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Explore a New City Creatively through History – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated I’ve just returned from an easygoing week exploring the cheese, brat and BEER loving midwest state of Wisconsin! The purpose of the trip was for my son to attend his orientation program at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he will be starting this Fall, but being the explorers that we are, we also wanted to check out a few other Wisconsin cities to get a flavor of what summer is like in the dairy state. Our first stop was Milwaukee, a city new to both my husband and I (which is rather strange for my Chicago-born husband, as Milwaukee is only an hour an 1/2…
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Travel Journal – Charles Bridge, Prague
The Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic is one of the top sites to visit. This historic bridge spans the Vltava river and connects Old Town Prague with Prague Castle. In the summer it is bustling with tourists exploring the city and soaking up the views. It’s the perfect spot to stop and capture in your travel journal. I used a simple layout for each image to help convey the beauty of the landmark. Here are a few of my journal pages. We came to this spot twice to soak up the view of the bridge an Prague Castle, once during the day and once at night to see the…
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Travel Journal: Wandering through Le Marché aux Puces de Saint Ouen Paris, France
There is something so romantic about going to the flea market in Paris– oh the treasures you might find! Here is a travel story about visiting the famed markets in Paris, France.
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Culture: History – A Trip to Ellis Island, New York
It should be required that every American take a trip to Ellis Island. It is a historic site that truly embodies the spirit of this country. It is a place that gave hope to 12 million immigrants who passed through its walls between 1892-1954. Regardless of whether you or your ancestors came through here or the Port of Philadelphia, Port of Baltimore, Port of New Orleans, Angel Island or any number of other ports or entry points in America, the museum at Ellis Island captures the essence of how this country has been built. It illustrates how the hopes and dreams of generations of immigrants felt when they first laid eyes on the Statue of…
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Time+Place: Keeping WWII History Alive
There are some history buffs that live and breathe WWII stories. They know the strategies, the battles, the heros and sadly, the carnage. Then there are others like myself. I know some facts from history class, and have been lucky to visit the beaches of Normandy, and some of the war torn areas in France, but as time moves forward, the facts are becoming a bit more fuzzy and the stories I’ve been told are harder to recollect. Sadly, I fear my children will have little understanding of the impact that this war had on the world. When a tour of war aircraft and items from WWII came to our…
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On Location: Neon Heaven at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada
They flashed and illuminated the Las Vegas skyline for years. They told weary travelers to stop and get some rest. They pointed hungry patrons to grab a bite. They lured eager gamblers to spend their hard earned money. There’s nothing more mesmerizing than a bright neon sign to tantalize your eyes and possibly make you do things you didn’t plan to do. But, at one point, the hotel closes, the restaurant shuts down, or the decrepit casino implodes, making way for something more modern, something new. So where do these iconic signs go to die? Fortunately not all are left for scrap and destroyed. Many headed to a boneyard owned…
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Time+Place: Map Puzzles of Famous Cities Through Time
Travel, history, and maps — three of my favorite things all in a puzzle! I can’t think of a better way to learn about a city I am about to visit than playing with one of 4D Cityscape’s Time Puzzles. How does it work? You start by layering the landscape and geographical map of the city to become a 2 dimensional puzzle. Next comes the 3rd and 4th dimension— skyscrapers, monuments, bridges and significant city sites are added based on time. With the help of a Time Poster, you add each building on the map according to the year it was built, and the history of the city unfolds. With…
