Buffalo City Hall

11 unique things to do in Buffalo, for real (Part 1)

We were planning to spend a week in the Niagara Falls region when something caught our eye, the city of Buffalo only 20 minutes to the south. We realized that there are many unique things to do in Buffalo so we decided to make Buffalo our base…
Picher Oklahoma abandoned church
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Picher Oklahoma: A modern American ghost town

Picher, Oklahoma is a harsh example of the effects mining can have on an area. Once a major producer of lead and zinc, the town is now a ghost town as the lead came back to haunt them.  The air, soil and water around Picher became contaminated…
Kokorec best sandwich turkey
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The 11 best sandwiches in the world, which one costs only 35 cents?

Sandwiches are one of the universal foods, they're cheap and convenient. We ate way too many of them on our trip and offer up the 11 best sandwiches in the world. 1) Shawarma in Jerusalem A shawarma is a Middle Eastern sandwich made from meats…
detroit theater lakewood ohio

The Golden Age of Art Deco Movie Theaters

American Art Deco movie theaters were once the hot item throughout the country. A small town knew it was moving up in the world when a movie theater opened as it quickly became the hub of social life. Their Art Deco design evokes a time…
I Love New York graffiti

Highly entertaining free things to do in New York City

There are so many free things to do in New York it's tough to know where to begin. Here are a few involving entertainment, nature and culture. And you'll be able to find places to stay in New York near what you're looking to see and do. 1. Watch…

11 free things to do in Boston

By Lola of Lola's Travels ~ When I think of Boston, the first things that come to mind are Harvard, Paul Revere & the Boston Tea Party. There is so much history here and those few things are just the start of an exciting visit. Luckily,…
Rocky Independence Hall I heart Philadelphia

National Geographic’s I Heart My City: Philadelphia

It's been over a year since we left Philadelphia to travel around the world with a Rocky statue. As our journey is coming to an end, we wrote a story for National Geographic Traveler's "I Heart My City" series about what we look forward…
Iowa State fair food fried mac and cheese
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Iowa State Fair Food – Or why I’ll never eat again

The smell of the grease, the roar of the crowd! It's that time of year again for the greatest eating frenzy of all time, the Iowa State Fair, which opens tomorrow. Of all the food groups, one that never makes it on the government recommended…
Centralia coal mine fire walking

Centralia Pennsylvania: The unforgettable fire

Thomas Wolfe said you can't go home again. But what if you can't go home again because it no longer exists? Centralia Pennsylvania used to have a Norman Rockwell atmosphere: Little League games, Memorial Day parades and  neighbors looking…
Deke Slayton Museum

Rockets and sprockets at the Deke Slayton Museum

Big cities boast of well-known museums to see world-class art by names you’ve heard of, say, Picasso or Monet. But a drive around the American heartland reveals a treasure trove of small quirky museums that are not devoted to works of art…
Headhouse Square Farmers Market Philadelphia Food Trust
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Local foods at the Headhouse Farmers Market in Philadelphia

It'll be Opening Day soon for two of our favorite Philadelphia institutions: the Phillies and the Headhouse Farmers Market. While we don't know if the Phillies will make or break our hearts this year, we do know that the market will offer the…
Original Starbucks Pike Place Market
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10 food tourist traps to avoid

We've all fallen for them; food places the guidebooks say you absolutely must try when visiting a certain city.  So we join all the other tourists who've read the same guides and wait on long lines for what turns out to be overrated, mediocre,…

All aboard at the world’s largest train yard

North Platte, Nebraska is a railroad lover’s paradise, for freight trains in particular. On a daily basis more than 10,000 rail cars rumble through town as they head for the nearby Bailey Yard, the largest train yard in the world. To live…
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The best BBQ dish in America

I have spent several decades traveling around America in search of the best slow smoked meat. This quest has led me on various barbecue pilgrimages, mostly throughout the south, home to some of the finest barbecue in America. Since I'm a yankee…

Bruce Springsteen – A holy relic in denim and sweat

Recently I visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. For some reason I hadn't expected much but it far surpassed my expectations. What I had not predicted was how it would be such a religious experience. There is a special…
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You want mustard on that? – The National Mustard Museum

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Yet another reason to visit Fargo, the Roger Maris Museum

I tend to like museums like the Roger Maris Museum that are devoted to one person. They usually fly under the radar and reflect local civic pride honoring a native son or daughter. The Deke Slayton Memorial Space…