by Roy StevensonI’m overwhelmed by the loud, rhythmic sounds of people chanting and drumming. Hundreds of people swirl around in multi-colored batik sarongs and skirts. Bright sunshine … suffocating heat and humidity … a sweet perfumed smell of flowers and incense wafting across the potholed asphalt … all of this gives me sensory overload. Standing on the brown […]
by M. Joy GorenceLocated about six miles south of the intersection of Routes 951 and 41, a fishing village in southwest Florida transforms itself into a gathering spot every Sunday afternoon for an eclectic array of visitors. On the road to Goodland early Sunday mornings, local fishing enthusiasts claim their favorite spots. Folding chairs, umbrellas […]
by Tracy CheneySurrounded by immense swaths of stark desert, three “island” environments rise into the sky above the searing lands of the southern continental U.S., each offering refuge to unique species of plants and animals. Far-sighted efforts have preserved these “islands” as national parks to protect the unique ecosystems evolved in isolation over eons. Each […]
by Elaine Strom“Scenic 7,” the hushed pathway that twists and turns north and south through the Ouachita National Forest of the Ozark Mountains, is the breathtaking byway of central Arkansas.A misty morning drive along the byway at daybreak, dipping through hollows and rising to ridges, culminates in a scenic view of the Ozark Canyon in […]
by Gary Buffone“DON’T MAKE EYE CONTACT!” my fishing buddy shouted from a distance upstream. An important reminder as I stared into the eyes of the advancing 10-foot brown bear that had quietly floated downstream to just a few feet from the tip of my fly rod. As I quickly shuffled backwards in knee-deep water, I […]
by Lori Allen Our guidebook forgot to mention that Shanghai is a madhouse. A warning for us rookie visitors would have been nice. It was my first time to Shanghai (and, in fact, my first time to Asia) and my husband and I were completely shell-shocked.
