There are just some restaurants that make you feel good. FareStart in Seattle (1902 2nd Avenue) is one of them. Not just a restaurant, but also a comprehensive training approach that, for over 12 years, has helped homeless and disadvantaged men, women, and their families, create new opportunities for their future.  The training program combines 16-weeks of hands-on food service training with classroom instruction, individual case management, and job placement to allow graduates of the program to successfully reenter the community and create a new life.  After graduation, an additional 18 months of follow up services is provided, helping graduates get and keep jobs, and make a living wage. FareStart is open for lunch Monday through Friday, 11 am to 2 pm, and is frequently referred to as one of the best lunch values in town.  The restaurant is known […]

Today is Admission Day for Kansas, our 34th state, admitted to the Union on January 29th, 1861. Kansas, a state that I’ve not yet visited, is smack dab in the middle of the country, and is, in fact, home to the geographical center of the contiguous United States.  Its capital city is Topeka, and its largest is Wichita. Kansas was originally home to large numbers of Native Americans who hunted buffalo on the prairies.  After the Civil War, scores of immigrants moved to Kansas, turning the prairies into farmland.  Large in geographical area (15th), but small in population (33rd), Kansas today leads the nation in wheat production, and is one of the most productive agriculture states. Because of diminishing populations in Kansas, referred to as Rural Flight, the state and federal government are offering programs of free land and tax […]

Today is Admission Day for Michigan, our 26th state, admitted to the union on January 26th, 1837. Michigan is bordered by four of the five Great Lakes, only Lake Ontario is missing, and has the longest freshwater shoreline of all the states.  Because of this unique geography, the state boasts more recreational watercraft than any other.  Not surprising since an individual is never more than six miles from a natural water source. Residents of Michigan reference their residency within the state claiming to be Uppers (also called “Yoopers”) or Lowers (also called “Trolls” because they live below the Mackinac Bridge), referring to the upper and lower peninsula.  Lansing is Michigan’s capital city, and Detroit the largest.  It’s a big state, ranking 8th in population and 11th in geographic area. When most people think of Michigan, they think of the Detroit […]

A new museum has opened at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the Pacific Aviation Museum. The museum opened on December 7th, the 65th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1941, moored off the shores of Ford Island (located in the middle of Pearl Harbor) were some of the largest ships in the US Pacific Fleet.  The first attack by the Japanese began at 7:55 am, with the second attack ending two hours later.  The loss was immense:  2,403 people (military and civilians), 18 ships, 188 aircraft destroyed and another 159 damaged.  World War II had now begun for the U.S. on a “date that will live in infamy.” The museum takes you back to 1941, starting with a visit to Hangar 37.  There, you’ll watch a film of the attack, interspersed with original film and photos from 1941.  […]

Today is Admission Day for New Mexico, our 47th state, admitted to the union on January 6th, 1912. The culture of the area is heavily influenced by the large population of Spanish, Mexican and Native Americans who live in the state, and who, generations earlier, occupied the territories of what is now New Mexico.  The state has the highest percentage of Hispanic Americans (some immigrants, some descendants of Spanish colonists) and the second highest percentage of Native Americans (mostly Navajo and Pueblo).  This blend of culture has always fascinated me, and I regret that I have not yet had the opportunity to visit New Mexico. Santa Fe is New Mexico’s capital city, and Albuquerque its largest city, followed by Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, and Roswell. It ranks 36th in the country in population. Popular visiting spots include:  Carlsbad […]

Today is Admission Day for Utah, admitted as our 45th state on January 4th, 1896. Utah is one of the Four Corner states (the others are Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona), the only place in the Unites States where four states come together at one point.  Utah is ranked 13th in geographical area, and 34th in population.  The largest city is the capital city of Salt Lake City. Utah has a large tourism industry, given a boost when it was host to the 2002 Winter Olympics.  The state is known for its many ski resorts, national parks (Zion and Bryce Canyon, for example), the Great Salt Lake, the Bonneville Salt Flats (in photo), the Sundance Film Festival and the Mormon Temple. I’ve only been to Utah once, and that was to visit Salt Lake City in 1987.  It was a […]

Another day, another wonder, and this one will also stir the debate about whether wonders should be man made or natural.  Regardless of your position on that issue, there is no doubt as to the beauty of the underwater world of the Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument. The national monument encompasses nearly 140,000 square miles of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and provides for protection and preservation of the marine area.  It is the largest single area dedicated to conservation, and the largest protected marine area in the world.  To get a sense of just how big we are talking about, it is larger than 46 of our 50 states.  The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands include ten islands and atolls, and stretch over nearly 1,400 miles.  The undersea forests and mountain ranges of this area comprise a coral reef habitat that exceeds 4,500 […]