’s face it: In light of a disturbing pandemic, food and hand sanitizer shortages, insufficient health care procedures, quarantines, and a constant barrage of bad news and “Breaking News” from CNN that instantly makes you think, “What fresh hell is this?!”, we need a good laugh to relieve the tension, if only for a moment or two. Without further ado, from my travels around the world, here are the top five sights that will make you laugh >
Author Archives: stephentravels
Staying at a Great B&B in KC, MO
Missouri always seems to be unbearably humid. When I went to St. Louis and St. Charles in April a few years ago, residents said it felt like August, not spring. This time, in October in Kansas City, it felt like August again. So, after roaming around all day in the unseasonably uncomfortable weather, it was time to check in to Jefferson House Bed and Breakfast for some much-deserved respite. Read more >
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Roaming the Halls of America’s 80th Largest House
Cruising through the quiet streets of Ponca City, Oklahoma, I passed by the Poncan Theatre (opened in 1927 to a crowd of 1,200 people), City Hall (built in 1916 as an auditorium), and the Ponca City Library, in a Spanish-influenced design to complement City Hall, across the street. Just a few minutes away, I reached my destination, the fantastic E.W. Marland Estate, a 55-room palace on 30 acres built like an Italian villa for lawyer, oilman, Congressman, and governor E.W. Marland and his wife in 1928 — a mansion that they lived in for fewer than three years. Read more about one of the best house museums in the United States >
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The World’s Best Depictions of Adam and Eve
In the Bible, the Book of Genesis describes how God created man on the sixth day. To keep him company in the Garden of Eden with all those plants and animals that he got to name, God granted him Eve, fashioning her from one of his ribs. They were free to frolic around Paradise without a care, as long as they didn’t eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Alas, the sly serpent proved too persuasive to Eve, who then dragged Adam down with her when she tempted him to partake as well. Things quickly went south: For disobeying God’s one command, an angel drove them out of Eden, stripped them of their athanasia, and forced Adam to work for a living and Eve to bear children in a spectacularly painful way. It’s quite a story, one of the most popular in the Bible, and it has been depicted in art for centuries. Read about the best of those renditions >
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Delicacies and History at Píwníca Rajców in Gdansk, Poland
Night was already falling when I arrived in Gdansk, Poland, so further exploration of the city would have to wait until the next day. For now, I settled at an outdoor table at Píwníca Rajców, the first of many excellent restaurants throughout Poland (although Gdansk remained the best). Eating al fresco became the norm, a wonderful opportunity to enjoy outstanding meals while watching the daily life of local Poles unfold before me. And I enjoyed it all while listening to the sputtering water of the Neptune Fountain and the sounds of some very talented street musicians. Read more>
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Three Days in the World’s First National Park
I had wisely chosen early autumn as the time of year to visit Yellowstone National Park. Post–Labor Day, the school year had begun a few weeks before, the summer crowds had dissipated, and the weather had cooled substantially — perfect conditions for spending three full days in the oldest and most diverse national park in the United States. Read more >
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Dining at an Old Favorite in Wichita’s Old Town
Within a couple of blocks from the wonderful Hotel at Old Town in Wichita, Kansas, I found a terrific place for breakfast (Egg Cetera) to start my day, and an equally terrific place for dinner — Larkspur Bistro & Bar — to finish off the day of exploring this historic district with a dinner distinguished by a remarkable fusion of flavors and textures in a warm and friendly setting. Read more >
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50 Candidates, 5 Winners: The Most Beautiful State Capitols in the United States
As Washington, D.C., continues to fail to deliver meaningful, beneficial change to the vast majority of Americans, state governments step up to fill in this appalling lack of action. From minimum wage increases to environmental legislation, governors and state senators and representatives enact changes on a local level. And many of them around the country get to do that in what is very often the most beautiful building in the capital city of their respective state. From domed cruciforms to tower skyscrapers, from a circular structure to a building that looks like a French palace, U.S. state capitols are brimming with history and run a gamut of architectural styles (some more successfully than others). Read about the top five capitols in the United States >
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Classic Polish Cuisine in a Favorite Polish City
An evening of music from Poland’s greatest composer. A massive square bordered by beautiful buildings with colorful façades. A seat beside arguably the country’s most striking Town Hall. Street performers who provide a lively backdrop. It all melded together seamlessly when I enjoyed a traditional Polish dinner at Pod Fredra in the wonderful city of Wrocław, Poland. Read more >
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Modern Comforts and Historic Flair at Hotel at Old Town in Wichita, Kansas
Old Town in Wichita, Kansas, attracted me right from the start. I explored this revitalized neighborhood by walking along the brick streets, among the brick and native-limestone warehouses from the mid-1800s that have been converted into businesses, restaurants, loft residences, and shops. As its appeal grew, I couldn’t have been more pleased to be staying in the heart of it, at Hotel at Old Town, itself a transformation from the city’s largest warehouse to one of Wichita’s top accommodations. Read more about it >
Stephen Travels 