It’s snowshoe season in the Black Hills. With thousands of acres to explore the Black Hills National Forest is your perfect location to take part in this relatively inexpensive winter sport. The 60 miles of trails are designated for shared cross-country and snowshoe use and if you are feeling extra adventurous there are endless numbers of new trails to breakthrough. If designated snowshoe areas are more your style “trek” out a section of the 109-mile the Mickelson Trail. With 15 trailheads with amenities this trek is sure to be family fun for all ages and experience levels. To sample the divers landscapes of the area we recommend the picking a section of the 111-mile Centennial Trail. Runni Read more article…

One of my favorite unexpected things about writing this blog is the connections Ive made with other travelers, especially regarding little-known but beloved places.

In May of 2009, I took my children on a tour of North Dakota.  At the last-minute, I decided to take the Old Red Old Ten Scenic Byway between Bismarck and Dickinson instead of the faster and mostly parallel Interstate 94.  Its one of the best travel decisions Ive made.

Along the byway, we traveled through small towns, found a ghost town, and saw unique, beautiful old buildings, some of which are no longer standing.

The photos I shared of this day on the road visiting Sims and Curlew and Glen Ullin have been the starting point of several conversations with people who hold these nearly-forgotten North Dakota locations dear to their hearts.  Weeks and even months after I wrote about these gems, readers wrote to tell me more of the story.

After I wrote about North Almont and its elevator which caught my eye and made me pause along the road to snap a photo, a reader responded with the news that the elevator had been demolished, just as many other landmarks of historical or sentimental value have disappeared over the years.

This week, I received a message from Rob Reeves of Denver, Colorado, who photographed the North Almont elevator before it was torn down.  He shared this photo with me, and gave me permission to share it with others who may be interested.  And so, I present Robs breathtaking photo of a piece of small-town North Dakota history that is now gone.

Its delightful when a last-minute turn brings about so much conversation and  kindred spirits are found in unexpected locales.  It is satisfying to the writer who receives responses to her work from others who have visited, and loved, these little-known places.  It is heartwarming to see people preserving the history and heritage of a state that is home to many, whether or not they still live within its borders.

Each double-page spread of the latest edition of the  Times Comprehensive Atlas is a gorgeous 16 x 22. The vibrant graphics are accompanied by excellent physical and political detail, detailed coverage of polar areas, and an expanded index of 200,000 place names and geographic features. Complete with a slipcase, this revised and updated 13th edition also includes a bonus 1922 archival world map.

New features to this new 13th edition include 30 city plans from major cities around the world; flags for every country; the new independent country of Kosovo; and major new place name updates in China, Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Afghanistan, and Iran. The deta

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We continued to tour the Golan Heights from the breathtaking Mount Bental where we could see the Syrian border to the Golan Brewhouse. Golan is very suitable for wine grapes cultivation and we were introduced to the four types of Israeli beer produced by the unique Golan brewery.

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Britain’s favourite snack has been revealed as the bacon butty, according to a national poll conducted by airline easyJet.

The budget carrier found that bacon rolls and sandwiches garnered four times as many votes as the second-favourite snack option, cheese on toast. The survey was conducted among almost 1,000 UK adults, and easyJet said it could confirm the popularity of bacon among travellers, with more than 2.5 million bacon baguettes sold on its flights since they were first introduced in 2008.

The bacon sarnies were said to be a popular choice for passengers “looking for a hearty snack at the beginning of their journey,” by easyJet’s strategic partnership manager for inflight services, Sharon Huetson. She als

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