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Fredericksburg, Virginia Is For History Buffs, Antiquers, And Ghost Hunters

Published October 15, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

My wanderings didn’t take me far from Richmond. Monday morning, just 50 miles north of Richmond, I pulled off I-95 into Fredericksburg to fill up the gas tank. I was standing at the pump in this cute little town when I suddenly remembered that friends of mine live in Fredericksburg. Even better, it was the Columbus Day holiday and they were likely to be home. ‘Maybe we can get together for lunch,’ I thought as I dialed their number.

It’s now Wednesday and I am just leaving Fredericksburg, having spent two wonderful days with my long-time friends, Steve and Annette Hussmann and their son Matthew. It is always a privilege to learn about a city/area from people who live there, and this was no exception. Matt insisted upon being my tour guide for the day.

Downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia

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Posted in Virginia travel |

Tagged antiques, battle of Marye's Heights, Battlefield, churches, Civil War, Fredericksburg, ghosts, historic homes, history, photos, Travel, Virginia |

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Double The Pleasure In Richmond, Virginia – A Walking Tour And A Folk Music Festival

Published October 13, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

By the time my writers conference ended in Richmond, Virginia, I had been sitting for two days and I desperately needed to move. Serendipitously, I discovered that the conference fell on the same weekend as Richmond’s Annual Folk Music Festival, and so I decided to extend my stay by a day to enjoy this historic city and attend the festival on the shores of the James River.

I set out early yesterday morning, determined to see as much of Richmond as possible on foot. From the center of downtown, I followed Broad Street toward Virginia Commonwealth University. Many of the lovely old buildings in this part of downtown are in disrepair and a large percentage of the storefronts are empty, but signs of rebirth abound. Coffee shops, crafters, retailers, and art galleries are moving into this Soho-like neighborhood as the old buildings are painstakingly restored. This former dairy and police station are just two examples of the inner city revitalization:

Richmond Dairy Richmond art gallery

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Posted in Virginia travel |

Tagged architecture, Broad Street, Canal Walk, Capitol Square, Dale Watson Band, EU, Folk Music Festival, Franklin Street, historic buildings, Landmark Theater, Monroe Park, Music, Park Avenue, Patrick Henry, photos, Plena Libre, Richmond, Saint Paul's Church, Shockoe Slip, State Capitol, Travel, VCU, Virginia |

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The Sounds Of Silence

Published August 16, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

Mixed in amongst the rock, R&B, blues, and folk songs that comprise my music collection is a CD that contains a 20-minute recording made at a lake at the Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2004 I visited this Sanctuary, which is located in a remote area on the southern peninsula of Thailand. There are no generators at Khlong Saeng. No planes fly overhead. And cell phones get no reception, thus the ‘music’ of the CD is the mating calls of wild gibbon, the whoosh of giant hornbills soaring overhead, and the sounds of waterfalls cascading off the limestone towers that surround the pristine lake.

Ha Roi Rai Khlong Saeng Sanctuary Thailand There is a resort of sorts at Klong Saeng. The only family living at the lake has constructed a series of thatched-roof bungalows that float on giant bamboo logs along the shore, tied together like boxcars on a railroad siding. Continue reading →

Posted in SE Asia travel, Washington State travel |

Tagged environment, Gordon Hempton, Ha Roi Rai, Khlong Saeng Sanctuary, noise pollution, Olympic National Park, Olympic Peninsula, One Square Inch of Silence, photos, rain forests, Ruby Beach, silence, Thailand, Travel, Undiscovered Places, Washington |

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Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden, Key West’s Hidden Gem

Published August 4, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

Hidden at the end of narrow Freeschool Lane is the last remaining acre of undeveloped land in Key West’s historic Old Town. How this priceless parcel escaped development is nothing less than a miracle, but even more miraculous is the tropical rainforest that today grows upon the site. This is Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden, a virtual oasis where, for a $10 entrance fee, visitors can walk among orchids, Bromeliads, ferns and more than 150 species of palms, including several rare, near-extinct species of palm. Scattered amongst the trees and plants are Mana’s rescue birds: colorful parrots, macaws, and cockatoos that squawk from perches in their cages, competing for attention.

Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden Key West

For 40 years, Nancy Forrester has been tending this garden and inviting the public to share in her love of the plants and animals. Unfortunately, this may soon change. Realizing she could no longer afford to personally shoulder the expense of the garden, she recently Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic lives, Florida travel |

Tagged Authentic lives, environment, Florida, Hyacinth Macaw, Key West, Mana Project, Moluccan Cockatoo, Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden, Old Town, parrot rescue, photos, Travel, Undiscovered Places |

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Key West Is A Trip, And I’m Not Talking About Travel

Published July 28, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

Key West is a free-wheeling, hard-partying kind of place that never seems to sleep. It’s the kind of place you come to people-watch. A place where anything goes, as long as you’re not hurting yourself or anyone else. Where else can you see a man drive by on a Harley with an African Green Parrot perched calmly on his shoulder? Where tourists ride bicycles down the main street wearing only swimsuits? Where the taxis have bike racks mounted on their rear bumpers for those who get too drunk to ride their bikes back to their cruse ship or hotel?

Key West bicyclers

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Posted in Florida travel |

Tagged Blue Heaven, Fantasy Fest, Florida, Key West, Key West Coffee and Tea, photos, Scrub Club, Travel |

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Ernest Hemingway Spotted in Key West

Published July 20, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

I rolled into Key West on Friday evening, dumped my bag, and strolled down Duval Street to see what manner of craziness was afoot. Almost immediately I spotted a portly, white-bearded gentleman who looked for all the world like Ernest Hemingway, returned from the grave. I continued a bit further down the street, only to see another man who could have been Hemingway’s twin. As I approached the heart of the tourist district, the number of reincarnated Ernests increased, until it seemed I was surrounded by khaki-clad, red beret-wearing, white-bearded men.

No, I have not lost my mind. Nor am I seeing ghosts. I simply arrived in Key West during the 28th Annual Ernest Hemingway Look-Alike Contest, sponsored by Sloppy Joe’s Bar. Hemingway lived in Key West for a number of years and was an enthusiastic regular customer at Sloppy Joe’s. In fact, the author once called himself a silent partner in the enterprise. Today the bar celebrates its the birthday of Ernest Hemingway and honors his work as author and sportsman with the annual contest. Take a look at some of the Hemingway’s I spotted – and keep in mind that this is only a fraction of the 141 men Continue reading →

Posted in Florida travel |

Tagged bullfighting, Duval Street, Ernest Hemingway Look-Alike Contest, Florida, Hemingway Days, Key West, Pamplona, photos, running of the bulls, Travel |