New Year...Road Trip!

Planes are great, and I love them.  They fly high and give you that one of a kind view of the world.  They get you where you're going fast.  It's the way of the modern era to get there fast, see what you went to see, do what you went to do, and get out.  Adrenaline junkies are climbing Everest, the luxury crowd is in the Maldives, the gamblers still flock to Monte Carlo, and everyone loves to take a cruise.  Seriously people, do you wanna get away?  Don't call Southwest.  Get behind the wheel and drive.

I hadn't taken a road trip in a while, and I have to say that for all the traffic at the borders, and all the strange things we saw along the way; it was so worth it.  My road trip went from my home in Connecticut to Niagara Falls, across southern Ontario to Michigan, through Frankenmuth and Ann Arbor and Hell and Saugatuck, across northern Indiana and Ohio to Cleveland, through the Poconos and back home.  Great trip.  It was a convenient route for me and we saw many amazing places and things along the way.  I love road trips because of the scenery.  I love the view from a plane, but it's all the same.  If you've seen one sky view, you've seen most of them.  So, in this time of get there fast and rush, rush, rush; I urge you to take a walk on the scenic side and take a road trip.  Here's a few roads well worth traveling.  They come in no particular order.  I just like the idea of all of them.

1.  Route 66 is one of the most famous roads in America.  It's a nostalgia trip for a lot of folks and this shot of the road as it travels the southwest is one of the most common photos of the road.  Route 66 goes from Chicago to California across the southwestern states, and is disconnected in some areas.  You can find a map of the actual Route 66 pretty much anywhere on the web or from your AAA local office.

Along Route 66 you will find a lot of 1950's style stops.  It gives a real old time feel to your travels.  It's so easy to take I-40 across the area.  It's a wonderful change to take the time to embrace the ways of old and take the time to enjoy the amazing scenery and lifestyle that exists along Route 66 and if you work your imagination a little, you can visualize some of the movie "Cars" as well.

2.  Route 50 is the old time nostalgia road that you probably don't know about.  Route 66 has been romanticized and immortalized a thousand times over, but it's Route 50 that actually runs from coast to coast across America.  It starts in Ocean City Maryland and ends on the Pacific coast close to the Redwood National Forest.  It's over 3,000 miles long and runs right across the midsection of the country so you get to see the great plains of Kansas and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado on your way.

Route 50 is known as the loneliest road in America, but that just means less traffic.  The scenery is stunning and the variety of sights to see is amazing.  You get to cross the Mississippi at St. Louis just like Route 66, but you also get that scenic trip through Utah and Nevada that the other road is missing.  Let me tell you, there's a lot to see along this road, and it's so worth the trip.  It's the only road that completely crosses the country and goes through three of the major mountain ranges on it's way.

3.  The Great Ocean Road might give you good reason to take a plane since it's in Australia's Victoria Province.  This road is for you ocean loving peoples.  It runs from Geelong to Portland along 250 miles of coastline.  It winds and climbs up and down cliffs and has a ton of things to see and do along the way.  Southern Australia is a gorgeous place to spend some time with the top down and the wind blowing your hair.

The twelve apostles are one of the more famous attractions along the road, but it is also home to some of the best surfing in the world.  You can visit Otway National park and take a walk through the trees or to view their amazing waterfalls.  You can take a trip out to watch whales or go ziplining along the way.  As with all great roads, take the time to take pictures.  If you love photography, there is nothing like a really great road.

4.  The Amalfi Coast Road is a little more dramatic than even the Great Coast Road.  If you like a little height and cliffs full of hairpin turns, then this is the coast road for you.  This road runs from Sorrento to Salerno along the coast of Italy.  The coast of the Mediterranean Sea is one of the best drives in the world by any stretch of the imagination and the rich and famous would agree, because they tend to hang out there.  But, it's the stretch of road that runs from Sorrento City to Amalfi Village that is the most dramatic.  It's only 30 miles of road, but the hairpin turns and the fact that the road hangs right off the edge of enormous cliffs the entire way that makes it amazing.

There are little to no guardrails along the way, so that the view is not impeded, so be careful.  And do take your time.  There are a bunch of great places to stop along the way.  The villages hang right off the cliffs and it's a lot of fun to stop and get something to eat or spend a night.  It's a great culture trip as well as an amazing drive.

5.  The Atlantic Coast Road is only 5 miles long, but what a 5 mile stretch of road.  Running from Molde to Kristiansund in Norway, it is one of the most dramatic drives in the world.  I'm not joking.  Look around.  It makes everybody's top 10 list.  You can traverse the entire coast of Norway by driving and taking ferries, but this section is truly amazing from the scenery to the idea that it was even built.

The road crosses several islands of an archipelago with 8 bridges and a bunch of landfill areas.  It connects to some very interesting little islands where you can visit the locals and learn about their culture.  The road was basically built to encourage tourism in 1989, but one thing is for sure; if you like a view of the ocean, you won't be disappointed.  On this road you pass some of the highest cliffs in Europe and the area is the mouth of one of the biggest fjords in the world.

6.  Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road is one of those things that you just have to see.  Unlike the coastal scenic roads, this baby runs right up a mountain in the middle of the desert in the United Arab Emirates.  The only real goal is to drive the road and see the view from the top, because the only thing up there is a palace belonging to one of the locals and a parking lot.  Once again, the road is not long at 7.3 miles, but it does have 60 sharp turns on it and climbs in elevation some 4,000 feet during the ascent.  There are parts of the road that have an %8 grade climb as well.

This is one of those things that you just need to do.  It belongs in the category of we did it because we could, and sometimes that makes for the perfect reasone to take part.  The UAE is one of those amazing places in the world that's a haven against all the terrorism around it, and it's got more billionaires than anywhere else in the world.  While you're visiting you can ski inside and visit the world's tallest building.  You can stay on man made islands and play on giant Jeeps.  This drive is just one more amazing thing about visiting the United Arab Emirates.

7. The Oberlap Pass of Switzerland is only one of the many Alpine Passes that the country is famous for.  In Switzerland you can always take a train if you don't wish to do the driving.  They go absolutely everywhere, even over the high mountain passes.  The road through the Oberlap Pass goes about 20 miles through hairpin turns, tunnels, and over many bridges from Disentis to Andermatt.  It's not for the feint of heart at about 6,000 feet up, but then again, I can tell you that driving in Switzerland is not for the feint of heart.  There are little to no guardrails and the belief is that you should be paying attention.

One thing that I can say is that there is no more beautiful scenery than in Switzerland.  The Alps are something that are not only amazing in size but they have a certain romance about them.  This is just one of many great drives in Switzerland.

8.  Selvio Pass, Italy is also an Alpine wonder and is one of the highest of all mountain passes in the Alps.  It runs from Selvio to Bormio right along the Swiss border by St. Moritz.  It's 26 miles long and runs an elevation over 9,000 feet.  It is one of the more famous pass roads in the Alps and you may have seen it on Top Gear or in the James Bond movie "Goldfinger."

This is one of those roads that you don't want to take without a little practice.  There are many mountain pass roads in the Alps that you can practice on.  This one, like most is closed some of the year.  But, for the skiing enthusiasts the summer is good.  There are many places in the area that have skiing all year round.  Also, St. Moritz is one of the places that claims to have created Alpine Skiing in the first place, so it's a great stop along the way.

9. The Transfagarasan Highway of Romania is known commonly as Ceausescu's Folly.  It runs 55 miles through the Carpathian Mountains between the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia.  It has an interesting history.  It was built by Nicolae Ceausescu to thwart what he believed was an impending invasion by the Soviet Union shortly after they invaded Czechoslovakia.  We all came to realize that Ceausescu was a little nuts and that eventually led to his demise when his own people overthrew and killed him, but the road lives on and is one of the most amazing roads in the world.

This road also was featured on Top Gear and Jeremy Clarkson called it the greatest road in the world.  Was it necessary?  No, but it's a great drive in a fascinating country.  Sometimes history is all you need to make it a great trip.

But, what makes great road trip?  The scenery does it for me.  I love the open road, and I love to take a good road trip.  So, as much as I would love to take some of those roads, they just don't seem long enough for me.  What's the solution to that you ask?

10.  Route 40 in South America.  This road runs over 3,000 miles along the Andes running the length of Argentina.  It's not all paved even though the government thought that it would be done by now.  You may have to take Jerican or two to use along the way, but it will not disappoint.  There are amazing little villages and high mountain passes.  It's the kind of adventure that you can only have in South America.

Route 40 will take two to three weeks to drive.  Take the time, slow down, and enjoy the scenery.  Meet some people, learn about a culture, and do some ziplining.  There are so many things to see and do along this road that you will be surprised.  There are several national parks along the way.  There are glaciers to see in Patagonia.  It's one amazing adventure, and after all this is Adventures for Anyone.
Enjoy!

http://www.patagonia-argentina.com/i/content/ruta40.php
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https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred

New Year's From a New Perspective

We all watch television and look on the internet to see what the rest of the world is doing to celebrate New Year's.  It's the modern era, and even if we're out at a party or standing in Times Square itself, we wonder what the rest of the world is doing at midnight to ring in the new year.  So, it's not a great travel spot, but it did interest me a great deal, so I bring you two of the most unique islands in the world.  Big and Little Diomedes.  You may ask what is so unique about two frozen pieces of ice.  Well, let me tell you, coming from someone who is completely fascinated by Alaska and Russia, they are really something.  There was a point where the whole world was talking about the statement that Sarah Palin made about being able to see Russia from Alaska.  Sounded stupid, right?  Well, Little Diomede Island is in Alaska and Big Diomede Island is in Russia.  You really can see Russia from Alaska.

The native population was removed from Big Diomede Island during the Cold War and is now strictly military.  Not to say that people haven't visited there, but you would have to get permission from the Russian government.  In the winter you can ride a snowmobile over there if you like.  The Bering Strait freezes solid for a couple of months each year.  On Little Diomede Island is the village of Inalik and you can visit that town anytime.  You may need to make arrangements for a home visit, but the locals love visitors, so check it out.  About 130 people live on that island year round.  It's easier to get there in the winter than the rest of the year, so visiting for New Year's is perfect.

So, what's so fascinating about this place other than the fact that they are only 2.4 miles apart and are representing two countries that have a sordid history?  Well, the time difference, that's what.  The time difference between these two islands is 21 hours.  The International Date Line runs right in between them.  Big Diomede is called the Island of Tomorrow.  There is no place else on earth, accept some places around Antarctica where the dateline is so close to both sides.  They are far from pretty much everywhere else, but they are very close to one another.

The village of Inalik is on the west side of the island, and about four hours ago as I'm writing this, Big Diomede Island celebrated the new year.  If there were fireworks, the people of Inalik could watch.  As I'm writing this, Little Diomede Island will be celebrating the new year in about 17 hours.  If there are any fireworks there, the Russians can watch them.  It's a unique view of the world.  It's something that you can't get anywhere else.

So, on Big Diomede Island; Happy New Year!  On Little Diomede Island; Happy New Year's Eve!  I hope that I get to experience that one some day.  It's truly unique and no matter how unstable the relationship is between our two countries, they are neighbors in the Bering Strait.  I have heard stories about travel between the islands.  I bet they make pretty good neighbors.  After all, the natives that used to live on Big Diomede Island were somehow connected to the natives on Little Diomede.  So wherever you are, enjoy New Year's.  It's a great time for fresh starts and putting the past year's bad things to rest.  It's a great time of year, so enjoy!


http://www.adn.com/article/remote-little-diomede-comes-closer-rest-world
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There's No Place Like Home For the Holidays

Home has changed over the years, and so has the weather.  It's Christmas Eve, I'm sitting here getting ready to spend my last Christmas Eve closing a Walmart, and it's almost 65 degrees outside.  What on Earth happened to Christmas?  It still feels the same.  I still want to spend it with my family and friends, but the world gets in the way.  I miss all my friends from Indiana where I grew up, but they have mostly moved on too.  My family has scattered to the four winds, so we can't be together either. Thank God for Facebook, and thank you for creating it Mark Zuckerberg.  So, what is one to do?  What makes Christmas still Christmas in the family and friend kind of way?

My family has adopted new traditions.  Like my son and I go to Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce in Bristol, CT every year to celebrate Christmas.  It gives us a great evening together and we can normally work it into our busy schedules somewhere.  We also tend to take an evening and go for a drive to look at lights.  It's just one of those things that keeps us close.

But just once a year I think about home.  My home for 27 years was North Manchester, Indiana.  I grew up there, I went to college there, and I sometimes miss the place at Christmas.  North Manchester is a tiny town in northern Indiana, and it's biggest claim to fame is that Thomas R. Marshall, Woodrow Wilson's Vice President, was born there.  There is a park dedicated to him, and I went to a now gone by the wayside elementary school named after him.  This strange fact is what has brought about one of my family's most important Christmas traditions.

There's a movie called "A Christmas Story."  We've all seen it.  It runs for 24 hours on TBS starting every Christmas Eve at 8 o'clock.  Every year I miss home a little bit, so every year at 8 on Christmas Eve we watch the movie.  Although the landmarks are all in Cleveland, the setting for this movie reminds me of home.  The school that Ralphie goes to looks exactly like my old elementary school in North Manchester.  The house that Ralphie lives in reminds me of Lori Barney's house on Bond Street, and the house across the street from Ralphie's school looks just like the Leonard's house that was across the street from my school.  It brings back fond memories and makes me feel better when I'm missing my family at Christmas.  Ever since my son was little, we've also tracked Santa on NORAD just for fun.

But North Manchester was where I grew up.  There were more churches than restaurants.  The Time Out Inn was where we all went to eat and hang out.  If we felt like dancing we went to The Inn.  The Old Order German Baptist Dunkers used to come to town after church on Sundays and eat at Dairy Queen.  They now have a Kentucky Fried Taco Bell, and there's a Pizza Hut.  Hardee's moved in when it was Burger Chef, but there was no McDonald's until I was 22.  There are more college students, surrounding farmers, and senior citizens than actual residents of the town, but at one point it was Good Morning America's best small town.

A huge point of pride is the local covered bridge.  Built in 1872 the bridge has become a local landmark, and they do a lot of work on it to keep it going.  But things tend to remain the same in North Manchester, and that's what I love about it.  I remember growing up and being able to sit in the street in some places, like in front of my parents' house and not worry about cars coming.  I remember being able to wander the streets at night and not worry about anything.  It was one of those towns where all of us kids took off, our parents had no idea where we went before the invention of the cell phone, and nobody worried.  It was a simpler time in a simpler place, and sometimes I really miss it.

At Christmas time we didn't go around carolling much, but we did hold performances at the retirement homes where we sang for the residents.  It made their season, and we all loved to do it.  Peabody Retirement Home has been around as long as I can remember, and was started by the Peabody family which once ran the town.  There are a lot of things in town named Peabody.

Marshall Park isn't the only park in town.  The main city park is right up the street from there and has all the Norman Rockwell you would want with the gazebo that gets decorated and lit up every year for Christmas.  Home of some of the few hills around, it's also where the kids go to sled, if the snow ever falls this year.  I used to meet up with my friends to go sledding there, and we would get all beat up.  It was a great time.

But, not only did I grow up in North Manchester, I spent my first two years of college at Manchester College.  It's a fabulous four year liberal arts school.  It flies below the radar of a lot of people, because Indiana is also home to Indiana University, Ball State, Notre Dame, and Purdue; but it is a terrific school that is highly acclaimed around the world.  They have students from several countries and professors from around the world as well.  There are activities in town geared for the students who don't go home for the holidays to make them feel at home in the community.  It's really nice for visiting students.

So, how do you spend you Christmas?  For me it's changed over the years.  This will be the first Christmas since my dad has passed and I worry about my mother who insists on staying in Arizona for the holidays.  It will be my last nightmare before Christmas at Walmart.  It will be the last time that I miss Christmas Eve Dinner with my family.  It will be the last time I Tivo A Christmas Story so I can watch it when I get home from work.  But, I can say that I'm thankful to have a wonderful family that puts up with me being gone for all the important stuff.  I love them, and I'm so thankful for all my friends and family.  I love that I have them, and I love that I get to spend Christmas with them every year.  No matter where home is, there's no place like home for the holidays.
Merry Christmas and Enjoy!

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Santa Claus?

Santa Claus is part of modern Christmas and he's everywhere and does everything.  He even drinks Coca Cola in Frankenmuth, MI.  He surfs in Melbourne, Australia; he rides a pink pig in Atlanta, GA; and he flies around the world at NORAD.  Santa Claus has been the main character in stories, movies, songs, poems, myths, and legends.  He talks to kids and finds out what they want to make the very presents that the children ask for appear under their Christmas Tree on Christmas Day.  Let's face it, who wouldn't want a job that made that many children happy?  Where I live, everyone wants to be Santa.  I don't blame them.  But, where did the legend come from, and what is it like there at Christmas?

In case you've ever wondered, Santa Claus comes from St. Nicholas.  St. Nicholas was a bishop in the times of Constantine and was born in the now historic port town of Myra, Turkey.  That is where the legend began.  St. Nicholas was a rather wealthy servant of God who inherited a significant amount of money from his parents.  He decided to do good with it.  As is the case still today, there were a lot of poor people in Myra, and at that point in time a dowry had to be provided by a woman's father in order for her to marry.  That became a purpose for St. Nicholas.  He took bags of coins and dropped them down chimneys of less fortunate women so that they would be able to marry and have a family.  That was the seed that grew into the gift giving legend of today.

The man had no idea what he started.  He had no idea that his good intentions would turn into a bunch of expectant children demanding video games for Christmas.  The Catholic Church canonized him not only as the patron saint of children but also the patron saint of sailors.  His kindness and generosity made the lives of hundreds of people better.  Nobody knows when St. Nicholas really died and his remains were stolen from Myra in the year 1087 and now lie in Bari, Italy.  The English started the ball rolling with St. Nicholas becoming father Christmas and then Santa Claus.  These days, Santa is hard at work with all his helpers around the world; making Christmas special for children.  But, we should remember that it was this man, St. Nicholas that was the root of the legend that is so beloved today.

Myra still sports it's Roman Ruins today, and is an amazing place to visit.  If you can make it on Christmas, you'll get to be there when the man himself is honored.  There are services at the Church of Saint Nicholas on Christmas to remember one of  the most generous men that ever lived.

So, come and take part in remember the history before the legend.  It's wonderful to know the true story, and to remember St. Nicholas.  It gives meaning to Santa Claus and I think that children would love to hear where their beloved legend started.  I raised my son to believe that the men in red suits were all there to remind us of the spirit of giving in the name of St. Nicholas.  He's fifteen now, and still loves Santa Claus.  So, if you like to visit interesting places for the holidays; this one is a whopper.  Take a tour and include the town where Santa Claus was born as Nicholas, later to become St. Nicholas, the Patron Saint of Children and Sailors.
Enjoy!

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What Should We Really Do At Christmas?

As Christmas comes closer, we all tend to sweat the small stuff like did we get Timmy the right video game and are all the lights on the tree actually blinking?  I work in retail and that makes this season particularly tough.  In my world we don't have time to spend with our families, and we don't have time to do good things for people other than our families, because we are too busy helping all of you make sure that Timmy gets the right video game.  All in all, that's just sad.  It's like we've all forgotten what the holiday is really all about.  Forget about your tree.  It's nice, but it was just an attempt to get Pagans to become Christians in the early centuries AD.  Lights are great, and I love the way they look on my tree and my house, but is that really the point of the world's most important single day?  More people either acknowledge or celebrate Christmas around the world than any other single day aside from New Years.  Even NORAD tracks Santa Claus.  And we love Santa, because he brings us great stuff that we wouldn't normally have.  It's all great, but at this time of year I thought it would be nice to mention what it's really all about.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ and he was reportedly born in a manger in a barn in Bethlehem, Israel.  So, this is the place that I want to talk about.  We all know it's dangerous in the Middle East.  We all know that Israel is a hot spot.  But, if you want to experience the real meaning of Christmas, there is no better place to go.  There are a bunch of places that do guided tours for you to get the most spiritually out of your holiday.  The best part of spending the holiday in Israel is that you get some spiritual uplifting and don't have to worry about the hustle and bustle of work and home.  Couldn't we all do with a little spiritual healing with our families at Christmas?

While there is a lot of shopping and there are Christmas Trees in the Holy Land, the mood is a little different there.  They live in the middle of the biblical stories that we've all grown up with.  They always have the reminder of how important to culture and spirit the story of Christ is.  God gave us his only son.  That's powerful.  His son was sent here to be our Savior.  That's important.  I believe that celebrating the holiday means that we should remember why we celebrate it.  Maybe going to the land of the source is a great way to remind us of the significance of this day.

History is another reason to visit the Holy Land during the holidays.  The Church of the Nativity is one of the oldest churches in the world.  Every year at midnight at the beginning of Christmas Day there is a service held in Manger Square outside and thousands attend it.  It is a beautiful thing and should not be overshadowed by any political problems.  Religion, no matter which one, should be respected by everyone.  Christians gather here on pilgrimages every year, and they have a magical time.

There are so many things that most of us have to be thankful for in life.  There's more to life than things, however, and we should remember that.  No matter what anyone thinks of religion, it is a powerful thing, and I think that if we all can celebrate the holiday and buy the video games, we should all respect where it all came from.  Mary gave birth to a Savior that night and she and Joseph would raise him as their son.  The history as well as the spirituality is there for all to experience, and we should.

So, take a walk through time.  Get a hold of  one of the many places that take Holy Land tours during Christmas, and take a walk through the spiritual world of a lifetime.  History is alive and well in Israel, and the real meaning of Christmas shines through whatever else is going on.  Remember the real meaning of Christmas.

Even the Middle East loves Santa, but don't forget that came from Saint Nicholas who did the gift giving that started all that.  Look to history and find the roots of the Christmas that we know.  It's fascinating and it humbles us.  Maybe you aren't even Christian and that's just fine.  History is a powerful teacher, and the more you know, the more tolerance you'll have.  Ignorance is the enemy in these times.  Ignorance makes hatred.  Hatred makes violence.  Knowledge makes tolerance, peace and understanding.  Couldn't we all use a little bit of that?

Heal the spirit this year with a pilgrimage to Bethlehem and the Holy Land for Christmas.  Remind yourself what it's really all about.  Maybe, just maybe; you'll come away from the holiday with more than just the right video game.
Enjoy!

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