Waterparks are for kids, right? I mean, all those slides and chutes and tubes and stuff. All that splish-splashing around and loud shrieking noises. All that wetness. Such was my thinking before I was invited to spend a couple of days at Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort in New Braunfels, Texas. I hadn’t been to a […]
Ron Schluter, a former postmaster, and his wife, Sara, unpredictably created an award-winning upscale restaurant in small-town Nebraska. Neither one had previous food-service experience. Ron tells the story, interspersed with his signature belly laughs. First a bit of intro: Scottsbluff was founded in 1899 along an important landmark, now called the Scotts Bluff National Monument, […]
Whether you are traveling to Japan or an armchair aficionado, “Kimono and the Colors of Japan” is a different sort of guidebook. It’s an exploration of Japanese color theory through the lens of the country’s most iconic and traditional fashion, the kimono. Written by renowned Japanese stylist and kimono antiquarian Katsumi Yumioka, the book looks […]
Since it first opened in 1910, the Blackstone Hotel on Chicago’s famed Michigan Avenue has hosted presidents, mobsters and celebrities. Any tales you have heard about the hotel, which was named for railroad executive and philanthropist Timothy Blackstone, are probably true: Yes, GOP bosses in 1920 met late into the night, chomping on cigars, in […]
Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood is even richer now that Truluck’s Seafood, Steak and Crab House has moved in. The Texas-based, white-tablecloth eatery is renowned for dining excellence and environmental stewardship. That, and Florida stone crab flown straight from the company’s own fisheries. “Our specialty is primarily seafood with an emphasis on crab,” says Brian Wubbena, […]
It’s not often a gas station appears on anyone’s bucket list. Kensinger Service & Supply in Grand Island, NE, isn’t just any gas station. It’s a monument to the early days of American automobile travel: Kensinger’s was built in 1936 along the legendary Lincoln Highway, the country’s first coast-to-coast road. “Lincoln Highway fans want to […]
Madison has everything I look for in a Midwestern getaway: A strong arts and culture scene, fabulous restaurants, outdoor relaxation and a few quirky stories. Oh, and the Wisconsin city is the state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin. Read my story in UrbanMatter Chicago: 7 Top Sites to See in Madison here: […]
