Take me to the river(towns!)

During a pause in my preparations for Maine, I thought of some info to share with you about a few spots closer to home. In the past week or so, I’ve ventured slightly south to hit up a couple of cool places, some new, some well established, of which you should be aware. First up … Continue reading Take me to the river(towns!)

Maine, man

My history with the state of Maine is limited and not all together positive. Even though it’s been close to 25 years since I visited Portland and Camden on a decades ago anniversary weekend, I’ve retained a few distinct impressions from that trip. It’s far, like really far. I remember thinking that the license plate … Continue reading Maine, man

Philly for 48+ hours

My second March mini getaway was a train trip to Philadelphia with my OG Albany (via South Troy) friend, Mary. It was her first visit to the city of Brotherly Love and my third and we got lucky with good weather, easy train connections and a hotel located right next to the Reading Terminal Market. … Continue reading Philly for 48+ hours

Your trash and my dirty weekend

If you follow me on other social media sites, you know that I’ve been dealing with a serial polluter in my neighborhood. This person, who has a consistent drink order at Dunkin and an appreciation for breakfast sandwiches with sausage and filet of fish from McDonald’s, has been dumping their garbage on the side of … Continue reading Your trash and my dirty weekend

Getting Hot

One of my favorite hotel stays was many years ago in Amsterdam - and no, I’m not talking about that sweet botel docked behind Centraal Station again. This was a much later visit, with my then-teenaged oldest son and my German uncle and aunt. It was also situated behind Centraal Station but was decidedly much … Continue reading Getting Hot

A new year – the Winter Solstice, Manifestations and Salutations

As has been the case numerous times in recent years, I jetted down to Greene County Sunday night for the annual Catskill Winter Solstice Stroll. It really has grown into one of my favorite holiday events, one that is reliably scheduled for 12/21, regardless of day of the week, each year. I admire the pluck … Continue reading A new year – the Winter Solstice, Manifestations and Salutations

Quelle surprise!

The time I spent recently in Montreal was fundamentally sans agenda. Yes, there were a couple of jazz shows for which I had tickets, but we didn’t have as much as a single reservation for dining or specific plans for the majority of the roughly 72 hours we were in Canada. Being wide open leaves … Continue reading Quelle surprise!