I was trying to determine if my hotel in Richmond, Virginia—the Commonwealth—was haunted or not. Drawers that opened by themselves, toilet bowls that never flushed the same way twice, lights turned on after I switched them off earlier in the day, an air conditioner that continued to click on and off after I unplugged it from the wall. The Commonwealth doesn’t bill itself as haunted, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the 110-year-old hotel in this terrifically historic city has a few supernatural things lurking about. Fortunately, none of them showed up during my dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, Rueger’s, so you can enjoy your meal where the only spirits come in a glass. Read about it >
Tag Archives: United States
Northern Italian in the Southern United States
Sometimes you just happen upon a restaurant that beckons you. Here in Richmond, Virginia, I was admiring the four-story Art Deco building that used to be the flagship location of Miller & Rhoads Department Store when I noticed that much of the ground floor was now given over to La Grotta, an inviting Northern Italian restaurant that left no choice as to where I would be having dinner. Read about it >
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Making the Rounds of Savannah’s Squares
The first planned city in what would become the United States was Savannah, Georgia, founded in 1733. It’s seductive, genteel, refined, beautiful, historical, sultry, mysterious—and imminently walkable. As I roamed the gorgeous streets of the city’s main historic district, in between all the buildings (every one of which has a fascinating history) and the palm, magnolia, sycamore, and live oak trees with their feathery Spanish moss, I was never very far from one of the district’s 22 squares, inviting green and shady spaces where you can relax and absorb the aura of America’s most atmospheric city. Read about them >
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German Goodness at the Only Schnitzel Bar in Richmond, Virginia
It may not feel exactly like a café or bar you would find in Germany, but it does capture a certain stimmung, a convivial mood that I often found when visiting Germany itself. I didn’t expect that in Richmond, Virginia, but Café Rustika pleasantly surprised me. Serving up German comfort food with smiles and raves for the chef’s creations, the staff here make you feel like you would, if you lived in town, come back again and again. Read about it >
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How to Satisfy Your Hankerin’ for Southern Food in Richmond
On my first night in Richmond, Virginia, I felt the need to go full-on Southern for dinner. Tobacco Company Restaurant certainly had the name that indicated it might fit the bill. And it delivered in a big way, with iconic Southern food, a very lively vibe, and a terrific backstory. Read about it >
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Fired Up
On a cold evening in late October in Granville, Ohio, I entered my accommodation, the Granville Inn, where the flames in the lobby fireplace greeted me and started to thaw me out, exorcising the chill from my body. With the northern half of the globe now ensconced in the winter season, I’m warmed by that memory. Amid all the snow and ice and freezing temperatures, one of the most welcome sights is a fire—well, a contained fire, such as in a fireplace, particularly a wood-burning fireplace, where you can become mesmerized by the dancing flames and the snap, crackle, and pop of the logs as they burn. Even without Christmas stockings that were hung there with care, fireplaces always provide a warm welcome. Read about the top five fireplaces >
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What’s the Deal With Waffles?
Forget those frozen waffles in your freezer. Instead, reimagine them as a filling breakfast bounty, elevating your expectations to a higher level. Then make them Southern. Done? Now you have the Capitol Waffle Shop in downtown Richmond, Virginia, where “waffles are just pancakes with abs.” Read about it >
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Great Churches in the Great Lakes State
By some estimates, there are approximately 12,000 churches in Michigan. Declining attendance in these churches, no matter what the faith, means that many have closed permanently, and many more are headed in that direction, with the very real possibility of being razed. That would be a shame, because these are some very fine buildings that enhance the beauty of cities and towns all around the Great Lakes State. Read about the top five churches in Michigan >
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Marvelous Madison
Often ranked as one of the most livable cities in the United States, Madison, Wisconsin, gets it very right, which catapults onto a short list of places I’d like to live: a gorgeous setting between two lakes, a lively vibe generated from a massive university and as the state capital, plenty of cultural venues, and a smart restriction on the height of its skyline, limited to no more than 1,032’ for all structures within a mile of the state capitol in order to preserve the view of that building from most parts of the city. That means it’s a low-rise city, and it’s filled with terrific edifices of both historic importance and aesthetic glory. Read about the top five buildings in Madison, Wisconsin >
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Autumn in One of America’s Most Beautiful National Parks
Kids were back in school, summer vacations were over, and the temperatures were cooling to my sweet spot: low 60s during the day, dipping down to the 40s at night. It was late September, and I had just spent a few days in Yellowstone National Park before heading south to Grand Teton National Park. I found it difficult to find the mot juste that would adequately describe the beauty of this park; I kept coming up short. Ultimately, I settled on “perfect,” the only word that could do Grand Teton justice. Read about it >
Stephen Travels 