By Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw
Upon first seeing Mt. Rushmore, the first thing that goes through your mind is the enormity of it. The second thing is “Wow! How did they do that!” (more…)
Long before there were high rises in Manhattan, ancient people built tall buildings in the cliffs. At Montezuma Castle, a US National Parks Service National Monument, you can see, from a distance, the handiwork of “Sinagua” dwellers from the 12th century. The Park is north of Flagstaff, Arizona near Interstate 17 and is normally $5 per person for those 16 and older.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
This is the last weekend (August 15-16) that the US National Park Service is allowing free entry to over 100 national parks. Montezuma Castle is one of the free locations during this special promotion. See the following list to see what is available to visit for free. (more…)
Oregon is a state of mind. Everywhere we went when we visited years ago, we found ourselves trying to figure out how we could live in that particular locale.
I love the ocean; my husband loves the mountains. Oregon has both ocean and mountains plus waterfalls, hiking, and scenery that truly makes you want to stay. So, Oregon has absolutely charmed us. The Convention and Visitors Bureaus would be proud of us!
Haystack Rock with friend, Cannon Beach, Oregon
Next on our recipe week tour of the USA is Santa Fe -
Red adobe and old world charm make Santa Fe the city you envision when you think of the old Southwest. Artists find the area inspiring and most visitors will, too. There are shops galore, history around every corner and artists displaying their wares, even on the street. (more…)
Since some of our readers visit us from ww.recipes (a terrific site that I’ve been on for 10 years!) , I thought it was time to offer some regional recipes as we tell about our travels around the USA.
We’ll start on the East Coast and hit some major cuisines as we move around the country.
Today, we’ll revisit adventures in New England. Up and down New England, the food and the scenery are exceptional. The cuisine stems from resourceful use of the available fruits of the ocean and the stony earth. The cold winters and very hot and humid summers contribute to the Yankee character – a determination and clever use of what is available.
One of the easiest recipes to prepare is fresh lobster. Purchase a live lobster from a market or – better yet – a lobster fisherman, take it home and cook it for six to 10 minutes in boiling water. Once it turns bright red, it is done.
Depending on your taste and how intrepid you are, you can find edible lobster meat in every part of the lobster. I have been in a fancy restaurant where they offered to pull out the meat for me. Since I had seen them remove only the tail meat, I refused their offer and had a lot more lobster for my dinner.
You can pull out or suck out the meat from the various parts. You might want to avoid the “somali” – some greenish innards, but some people eat that, too. Dipping the results of your efforts in warm lemon butter is a treat you never forget.
When I was a child, we visited friends in Massachusetts who covered their kitchen table with newspapers. Everyone was offered two lobsters to enjoy! That was one of the most informal and festive dinners I’ve ever shared. We were messy, but the camaraderie we shared was terrific!
Maine Lighthouse
If you’re visiting in Maine, some of the seaside restaurants have daily deliveries and let diners choose their dinner from a tank.
Cape Cod, the curved extension of Massachusetts, has Portuguese heritage that is reflected in some of the cuisine.
At the very tip of Cape Cod in Provincetown is a restaurant, the Lobster Pot, that served a Portuguese Kale soup/stew that I’ve never forgotten. I reconstructed the recipe so anyone can make it at home.
1 – 1 LB. sausage – whatever variety you prefer
1 bunch of kale – or cabbage – if kale isn’t available in your market, shredded in small pieces
1 onion or several scallion, chopped
6-8 cups of beef and or chicken bouillon
1 large potato – red-skinned preferred – cut in small cubes
1 cup of red beans, kidney beans preferred
salt and pepper to taste
1. Cut the sausage in thin rounds and brown it in a large pot on a medium flame, turning the rounds so both sides get browned.
2. Add the chopped onion, cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the potato cubes, bouillon and kale and reduce the flame to medium low. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover the pot and let cook until the potatoes are tender – at least 20-30 minutes.
5. Serve in a bowl with some crusty bread on the side and ENJOY!
Serves 4-6 people, depending on how hungry they are.
Before choosing to visit the Getty Center in Los Angeles, I asked a friend who had been there recently if it was worth traveling there. Sometimes things are just hype, after all.
Well, I’m happy to report that the Getty Center is absolutely worth visiting (as my friend said). Especially the buildings, which are works of art themselves.
Arriving from the 405, which can be backed up with typical LA traffic, the Getty Center is reached by a tram from the parking garage. Even the tram ride is an efficient, clean and scenic experience.
Continuing our Los Angeles dining options, we are going to look at a couple of establishments where we had dinner. Both of the following restaurants serve lunch also, with one open for breakfast.
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Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw
When Gold was discovered in the Klondike in 1896 and a ton of gold arrived in Seattle in 1897, the gold rush was on! Everyone rushed to the goldfields through Chilkoot Pass. It was six hundred miles over treacherous and dangerous trails and waterways. Another trail was developed through White Pass and this became the route of the White Pass and Yukon Railroad.
White Pass and Yukon Railroad on its Climb to the Klondike Photo by George Bradshaw
By Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw
A whale watch is a rare and exciting experience that provides views of our fellow mammal, the whale. In Alaska, The whale watch tour we took began in Auke Bay at the marina and traveled through the Saginaw Channel to the Lynn Canal, the main summer feeding waters of the humpback whale. You are always assured of seeing at least one whale, and seeing just one is a rarity. (more…)
By Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw
Ketchikan, referred to as “Alaska’s First City,” is the first port of call for all the cruise lines. Because the cruise lines are the lifeblood of the town, the store’s hours in downtown are “whenever the ships are in port.”
World-famous for the abundance of incredible totem poles in the region, Ketchikan is also known as the “Salmon Capital of the World.” The amazing thing about Ketchikan is that there are no roads into it from the outside world. Everything must be brought in by boat, ferry or plane – even the garbage truck that reads “Satisfaction Guaranteed or Double Your Garbage Back.” (more…)
