On a daily basis, there’s little need to go into a bank anymore. You can do practically everything online, and, when you need cash, you just stop at an ATM. There’s even less of a need when you’re on vacation. However, some of the most beautiful buildings I’ve been to are banks, and they deserve some special attention. If you want to be impressed by architectural beauty, visiting them is simply money in the bank. Read about the top five bank buildings >
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Montreal’s Manmade Marvels
Founded as a Roman Catholic colony by France in 1642, Montreal has been growing fairly steadily for nearly four centuries. The largest city in Quebec, Montreal has expanded to all points of the large island it occupies in the St. Lawrence River. Nicknamed “la ville aux cent clochers” (the city of a hundred bell towers), Montreal teems with beautiful houses of worship of various denominations, but there are plenty of other types of buildings that caught my eye while exploring the second-largest city in Canada. Read about the top five buildings in Montreal >
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Natural History Museums That Will Rock Your World
If you have children and want to take them to a museum, chances are that the best choice is a natural history museum, filled with items that would certainly entertain and, hopefully, educate them, from giant whales to massive dinosaur skeletons to glowing minerals. And if you don’t have kids? These museums are just as fascinating for adults, and I’m never disappointed by their exhibits of every aspect of nature on Earth that exists above, beside, and below me. Read about the top five natural history museums >
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Legendary Legends
What better way to spend a frigid winter day than curled up by a fire listening to a great legend? Granted, it was not a winter day when I learned about these terrific stories, nor was I seated next to a fireplace. Nevertheless, these are tales that have stuck with me for decades, tales that breathed even more life into some of the most memorable places I’ve been. Read about the world’s top five legends >
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Art Deco Gems of Albert Anis
Nestled comfortably between New York and Tulsa as one of the best Art Deco cities in the United States, Miami Beach also has one of the country’s best historic districts. The short-lived Art Deco movement in the United States lasted only about 15 years, until World War II virtually killed it. But before this terrific style was beginning to fade, Miami Beach, rebounding from the devastating Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, capitalized on this architectural trend. Many of its now iconic buildings, especially the low-rise hotels, owe their very existence to one man, architect Albert Anis. Read about his top five works >
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Feeling Blue
Suffering from the winter blues? Then turn your attention from the figurative blues to the literal ones and you’ll be much happier. Around the world, the coolest color has the ability to awe us. It’s also the color that can best calm us down. Just look at the sky or a tranquil sea and you’re already feeling better. But nature doesn’t hold a monopoly on blue. There are some outstanding manmade objects that equally do the trick. Read about the top five blues >
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Visiting Vincennes
I love small-town America. It’s such a different experience from my hometown of New York, and Vincennes, Indiana, is a perfect example. Founded in 1732 by French fur traders, Vincennes is one of the oldest settlements west of the Appalachians and the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in the state. With a population of under 17,000, the city is small enough to walk to all its sights, and when most of those people were seemingly asleep all day when I was there, I felt like I owned the entire city, able to appreciate its riverside setting and attractive architecture at a very leisurely pace. Read about the top five buildings in Vincennes >
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Louisiana’s Best Buildings
When I was in Louisiana, twice, I knew I was in the deep Deep South: the jazz, the Creole culture, the Spanish moss on the live oak trees, the accents, the alligator nuggets for lunch. And, of course, the wonderful architecture that makes the Pelican State so memorable. Read about the top five buildings in Louisiana >
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It’s All in the Curious Details
If you’ve been following my blog for a while now, and I hope that you are, you know I have a passion for architecture. I’ve written about castles, cathedrals, mansions, and so many other buildings and their fascinating stories. While I love looking at the entire structure as a whole, sometimes there’s an engaging little otiose detail that may elude me on first glance. Thank goodness for that second look, when these curiosities, thoughtful and often playful, grabbed my attention and made me appreciate the imagination of those who created them. Although some have lost their raison d’être to the mists of time, others can tell an entire history. Read about the top five architectural curiosities >
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Snack Time
At some point during the day, you’re feeling peckish. It’s too early or late for a full meal, but you want something to tide you over while you go on the next hike or visit the next cathedral. For me, these unanticipated little hunger pangs occur suddenly, and that’s when I just start looking around for whatever’s at hand that seems like it would fit the bill. In this way, I’ve discovered some local places that I easily would have overlooked—and that I heartily recommend. Read about them >
Stephen Travels 