Search results for 'del marcos hotel'

In the heart of Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville is one of the largest Gingko trees in the state of Kentucky. On a recent visit, we wandered into its presence. All the leaves were a bright yellow. It was 2:00 in the afternoon on November 8^th so the light was hitting the tree at a sharp angle. The reflections off the surface of these usual shaped leaves filtered throughout the giant tree. This tree is the volume of a two-story house with about 3000 square feet. I was told that all Gingko trees shed their leaves on the same day. The gingko is a living fossil dating back 270 million years. The word Gingko is derived from the Japanese word ginkyo meaning “silver apricot”. The realization that this tree was 150 years old reminds us to think about all the history it had witnessed and that we are standing in a sacred place. 

On our way to San Antonio to visit our family, we decided to venture off The Beaten Path onto the Natchez Trace between Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee. The 444-mile two-lane highway is a National Scenic Byway, All-American Road and Designated Bike route. We drove 17 miles southwest of Nashville on I-40W and took Exit 192 onto McCrary Lane. We went five miles to the entrance of the Park. We put on two of our “travel” CD’s consisting of the Grammy Songs from the last two years and headed out to find harmony in midst of a sometimes-troubled world. 

West Baden Springs Hotel is a world-class spa built around a mineral springs in the middle of rural Southern Indiana. Built in 1902, it consists of a six-story domed atrium that is 200 feet in diameter. When you first see this unique structure, you are sure to wonder how and why it is located in Southern Indiana. 

Hot Springs, Arkansas is one of North America’s first resort cities. It is a mix of vintage hotels, Hot Springs National Park, Art Galleries, and historic Bathhouse Row. Nature’s geo-thermal healing powers have attracted people to the hot springs for centuries. 

The American Numismatic Association sponsors the largest and most important coin show each year called the World’s Fair of Money. It is held in August and rotates between the largest cities on the East Coast and Chicago. 

Venice is the most magical, mysterious city I’ve ever visited. It has to be in as close to in its original condition as any city in the world. It consists of a series of over 100 islands built upon centuries ago. It allows you to wander where you want without hearing the sound of any motorized vehicle. That’s right-no motorized vehicles. Think about it. 

Let’s get off the interstate and “Go on Patrol!!” Today we are traveling on 31W, one of the original north south routes that run parallel to I-65 from Michigan to Alabama. On a car lot in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, we found Swope’s Cars of Yesteryear Museum. It is without a doubt the best free Car Museum in the U.S. Owner, Bill Swope, has collected and put on display 60 cars built between 1900 and 1970. They have been lovingly restored in every detail. I am a collector (not of cars) so I’m in total awe at what Mr. Swope has accomplished. He has found many totally original cars that are in “like new” condition. 

Our first trip to Italy was transformational. Art, history, adventure, and trauma (lost luggage) combined to leave a lasting impression and a strong desire to return.

While in Florence, we stayed at the Hotel De Lansi. It provided a comfortable home base with easy walking to many of the pictures we had seen in our art history books while in college. Carolynn was a walking encyclopedia of insight and information about the Renaissance and it's cast of characters. One of our favorite walks was looking for the weird and unusual doors of Florence. 

If you are interested in a combination of Revolutionary and Civil War history, and are passing through rural Virginia, then Tappahannock, on the Rappahannock River is one of your destinations.  Being central to so many stories of America’s past, any road you take getting there will deepen your understanding of the ancestors we owe gratitude to for our modern way of life.  Throughout its history, the Rappahannock River has nurtured all of America’s inhabitants from Native Americans to native wildlife.

During our first trip to Italy, we spent 3 days in Florence. Out the window of our home base, Hotel De Lansi, was the main church of Florence, The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower. The ideas and architectural techniques used to build its dome played an important role in igniting the Renaissance. 

My wife and travel partner, Carolynn, saw The Beatles on September 3, 2023 at the Indianapolis State Fair. She was 13 years old. She sat on the 20^th row on the floor with her friends, Janice and Penny, and her sister, Sharon. “It sounded like being inside a jet engine. I knew then that something bigger than The Beatles was happening”, she told me recently. It changed her life. 

San Antonio, Texas is the happiest large urban city we have ever visited. People looked you in the eye, said hello, and helped you out. The unemployment rate is virtually zero. Everyone has a job. It is booming. It is a great place to go downtown, find a place to park, and just head out for a walk. 

Route 66 took us off the beaten path to discover the amazing Acoma Indians. Members of the Acoma tribe have continuously lived atop a 70-acre plateau called Sky City since 1000 A.D. That’s right- 500 years before Columbus hit our shores in 1492. Sky City is nearly 370 feet above the canyon floor in the desert of Western New Mexico. About 50 Acoma Indians now inhabit the once thriving Pueblo.

Shippingport, Kentucky is a long lost river city that was located between Louisville and Portland in the early 1800’s. When you go there today, you discover how the Ohio River has influenced everyone in the region since Lewis and Clark’s started their journey west at the Falls of the Ohio in 1804. You will find the McAlpine Locks and Dam and a Louisville Gas and Electric Hydroelectric plant, great fishing and one of the best river views of Louisville. 

The Chicago History Museum showcases the important events, people, and groups that have had an impact on the city’s character. It’s a great spot to get the feel of what makes Chicago special. You leave understanding why Chicago is a city of big ideas. 

Although I never get tired of facing off with Sue, the 67 million old, 42 foot long, and 13 feet high, Tyrannosaurus rex, we went back to the Field Museum to see its special exhibit called “Opening the Vaults: Wonders of the 1893 World’s Fair”. This exhibit is special because The Field Museum was primarily an outgrowth of The Columbian Exposition. Many of the artifacts and specimens on display have not been seen since the World’s Fair in 1893.

When I’m looking for a summer retreat for rest and relaxation, I head for the Wax Marina in Wax, Kentucky on Nolin Lake. The Wax Marina provides a beautiful view of a 100-foot limestone cliff and safe haven for boaters and fishermen. It is home sweet home for our pontoon boat “Buttercup”.