Because It’s One, Two, Three Strikes You’re Out (Midwest Travels 2023)

Maybe it was a forgone conclusion that I would grow into a baseball fan – my mother’s family emigrated to California the very same year that the then New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) decided that the 31st state of this nation held the key to future fandom and success for their storied franchises. Ending up in San Francisco, … Continue reading Because It’s One, Two, Three Strikes You’re Out (Midwest Travels 2023)

Tempest in A Teapot Dome: The Harding Presidential Sites (Marion, OH)

Once one of the most populous states in the United States, Ohio has provided this country with one of the highest numbers of this nation’s presidents, clocking in with either seven or eight depending on how you slice it (William Henry Harrison, the man with the shortest presidency, was born in Virginia but made most of his political hay while living in Indiana and Ohio.) … Continue reading Tempest in A Teapot Dome: The Harding Presidential Sites (Marion, OH)

21 Roadtrip Tales for ‘22 (Part 3)

(Part 2 of these 21 Roadtrip Tales can be accessed at the following link) 15) The Old Man and the C(ook) – my parents’ are definitely not getting any younger; I can see it every time I manage to visit them on the West Coast. One of the few things I really miss since moving out to the Midwest is seeing them in person on … Continue reading 21 Roadtrip Tales for ‘22 (Part 3)

21 Roadtrip Tales for ‘22 (Part 2)

(Part 1 of these 21 Roadtrip Tales can be accessed at the following link) 8) It’s An LBC Thang – at casual glance, one would be easy to pair up the perception and size of Long Beach in comparison to Los Angeles and parallel it with Oakland compared to San Francisco. That’s not necessarily an accurate take, especially if you know little of how Los … Continue reading 21 Roadtrip Tales for ‘22 (Part 2)

21 Roadtrip Tales for ‘22 (Part 1)

1) I Would Drive 6,000 Miles: I admit, I didn’t picture ourselves driving to and fro from California to visit relatives after I had moved to Ohio in the early 2010s, but that just goes to show. The decision, mainly driven to airline reliability concerns, turned out to be a blessing too – Mother Nature and modern technology would’ve certainly caused us numerous headaches for … Continue reading 21 Roadtrip Tales for ‘22 (Part 1)

A Ratatouille Moment: Keki’s Cafe (Fremont, OH)

In the Disney/Pixar movie “Ratatouille”, a pivotal moment to the movie’s conclusion plays out when the jaded food critic, Anton Ego, is served what is considered a peasant dish (ratatouille, the movie title) in ostensibly a fine-dining restaurant. Upon his first bite, Ego is transported back to childhood when times weren’t so jaded and a home-cooked meal brought comfort very few other things can. Well, … Continue reading A Ratatouille Moment: Keki’s Cafe (Fremont, OH)

Chatt Session Pt. 3: Ashes to Asheville

It had been four years since we visited Asheville in any meaningful way, and we figured that a one day stop was more than worth it. Of course, things have changed a fair amount since our last visit (Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar is now like 7 minutes from our place in Columbus vs. 7 hours away in Asheville), but as it turned out, … Continue reading Chatt Session Pt. 3: Ashes to Asheville

Chatt Session Pt. 2: Doing the Chattanooga Walk

As we wandered into Downtown Chattanooga the first time, we saw a sign for the International Towing Museum, a museum which definitely sounded up our quirky alley and one we didn’t know about until then. We did not indulge this time, but that proved to be another thing to do that has put this city on a repeat visit in the future. So you ask … Continue reading Chatt Session Pt. 2: Doing the Chattanooga Walk

Chatt Session Pt. 1: I’ve Got My Fare

Our first time trip into Louisville and surrounds in November last year proved to be one dented by good old Mother Nature – rain squelched a lot of our planned outdoor activities, but we still made a pretty good weekend of it. This year, we picked out North Carolina as the destination, but Ma Nature must’ve figured out again we were headed south, as a … Continue reading Chatt Session Pt. 1: I’ve Got My Fare

Canada/US Relations: Final Vacation Notes

Just for now I’d like to restIn the shade of a maple treeTo the blue Canadian skyI’ll say a prayer for the world out thereWhen I walk the hill so highAround the town where I was bornNew York seems so far awayThough I was there just yesterdayI would travel all my lifeIf loneliness was not the priceWhile headin’ north across that line’sThe only time I’m … Continue reading Canada/US Relations: Final Vacation Notes