The weekly Thursday night Villagefest is one of my favorite events in Palm Springs.  The event was originated by former mayor Sonny Bono, and for over 16 years has been the home for local vendors of food, fresh produce (straight from the farms), music, art, handicrafts, and entertainment. Villagefest operates year round, from 6 – 10 pm, October – May, and 7 – 10 pm, June – September, along Palm Canyon Drive between Baristo and Amado.  This weekly event has become as popular with local area residents as it is with tourists and visitors.  Many of the shops and galleries along Palm Canyon Drive stay open late on Thursday nights, and the Palm Springs Art Museum offers free admission. Over the many years that I’ve been going to Villagefest, I’ve purchased tasty local produce, a couple of pieces of art (including one large, stunning, […]

Catalina Island is located off the coast of southern California, about 22 miles southwest of San Pedro, near Los Angeles. It is part of the Channel Islands. The only city on the island is Avalon, and although over a million tourists visit the island every year, the population hovers around five thousand people. When I’ve visited Catalina, I’ve taken the ferry from Long Beach. You can also get there by ferry from Newport Beach, Dana Point, San Pedro, and Marina del Rey. The last time I took the ferry to Catalina, I had a very serious case of sea sickness, so I don’t have a terribly fond memory of the boat trip. I think, however, that it took a little over an hour to get to the island from Long Beach. You can also get there by helicopter. Motor vehicles […]

Today is Admission Day for Arkansas, our 25th state, admitted to the Union on June 15th, 1836 Arkansas is one of those states that I just don’t know much about. Yeah, I know that it’s in the south, and I know that President Clinton was from there. Oh yeah, and Little Rock is the capital. Other than that, Arkansas just hasn’t been on my radar scope much. Calling itself the Natural State, Arkansas tourism focuses on its outdoor activities: camping, fishing, National Parks, hunting, watersports, and hiking. Arkansas geography has a little of everything — mountains and valleys, forests, plains, rivers and lowlands, and even a number of underground caverns — so it offers a little something for everyone in terms of outdoor activities. This variety also makes for some pretty dramatic scenery, as with the Royal Gorge (in photo). […]

Today is Admission Day for Kentucky, the 15th state, admitted to the Union on June 1st, 1792. The first time I was in Kentucky, I thought I was in Ohio. If you’ve been to the Cincinnati airport (airport code CVG), you know what I’m talking about. The Cincinnati airport, which I foolishly believed was in Cincinnati, Ohio is actually located 13 miles south of that city. Not in Cincinnati (which I could understand), but not even in Ohio. Nope, it’s in northern Kentucky. Since I spent time in the surrounding area, during some very long time on the ground, I can say that I have been in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Kentucky is one of four states established as a Commonwealth (the others are Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts), and while that designation has no constitution significance, it means that its […]

Today is Admission Day for Tennessee, our 16th state, admitted to the Union on June 1st, 1796. Long before I knew all the states, or had visions of traveling to all of them, I knew about Tennessee. Although I may be dating myself here, it all goes back to watching the Disney movie, Davy Crockett, who was “Born on a mountain top in Tennessee, The greenest state in the land of the free. . . .” (If you’re not familiar with the song you can listen to it here.) Well, maybe that didn’t tell me much about the state, but the belief that it was lush and verdant stuck with me. Tennessee is a southern state, bordered by eight other states. (Missouri also borders eight states.) It’s been known as the “Volunteer State,” a nickname going back to the War […]

Today is Admission Day for Wisconsin, our 30th state, admitted to the Union on May 29th, 1848. Wisconsin in located in the Great Lakes region, and is bordered by Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Originally the state’s boundary line was to have been much further south (it would have encompassed the city of Chicago), but political expediency won out, and the boundary was established where it is today. Originally, Wisconsin’s economy centered around farming, primarily dairy farming. Even today, it is known as “America’s Dairyland,” and leads the nation in production of cheese. It is second in total dairy production, behind California. On the Wisconsin Commerative Quarter, you’ll find a design that includes a Holstein cow, an ear of corn, and a wheel of cheese. The economy has changed with the times, and although agriculture is still important, mining, timber […]