Boldly Go Solo

A Titanic museum in Branson, Missouri?

There's a half a ship on the main drag in Branson, Missouri, with a Las Vegas-like marquee out front saying:

                TITANIC

                 NOW

             BOARDING

            9 am - 9 pm

A Titanic museum in the Midwest, hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean? I was prepared to be underwhelmed.

Instead, I've been talking about it ever since. If this museum was meant for children, I must be a big kid. 

I tapped out my first-ever Morse code message. ("Ellen in trouble"). I started a timer and stuck my hand in a tank of water set at the temperature of the ocean that April night in 1912. I was in pain after about 15 seconds.

I tried to walk on three different decks that had pitches of varying steepness, demonstrating what it was like to hang on as the ship was sinking. I needed both hands on the railing to pull myself up the steepest one.

Sitting in a recreated lifeboat, I pushed buttons and listened to the stories of the people who had been in them. I patted two real dogs - Molly and Carter - two King Charles Spaniels whose trainers at the museum talk about the dogs known to have been on board the ship.

Art at the Burwell-Morgan Mill in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley

On typical Saturdays in the town of Millwood, Va., volunteers set the 18th-century Burwell-Morgan Mill to work grinding corn, wheat, rye or other grains. They demonstrate the centuries-old method of food production, weighing and bagging the flour, grits or cornmeal for sale, often enlisting visitors to help.

But for three weeks in the spring, and again in the fall, the stones grind to a halt, the water rushing to the water wheel is cut off, and it’s showtime of a different sort.

That’s when Art at the Mill opens.

The show will be open for three weekends, starting April 27 and running through May 12. (Here's the story in The Washington Post on Art at the Mill.) 

For a lovely and relaxing way to spend a day or weekend, take a drive out to the Shenandoahs, wander through the show and picnic on the grass. 

There's something special about buying real art and being in the surroundings that the artist captured.

Mason-Dixon Wine Trail in Pennsylvania. Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as Pennsylvania wine

"When tasting wine, connoisseurs hold their glasses up to the light to look at the wine’s color and clarity. I don’t always know what I’m supposed to see, but at Naylor Wine Cellars in Pennsylvania, I held up my white wine and it was crystal . . . No. I have to say that it was most definitely cloudy. Very clearly cloudy."

That's how today's Washington Post story, called A winemaking and tasting tour through Pa. and Md., begins.  

Wine in Pennsylvania? Most certainly. 26 on this particular "wine trail," with several wineries in Maryland included. The trail is rather circular, surrounding York, PA, in every direction.  

I went with a friend during the 8th annual Tour de Tanks event, which is how we got into all the back rooms. It runs until the end of March, every Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., except for Easter Sunday.

Whether the wines compare to California or Italian or New Zealand wines... Who am I to say? I like what I like and I'm no connoisseur. You'd have to taste for yourself. 

My friend "L," a Harrisburg, Pa. resident, says I missed two really good wineries. One is the The Vineyard at Hershey in Middletown, whose wines "have brought Pennsylvania wines to a whole new level," he says.

Heart-shaped tubs for Valentine's Day

In the tradition of Erma Bombeck and Ann Landers, I am rerunning a fave story for Valentine's Day, (though by no means comparing my skills to theirs!) Here you go:

A recent visit to Niagara Falls, where dozens of motels beckon with the promise of a soak in a bubbling red heart, left me strangely drawn to the outlandish kitsch of the heart-shaped-tub scene. And so one night, on my way home from a visit to friends in Massachusetts, I found myself checking into Caesars Pocono Resorts' Cove Haven in Lakeville, Pa., a k a "The Land of Love."

The champagne glass tub was the first thing I saw when I got to my room. It was next to a fireplace in the living room. Behind a glass wall to the left was the heart-shaped swimming pool, four feet deep. Next to that was the in-suite sauna.

Happy New Year 2013 from the "animals" at the National Zoo

Two nights before New Year's Eve, I was at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., learning (but clearly not perfecting) the art of night photography. 

For the past several years, the National Zoo has strung up a good show and visitors wander through delighted by the spectacle.  

I didn't see any real animals. If I were them, I would have stayed inside too. It was freezing out there. But a handful of us had signed up with PhotoTour DC to learn the basics and we braved the elements to wander through the ZooLights display. (Sorry, it ends today.)

We all had different levels of camera - mine being the least fancy. The minimum requirement was to have manual controls and a tripod. 

In fooling with the shutter speed I discovered this is overexposed (too much blue-light bleeding):

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a little less overexposed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is just too darn cute not to throw in:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Bank, New Jersey - retro, but contemporary too

Ever heard of Red Bank, New Jersey? I hadn't. But I went to visit for a travel story and ended up loving the place for a variety of reasons, nostalgia being no small part of it.

Red Bank calls itself a "cool little town" and I agree. It's the kind of place with few chain stores, where teens walk from homes nearby to wander around on their own, hanging out at the yogurt shop, grabbing a slice of pizza, playing some pinball at a pinball and video arcade.

I wrote about Red Bank for today's Washington Post travel section. 

If you're a shopper, you'll like the many stores selling high-end clothes or the consignment stores offering the hand-me-down version. (Hey, I'm all about a deal.)

The town is a draw for antiques lovers too. If you're into pinball, which I remembered I was when I got there, or classic video games, you'll have a great time at YESTERcades.

Telephone tours of the Portland Museum of Art's Winslow Homer exhibit

If you call 207-228-0300, you can hear an audio tour of the current exhibition, "Weatherbeaten: Winslow Homer and Maine at the lovely Portland Museum of Art in Maine.

Not that you should try this at home. Without the paintings in front of you, it could be dull.

It's mainly if you're interested in hearing what the museum's telephone tour is like. Call that number and press #2 for the painting, "The Artist's Studio in an Afternoon Fog, 1894," #6 for the painting, "The Lifeline." And so on.

But, really, as I said, for this to be worthwhile, you really should be standing in front of the paintings as museum personnel describe them. I just thought that it was interesting that the museum has found a way to bypass audio headsets and fees by having patrons use their own personal tour devices. 

Perhaps other museums do this as well and I'm late to this game?

The exhibition features paintings, etchings and watercolors by Homer, the great American artist who painted many maritime scenes, and lived and painted in Maine in his later years. I continued to call that number for explanations throughout my visit.

Mexican food isn't really Mexican food - think chilaquiles and pozole

If you're planning a trip to Mexico, or have been and want to reminisce, you'll enjoy reading this story about Mexican food from BootsanAll, a travel website.

The basic point is, don't expect Mexican food in Mexico. That is, don't expect the Tex-Mex taco fare you're used to in the United States.

I loved trying the food in Guadalajara when I visited there a few years ago, particularly the discovery of chilequiles and cheese-stuffed tortillas for wrapping meat and vegetables.

Mexican food in the States is so predictable, isn't it? I know I'll always find pretty much the same style of fajitas, tacos, burritos, enchiladas and quesadillas, with sides of refried beans and rice, right? 

But what about huevos divorciados for breakfast? (Yes, those are indeed divorced eggs.)

Half the fun I had during my most recent visit to Mexico was learning about all the variations in Mexican cooking and the foods at Mexican markets. My favorite find ended up being those chilaquiles, also the favorite of the writer of the BootsnAll post on Mexico.

9/11 memorial in Israel

Three years ago, a memorial for 9/11 was inaugurated in Israel outside of Jerusalem. The 9/11 Living Memorial is a billowing American flag, partly surrounded on its circular plaza by the names of the more than 3,000 people who died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.  

The waving flag is meant to resemble an eternal flame.

Enclosed in the base is a piece of a beam from one of the destroyed buildings, reddish iron a couple of feet long, behind a piece of glass. Today, the U.S. ambassador will attend a memorial ceremony.

Best way to visit the British countryside and practice English

With the Olympics over, I'll have to get my British fix elsewhere - in the short term by watching my new (to me) favorite television show: Doc Martin.

I had fun watching segments on England that NBC aired during the Olympics. One was on the words used by the British that are different from those we use in the U.S.

For example, what is the "English" word for: 

• A flashlight?
• The drugstore?
• A bandaid? 
• A nap?
• A bathing suit?

(answers below)

Maine lighthouses open to the public in September

Any lighthouse fans out there?

On September 15, lighthouses in Maine will be opening their doors to visitors. You can climb the towers of the state's lighthouses situated on the coast, on islands and along rivers.

The fourth annual Maine Open Lighthouse Day will take place rain or shine. (Like the London Olympics?)

The event is the largest of its kind in the country, according to Maine's tourism office, and is meant to increase awareness of the state's maritime heritage.

Lighthouses always have a mystical feel to me. Ocean waves crashing ashore nearby. Thoughts of ships relying on that strong beam to navigate. The sea smell. Rocky coasts.

Kauai for solo travelers - helicopters, taro farming and the mini Grand Canyon

My lunch companions wore plumeria flowers behind their ears, necklaces strung with black pearls and Ni'ihau shells, and clothing with floral patterns. All signs that they live and work in Hawaii. In this case, Kauai.  

[Quiz of the day. Can you name the eight major Hawaiian islands? Answer at the end.]

We on the East Coast often choose the Caribbean or Mexico over Hawaii because those places are closer. But obviously, they can't offer the unique culture and language of Hawaii, which is why it's worth a visit to the Aloha state.  

Nowhere else in the world are you greeted at retail establishments with "aloha" and thanked with "mahalo." And, where else can you spend a day swimming with sea turtles, watching hula dancing and attending a luau?

It's a long haul for most people. And it can seem daunting for solo travelers to fly a long way, rent a car and spend beach time alone. 

But there are ways to find people to spend time with. For example, snorkel with others on an adventure tour. So many beautiful creatures live in that part of the Pacific, including the humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, Hawaii's state fish. 

The best places in the world

It's time to give away three copies of "1,000 Places to See Before You Die."

Last time, all you had to do was "like" boldlygosolo. You can still do that and *everyone* who is a fan by the end of the month will be entered again to win.*

For the other two copies, all you have to do is name a favorite place you've visited or where you'd love to travel to next. I'm going to see if it's in the book and perhaps blog about it.

It can be as simple as one or two words (Borneo. Hamura Saimin Stand in Lihue on the island of Kauai, Hawaii)

Or it can be a phrase or a sentence or two about why the place you've named is your fave or why you'd like to go there. (Best escargot in the world. I love getting lost on the winding, cobblestone streets)

You want to write several paragraphs? Make my day!

"Places" can be countries, cities, sights, sites, restaurants, hiking paths or wherever else you've been or would like to go. That way everyone who reads your answers gets to learn about places they should possibly consider traveling to.

Your choice does NOT have to be in the book for you to win. Name two places (one per day) and you get two additional chances to win. Max of three chances: one "like" and two "places."

Go to the boldlygosolo facebook page to enter. 

Good luck and happy daydreaming about the best places to travel.  

*Sorry, only U.S. and Canadian residents are eligible.

Photo: Fiji's Coral Coast. By Ellen Perlman

Kayaking with manatees in Sarasota, Florida, and through the mangrove tunnels

I highly recommend kayaking with manatees next time you're in Florida. Even if you don't see manatees. (After all, they're not on call for interested visitors.)

But there they were last week, paddling around Sarasota Bay during mating season. Cruisin'.

Even if I'd had a camera out, it would have been tough to get photos. They don't surface much. Only a bit of their heads rise out of the water when they come up for air.

But there's plenty more to see out there.

1,000 places to see...um...soonish

The second edition of "1,000 Places To See Before You Die" is out and I'm waiting to be assigned to do the "Solo Travel" edition. (Kidding! Sort of...)

Do the math and you realize that even if you travel three times a year, you'll have to live to be 334 years old to actually see all these places before, well, you die. And that's if you start the year you're born.

But, of course, this is beside the point.

"1,000 Places to See Before You Die" is one of those armchair travel books great for reading about where you've been, and for perusing where you might want to go. 

Want a copy of your own? I've got three to give away. Which gives you three chances to "win."

To be eligible* for the first copy, all you've got to do is "like" boldlygosolo on Facebook. I'll choose a winner for that one on May 15.

Ways to win one of the other copies coming up.

As for the book, I already "like" it. When I first flipped through, it just happened to open to places in Israel. Where I'd just visited in January. The two entries on facing pages were Caesarea and The Galilee.

The Titanic and the S.S Nomadic - White Star Line ships

Had enough Titanic stories yet? Can I sneak just one more itty bitty one past you?

I was in Belfast a few years ago where I learned about the city's ship-building prowess and the fact that the RMS Titanic, and its sister ship the RMS Olympic, were built there for the White Star Line.

The best part of the tour on a gray day was a visit to the S.S. Nomadic, the last remaining White Star Line ship. The Nomadic was a tender used to ferry passengers from Cherbourg, France, to the passenger ships that were too large to dock in the harbor.

And it brought the passengers at Cherbourg to the Titanic for its last, fateful trip. 

The haunting part of the visit to the Nomadic was the exhibit inside.

It contained dishes, place settings, bedding and other items that the company had provided to its ships, including the Titanic. 

Petra, the Pink City

I knew as soon as I booked a trip to Israel that I wanted to find a way to get to Petra, Jordan, too.

Years ago, I'd seen the city, carved into rocks, in a photo in a magazine. It immediately went on the travel to-do list. Since visiting, I think a fair amount about Petra, the "Pink City."

It feels mysterious and unknowable. But it was astounding, nevertheless, to walk down the main "street," in the place that was home to the nomadic Nabataeans, who began settling in the Petra Valley  in the 4th century, B.C.E. 

What remains for visitors now are tombs and mausoleums, remains of a colonnaded street and ruins of temples, altars and rocks and more rocks, variegated in color with reds, oranges, and browns striated with black. 

I like how the Jordan Tourism Board puts it: "The giant red mountains and vast mausoleums of a departed race have nothing in common with modern civilization, and ask nothing of it except to be appreciated at their true value - as one of the greatest wonders ever wrought by Nature and Man."

Having never heard of the Nabataeans until shortly before my visit, I did just that: appreciated a great wonder for what it was. Beautiful, unique, special. Not simple to get to but worth it.

A few hours in Jerusalem's Old City

I've been home from Israel for several weeks now and still haven't figured out what to write about it. Facts and figures about history and religion rained down on me during my 10-day visit. I was awed by sights that millions have visited before me.

The religious and political aspects of life in Israel, and between Israel and other countries, have been written about time and again.  

So where do I take a story? Or a blog post? No point in me recounting the complicated history I learned (and maybe should have already known). That can be found in books.

Books retelling stories from the Israelites to the Babylonians to the Persians to the Greeks during the Hellenistic period to the Romans, the Byzantines, the early Muslims, the Crusaders, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, the British...

Wandering solo in Richmond, Virginia, discovering black history

Green and white awnings and a small sign are all that distinguish the Richmond home of Maggie L. Walker from neighboring duplexes that have been carefully restored to their appearance circa 1925.

What distinguished Walker in her day was her skill at overcoming all the obstacles society could place before a black woman living under Jim Crow segregation laws.

But wait. Maggie who?

The answer to that is in the story I wrote on Walker for today's Washington Post travel section. I won't repeat a lot of what is in it, since you can read it for yourself. 

It was cool taking the walking tour in Richmond and learning some of the black history of the Southern city. Including about Bill "Bojangles" Robinson who was born in Richmond. 

Cross-country skiing on the beach, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

My tale of cross-country skiing on the beach in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, just south of Portland, is in The Washington Post today. A year later, that trip still feels magical. A beautiful inn. Fabulous skiing. Great food. 

It may be difficult to replicate the experience at the moment, due to the lack of snow this year. But it's something worth keeping on the "bucket list." 

I'm hoping that there will be snow somewhere in late February, when I plan to head North for another cross country ski weekend with my ski buddies. Somewhere.

We haven't picked a place yet. We're waiting for the white stuff to decide the best location. It seems it will have to be a last-minute decision.

Funny enough, I was just in Jordan - a desert country - where we drove by sandy ground dusted with snow! Our Jordanian tour guide cracked jokes about opening a resort, serving camel burgers for lunch, telling us to skip Switzerland and head to his country for the winter.

Uh, it wasn't THAT much snow. And Jordan's a tad tougher to get to. 

Although you may remember the solo traveler version of the cross-country skiing story posted here last year, today's Washington Post story has different photos and additional details on restaurants in Portland and Cape Elizabeth. And on the Inn by the Sea, where we stayed. Check it out.