Title image: The speedway display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte, North Carolina. NASCAR stands for: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. This past weekend I went to Charlotte to visit my older son and his family. We’ve all lived in North Carolina a long time, and he... read more
Title image: Old Orange County Courthouse c. 1844, Hillsborough, NC. Over Memorial Day weekend I was invited to a garden party in Hillsborough, NC. Before showing up at the party I decided to do a walking tour of the main part of town. My idea was that you don’t have... read more
Title image: Durham NC: Partial sykline from the south. Any image of downtown Durham has to include railroad tracks. The glass-and-steel building on the left is One City Center. In the center of the title image you’ll see Durham’s current slogan painted on the red brick building in the middle:... read more
Kimberly Theobald owns Ami, a wonderful boutique in Carmel, California. Note: Addresses in Carmel do not have street numbers. The most accurate address for Ami is Delores between 5th and 6th. In addition to writing about the local sights and history when I travel, I love bringing attention to great... read more
Today is about the town of Monterey, which is on the Bay, so you’re looking at it. Just as Monterey County is rich in beauty, artistic endeavor, agriculture and fishing, so the town at its center has an equally rich heritage. Monterey has four historical layers. The Costanoan Rumsen Ohlone... read more
“Monterey County Part II” could also be called John Steinbeck Country. The places at issue are the agricultural communities of Salinas, Castroville and Watsonville as well as the town of Monterey. We’re into Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row territory here. If Part I was about artists and Hollywood stars... read more
“Monterey County Part I” could also be called Clint Eastwood Country. The places at issue are the picturesque town of Carmel-by-the-sea and Carmel Valley. I’m lucky enough to be staying this week in Carmel Valley. Here’s my view: The reason Eastwood comes so easily to mind is because he was once... read more
Beauty and the Beast, as apt a metaphor for Orlando, Florida as I can think of at the moment The first book in my new shapeshifter series is Buy Me Love, and it will be available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play Books and Kobo on May 11. On... read more
The second-to-last stops on our Southeast Coast Road Trip were Miami and Palm Beach, Florida. I skipped right over this part of the trip and wrote all about Cuba, but I wanted to make sure I shared about this part of our journey too. We stayed two nights in Coconut Grove.... read more
Take a morning walk along the St. John’s River in Sanford, an easy 30-minute drive north of Orlando in Central Florida On our road trip from Charlotte NC to Miami, the third stop (after Charleston and Savannah) was St. Augustine, Florida. Established in 1565, it’s the oldest continuously settled city... read more