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 >
Tag Archives: USA
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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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 >
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Arkansas’ Attractive Architecture
I wasn’t planning on spending much time in Arkansas’ cities. I was there to take part in the state’s wonderful nature, at its most irresistible during the fall foliage season. I was staying in Hot Springs more for its central location and proximity to Hot Springs National Park than for its built-up environment. How surprised I was, however, when I came upon some outstanding edifices that wonderfully complemented all my time out in the woods and on lakes. Read about the top five buildings in Arkansas >
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When Your College Dorm Used to Be a Hotel for the Super Rich
On my way to a wedding farther south in Florida, I stopped for a few days in St. Augustine, one of that spectacular triumvirate of architecturally grand cities in the Southeast. I had already been to Charleston, South Carolina, and I’ve been to Savannah, Georgia, three times. St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States (founded in 1565), was the standout, and I was thrilled to finally visit it. One of its many highlights is the incredible main building of Flagler College. Formerly a majestic hotel, it now functions mostly as a dorm. It’s still so beautiful that it offers tours not only to prospective students, but to the general public, and it’s filled with an abundance of treats and secrets. Read about it >
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The Best Buildings in Portland, Oregon
Known for its focus on urban planning, Portland, Oregon, takes its architecture seriously. It’s second only to Chicago in the number of LEED-accredited “green buildings” in the United States and is steadfast in preserving and repurposing older buildings. Height restrictions on new construction preserve views of Mt. Hood. But as I roamed around this likable city, I found that the most impressive buildings were those that predated the concept of urban planning. Read about the top five buildings in Portland >
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California Is Golden for Many Reasons
The third-largest state in the United States—and arguably the most famed, iconic, referenced, idealized, and vilified—California has always been many things to many people, from the 300,000 indigenous people who lived here before the Europeans showed up, to miners with gold fever who flocked here in the mid-1800s, to drought-weary Okies looking for salvation during the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s. Now, even if you’re not an aspiring actress lured by the glitz of Hollywood, or a granola or surfer dude looking to live off the grid, the Golden State and its vast array of attractions will lure you here and inevitably make an indelible impression upon you. Read about the top five things to see and do in California >
Stephen Travels 