Quebec A.K.A. Quebec City has a historic, “Old Quebec” portion which falls within the original city walls. Those walls, The Ramparts, are a world heritage site. Inside lies a charming small French village, full of charming restaurants and high end retail. We admired the beautiful Canadian artistry, unique style, and creativity, but the sticker shock Continue Reading »
We come from the San Francisco Bay Area, and are not foreigners to really good croissants. In the Mission, Tartine Patisserie makes killer croissants…that nonetheless cannot beat those from “Boulangerie Monsieur Maisson” in Montreal. No picture can capture the textured blend of “flake and pull”, and the buttery flavor. Is their a more perfect comfort Continue Reading »
From Albany, CA (our hometown) to Albany, NY, we really have traversed half of the country now. Many states have very nice historic Capital Buildings, often with interesting interiors. Albany has a particularly outstanding State Capital based solely on architecture. The skyline is one of the most iconic we have seen due to Nelson Rockefeller’s Continue Reading »
Doesn’t the featured image tell a story of a feisty and proud tomboy awaiting her punishment, but with the attitude, “Do what you want to me now, at least I got to kick his ass first!” …or perhaps, “Is this fight private, or can anybody get into it?” From the Illustration Museum on Mansion Row Continue Reading »
Founded by Roger Williams after exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans, this state has many remarkable “first” and “oldest” institutions. Fortunately, most of them are in Newport, Rhode Island, which is a very nice place to visit. The historical societies in town have worked hard to certify many buildings as historic monuments, and pride Continue Reading »
If one of your favorite movies was Das Boot, a tense German fictional film about a remarkable submarine crew during combat operations in WWII, you would love a visit to the Naval Submarine Museum next to the US Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut on the Thames River. Outside the museum is this two man Japanese Continue Reading »
Neither Steven nor Sally had been past the airports and Brooklyn on Long Island. Wintry conditions kept the crowds away so we could explore without the rumored summertime nightmare traffic. We started in Glen Cove with our personal tour guide and pal, retired builder Bob. He showed us some of the legendary great homes on Continue Reading »
Five boroughs make up NYC: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island. They are unique governments, like counties. Most of what west coasters think of NYC is Manhattan as the others are “up-island” like The Bronx, or off island. Served by ferry, train, bus, bike routes, 12 bridges, 286 miles of track and countless Continue Reading »
The New York Times instructed us that “Jersey” was a disrespectful diminutive for the Garden State. We don’t feel offended if someone refers to our big city at home as “Frisco”, but not wishing to offend, we are looking for a cortito (nickname) for a state that has a lot of cool stuff going on. Continue Reading »
We love big cities, and 6th in the nation Philly, is a big one. It has the largest urban park (Fairmont), and the most outside murals and sculptures of any U.S. city. These folks are out running, biking and especially sculling on the Schuykil River, in chill winds and using the urban bike routes for Continue Reading »