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If we write about our town in the comments, how specific do we have to get in order to get selected? My town is a first-class town. After I understand more, I will provide more detail.
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u wishing you laughter
My current hometown has been my hometown for 20 years now. I moved to Central Islip, NY in 1988. I finally was able to buy my own house. Over the past 20 years Central Islip has changed alot. It now has a few shopping centers, home of the Long Island Ducks, Citibank Stadium. It also has a historical home to visit. As for restaurants , Central Islip has a few. The newest one is Carrabbas, the Italian restaurant. It is also the new home of the Federal Courthouses and the Touro Law School.
I was getting confused as well!!
After spending a few hours there you would need to cool off and settle down and where better than a cozy Mexican restaurant. Las Mariachi's has a live Mariachi band. So come one come all visit beautiful, small town Wallingford Connecticut.
There is one gas station in the town, a few churches, a barber shop, a pizza shop, a post office, a community swimming pool and not really anything else. There is no grocery store; your choices are to either overpay at the gas station or drive 10-15 minutes to the next town (to overpay there).
In theory, it is convenient to the state capitol. In reality, it is light years away.
Why not let people publish articles, and maybe add a photo or two? It's about travel, after all.
Pittsburgh has its roots in the working class and is currently pulling ahead in the technology sector. We have Community Theater, colleges anyone can attend, churches everywhere, and interesting places where you can buy handmade wrought iron, stained glass, and ceramics.
We have talent ... many famous actors originated in Pittsburgh, as well as artists, singers, painters, sculptors, etc. We have a history of shrewd businessmen and the solidarity of unions. People of many different countries settled here in the past ... Italians, Germans, Polish, Slavik, Irish, Hungarian, Jewish and more ... and now we have the new settlers from war-torn areas. We have Spanish and Japanese churches, too, that are relatively new. These are only the ones I've seen in the neighborhoods I frequent. I'm sure there are more.
We have a small-town feel with neighborhoods sticking together, but a big-town access to arts, entertainment and technology.
What's more, the view from Mt. Washington at night is spectacular with the convergence of the three rivers, Point State Park and downtown itself being part of the beauty. We have riverboats sporting paddle wheels, amphibious vehicle tours, and a working incline. We have a train station that was turned into a set of upscale shops (complete with railroad cars as decoration and some of the shops). We have a small subway system (soon to get larger) and a truly impressive set of highways.
Of course, we can't forget our traditions. The language of "Pittsburghese," calling Giant Eagle "giantiggle", downtown is "dahntahn" and "pop" and "gum bands" for soda and rubber bands. And no description of Pittsburgh would be complete without mentioning our tendency to give directions by landmarks that aren't there anymore (turn left where the Isaly's plant used to be) as well as referencing all traffic signals as "red lights." It's not unusual to hear, "Go through two red lights and then turn right where the Isaly's plant used to be." If you need to get around Pittsburgh and you don't have a Garmin, you'd best bring a native with you. There are a few places that you just can't get there unless you've already been there! And if you have a phobia of bridges or tunnels, you'd better stock up on Xanax, because it's just about impossible to get anywhere without crossing a bridge or going through a tunnel.
Pittsburgh a comfortable place to live where my work, where I shop, and many activities and attractions are less than 15 minutes away. I have personally imported a number of people by convincing them to try out Pittsburgh. These people have come and never left. I say it's something in the water.
Unfortunately, I had to leave it in March of 1960 and have never returned.
By all accounts, Cienfuegos has been kept up by the pride and love of her citizens, but I'm afraid that the double whammy of Gustav and Ike have recently ravaged my poor beloved city...the place where I was born. The wide, clean streets and boulevards frame buildings of impressive architecture.
I'm not expecting tourists to travel there any time soon, but just want to share some beautiful photos found on a website that features this beautiful 'city on the bay'.
The following website can give you just a glimpse of this most beautiful city
Cienfuegos, La Perla del Sur
Clicking on several of the photographs on the site will take you to other photos of the area. I'm afraid who ever did the translation on the text was not completely familiar with English, but you get the idea.
I'm afraid this is a close as I will ever get to visiting my beautiful hometown ever again.
Early each August, less than 25 miles to the northeast on rte 414 NASCAR runs it’s Sprint Cup race in Watkins Glen, NY and many fans choose to stay in Corning where a race celebration, with many of the cars and drivers on hand, is held each year on the week of the race. On the campus of Corning Community College, south of town and up Spencer Hill, is the Eileen Collins Observatory.
So come to Corning and stay at the world class Radisson Hotel or the Staybridge Suites or the Days inn. Enjoy or small town hospitality and world class accommodations and dining.
Oakland is best known for its murder rate and economic collapse due to the end of manufacturing in the US. It's been in the news a lot recently for a series of takeover robberies in restaurants. The police think they've caught the main group.
Oakland's current mayor is former long time congressman, Ron Delllums. Oakland was the home of the Black Panther Party as well as Borax Smith, the founder of 20 Mule Team Borax.
Oakland also has truly beautiful wooded areas in the hills at the eastern edge of town. It's one of the most ethnically diverse cities in CA.
I'm proud to be from Oakland.
Guntersville, Alabama is a peninsula in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains surrounded by a 69000 acre lake at the southernmost point of the Tennessee River.
We have a moderate climate, low taxes and a population of 8,000. We have walking trails, Active Senior Citizens Building and one of the highest ranked public school systems in the State..Our Elementary school was given the Blue Ribbon National Achievement award. Our library has many computers sitting waiting for you to connect..no charge..just a smile and help from the Librarian's if you need it.
....We have a newly renovated Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge and Convention Center which abounds with hiking trails, beaches, views, wildlife, Camp grounds and prime fishing (Bass masters hold televised tournaments here). Guntersville has a Museum, and a active Theater Playhouse called The Whole Backstage with plays and musicals all year.
We have a famous Wintzells Seafood Restaurant that specializes in oysters and shrimp. The Crackerbarrel is building one of the handful of restaurants with their name that's not on a interstate. Oh we also have a gourmet restaurant called the Glover that has the best bartender around. Of course the usual Applebee's or O'Charley's chains. Hunting, Fishing, biking, sailboats, Golf courses galore, swimming we have it all.
Go to my posts if you'd like to see photos ...a picture will make a believer out of you.....
York is now the factory capital. You can tour numerous plants including Harley Davidson, Stauffer's, Martin's (best chips ever) and many more. Don't forget to get your samples and stop in the gift shops!
Visiting downtown York is a must, where you can see and learn about some local history. Visit the Colonial Courthouse, where the Continental Congress signed the Articles of Confederation in 1777. If you like antiques you have to ask for help- we have many but only the locals know where they hide. And once you find them, you can lose yourself for hours in just one. Take a walk downtown to stop in all of the little shops scattered over a few blocks. Don't forget to stop in at Martin Memorial Library and Central Market. If you like nightlife then plan for a full day and evening in downtown York. In only a few blocks you can find upscale nightclubs, saloons, pubs dance clubs and more. It's a must to catch one of our local bands in action! If the bar scene isn't your scene then don't forget the Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center http://www.strandcapitol.org/ where you can catch independant and foreign films in the theater or watch a play. Plus many other venues offer everything from fine to casual dining, dancing (ballroom, swing and other classics), art galleries and more. Many of our best restaurants are located downtown. If you do decide to take in a full day downtown you might want to go without the kids- many places are not kid-friendly.
If you have kids (or if you just like nature) then visiting one of our parks is a MUST. We have so many parks in York County. There are parks for every type of person- the hiker, the biker, the rider, the boater, the fisher, the swimmer and everyone in between. Kids will always find playgrounds or places to use their imagination at these parks and you could end up spending all day exploring! At some of parks there are even educational centers, observatories, and other fun things to do. We also have the Heritage Rail Trail which runs to the border of Maryland and is the longest non-motorized rail trail in the US.
Another great thing about York is the location. We are a short drive to Harrisburg, PA's capital, Baltimore, Maryland, Hershey Park, Dutch Wonderland (amusement parks), and many other fabulous places for both the old and the young!
I grew up in Kooskia (Koos-kee), Idaho current population around 800. Although when I was growing up that total was less than 400! Kooskia is a town where everyone knows everyone and people notice anyone "new" in town! Crime is minimal and it's still safe for your children to walk to and from school or play at the city park on their own.
There are no fast food restaurants or Target but somehow we all seem to manage. There are two restaurants in town that offer affordable home-cooked meals with friendly service. And a few years ago we got a drive through coffee stand! YAY!
There is a small motel, several bed and breakfasts and an RV park. Along with a Sterling Savings Bank, Sunset Mart/Conoco, Doctor's office, the Hair Affair, Steve's Body Shop, Pankey's Foods, Trenary's Funeral Home and the Selway Bar!
There is a refurbished Old Victorian Opera Theatre, built in 1912, located in the center of town right on Main Street. It features a stunning crystal chandelier, a dessert and sarsaparilla bar, and has concerts throughout the year!
Kooskia is the gateway to the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forest and the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness area, nestled where the Southfork and Middlefork of the Clearwater River meet. The scenery is spectacular and provides something fun for everyone. White water rafting, hunting, fishing, nature hikes, boating, skiing, 4wheeling and so much more. The wildlife you can see will amaze you. On any given day you can see many of the following animals: moose, deer, elk, wild turkeys, cougar, bear and eagles!
Kooskia was surveyed in 1897 and was originally known as Stuart. Kooskia was first named for James Stuart, a Nez Perce surveyor and merchant. But later the Nez Perce Indians called it Koos-Koos-Kia for the river's transparent quality.
Throughout the year there are several events, we go down every July for Kooskia Days! Some other events include; the Lewis and Clark Heritage Fair and the Annual "Kiddie" Jingle Parade & Tree Lighting Ceremony.
A town so simple and basic that there isn't even a single stop light in town!!
The downtown Decatur area is fabulous! The old Courthouse is the center of attraction and the streets surrounding are filled with great bars, restaurants and shops. It's a great place to take a stroll. The Decatur square is host to a lot of festivals throughout the year. My husband has been a volunteer at the Great Decatur Beer Tasting Festival for over 8 years and it's a treat for those who love microbrews and imports. I've enjoyed the Wine Tasting Festival that is held in November of each year. In addition, they have the Book Festival over Labor Day, Arts Festival over Memorial Day and Decatur concerts over the summer.
Decatur residential architecture is a mix of bungalows and ranch style homes. There is one neighborhood close to mine filled with ranch houses called "The Ponderosa" with streets such as Bonanza and Cartwright. There are lot of neighborhoods with similar naming themes throughout Decatur. Many streets are lined with Oaks and Pines. I have at least 20 pines in my backyard alone!!
I always felt like Decatur had a good mix of races - there's a major road that connects the northern end of Decatur to the center of Decatur that has a wide selection of International restaurants - mid eastern, indian, mexican, japenese, chinese, ethiopian, but, after looking up the statistics for this post I see that it's 72% white, 23% black with the remainder of the population consisting of Asian, Native American and Hispanic. The city also has a large population of registered Democrats.
Heavy traffic is a reality. The area is surrounded on the east side by the Perimeter Highway, so, most roads that lead to that Highway get clogged. There is public rail transportation that runs east/west through Decatur - but, that could improve as well.
I'm looking forward to the autumn season in Decatur. Many of the residents are fanatics about their lawns and driving down LaVista Road, Scott Boulevard, Candler Road or Ponce de Leon Avenue, mums and asters strive.
Some of the wonderful attractions here are the beautiful beaches, the Atlantic Ocean, Murrells Inlet
and several State Parks which are all close by. Places of interest are Broadway at the Beach which is
home to Ripley's Aquarium, MagiQuest and the Palace Theater. You can also visit The Carolina Opry, Waccatee Zoo,
Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, Barefoot Landing for shopping and the home of Alabama Theatre, Hard Rock Park,
Medieval Times, Legends in Concert, and Brookgreen Gardens just to name a few. There are so many great places
to eat you could dine out every night of the week for over a year and never go to the same place twice. Myrtle Beach
has so many all you can eat buffets too. My favorite is Crabby Mikes where you can eat all the crab legs you want,
or prime rib if you rather have beef. Along with all the selections you'll never leave hungry.
I could go on forever it seems, there is so much to do and see in Myrtle Beach for every taste and age.
I moved here almost a year ago from Philadelphia, PA after spending a week here on vacation in 2006 and 2007.
During our vacation in 2007 we decided to look at some homes and condominiums just for fun. We found a place
we loved and bought it, while on vacation, in less than an hour. We have never regretted our decision.
Just stop in at my home page by clicking on my name and look through my articles and photos and you'll see why I feel this is the perfect
place to live.
Back to that in a minute.
Belmont sits between Cambridge, Watertown, Arlington and Lexington, Massachusetts, and is only 4 square miles with 24,000 residents, comprising some 9,0000 households, with about 1/3 being school-aged children.
Settled in 1639 but not incorporated until 1859, Belmont prides itself on its small-town, tranquil feel in this town of homes, and was settled by Far East China trader John Cushing, who made his fortune in opium, among other trades.
Many historical homes dot the landscape here in this gorgeous town.
Joan and Mimi Baez lived in Belmont while their father was a physics professor at MIT; Japan's Crown Princess Masako Owada lived in Belmont in the 1980s, and attended Belmont High School, the public school on Newsweek magazines' recent list of high schools that occupied slot number 180 of best public high schools in the US.
TV host Tom Bergeron used to live in Belmont (I stopped my car at the intersection in Belmont Center while he was crossing the street more than 10 years ago), painter Winslow Homer lived and painted in Belmont, and authors William Dean Howells and Sebastian Junger (A Perfect Storm) once lived in Belmont.
Among others who have made Belmont their home at one time also include:
Cellist Yo Yo Ma and former Red Sox Pitcher, Bill "Spaceman" Lee once lived here; James Taylor, Ecnonomist Paul Samuelson, Henry Kissinger, the Underwood (Devil Ham) Family - lived here - and built the US's first public swimming pool, which is still in existence (a great family pool, I can vouch for that);
Carlton Fisk; TV host - Chronicle - Mary Richardson (I know Mary!) Dr. Paul Dudley White, M.D. and founder of the American Heart Association, author Tom Perotta (Little Children); Red Sox Pitcher Wilbur Wood went to Belmont High School and owned a fish store in town until his death some years ago.
Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead (he designed NYC's Central Park, the US Capitol grounds l in Washington, D.C., Boston's Emerald Necklace system of Parks; Montreal's Mount Royal Park, as well as Niagara park, many college campuses, many parks, and numerous other state Capitol grounds, including the Utah state Capitol.)
Welch juice and candy maker Robert Welch lived here, and the organization he founded, The John Birch Society, was here until 1989.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and family have made Belmont their home since the 1980s; Harvard Business School professor and author Clayton Christensen (and also a former SLC resident) and his family live here).
McLean hospital is the psychiatric hostpital affiliated with Harvard, and has been featured in numerous books including memoir, "Girl Interrupted" and Mount Misery, a novel based on McLean, written by the pseudonymonous Samuel Shem, M.D.
James Taylor wrote his early songs while at McLean hospital in the 60s. He once said in an interview that when he was growing up, affluent WASP parents put their so-called, 'out of control' children in McLean Hospital. James and siblings Kate and Livingston would all stay at McLean at one time or another, and were credited with putting McLean 'on the map', staying in the section for 'troubled youths,' where many musicians played songs, 'with bars on the windows.'
Belmont is about 91 percent white, 1 percent African American, 5 percent Asian, with other ethnic groups comprising the remaining percentages.
Until recently, Belmont was a 'dry' town, and residents had to drive to neighboring towns to buy 'bottled liquors' at 'package stores,' AKA 'packies.'
Progress has come to this tranquil suburb, albeit slowly, and Belmont now boasts two wine stores.
Two private schools are located in Belmont: The Belmont Hills School, a boys local and boarding high school, and Belmont Day School, a coed elementary school.
Every year, the town has a festival towards the middle of July. During it, the main event for many people is the "Beer Tent". Several local bars get together, and a huge circus sized tent is pitched in one of the parks down town. There's always a stage, and local bands play on Friday and Saturday night.
For the kids, there is a bike parade on Friday, plus the traditional parade on Saturday. A children's fair and a carnival round out the day for kids of all ages. Many local historical sites hold tours during the festival as well.
Aside from the annual "Town & Country Days" festival, the town pulls together to do a small Christmas festival and a small Halloween festival. Each is only a single day. At Halloween, the local businesses provide an open door to trick or treaters a few days before Halloween, giving them a safe place to trick or treat. There is usually a few booths set up for doing fun things like dipping your own apple in caramel, painting a pumpkin, and more.
At Christmas, there is caroling through the town, crafts, open houses at local businesses, and a small Santa parade. When I was a child, every year a small run down shed was brought out, and placed next to the bank. That was Santa's house. Several years ago, the town and local businesses banded together to build a small, permanent 1 room house in the gardens behind the library. It is Santa's house, but it also plays host to the Easter Bunny, and even weddings.
The town has much more to do, outside of local festivals, however. The bowling alley is one of the most entertaining locations in Sparta. For years, it was just a nice bowling alley, which played host to kids and adult leagues, tournaments, and birthday parties.
About 5 years ago, the bowling alley made some big renovations. Now, included with the bowling alley is a large restaurant- which is split into two. One side is a sports bar, complete with large screen TV's, Keno machines, and Bowling Pin shaped beer bottles. The other side of the restaurant is called the Garden Patch, and has a nice light airy decor, more suitable for bringing Grandma to dinner than Uncle Earl.
The Bowling Alley side also got a renovation, which included a new locker area, new bowling balls, a paint job, and a large arcade to keep kids entertained. When I was a child, there was a small room with 2 or 3 video games, most of which didn't work at the same time. Now, children have a large variety of games to play and enjoy.
Moving on from the Bowling Alley, which is called Sparta Lanes, is a large spiritual community. For a small village, Sparta plays host to a large Catholic church, a large Baptist church, a large Methodist church, and a large Lutheran church. There are also close to 10 other small churches to be found in Sparta, which allows for people of all faiths to find a niche for themselves.
The many churches also provide entertainment through out the year, all of which is open to the public, which comes in the form of pot luck dinners, youth groups, small fairs, book sales, garage sales, bake sales, craft sales, and more, all year round.
Located downtown, Sparta has one of the best Mexican restaurants I have ever eaten at. Forget Taco Bell, Downtown Trini's is one of the best places in Michigan to find authentic Mexican food. They also have many American dishes for the less spicy of palate. For those with an adventurous streak, there's even a Taco wall of fame- eat enough taco's in 1 sitting, and your name will forever be added to the wall!
If Mexican isn't your thing, don't worry. Just head towards the West end of town and get awesome Italian food. Vitales started out as a small pizza place with some of the gooeyest pizza I've ever had. Vitales was a Friday night staple in my home. In more recent years, Vitale's has built a new location, which includes more of a restaurant feel. Still famous in local circles for their pizza, Vitales has expanded to include a myriad of pasta dishes to the menu, at affordable prices.
Another local Italian stop is Angela's, which is located downtown. The pizza isn't as good as Vitale's, but the pasta dishes are just as good, if not better. Both are affordable places to eat, with great choices.
This small town even boasts choices of Chinese (New Dragon, located on the South end of town), Mandarin (Mandarin Wok, also located on the South end of town), two ice cream shops (Tasty Treat, a seasonal ice cream shop on the south end of town, and 'Round Again Ice Cream, which is open year round, and located down town), several small casual dining restaurants (The Garden Patch, located on the North end of town, Maxine's, also on the north end, Crevelings, in the downtown area, and the Pot belly Pig, located on the east end of town), and lastly, a handful of chain fast food locations.
McDonalds, Subway, Hungry Howies, and Burger King battle it out for fast cheap food, spread out between the west end and south ends of town.
Friday night's during the fall are reserved for attending the home Football games, with the community rallying together to cheer on the Sparta Spartans. After Varsity home games, the teens in the area enjoy school dances.
There are several clubs for adults as well- The Eagles, the Moose, and more. These are social clubs, which have pool leagues, golf leagues, community events, and more. The Moose holds an annual children's Christmas party every year, complete with gifts, toy donations, crafts, and more.
On the 4th of July, the place to be is Camp Lake. Camp Lake is located just outside of town, and is a private lake with public access. The residents of this large lake all chip in together, and put together an awesome fireworks display.
A day on the lake, a barbecue, and fireworks at night is the best way to spend the 4th in the area.
If these things are not enough to keep a person busy, Sparta is only a 15 minute drive from Grand Rapids, where you can find semi-pro and pro sporting events, concerts, hotels, shopping, and so much more. Grand Rapids is also the home to the Gerald R Ford museum, and his grave.
I hope anyone who wants to visit enjoys all that Sparta has to offer. It's a great place to grow!
The town is small- as I've said, it's still classified as a village due to population, but it's a great community with a lot to do.
Marietta is located about 15 miles Northwest of Downtown Atlanta and is about an hour away from the North Georgia Mountains. Established in 1834, Marietta is a charming city that offers modern amenities while still preserving the past. It's basically a blend of small town values combined with the types of opportunities typically seen in larger city urban living.
At the heart of Marietta is a beautiful and viberant downtown square that's surrounded by restaurants, antique & specialty shops, dedicated greenspace and more. This city offers both residents and visitors quaint streets, Victorian homes, historic sites and numerous park and recreation areas. Of course area shopping and progressive businesses are found here too.
Immediate nearby attractions include Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Marietta National Cemetery and Marietta Confederate Cemetery, The Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum: Scarlett on the Square and the Marietta Museum of History, as well as Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, Marietta Fire Museum and the William Root House. Plus with such close proximity to Atlanta, The Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Six Flags Over Georgia and other tourist stops are only a short car ride away. For the sports fan, the MLB Braves, NFL Falcons, NBA Hawks and NHL Thrashers sports venues are also easily accessible by car or bus.
There are plenty of celebrations and festivals held throughout the year on Marietta Square. You can see firewoks in July, attend art and craft fairs, a monthly farmer's market or even a free concert in the park on any given weekend evening.
Marietta is a great place to live if you're the type who doesn't like to be too far away from the city action, but still wants to feel like you're not stuck in the middle of it all the time, 24/7.
I think Tallahassee should be one of the cities in Florida, everyone should visit at least once. Not only because it is capital city, but because there is many things to do around here.
If I had some visitor to come here I would take to beautiful ST. George island beach. It is 2 hours by car from here, but it is very pretty beach. Our next stop would be in Waculla spring, where I would take my friends for a little trip by boat, available there. The water is little chilly for swimming there, but in hot summer day, it might feel very refreshing.
Of course there is a lot to do here in the city too. If you are football fan, you should go take a look at our great football stadium. I have to say I am not really football fan, but the building impressed me anyway.
In the center of Talahassee are few museums you can visit and also my favorite farmers market, where you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables, but also art work, books, cheese and other stuff.
If you like shopping there are two shopping mall with a lot of shops and I am sure you will find something you like. For those who likes flea market , there is a huge flea market area place too, so just bring cash and you are ready to get some deals.
Of course there are a lot of different restaurants and you might have problem to choose one from so many. But if I could recomment some good restaurant I would take my visitor to Ted's for some good bison steak.
I think Tallahassee is just great place to live at, or just come for visit. Hope when you visit my hometown, you will bring a lot of nice memories with you home.
My town is a second-class town. Does that diminish my chances of winning? Should I even bother telling you about my hometown if it's not first-class?
Though I live in a small town outside of Detroit Michigan I consider Detroit my hometown I was born and raised there. Over the years Detroit has got a bad rep but Detroit still has charm and beauty. If you ever come to Detroit check out Henry Ford museum it a great family place with old world charm, or take a trip to the Detroit institute of art, the Detroit science center, or the Charles H Wright museum of African American history, there’s a lot of history in Detroit. For music lovers if you love Motown music then check the Motown museum. In the summer in Detroit if you like to take a boat cruise then take a cruise on the Famous Detroit Princess or the Diamond Jack. Downtown Detroit has a beautiful River walk, with a bike trail, restaurant, and Carousel. Visit the GM building, which houses some of the best GM cars ever made. Downtown Detroit summers are the best. The world Festivals are great and people from of over the world attend from every walk of life. Every year Detroit has the Woodward Dream Cruise which everyone comes out to show off their old classic cars. Summer concerts at Shane Park, Family Movies at Campus Martius just bring a chair or a blanket and enjoy a free movie right in the center of downtown. Wintertime you can enjoy Ice Skating at Campus Martius or attend the annual winter blast which is so much fun. Detroit is a very diverse town and has some of the best ethnic restaurants. If ever in Detroit, you must eat at Mexicantown restaurant and try the flaming fajitas, Pizza Papalis where they serve the best pizza pie or If you like Greek food try The Parthenon located in the heart of greek town in downtown Detroit. The night never ends in Detroit if you’re a night owl then check out The MGM, Motorcity or Greektown Casino. The fun never ends.
Cole park on the bayfront is a great place to be on a summer Sunday evening for the free concerts the Corpus Christi Municipal band would perform. Bring a throw for the grass, a lawnchair or two, and of course the ice chest for something to munch on and drink, make for the perfect evening under the stars and moon with the bay to look upon while the band plays on!
Friday and Saturday nights are great to go to Panjo's Pizza Parlor on Airline at Gulfway shopping center for something to eat and drink while listening and singing along with Bubba and the band. The parlor is cozy and friendly faces are always there because the total environment is like a neighborhood get-together. Regulars are there along with the newcomers, but it doesn't really matter if you are an old face or a new one, because the music and singing is fun and everyone leaves their troubles at the doorstep.
Cycling, or roller skating down the extra wide sidewalk on the bayfront past the two "L-heads" and the "T-head" is always an adventure. Looking up at the downtown skyline and out to the bay with the sailboats, and the marinas with fresh shrimp sold off of the boats, is a feast for the eyes. People strolling along the bayfront with dogs, kids, it's always interesting. The breeze is almost always non-stop there and evening strolls are the best. Passing by restaurants, the smells that creep out of the vents fill the air with fish, shrimp and other succulent dishes being prepared for the diners. It all adds up to a wonderful experience both visually and sensually.
A favorite of our's was to drive to Port Aransas on the north end of Mustang Beach, take the ferry over to Aransas Pass and drive over to Portland, then the high bridge heading back into downtown Corpus Christi. The highlight of the trip was the ferry ride from Pt. "A" as the locals call it to Aransas Pass. Dolphins would sometimes frolic in the Gulf waters and follow the ferry. The sea mist would gather on our cheeks and cool us off in the summertime heat. The last I knew, the ferry was free.
There's boats from the bayfront in Corpus Christi that will take you out into the bay for evening cruises. It's great when there's a full moon in the fall. The big orange moon hangs above the horizon, allowing the whitecaps to show up in the distance. Music plays, drinks can be bought, and the evening is a special one not to be forgotten. We did this a couple of times after winning a "Seacruise" on the radio channel I used to listen to. It was wonderful and my husband and I will never forget those cruises.
You can charter a boat from Port "A" and go on a deep sea fishing trip, too. I've never been on one, but they bring in some big ones on those trips. There's scuba diving trips out to the oil rig platforms, too for the adventurous at heart.
All in all, it's a really nice place to visit, with all of the seafood restaurants downtown, and the beaches that are found in many places around the area. For the beachcomber, it's a great place, whichever beach you're on! You'll have a "Shell" of a time!!!
Daytime activities:
Take a stroll on the sandy white beach or take a dip in the cool blue waters.
Bring a picnic basket for a barbecue under the palms along the shore or play volley ball at the beach.
Walk in the many parks along the water.
With luck you will be here for one of the many music, art, food and fun festivals in the parks along the beach.
For every day musical entertainment, shops, eateries and a fun aquarium - walk on over to the colorful Pier.
Watch the boats in the bay, check out the yachts in the harbor and enjoy a memorable sunset on the beach!
Attractions:
Take a guided tour of the Salvador Dali Museum! Did you know that he hid several images within his paintings? You will come away with a new appreciation of his works.
Don't miss the treasures of the Florida International Museum! a constantly changing exhibit!
The Museum of Fine Arts is a must see if you interested in the paintings of the old masters.
Sunken Gardens is a botanical garden beautiful any time of the year. A great place for the entire family. Restaurants and Cafes are located conveniently right next door and across the street.
TIP – if you are looking for a cool gift for a child, stop in at their children's gift shop. It has the best selection of educational toys, scientific or art or just plain fun and unusual.
Go treasure hunting for antiques, check out the many shops on Central Avenue – for book lovers, Haslam's is the largest used book store, you never know what you might find.
Moroccan treasures or thrift and designer shops, you will find them here.
If your tastes run toward modern – hit the mall downtown
or peek into the many specialty shops in downtown, for the unexpected and unusual.
Sports Fans
See our Rays baseball team play at Tropicana Field.
Visit nearby Tampa (30 min) to see the Tampa Buccaneers football team in action!
For arena football - check out our Storm football team
Nightlife
Stay downtown for Jazz Clubs, fine dining, outdoor cafes.
Enjoy a concert at the State Theater or Jannus Landing!
HOT SPOT the popular Blue Martini Bar near the Mall or
Ferg's Sports Bar.
Fine dining and a special night out - try the beautifully restored, historic Vinoy Hotel. The Vinoy has a stunning view of the harbor and the yacht club.
Day trip:
Bush Gardens Go for the cool rides and the famous roller coaster, but don't miss out on seeing the white tigers and the gorillas in the mist, the rain forest habitat and ......
If you still have energy at the end of the day – stay and enjoy one of their evening concerts, price included in the ticket – check for time and day.
Take a day trip to Disney and Epcot.
The Saturday Morning Market has it all. It is a feast for the senses. Organic local produce – arts and crafts. Enjoy the fresh bakery goods and breakfast delicacies alongside great coffee, spices and flowers.
Seasonal - Oct to May - right on Central Avenue.
SECRET INSIDER TIP:
Fort De Soto Beach
One of the top ten beaches in the country it is located just a couple of miles away! A secluded nature spot, perfect for fishing, BBQ and enjoying family time on the beach! Talk a walk through the historic fort.
On rainy days go play at the Seminole Indian Casino and Hard Rock Cafe in Tampa.
The best and most popular festival - draws huge crowds each year in February:
GASPARILLA - floats, boats, parades, pirates and beads.
You see we have it all and then some - so come on down to St. Petersburg, FL when you are tired of the frozen tundra of the north:)
Salisbury is a very historical town though and the sense of community is overwhelming. Everyone knows everyone else and when crisis hits, we come together. Approximately one year ago, a little girl died in our town and the whole town came together to raise money for her family and the medical bills they incurred. It really touched my heart to see everyone come together.
There are many things to do related to nature, such as hiking trails, fishing ponds, 4 wheeling trails, and the list goes on. It truly is a beautiful town with so many things to offer.
Once a year, we have a Old Homes Day celebration. This celebration is a weekend long event held in August. On Friday, we have the ice cream social and the pet parade. Saturday consists of the parade, various vender and food booths, and the chicken barbeque. Great way to visit with friends and the kids all get together to play.
We also have one little cornerstore that offers video rentals as well. We have a store called "The Barn Store" which is equivelent to a mini Home Depot and they have a small restaurant in there called "The Grain Box".
So, while my hometown may not be a hopping big city, it is my little piece of the planet. I love the sense of community and it is a great town to raise children in. I am so glad that my husband and I built our home here over 5 years ago.
Knoxville is the home of the University of Tennessee and probably at its most active during college football season--you'll definitely get used to seeing the color orange.
We're also known for the 1982 World's Fair and still have the Sunsphere as a downtown landmark (and no, there's no wig shop inside like in the Simpson's episode). They are however in the process of putting a restaurant and conference rooms inside soon--possibly even a few apartments. Now I know they would be insanely expensive, but how cool would it be to tell people your address was the Sunsphere?
We have a lot of activities downtown throughout the year, including Boomsday (the country's largest Labor Day weekend fireworks show), the Rossini Festival (Italian food and culture celebration), and Sundown in the City (free outdoor summer concerts). Be sure to check the city's website (http://www.knoxville.org/visitors/) so you'll know what's coming up.
We also have a lot of great restaurants as well. If you're wanting to do something very special and on the expensive side, I would recommend either Regas (which is downtown) or Peerless (which is on the West side).
The area that has the most shops and business growth is called Turkey Creek, which is on the west side of town (take the Lovell road exit, turn left, and then right at the entrance to the area.) There you'll find plenty of places to shop and more restaurants, as well as the largest movie theater in town, the Regal Pinnacle 18.
Something that's fun to do on a more normal basis is go to the dollar theater in the center of town, which is a Carmike (175 N. Seven Oaks). Next to it is a pizza place called Roman's that's absolutely the best pizza I've ever ate--the couple that owns it is originally from New York and are very nice.
McKay's bookstore (http://www.mckaybooks.com/Knoxville.htm) is also a great stop if you love used books and movies. It's to the point that we just buy used movies and sell them back once we're done--it's cheaper than even renting a movie.
As far as parting tips, just do a little planning before you come--that's why I included the websites. We have some construction going on in the downtown area that has portions of I40 shut off, so you'll need to plan around it a little. Overall it's not too difficult of a city to navigate as long as you're prepared--almost every destination is close to either I40 or 640.
But once you get out into the country where I live, it is like a different world. You are surrounded by corn fields, fields of cattle and horses. Peace and quiet and everything you have ever dreamed of. No police sirens.... no cars with loud music.... no sounds of traffic buzzing by.
A place where you ca raise your children and know that they will be safe and have a wonderful upbringing. This town may not be able to offer everything like a big city. But if you are looking for a place to get away and relax and just to be one with nature, this is the right town for you. If you like waking up in the morning and looking out your front windows at the galloping horses across the street in the fields or the ducks and geese swimming in the pond, this is the town for you.
Although articles about Romeo on the Internet note that it is famous as the hometown of rocker Kid Rock, that doesn’t tell you about it’s small-town charm and why you should want to visit. Here are some great reasons.
Atmosphere
The village of Romeo is full of huge old Victorian mansions that were owned by wealthy families during the 1800s. These are kept beautiful and livable nowadays mostly by Detroit commuters. It is actually a code that the residents keep these homes and property maintained and attractive to passers by.
Some of these big homes have been commercialized. For instance, one beautifully restored home is now a bed and breakfast.
The downtown area of Romeo has original buildings from all the way back to the Civil War era.
Romeo Area Country Garden Walk
Private gardens are on display. The Romeo Area Country Garden Walk features eight village, subdivision, and county gardens filled with flowers, herbs, vegetables, shrubs, trees, and accents.
Master Gardeners from the Michigan State University Extension Service are there to provide answers to questions.
Plein Air Artists are painting in the gardens. Their artwork is on sale during the Moonflowers and Music Artistic Afterglow.
Romeo Historical Museum
The Romeo Historical Museum is actually a home built in the 1800s owned by a builder who built many of the homes in the area. Although this home now houses the collection of the Romeo Historical Society, touches of the builder and his family remain, including some of their original furniture.
Inside the home, a Victorian parlor has been reconstructed. The dining room centers around the portrait and wildlife paintings of Romeo artist William Gibbs. The kitchen artifacts date from about 1910 and include an icebox, woodburning stove, and an early vacuum cleaner.
Romeo Home Tour
Romeo’s home tour is a tour of some of the historic homes in Romeo. It occurs at Christmas time.
Michigan Peach Festival
The Michigan Peach Festival is held every Labor Day weekend in Romeo. Some of its attractions include
o Car show
o Bed race, with each team consisting of one person riding a bed while three or four people push it
o Themed parade, with walkers handing things to the crowd, including candy for the kids
o “Peach Queen”
o Carnival rides
o “Thumb area” art exhibition
o Various dinner events sponsored by the Romeo Lion’s Club, Romeo High School cheerleaders, Saint Clement’s Church, and River of God Community Church
o “Beers Around the World”
o Running races, including “Fun Run”
o Tennis, golf, wrestling, and basketball tournaments
o Baby photo contests
o Romeo Library used book sale
o Arts and crafts
o Peach pies (of course)
Romeo Home and Heart Craft Show
More than 100 unique crafters and artists appear in this show. It is held at Romeo High School.
Richmond is a great little town located smack dab in the middle of Kentucky. The surrounding area includes the foothills of Appalachia, the horse farms of the Bluegrass, and history laden countryside. We have everything a vacationing individual or family could want. Our city park includes a brand new water park, a reservoir lake for fishing, batting cages, miniature golf, walking trails, and a golf course.
We have civil war re-enactments for the Battle of Richmond - 2nd largest battle in Kentucky. We have Cassius Clay's (Henry Clay's cousin) haunted house. We have the Hummel Space Planetarium for the kids. And there are numerous college sporting events through our local university, Eastern Kentucky University.
Not far from Richmond, in the same county, you can whip down to Berea, the Arts & Craft capital of Kentucky and home of Berea College and Churchill Weavers.
We are constantly holding city festivals and celebrations like the Boo Bash and Kids Fest. All during the summer we have outside music concerts.
For those interested in our dining, we have pubs up and down Main Street, great local Italian and Indian restaurants, and the best Chinese restaurant around. We have local fare at Banana's, one of the oldest Cracker Barrels (#10), New York transplants that have been around for decades at Madison Gardens, and famous Hall's on the River just up the road and over the river.
We have quaint little shops on Main Street and a large new shopping area right off the Interstate.
And you can't forget the countryside. We are one of the largest counties in the state with gently rolling hills, heavily wooded areas, great fishing ponds and lakes, and year round hunting opportunities. Take a drive and run into all kinds of historical areas, homes, graveyards, and more.
Best of all, we have the friendliest residents around.
Sanford has at least seven golf courses and two movie theathers and a bowling . I f you are intersted in homemade ice cream we have the best at Yaboroughs. If you like hot dogs you will fall in love with Scoops I am willing to say the best in the world.
No matter where you go in Sanford and no matter how much it has grown you will always run into someone you know.
Los Osos isn’t a city, it is an unincorporated community located along the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California. (for those that don’t know where that is, we are smack dab in between San Francisco and Los Angeles) We are tucked in between the bay and the beautiful rolling hills the nine extinct volcanoes near by.
Whatever your outdoor yearning is, we have got you pretty well covered here in Los Osos. If you want to go fishing, rent a boat or kayak in the bay. Hiking, climb any of the ancient volcanic mountains that make up what they call the Nine Sisters. Do you like bird watching? We even have an estuary. Montana de Oro State Park is great for riding horses and camping.
You also couldn’t ask for much better weather. Because of the Pacific Ocean, we do get some fog in the mornings, but our average temp is 71 degrees year round.
Los Osos has about 14,000 of the coolest people that I have ever had the pleasure to know, from every walk of life. The nearby Cal Poly University means that our residents vary greatly in age, but the average age according to the Census is 35 to 55.. We have not only students, but professors in our little bedroom community.
What I like the most about Los Osos is the people. They pinch in when needed, but don’t but in when things aren’t their business. That aspect makes it unlike any small town that I have lived in, where everyone knows all about your business and the gossips rule. We have retirees, hippies that never quite grew out of it, nature lovers, and growing families. The blue collar and white collar workers are neighbors like you wouldn’t believe. Just to give you a picture, my neighbors are a professional dog walker, an Air Force service member, a nurse, a grocery store manager, and a bit further down, there is a former bank president. You tell me how many cities will have those varied professions on the same block!
Our largest event is the annual Oktoberfest. Mark it on your calendar for October 26th. We have a car show, crafts, a pancake breakfast, etc. A 4 mile run kicks off at 9AM, so don’t eat too many pancakes.
There are three stoplights, two grocery stores and various other smaller stores. We don’t have much, but with the larger city, San Luis Obispo, nearby, we get along just fine.
For more info check out http://www.losososbaywoodpark.org/
1,500,000 visitors per year come to Hutchinson. That's not a bad figure for a town of 40,000.
One of the main attractions in the Kansas Cosmosphere. One of only 4 cosmospheres in the world. Inside you will find a planetarium, space museum, Imax Dome theater and laser light shows. Some of the finest space artifacts of the world, including the original Apollo 13 space shuttle, are inside the space museum. You will also find the largest collection of Russian artifacts in the western world. You can even touch the Berlin Wall. They offer Space Camp as well.
Hutchinson is the home of the largest single event in Kansas. Yes, we are the home of the Kansas State Fair. We call it the Party on the Prairie. Ten days of fun and tons of people in September. During the rest of the year the fair grounds are used for auto racing, the Mennonite Relief sale, rodeos and livestock shows.
The NJCAA Men's basketball tournaments have been held here since the year 1949. They are held each March and really bring in revenue from all over the United States. They are held at the sports arena.
You will find the historic Fox Theater. It's an Art Deco masterpiece and is listed in the historic registry. They have recently restored it to it's 1931 appearance. The Flag theater is the only festival stage in Kansas. Family Children's Theater is now making use of it.
The Reno County Museum offers great history of our county as well as other counties in Kansas. Out on the grounds you will find the Seigrest Claim house. An original claim house built here in 1876 by Mr. Siegrest and his son to stake their claim of free land here in Kansas.
Dillon's Nature center has been named a National Urban Wildlife Sanctuary. Here you will find over 300 types of trees and shrubs and over 3 miles of walking trails. The kids love to go here. They also offer canoeing.
Just up the road a bit from us is a National Park. It's about 5 minutes north of town. It's the Sand Hills State Park. Horseback riding is the big hit here.
Just 10 or 15 minutes south of us is Yoder. This is an authentic Mennonite community. They still rely on the horse and buggy for transportation. The food is great!
Our big city park is Carey Park. It's on 365 acres of land. They offer a free zoo. It may be small but there is a lot to see. You can go underground with the prairie dogs. You can go into the aviary. You can pet the animals in the petting zoo and so much more. They also offer the finest public golf course in this area at reasonable rates. Last summer Hutchinson spent 4 million dollars building a water park inside Carey Park. It's awesome with 4 different pools to choose from. There is a heated regular pool with basketball and volleyball that can be played. There is a pool just for the water slides. The best pool is set up with all kinds of goodies for the kids to have fun in the water with. The smallest of the pools is for the littlest swimmers. They did a great thing when building this to keep our kids entertained over the summer months.
Another great park for kids and adults alike is the Avenue A park. Here you will find an amphitheater which they keep filled over the warm months with music of all kinds. You can walk over and around and beside the cow creek. The best part is the free water park that they built. Can't afford to go to the pool? Just take your kids here for all kinds of water fun!
You will also find Fun Valley here. Fun Valley is the host of both National and Championship Ball games.
The 2002 PGA women's golf tournament was held at the Prairie Dunes golf course. You will find it north of town close to Dillon Nature Center.
You will also want to check out the Jim Martinez Sunflower trail. This is a trail that was made from Carey Park on the South side of town to Rice Park on the northwest side of town. There are 8 easily accessible entrances along the way. It's a great trail to walk, ride your bike, roller skate or other things.
Hutchinson's newest attraction is the Kansas Splashdown Indoor Waterpark. They boast to be the largest space-themed indoor water park in North America. You will find it located inside the Grand Prairie Hotel and Convention Center. I hope you've enjoyed learning about the area attractions. Who knows, maybe someday you might just come this way. :)
I guess my town would be considered a third-class town. I graduated in a class of 35 children and the whole high school was less than 200. There are no stop lights, just a few stop signs. There is one grocery store that is completely overpriced and no one in their right mind should shop there (yeah, I went there, Ray Franz). Even though the town doesn't have a lot of regular folks, it is a very touristy town. There is a gourmet pizza shop/bakery, an ice cream shop, a fancy Italian restaurant, and 1 bar. There are 2 gas stations that are the old fashioned ones that don't even have credit card readers on them. The grocery store didn't take credit cards until this year.
In my high school, we used to join forces with another school about 15 minutes away for football, cross-country and track. It was because we (separately) couldn't come up with enough players for those sports. In Onekama, Portage Lake has a lot of boating activity, but if you're not in the mood for a "small" lake, you can take a few minute drive to the other side of Onekama, where it is on Lake Michigan. Nothing is better than the clear water of Lake Michigan. It doesn't get warm until Mid-August and then by September, it's cold again. The views in Onekama are phenomenal. There is a lighthouse at Lake Michigan that is beautiful.
If you need to get away from Onekama, you can drive 1 hour away to the cherry capital of the world--Traverse City. Grand Rapids is a 2 hour drive.
Make a trip to Onekama!
If you love Mexican food, there is no better place to eat north of the border than San Bernardino. On Route 66, you can try the very inexpensive and tasty Mitla Cafe for some of the U.S's best chili rellenos. Another hometown favorite, is Rosa Maria's Drive-In for fantastic garbage burritos.
San Bernardino was founded when the Santa Fe railroad came through town and the city has recently restored the Santa Fe Depot to its former glory. I recently did a photoessay on the depot.
The main reason I love my hometown is because it's so centrally located to all the fantastic things Southern California offers: it's one hour from Big Bear in the San Bernardino Mountains; one hour from Palm Springs; one hour from downtown Los Angeles; and one hour from the Orange County beaches. If you have 90 minutes, you can be in San Diego - one of the most pleasant cities in the entire United States.
For those that love fast-food, San Bernardino's car culture gave birth to all the famous fast food joints that changed the way Americans catch a meal on the run: the first McDonalds was in San Bernardino along with Taco Bell, Del Taco, Taco Tia, and Weinerschnizel.
Originally settled by land seekers during the Land Run of 1889, the town had its beginning in fall 1889 when William Brown opened a general merchandise operation, utilizing a wagon and a tent as his store. A few months later his neighbor Benjamin Ryland joined him as a business partner, and they upgraded their enterprise to a log cabin. Within the next year W. F. Mock built a cabin opposite of theirs and operated a hotel, restaurant, and bakery. A post office was established on February 21, 1890, and christened Crescent City, deriving its name from the moon-shaped glade in which the early entrepreneurs had started business. In November 1891 the town site was platted, and in 1893 it was incorporated. In 1902 the Denver, Enid and Gulf Railroad (later the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) laid track one mile west of the city. Two other homesteaders, C. E. Wells and J. H. Rhoades, were persuaded to surrender eighty acres each so that the town could move to the railroad. For a brief period the municipality was known as West Crescent. The first census for Crescent counted 139 persons in 1900. In 1910 there were 903 inhabitants. The town's early economy was based on agriculture, with cotton, wheat, peaches, and sweet potatoes as money crops.
At 1907 statehood Oklahoma entered the union as a "dry" state. The three saloons in town closed, replaced by two billiard parlors. The 1920 census recorded 878 individuals. By the mid-1920s citizens voted to outlaw the billiards and authorized moving picture shows. In 1926 oil was discovered north of Crescent. This discovery was followed by the opening of the south Crescent oil field in 1930. Its thirty-two wells pumped three thousand barrels of oil per day in 1933. As oil production soared, agriculture waned. However, cotton and wheat production continued to sustain large farming operations through the rest of the century. The population grew from 1,190 in 1930 to 1,301 in 1940. We at this moment have a rig about 100 feet from our home and were hoping to strike oil :)
In 1934 Ralph E. Godfrey started donkey basketball as a fund-raising business. For the next forty-seven years he traveled with his animals throughout North America, generating goodwill for himself and the town. He fielded as many as ten other touring teams during his peak years in the 1950s and 1960s. This STILL goes on! I have a video of this from last year at the school! link is
DONKEY BASKETBALL video from last year at the school
Just south of Crescent, the Cimarron Processing Facility, operated by the Kerr-McGee Corporation, opened in the mid-1960s. The plant converted powdered uranium hexafluoride and plutonium into fuel pellets for use in the nation's nuclear power plants. In 1974 Karen Silkwood, a Cimarron employee critical of Kerr-McGee's management, died under unusual circumstances. The lawsuits generated by Silkwood's death continued to attract national attention into the early 1980s. The facility closed in 1976. There is actually a movie made about this! My best friend I grew up with has an aunt whom is/ was a lesbian and was dating Karen Silkwood near the time of her death! The movie claims Karen SIlkwood was going to turn the plant in for some kind of illegal activity. Someone found out and ran her off the road one night into a ditch and she hit a pole and was killed. This is also what my best friends dad told me he heard from his sister, who was the one who dated Karen. Some people still work at the plant but it seems to be a very secure place to this day! Locked gates at all times keep the public out. My husbands friends dad works their and he dont speak much about it. I have been told his job is just cleaning it up. Sure has been a long time cleaning..
Crescent's population hovered around 1,300 until 1970 when it jumped to 1,568 and climbed to 1,651 in 1980. In 2000 Crescent had 1,281 residents.
As a child and young teen I always thought Crescent was no fun and we always talked about moving away as soon as we could.. That has changed for my completely. I love this town and will NEVER leave it! I love the school and how the town comes together when we need to. We had a few residents lose their home do to fires a few years ago and they ended up with so many clothes fr their children and things to help them move on.. Our town really is a special town with lots of memories! My husbands aunt lives in a home that used to be a hotel and she has fixed it up to make it nice and is thinking of turning it into a bed and breakfast. The antique shop is still up and running and has been for as long as I can remember. We used to have 1 stoplight but it is now a 4 way stop. The school here is awesome! The staff is so great and kind toward the students!
I love my town and will NEVER leave it!
I have lived here for about 15 yrs. Every 4th of July there is a HUGE celebration.
It always starts a week before July 4th. There is a BBQ, and a Beauty Contest.
We have a parade on the 4th and a fair that lasts for a week as well.
There's food, music and fireworks too!!!
We also have a Cruise In every Friday night thru the fall. It's consists
of cars ( new and old) that is restored. There are hundred's of visitors
and cars as well. There is lots of food here too.
At the end of the night, there is a Burn out by a car, that is cool.
We may be a small town, but there is a lot to do here.
We have wonderful resturaunts, a park, a Train Museum, and
a Town Museum, Library as well.
I am proud of my Hometown.
If you ever come to NC, please stop in Oakboro for a wonderful time.
The finding of silver in Calico and the building of the Southern Pacific Railroad from Mohave to Daggett in 1882 made the area a mining center. The famous 20-mule teams came into being when 10 teams were hitched together with two wagons and a water wagon to haul ore from Daggett to the town of Calico.
The Calico Railroad (later called the Daggett-Calico Railroad) started hauling ore from Calico to the Oro Grande Milling Company, across the river from Daggett in 1888. The railroad closed down in 1892 and the mine shut down in 1896 when all the silver had played out.
But in 1883, the borax rush hit Calico, and by 1902, Daggett was supported by 3 borax mines employing 200 men. It is estimated that borax taken from the Calico Hills amounted to more than $9 million, while more than $90 million in silver was removed.
As the 20th century progressed, Calico and Daggett diminished while Barstow grew. It became a busy rail center and a jumping off place for immigrants entering the state on US Route 66, as made famous by John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath." Modern and historic facilities are still available along Barstow's Main Street, the original Route 66. Just off Main Street, at First Street, travelers can drive over an old iron bridge that leads to the railroad depot once the site of the historic Harvey House, originally opened in 1911.
With the construction of the modern Interstate Highway system Barstow's future of growth was assured, as I-40 and I-15 converged at the city limits with State Highway 58, making it the transportation hub of the western Mojave Desert.
Barstow is a great starting point when touring the western Mojave Desert. Outdoor explorers, amateur geologists and hikers enjoy nearby Rainbow Basin and Owl Canyon Campground, Afton Canyon, Kelso Dunes, and many other adventures, including Calico Early Man Site, historic Harvey House Depot, Calico Ghost Town, a restored silver mining town and the world-class water park complex at Lake Dolores.
Events Calendar for Calico Ghost Town:
February: Calico Civil War (Presidents Day weekend)
May: Calico's Annual Spring Festival & Cook-off (Mothers Day weekend)
October: Calico Days (Columbus Day weekend) - Calico Ghost Haunt (Halloween weekend)
November: Calico Heritage Fest (Thanksgiving weekend)
December: Christmas in Calico.
(information obtained from www.desertusa.com)
Morgan Hill encompasses an area of 11.67 sq mi, all land. Although there are no natural lakes or ponds within the city limits, there are several flood-control and water storage reservoirs in the adjacent hills which are operated by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, with recreational activities such as boating, and other water sports administered by the Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation.
Morgan Hill is located within the seismically active San Francisco Bay region. The significant earthquakes which occur in the region are generally associated with crustal movements along well-defined, active fault zones. The nearest known active faults are the San Andreas Fault, approximately 12 mi southwest, and the Calaveras Fault, approximately 1 mi northeast. Both faults have produced major earthquakes in the past, and have estimated maximum credible Richter magnitudes of 8.3 and 7.3 respectively. Morgan Hill is the only known site where the semi-precious stone Poppy Jasper, which is a form of Jasper known as Orbicular or Picture Jasper, can be found. It is believed that the deposits of Poppy Jasper were formed due to the unique combination of volcanic/seismic activity in the El Toro mountain area of what is now Morgan Hill. The El Toro Brewing Co. has a collection of Poppy Jasper on display at their brewery in rural Morgan Hill and a large bar inlaid with the stone at their brewpub in downtown Morgan Hill. Examples are also on display at the Morgan Hill Museum. Poppy Jasper is the name of an ale produced by El Toro Brewing Co. as well as the name of a local non-profit Film Festival. Morgan Hill is also the headquarters of Specialized Bicycle Components.
For tourists and visitors, Morgan Hill offers excellent restaurants and accommodations, golf courses, spas, wineries, microbrewery, outdoor recreation (e.g.: hiking, fishing, camping, skiing, boating); a quaint, yet vital downtown, hot air ballooning, shopping, and more!
Morgan Hill prides itself as a family community and is home to festivals and celebrations such as the Taste of Morgan Hill; Mushroom Mardi Gras Festival; December Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony; California's oldest 4th of July Parade and Festivities; Friday Night Music Series; Certified Farmers Market; Downtown Safe Halloween program; and many more.
Morgan Hill is surrounded by some of the most beautiful open space in California. Great Golf Courses, lakes, outstanding country, state and national parks for camping, hiking, horseback riding, water recreations and mountain biking await you.
Morgan Hill houses the headquarters for the painter Thomas Kincade.
When I’m asked where on Minnesota’s Lake Superior North Shore I live and I tell them “Schroeder” the interest in their eyes dims. “Where’s Schroeder?” they ask, shrugging their shoulders and shaking their heads. Some of these people have been driving through Schroeder for years and don’t recognize the name.
When I tell them that Schroeder is twelve miles southwest of Lutsen, they nod in recognition. They know Lutsen. Anyone who travels the North Shore looking for recreation in the form of ski resorts and challenging golf courses knows Lutsen.
Schroeder is a well kept secret. Not on purpose mind you. The fact is that it once housed a significant population of lumberjacks --1,000 or more of them who managed to cut down a vast virgin forest of white pine 35 square miles deep.
The town seems to mimic the lake on which it is built -- changing faces over the decades as the lake changes from day to day. When the Cross River Cafe began almost sixty years ago as a tiny hot dog and pop stand run by two youngsters, the town was still small, peopled mainly by fishing and logging families and seasonal tourists. Then Erie Mining arrived and massive efforts to build the port and harbor, power plant, loading facilities and railroad at Taconite Harbor brought with it a bustling community of a thousand or more small trailers filled with workers and their families. The town then burgeoned to hold, along with several small resorts, three service stations, the Cross River Lumber Company, Northland Hardware, various eateries, a Post Office, Gunderson’s and Stickney’s Stores, and Lamb’s Campground.
When Bill and I moved here, the Café still served the best chili and biggest cinnamon buns on the North Shore and Northland Hardware supplied locals with whatever building or yard supply they needed. If they didn’t have it, they’d order it in special. Why, our little town of 185 people even had its own historical society! Then fire struck – destroying first Northland Hardware and a year or so later the Cross River Café. Neither business re-emerged from those ashes.
It was around this time, however, that MnDot began renovating Highway 61 which is the only road that runs from Duluth to Thunder Bay. The old Stickney Store that had once functioned as an inn, general store, barber shop and post-office was saved from the wrecking ball by the Schroeder Area Historical Society that transformed it into a stunning Heritage Center -- a gem in the necklace of historical societies dotting the shore. The Post Office was renovated and expanded to allow the inclusion of a tiny bakery and coffee shop open during summer months (in winter locals gather in the Post Office for coffee and conversation). Temperance Traders up the road a bit sells liquor and gifts, and down the highway the Sugar Loaf Interpretive Center shares the wonders of the environment with interested travelers.
Let me not forget that the Schroeder section of the Superior Hiking Trail has some of the most varied and spectacular hiking terrain that traverses maple and birch forests to high ridges overlooking the lake, marshes and wetlands that host waterfowl and moose, and along the gorges of the Cross River which cascades in wild abandon to the Cross River Falls which can be seen right from the highway. Schroeder even has sidewalks now (what for no one is quite sure) and a lovely wayside rest where travelers can stop and enjoy the spectacle of the falls.
Let me see, have I forgotten anything? Oh yes. The Father Baraga Cross, holding court over a projection of ledgerock at the mouth of the Cross River, commemorates the “miraculous” rescue of the great missionary and his Ojibwe guide. Hearing of a terrible epidemic raging among the natives further north, Baraga hastened to them by the shortest route he knew – in a canoe across Lake Superior. Caught in a terrible storm on the lake, they thought they were doomed but were somehow swept up into the mouth of the Cross River. Filled with gratitude, Baraga erected a wooden cross which has now been replaced with the large stone cross mentioned above. It is appropriate that the town is now the location of a wonderful safe harbor for small craft caught in unexpected and hazardous lake storms – not at the mouth of the Cross River, but in the harbor that still welcomes huge tankers carrying coal for MN Power and Light who bought the Taconite Harbor plant from the Clifton Cliffs Mining Company several years ago.
And then there are the amazing people of this small town who are always ready to pitch in and help one another no matter the need. Some are descendants of the earliest settlers whom I had the privilege of interviewing for an oral history project, while others are newcomers. I’d like to talk more about them but that would require an essay twice the length of this one which has gone on quite long enough already.
MY hometown, Bandung, is the capital of West Java, Indonesia. It is our fourth largest city with almost 3 million population. The city is situated on 768m above sea level and surrounded by volcanic mountains. The temperature was and still cooler than the capital city of Jakarta and being a resort city for the weekenders from Batavia (Jakarta now), it was given a nickname of ‘Parijs van Java’ with art-deco style hotels and rows of European stores and cafes at Braga street.
Bandung is only 180km from Jakarta if we traveled by the old roads connecting Jakarta and Bandung, but it is now less than 140km with the new toll road connecting the two cities. Less than 3 hours if we travel by train. I prefer to go by train as it will pass beautiful tea plantations and offer scenic routes with tall bridges and tunnel going through the mountains.
Bandung is also famous for holding the first Asian-African Conference in 1955 and the conference is known for Bandung Conference. The venue was Gedung Merdeka (Merdeka/Independence Building), one of the preserved Dutch colonial architecture.
The city also has quite a number of Dutch colonial architecture, especially the tropical art deco style (combination of western and eastern architecture styles). They tried to adapt colonial buildings with Indonesian architectural elements for adaptation to the tropical climate. If I am not mistaken, Bandung has one of the largest remaining collections of 1920’s art-deco buildings in the world. Examples of these buildings are: Homann hotel , Preanger hotel, Villa Isola (now housed the UPI, Indonesian Education University), ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology where I studied before , the first technical university in the Dutch East Indies that has a Javanese roof style); Gedung Sate (named after small ‘satay’ shaped on the roof of the building that housed the local government office and its house of representative) and many more scattered throughout the city.
Since early 1990s, Bandung is known as shopping destination as well. Jakartans spend their weekend in the city and do major shopping there. Usually they go to Cihampelas street or better known as jeans street because local designers opened denim clothing stores along the street; or to so many factory outlets (used to sell rejected products or export quality products from factories); or to distros (distribution stores) where locally designed and made products are sold (fashion products, accessories, books, and indie label records).
Other attractions to Bandung are its cuisines! Local Bandung people are very artistic and they come up with new ideas of foods and drinks all the time. Siomay Bandung (similar to Chinese dim sum) is one of them, but Bandung people made another variations of siomay when they came up with Batagor (baso-tahu-goreng or friend tofu-siomay) eaten with peanut paste, sweet soya sauce and lime. Meatballs are also very popular in Bandung and they made so many varieties to be put inside these meatballs, from cheese, vegetables, bone-marrow, and many others. Don’t forget to try their desserts too: es lilin (ice pop), es campur (mixed fruits with shaved ice and sweet milk), es cendol (shaved ice, coconut milk, starch noodles and palm sugar), serabi bandung (very popular Indonesian snacks made from rice flour with coconut milk. In Bandung they have as many as 25 varieties of serabi), or brownies (not only baked brownies but also steamed brownies with many varieties from chocolate brownies, cheese brownies, tiramisu brownies, and many others).
@2008
Rossie Indira
Edinburg, Virginia -
A charming, friendly small town. Quiet neighborhoods with beautiful views.
Edinburgh, Virginia is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Situated in the central Shenandoah County. The town is old and filled with history; it was incorporated in the 1800's.
Along both streets of Edinburg are antique, craft, gift shops, as well as some great art galleries. Edinburg has such beautiful countryside. Unique "Bed N Breakfast's," in Victorian style homes. Are a great place to stay while you are here. Other major motels are in the area as well. Camping areas and picnic grounds are plentiful, throughout the area.
Each season holds a different adventure. With the beautiful Shenandoah River as well as Stoney Creek running through our area. You can fish, swim, canoe, or do some tubing along their waters. At the base of the mountain. Stoney creek is stocked frequently with trout. And is one of the most popular trout fishing streams in the area.The George Washington National Forest, is only 10 minutes away. Where there are many more hiking, horseback riding and bicycling trails to discover. Or take a hot air balloon ride, with Valley Ballooning. Fly above the Shenandoah Valley. Taking in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. And the seven bends of the Shenandoah river.
The end of Spring and all of Summer. Brings out the road side "bar-b-que" chicken stands. They start right at sunrise. Start selling by 10 a.m and is gone in no time. The smell in the air is to die for.
Virginia has 100 vineyards. And many of them are in the area. Shenandoah Vineyards is located right in Edinburg. During a hot summer day you can visit there. Have some chilled wine, and picnic in a shady spot. Watching the beautiful vines sway in the summer breeze. The vineyard also has a nice deck to relax on. With a great view of the vineyard and mountains. In July the vineyard has an annual country cookout. With dancing under the stars. In December, it is their Holiday Open House. No charge for this event. They serve snacks and tastings of their wine. You can shop for your holiday gifts as well. There are other events almost every month.
Autumn brings the changing of the leaves. Making the mountains around us gorgeous.
Every third week in September, Edinburg holds it's Ole' Time Festival. This year marks its 28th anniversary. Vendors of homemade crafts will line the streets. As well as yummy goodies to eat. A parade of floats, bands etc will also happen on Saturday. There's dancing to some local bands. And blue grass in the park. There is something to do for the entire family.
Winter time, Bryce mountain ski resort is only minutes away. During the winter months, hunting season has already begun. Big game and small game is very popular in our area.
If you have ever wanted to try out the country life. This is the place for you.
Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. When referred to as "calcutta", it usually includes the suburbs, and thus its population exceeds 15 million, making it India's third-largest city and urban agglomeration.
Calcutta served as the capital of India during the British Raj until 1911. Once the centre of modern education, industry, science, culture and politics in India. Calcutta witnessed intense political violence, clashes and economic stagnation from the years starting 1954 and continuing till this day. However, since the year 2000, economic rejuvenation has led to a spurt in the city's growth. Like the other metropolitan cities of India, Kolkata continues to struggle with urbanisation problems like poverty, pollution and traffic congestion.
Calcutta is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the Indian struggle for independence to the leftist and trade union movements.
And all of these are history, it has its own rich culture and i am sure you will fall in love with people over there. People over there dont have lots of money may be but they are happy compare to so called rich country. You can feel the different climate there and take a shot of that....i bet you will love it. So "namoste" salute Calcutta :)
Today the town of Valeria is made up of all residential buildings except for the Catholic Church and the schoolhouse (now a residence). Many of the residences, including my home, are built upon the foundations of old buildings. My two acres of land contain many foundation lines (stones still in place in the grass) from these old buildings and my house sits atop what was known to be the Shoemaker place. If you dig in your yard you are likely to find old glasswares, rusty square-headed nails, and items related to the railroad (like a railroad spike I found near my dog kennel).
A Des Moines radio station in the 1980s made up a story about Valeria, that there was a place called the Hiney Winery. They had characters like Red Hiney and more that supposedly ran the place. People would believe the story and visit Valeria to see the winery - and of course there was none.
Now the rail lines have been turned into a bicycle trail (about 22 miles in length) that goes from Baxter, Iowa to Bondurant, Iowa. It is known as the Chichaqua Trail, named after the indians that used to camp near the town of Valeria.
The indian Black Hawk was known to have encamped near the town as well. There are still indian artifacts that can be found (like arrowheads) near the Skunk River just south of the town proper in what is now farm fields owned by the Vreesman family.
Valeria Johnson is buried in the near-by Sams cemetary, as are her family members. The Sams cemetary is north and east of Valeria about a mile and a half from the edge of town.
Our favorite places to eat are Minerva's, the Fireside and the Chop House.
We don't have too many restaurants, or even a supermarket, but that doesn't seem to deter any of us from living on small acreage parcels and growing our own hobby orchards or raising stock or horses. Ridgefield has more dressage horse people than any town west of the Rockies and the County Fair held on our Ridgefield fairgrounds is one of a kind.
I have left out the most important part of living here though, the people. We seem to attract the nicest people on the planet, evidenced every day when the fellow who has a tow business comes out in the middle of the night to tow your teenager out of a ditch. Or there were a group of people who got together and built an authentic Native American Chinook Plankhouse, which is now a wonderful tourist attraction. I could go on and on, how an old lady's house burned down and we did a fundraiser to build her a new one, or how people take on other people's kids when the parents get sick. It is just a wonderful place with enough authenticity to satisfy even the worst cynic.
And I didn't even tell you about the scenic drive on the way to my house. This is truly one of the most uncontaminated, beautiful places I have ever been. And I have lived here for the past 16 years.
Bowling Green Ky is located near the Tennessee line, in fact we are exactly one hour north of Nashville. Bowling Green is a thriving metropolis and is home to Western Kentucky University and also home to the corvette plant. Being a university town we have plenty of libraries, one is even housed in an antique railroad car. This is the perfect place for the yearly Polar Express evening at Christmas time. A history buff could spends weeks absorbing our local history and beautiful landmarks. One of which is the Fountain Square park. We have many beautiful parks, walking paths and bicycle paths. We are also blessed with several caves in and around the area for those who are possessed with an adventurous nature. In the fall which is my favorite season we like to visit Jackson's Orchard, it has been the pride of this area for nearly one hundred years.
As a history fanatic it is no wonder I have found such a beautiful and historical place to call home. We have plenty of shopping, an amusemust park (Beech Bend) and an annual Corvette convention not to mention the Corvette Museum.
From the beautiful natural landscape and rivers to the friendly folks that wave hello, Bowling Green Ky is a wonderful place to call home.
If you travel down Front Street (the main street in Milton) there are many historic buildings, such as the building the public library is in.
There is no ther place I would rather live in, and yes, New Orleans is BACK!
Middletown was founded in 1755 by a Quaker named George Fisher and it served as an important stop on the Union canal. It is also exactly between Carlisle and Lancaster, which is how it got its name.
Middletown is most famous, I would say, for the 1977 Three Mile Island nuclear accident. I was not born at this time, but my entire family lived in Middletown and did not leave even after the accident. It was thought that Middletown would turn into a ghost town, but obviously, this did not happen.
Middletown is a town of about 10,000 I believe. I went through school here. There are many great restaurants in town. We have a great restaurant, that has seen the likes of Eddie Murphy and other stars, called Alfred's Victorian. It is an upscale restaurant downtown. Other great places to eat are the Lamp Post Inn and the Brownstone Cafe, which are moderately priced and have great food.
The town also has a one-screen movie theater called The Elks. I remember a time when the only movies this theater played were about to be released on DVD or VHS. I also remember when the balcony was closed. This, however, has changed. It now plays "first-run" movies and the balcony is re-open after undergoing repairs. It is cheap to get into compared to other movie theaters and great to go to.
Middletown is also the home of Penn State Harrisburg, the former Olmstead Air Force base, and Harrisburg International Airport, so it is easy to get to and many people travel through the area without ever visiting the town. Also, Middletown has a rich history. According to legend, the idea for Mickey Mouse actually originated here and the stone wall that lines the front of my yard was built by Civil War POWs.
Middletown is a mid-sized town with a rich history and a couple of things to do. It is a town where just about everyone knows each other, that has a great history, good restaurants, and a couple of things to do. It is the place I have known as home for 22 wonderful years.
The diner is always full on friday nites, and the bar is packed on the weekends. And if you grew up there, you will always run into someone that you went to school with at the local Tops Supermarket.