Sigulda is a small town tucked within Latvia’s verdant Gauja National Park. Come autumn, this 92,000-hectare nature preserve turns into a golden wonderland that attracts leaf peepers from far and wide. I’ve often heard the area described as the “New England of Latvia.” But Latvia has something the U.S. lacks: 800-year-old castle ruins. As stunning as the […]
Parks and Gardens
Rundale Palace: The Versailles of Latvia
Rundale Palace was the lavish summer residence of the Dukes of Courland. The Duchy existed from 1561 until 1795 and was located in the western half of Latvia. Its original seat of power was located in Bauska until the castle and manor house were destroyed during the Great Northern War. The new palace was built […]
7 Reasons You Should Visit Cleveland Right Now
Cleveland, Ohio has a bit of a bad rap. In 1969, the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River running through downtown Cleveland caught fire and Time Magazine published a photo of the flames engulfing a ship. This was followed by a major economic recession in the 1970s and 1980s. The factories closed, unemployment rates soared and there […]
A Peaceful Afternoon at Arlington National Cemetery
Last week I wrote about some of the many presidential monuments and war memorials in Washington, DC. I shared statistics such as the 54,000 American soldiers killed during the three-year Korean War and the staggering 400,000 who gave their lives during World War II. It is difficult to comprehend losses of that magnitude, so many young men […]
Longwood Gardens: A Botanical Wonderland in Pennsylvania
Visiting a friend in Pennsylvania in late April, we took advantage of the warm spring weather to explore Longwood Gardens. I had only recently learned of these gardens, and while I knew they’d be full of springtime loveliness, I wasn’t prepared for the dazzling beauty we found. What began as a 400-acre farmstead for the Pierce family […]