2008 October | Hole In The Donut Cultural Travel

Monthly Archives: October 2008

Journeywoman.com – One Of My Secrets To Successful Solo Travel

Published October 30, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

“You travel alone? Aren’t you afraid?”

I cannot count the number of times I have been asked this question. Without exception, the person asking is a woman who would love to do what I do. Sometimes they are single, sometimes these women are married to men who have no interest in travel, but in every case they are afraid to venture out on their own. I tell them that travel is not dangerous, that people everywhere are the same, that we are “One Human Family.”

But traveling solo requires more than an ability to trust in the goodness of humankind. It requires research to become familiar with the city and/or country you intend to visit and it’s even better if you can connect with someone who lives there prior to your trip. Enter my favorite online travel tool, Journeywoman.com. This fabulous web site, designed especially for women who want to travel solo, offers a Continue reading →

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Posted in Travel tips |

Tagged female, hermail.net, journeywoman.com, newsletter, online travel service, solo travel, Travel, woman |

12 Comments

Breezing Through Staunton, Virginia – Wishing I Had More Time

Published October 28, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

That little idiot light came on in my car yesterday. “Maint Req’d.” I know what it means; the first time it happened I called the dealership because the nowhere in the manual could I find an explanation of the meaning of the light. Turns out that it simply means it’s time to change the oil. I was traveling long distance at the time (on my way back to Florida) and the woman I spoke to said I could wait until I got home to bring it in for an oil change, since I was only 300 miles or so away. This time I’m in Virginia and I think waiting would be pressing my luck. Besides, that little orange light was driving me crazy. I swear it was screaming at me.

Since it was lunchtime, I decided to look for a town with a Toyota dealership or a quick lube place and get the oil changed while I ate. Luck was with me. I pulled off I-81 into Staunton, Virginia since I have long wanted to see this town anyway, and quickly found a Toyota dealership that could fit me in. After lunch I took a quick driving tour of the town and was extremely impressed by what I saw.

Staunton Virginia Staunton is tucked into a pocket valley at the head of the Shenandoah Valley. The city is built on rolling hills and its picturesque downtown features scores of historic red-brick Continue reading →

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Posted in Virginia travel |

Tagged photos, Shenandoah National Park, Shenandoah Valley, Staunton, Travel, Virginia |

5 Comments

Midcoast Maine – From The Jewel Of Camden To The Sophistication Of Kennebunkport

Published October 25, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

For my final day in Maine I chose to wander south on US Rt. 1 along the coast, sampling the various towns from Penobscot Bay to the New Hampshire state line. I started in Camden, which one local resident described as “the jewel in Midcoast Maine’s crown.” It is a lovely village, with the requisite picturesque church steeples, sailboats, and a waterfall that cascades down a rock outcropping in the center of town before emptying into the harbor. Its streets are lined with perfectly manicured shops and brick-laid sidewalks lead to alleys and nooks with more shops and restaurants.

Lovely little harbor in Camden, Maine

Downtown Camden, Maine

Continue reading →

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Posted in New England travel |

Tagged Boothbay, Camden, fishing villages, Freeport, Kennebunkport, Maine, midcoast, outlet shops, photos, Shopping, Southport, Travel |

1 Comment

I Feel Just Like Fanny Brice

Published October 24, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

Remember the movie Funny Girl? The one starring Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice? Remember the scene where Nicky Arnstein takes her to Maine and introduces her to lobster? And she eats herself stupid?

Since arriving in Maine I’ve had lobster in just about every way it can possibly be prepared. I’ve had lobster bisque, lobster stew, lobster pot pie, and a lobster sandwich. I’ve had lobster atop a Caesar salad. But until last night I hadn’t splurged on a whole lobster. Since I will soon be leaving Maine, I figured it was now or never. My server suggested a 1 1/4 pound lobster, which sounded just fine to me. A few minutes later, she plunked down a giant plate in front of me. On it was an entire lobster – claws, head, body, tail and all.

Now, I’m not a particularly squeamish person, so the antennae and the itsy bitsy feet didn’t really bother me. My problem was Continue reading →

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Maple Sugar Making at Sugarbush Farm in Central Vermont

Posted in New England travel |

Tagged Barbra Streisand, Fanny Brice, Food, Funny Girl, lobster, Maine, seafood, Travel |

7 Comments

Penobscot Narrows Observatory – One Small Detour Provides A Big Surprise

Published October 24, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

My car is headed south now, as I gradually make my way back home to Florida. However I am still traveling in an unstructured manner, so when I came around the long curve of Route 1 leading to Penobscot Bay and spied the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, I just knew I had to stop for a photo. I pulled off Rt. 1 and discovered that there was a visitors center for the bridge. To my surprise, the tallest upright of the bridge houses an observatory in the upper tip of “the needle.” Five dollars bought me the right not only to ride to the top of the tower, but also entry into the adjacent Fort Knox.

Penobscot Narrows Bridge

Continue reading →

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Posted in New England travel |

Tagged bridges, Fort Knox, Maine, Penobscot Narrows Observatory and Fort Knox, photos, Prospect, Travel |

2 Comments

Acadia National Park – One Good Reason Why Mainers Are “Mainiacs”

Published October 23, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

God was a careless artist when he created Maine. He did not dab with a paintbrush. He did not splash. He poured beauty over the State. Nowhere is this magnificence more evident than in Acadia National Park, which occupies nearly half of Mount Desert Island and a scattering of smaller islands off the coast of northeast Maine.

Fall colors in Acadia National Park

I could live here for years and still not sample everything that Acadia National Park has to offer, much less see it in its many moods and seasons. As it was, I spent the better part of two days viewing the spectacular fall foliage, which may have been the showiest display in years because of the abundant summer rains. On day one I began by driving the 27-mile loop road in the eastern section of the park, which is the easiest way to see spots like Sand Beach, a turquoise jewel of a cove tucked between two rocky arms that is a favorite of summer beach-goers, and the historic Jordan Pond House, known for their tea and popovers as much for the view from their floor-to-ceiling windows.