In the waning (and beautiful) late summer light, the train followed the Mississippi toward St. Paul after crossing over in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I was treated to ever-changing river views as the sun slowly set and the views eventually turned dark. July 2021 I had visited a small stretch of the northern Mississippi with Brian years before when we traveled between Macgregor and Dubuque, Iowa. At that time, I was shocked that the river valley was "hilly" and forested. Previo

High on my "must-see" list for years was the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. Because it is out of town (on an island), I never had time to visit on past visits. After the cruise to Mexico [see: Norwegian Jade - Mexican Riviera ], I had an entire morning and afternoon to kill before I could get into the room. I walked along the harbor to Seaport Village and then realized I was almost to the ferry out to Coronado. Why not? It runs hourly and I had heaps of time. In fac

The bonus of summer travel is long days, especially in the northern US. Even though the Empire Builder left Milwaukee at 4pm, I enjoyed daylight for much of the journey. The weather had improved, too. I visited Wisconsin twice before with Brian and liked it. Brian always loved Pennsylvania and, after visiting Wisconsin, I understood why. Minus Lake Michigan, I think Wisconsin most approximates the state where I grew up. The journey passed many lakes as the rails diag

In a very short space of time (only a week), I found myself taking another deeply discounted cruise. After leaving New Orleans [see: Norwegian Escape - Central America ], I flew to LA to spend time with TFR. I had stumbled on another deeply discounted cruise leaving from San Diego. Ironically, the very same cruise on a much larger (and newer) ship was departing from the Port of Los Angeles at the same time. However, getting to San Pedro, Long Beach from T's house was NOT

Lakeshore State Park I put off a visit to the lake the entire visit to Milwaukee due to gray skies and cool breezes. There remained almost one full day before the train onward, but unfortunately, I didn't catch a break with the weather. If I wanted to see the lake, it was my only chance. For as much as I had come to love the city, its skies didn't love me back. I walked from the hotel to Lakeshore State Park, which provides an excellent view of the city skyline and expansi

On my first Pacific cruise with Brian, our stop in Mazatlán was cancelled due to "security concerns". Since we were on a party cruise, we ended up spending another day in Cabo - no one cared. However, I always felt a tinge of regret missing it. On the cruise from New York to LA, the final stop in Mexico was Puerto Vallarta, so there was no chance to visit then either. Finally, on my third trip down the Pacific coast, the city was included on the itinerary. The ship pu

The "Historic Third Ward" is an old neighborhood connected to manufacturing and Great Lakes shipping; it is filled with old buildings and warehouses that have been totally gentrified. Now it is one of the most desirable places to live in the city. The Third Ward is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Milwaukee. During the early years of the city, the Third Ward was a relatively flat, swampy area located between the shore of Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River. In the 1850s,

I had been to Cabo San Lucas with Brian on a cruise about 15 years earlier, and we opted for the boat ride to see the famous "El Arco" natural archway at land's end (very beautiful - no regrets). On my second trip, I wanted to see something on land. Since most of Cabo San Lucas was built starting in the 80s, the town is focused 100% on tourism. I noted the cruise offered an excursion to a colonial mission about an hour north of the port. That appeared to be something I

In the rush to bring freeways into cities (while disconnecting and destroying neighborhoods) across the US, one such highway was approved and planned for in Milwaukee. Although cleared of property, the land was never used (thank God). The area, however, remained empty (and an eyesore) - it was literally in the center of the city. The Milwaukee Bucks (and the Marquette University Golden Eagles) were in desperate need of a new stadium. Hence, the Fiserv Forum was construc

I always wanted to take the train along the California Coast. Not that I hadn't been on coastal trains before - even the ones between New York and Boston sometimes (briefly) pass next to the sea. However, I had a goal of riding the one in California for years. Finally, I got my chance. I was taking a cruise out of San Diego and prior to that I stayed with TFR in LA. After leaving the massive Los Angeles sprawl (it takes an hour), just after San Juan Capistrano, the trai

On the mainland side of the Milwaukee River lies West Town, the other half of the city's downtown. I passed by this iconic pub on Wisconsin Avenue. Like many iconic American beers, the Miller Brewing Company was started by a German immigrant. Born November 24, 1824 in Riedlingen, Germany, Frederick J. Miller hailed from a family of politicians, scholars, and business owners. His calling as a brewmaster came in his early twenties. On his way back to Germany after seven years

January 2026 Ironically, I have only visited New Orleans in January, and of the three times I arrived (with Brian in the early 90s and pre- & post-cruise in 2026) the weather was unseasonably cold. I realize that NOLA is not balmy in January, but temperatures in the 40s in the daytime were never my expectation. After the my first cruise with Norwegian Cruise Lines [see: Norwegian Escape - Central America ), I stayed a full day in the city. It reminded me how much I loved th

On walks to and from the lake, I passed through the portion of downtown Milwaukee known as Juneau Town (or Downtown East). It holds a large number of buildings from the age when large structures were constructed to impress. In fact, Milwaukee reminded me more of Cleveland (another formerly great city on a lake) because of its large number of impressive downtown buildings I passed over the Milwaukee River and immediately noted a large, restored building - the Pabst Theatre.

Having found an incredible price on a single cabin, I traveled to New Orleans to try Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) for the first time. I will also admit to experiencing my first very cold winter in four years was no fun, so "escaping" seemed a valid choice. January 2026 I departed an unusually cold Washington, DC in hopes of enjoying warmer weather. Granted New Orleans is warmer than DC in January, it was still not as warm as it usually is upon my arrival. I was reminded of

July 2021 Note : the restaurant closed in 2022, sadly. It was one of the first places to open on the newly expanded RiverWalk 25 years earlier. I was ready for lunch and found a brewpub online that was open for regular business. I was in Milwaukee - having a lunch with beer seemed appropriate. I took a seat at the bar. Eating solo at a bar is far less isolating than taking a table. I love watching bartenders and servers do their jobs as I eat. The beer was good and my

San Gervasio is an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the northern third of the island of Cozumel off the northeastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, in what is now the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. San Gervasio's pre-Hispanic name was Tantun Cuzamil, Mayan for Flat Rock in the place of the Swallows. The ruins were once a hub of worship of the goddess Ix Chel, an aged deity of childbirth, fertility, medicine, and weaving. Pre-Columbian Ma

July 2021 I am a huge Calatrava fan, by accident. I saw two of his major works before becoming familiar with him - the first was the airport in Bilbao and the next, the railway station in Liège, Belgium. At that point I looked him up online and learned more about his work. Later, I was duly impressed with his buildings in Valencia's City of Science. What I had overlooked was that his first project in the USA was the art museum in Milwaukee. I walked from the hotel to

January 2026 Most major cruise lines have developed one small island into a private resort. Many of them are in the Bahamas, but Norwegian Cruise Lines established one in Belize. Although excursions are available, the focus of a private island is for passengers to get off the boat and enjoy what is on offer (shopping, restaurants, activities, and beaches) literally right at the end of the pier. Only NCL guests are permitted on the island, too. Such experiences are very un

I arrived in Chicago from St Louis in the late afternoon and quickly walked to the hotel. I stayed in a hostel (at least with a private room), because all other options were way over budget. I discovered that I was in Greektown which ended up being a godsend since it meant many cheap food choices were available (and during COVID most of Chicago's restaurants had gone to take-away only). I found something to eat and then relaxed in the room. The following day I would head

January 2026 Roatan came into vogue at as a cheap alternative to Costa Rica and Mexico. As it became established, prices increased, better infrastructure was built, and cruise ships started to call. Roatan is now "known" and no longer as inexpensive (as is often the case with places that become famous destinations). If anyone travels to the Caribbean coast of Mexico, Belize, and Honduras, they will hear repeatedly that those countries hold the world's second largest barrie