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

Arthur Fonzarelli July 2021 I had no plan for Milwaukee. Between the limitation on available seats for the Amtrak Pass and the places I could easily travel from Chicago, traveling there was an "easy" choice. After all, I had never been and the whole point of the trip was to discover new places. I arrived to a wonderfully modern station built for the many commuters who travel to Chicago daily. In terms of user-friendliness, Milwaukee's "Intermodal Station" got very high m

January 2026 Archaeological evidence places the earliest human presence in the Chacchoben region around 1000 BC. Excavations reveal a complex history of occupation, abandonment, and resettlement. The site's structures bear the marks of multiple modifications, with the most significant alterations occurring between 300 and 360 AD, a period of notable development and change. Archaeological evidence indicates that Chacchoben continued to hold ceremonial significance long after

After visiting the cold and cloudy lake, I returned through the park to the Art Institute. I hoped to pop inside for a few photos of the lobby, but it was strictly on a time-entry ticket basis due to COVID. No worries - Brian and I had visited years before. I love the collection - especially the French Impressionists. Not far from the Art Institute I stumbled across the start of Route 66. One of my brother's long-held dreams is to travel its length. My image of that f

Rose Garden After crossing Michigan Avenue, I entered Grant Park on the way to the lake. I passed yet another statue of Lincoln and thought "Oh my God enough" (after my stay in Springfield among lots of Lincoln likenesses). The gardens are meticulously maintained and on a rainy day during COVID there was virtually no one around. I literally stumbled upon the Buckingham Fountain (I had forgotten about it). The place is one of the symbols of the city and has appeared in co

December 2021 Great Falls of the Potomac is one of those places whose name outsizes what actually exists. The falls are absolutely beautiful, but they are more a series of rapids than a classic waterfall. In the past, they also created a serious barrier to small boats navigating the Potomac. The name came from the difficulty in getting by them - not from being some "Niagara-like" cataract. When I lived in Washington in younger days, I rode my bicycle to the falls from th

July 2021 After suddenly cancelling part of my trip due to increased COVID cases, I struck northward. Although I thought time in Chicago would be nice, I had already visited the city - the focus of the jubilee trip was on seeing new places. In fact, it was easy to book Amtrak tickets to Milwaukee, but I overnighted in Chicago because I didn't want to arrive late in Milwaukee (and I wasn't confident about changing trains due to Amtrak's frequent delays). So it was that I

October 2025 The Highland Park community of Los Angeles is just northeast of Downtown and is considered part of NELA. It’s main street – Figueroa Street – was part of the Transitional (1932-1934) and Alternate (1936-1940) Alignments of Route 66. This main drag was replaced on December 30, 1940 with the Arroyo Seco Parkway, which would itself become Route 66. Thus, Highland Park is the first community along Route 66 to be bypassed by a freeway. Highland Park has always been a

July 2021 The journey to Chicago from St Louis takes about five hours by train. It was my first "big flat" crossing of the trip. I had seen half of the scenery before on the train from Normal, but I didn't get a window seat (as the train did not originate in Normal). On the trip to Chicago, I made sure to secure a view. On the plus side, while Amtrak in the Northeast almost purposely seems to run through industrial blight and lovely views from the train are few and far b

July 2021. Before leaving I wanted to see at least one neighborhood in St. Louis. Just outside of downtown lies Soulard with its old market - highly recommended. Prior to any buildings, local farmers set up in a ring with horses and wagons, from which they would sell their goods. Some farmers would set up as early as 3 a.m., customers would arrive around 6 a.m., and by 10 a.m. the market would be full of people. In the late 1830s–1840s, a main market building was built and

July 2021 The first train pulled into Union Station on September 1, 1894 at 1:45pm, ushering in a new and exciting time for St. Louis. The city known for being the gateway to the West suddenly became a gateway to all of America. Over the next several years, Union Station would become one of the largest and busiest passenger rail terminals in the world. The station saw some of its highest traffic during the World’s Fair of 1904 and World War II. Travelers moved in droves thro

July 2021 With the exception of feeling sad that LaClede Landing was all that remained of Old St. Louis, I was still on a high about the city before I walked through "downtown" on my way to the former train station. My opinion of St Louis was about to change radically. I first passed the Federal Reserve Bank (not surprising given the past importance and location of the city). Then I entered downtown. Even during COVID, it was clear that the city center had fallen on ver

January 2020 While exploring a largely shuttered Valencia (due to Epiphany), I came across this outdoor painting. I was surprised mainly because Indonesian art is not very popular outside of Indonesia (with the exception of the Netherlands). What was even more striking to me was that it was not the entrance to an Indonesian restaurant - it appeared random. Wayang Golek in Valencia? I was filled with questions - it was all so unexpected. The mural was also "incorrect".

July 2021 All that remains of "Old St Louis" is the small neighborhood of LaClede's Landing down on the Mississippi. The area now is filled with shops and restaurants with a lovely path to walk along the river. It made me realize that St Louis is actually built far above the floodplain of the river (good choice), so it has escaped the ravages of flooding over the years. The quest for founding the city of St. Louis began in 1763, when a French merchant named Pierre Laclèd

July 2021 I was never compelled to visit the Gateway Arch. Built to impress, it always looked out of place in photos. In my case, it is a monument that needed to be visited in person. It IS impressive and overwhelming. I am so happy my travels led me to it. Beyond its memorial significance, the arch is something that can be photographed multiple angles at various times of day to yield very beautiful (and different) results. I became an arch fan shortly after walking u