After a two-mile late-afternoon walk down historic Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York, lined with tremendous mansions and noteworthy churches from the city’s heyday, the weather suddenly turned dark, blustery, and chilly. Almost before I began searching for a warm place for dinner, I saw the signage for The Chocolate Bar, the sweetest restaurant in the city. Who could resist that? Read more >
Tag Archives: United States
A Must-see Library Even if You Are Not a Bookworm
With so many outstanding museums to visit in the capital of the United States, not to mention gorgeous churches and the White House and the U.S. Capitol to see how the government is supposed to function, it’s easy to overlook a library, and I had no intention of visiting one. But, uphill from the Capitol, the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress presented an alluring Beaux-Arts profile that I couldn’t resist. Once inside, I was wonderstruck by one of the most sumptuous interiors in all of Washington, D.C. Read more >
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Sunday Driving, Any Day of the Week
Remember when you would get in your car with your family or a friend or two and go for a leisurely drive, with no particular agenda or destination? If so, it’s probably a memory from a long time ago, when driving wasn’t a hassle, when roads weren’t littered with potholes and road ragers, when traffic was light, and when gasoline and tolls were affordable. But anyone eager to hit the road just for the heck of it shouldn’t be discouraged. There are still plenty of places where a casual drive — punctuated by mesmerizing scenery — is delightfully possible. Read more about the top five drives in the world >
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Seattle’s Art World at Its Most Brilliant
Another gray, wet day in Seattle had me searching for indoor activities. The tall, black, steel man with the hammer on a downtown street corner caught my eye, even through the rain and from under the shelter of my umbrella. Unperturbed by the tail end of the morning rush hour, he maintained a steady and soundless rhythm as he beat at the air high above the corner of University Street and 1st Avenue. He also lured me to the building behind him, which quickly ended my quest: the Seattle Art Museum. Read more >
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Get Your Motor Runnin’ at the Gilmore Car Museum
Even if you could not possibly care less about cars and the automotive industry, you can’t leave Michigan without having developed, at the very least, a passing fascination with them and the urge to head out for a beautiful drive. To cultivate that seed of interest, or to fuel a passion that you already have, cruise over to the expansive Gilmore Car Museum in tiny Hickory Corners — one of the largest car museums in North America. Read more >
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When Orange Is More Than Your Morning Juice
For those of us who live in certain climates, autumn brings a joyful change of season, when comfortably brisk days replace oppressive summer heat, and green foliage gives way to all-too-brief displays of flashy colors — especially a vibrant orange. If you don’t reside in a locale that’s blessed with this annual switch, you can get your fix of orange with an intricately carved jack-o-lantern or a Cincinnati Bengals game. And if you’re not privy to any of this, there are still plenty of oranges around the world that will capture your attention. Read more about my top five oranges >
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What Lies Beneath Seattle, Washington
A forgotten but not-so-secret city wound its way under my feet in Seattle. I didn’t know it existed, but my first hint that something lurked below was the small and thick amethyst-hued squares of glass embedded in the sidewalks around Pioneer Square. I found myself wondering what purpose they served. When I discovered that they were skylights for an underground city, I simply had to know more. Fortunately, there’s an exceptionally popular tour that explains all the mysteries. Read more >
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Navigating Your Way Through the Largest Art Museum in the United States
If you’ve ever visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, you know it is the leading art museum in the city, the largest in the United States, and one of the best in the world. If you’ve never been there, here’s a tip: Do not try to see it all in one day. You will fail. Its collection of every kind of art, from paintings, photographs, sculptures, and ivory carvings, to jewelry, musical instruments, Fabergé eggs, and samurai swords, is far too deep to conquer in one visit. Instead, pick a few things you’re particularly interested in and save the rest for another time—and be prepared to walk a few miles within the museum itself. Still too overwhelming? Then read about the top five things you must see and do >
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Where Politics Do Not Matter: The Best Churches in Washington, D.C.
They’ve witnessed papal visits, presidential funerals, memorial services for war and terrorism victims, and countless weddings. For anyone visiting the capital of the United States who isn’t attending a particular headlines-generating service, however, they’re simply beautiful attractions with impressive art, long histories, and no interest in your political affiliation. Read more about the top five churches in Washington, D.C. >
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The Best Ways to Spend Some Time in Bismarck, North Dakota
Of all the people I know who have gone to Bismarck (a number that is, quite truthfully, very tiny), none intended to have a wild, rollicking, what-happens-there-stays-there time. The capital of North Dakota is calm and quiet, and the residents seem to like it that way. So, if you’re seeking the flash of, say, Minneapolis, you won’t find it here, even though the city has been growing by double-digit percentages every decade since 1880. But if you live a frenetic lifestyle and want a shift of gears, and if you remain observant, you’ll find some lovely gems. Read more about the top five things to see and do in Bismarck >
Stephen Travels 