I recently attended an (online) event at the Smithsonian Postal Museum about Rural Mail Carriers where I learned that the mail was once delivered on horseback. This should not have been a surprise to me and yet it was. The speaker, Emily Hilliard, was specifically interviewing Appalachian mail carriers and the horseback mail delivery immediately…
“A good puzzle makes the solver feel smart.” David Kwong A Brief History of the Crossword Puzzle The first crossword puzzle was created by journalist Arthur Wynne and published in the New York World on Sunday, December 21, 1913. Other publications also began to publish similar puzzles and it had become a popular fad in…
Before I started writing here I had already gone on twelve Big Trips! Over time I will be adding the daily overviews of past trips, and today I’m giving you Big Trip 12. We’ve been to so many great places that I hope to inspire your future itineraries with our report. At the end of…
In a recent poll, twenty percent of the people said that they wanted a pet giraffe. I already liked giraffes myself but after researching these stories a bit more, I am definitely part of the giraffe-loving crowd. Of course, I was also ready to get a camel after researching them a few months ago. Do…
There’s just something about popcorn… I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like it. And I’ve also never met anyone who doesn’t develop an instant craving at the very hint of popcorn scent in the air! I found a popcorn museum! The Wyandot Popcorn Museum in Marian, Ohio, is a fun stop for everyone. The cheerful…
No trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, is complete without a visit to the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum. History of Ballooning The first exhibit tells about the history of ballooning from 1783 to the current day. I am always amazed by the hot air balloon gondolas on display, seeing how small they are while reading…
“To sleep, perchance to dream.” – Hamlet/William Shakespeare So apparently, Hamlet is speaking about death rather than actually sleeping and dreaming but it seemed like a fun way to intro this latest installment of 20 Days of Me. I’m not sure what this says about me but my dreams generally fall into one main category…
I love animals, and squirrels are very fun to watch. A while back, I even wrote about a day in the life of a squirrel. Despite my love of their antics and cute faces, I have never considered a pet squirrel, but apparently there are several famous pet squirrels throughout history. Always a squirrel fan,…
You’re probably wondering what a rotary jail is… Well, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s a jail that rotates around a central core with wedge-shaped jail cells. The selling point of this design, patented in 1881 by William H. Brown, is that only one cell at a time could be accessed through…
One of my favorite podcasts, Stuff You Should Know, recently published an episode about water towers. I LOVE water towers so I was super excited to listen. It turns out that Josh and Chuck are also fans but it did make me wonder. Am I unique in my love for water towers? Josh and Chuck…
West with Giraffes is an emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. “Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…” Woodrow Wilson Nickel, West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge Official Synopsis Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his…
Do you remember the Pease Porridge Hot nursery rhyme? Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold. Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old. Some like it hot. Some like it cold. Some like it in the pot, nine days old. -children’s nursery rhyme Apparently, this is a real food that people eat, even today! I…