A ship is slowly pulled through the locks by small engines called "mules." Dams and locks have been used for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. The dams change a waterway into a series of steps with the necessary depth for…
The second day of the tour began with another bus ride to several historic sites. The first stop was at the Panama Canal Administration Building where we viewed a rotunda filled with paintings documenting canal construction. Behind the building we…
In 1513, Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama to become the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. I didn't want to walk through fifty miles of jungle, so my wife and I took a boat through…
Welcome to Washington Island! There's a place that I visit every year. It's up north -- North of the Tension Line in fact! Earlier this year, while I was pondering what subject to develop for my latest photography exhibit, it…
I'm not a birder. My wife is. We've each chosen a hobby that relies on lenses. My wife can spot the subtle details that differentiate similar species of birds. I'm lucky to distinguish a turkey from a towhee so I…
I've written previously about some aspects of last year's trip to Germany, such as the Berlin Wall, a fashion show in Berlin, and the BMW factory in Munich. But I have not yet covered one of the real pleasures of…
Before turning in, we could see a frenzy of snow flakes flitting through the lone light in the parking lot. The weatherman was right! By morning there was a foot or more of snow on the ground and on our…
The topic of conversation in the restaurant on Sunday morning was the weather, not the current sunny-blue-sky weather, but the forecast. A storm would be moving in Sunday night that could bring up to 13" of snow before moving out…
There aren't many places to stay on Washington Island in the winter. Fortunately, Findlay's Holiday Inn is open all year. Better yet, in the winter their restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So, we…