All’s Fair in Love, War & Child’s Play A trip to Venice, Italy got me thinking about the model train set I had as a kid, and how it taught me the meaning of scale. For those who have never played with model trains, they come in two different scale sizes: N and HO. HO is the larger of the two, with a ratio of 1:87.1, while N gauge ranges from 1:148 to 1:160. Because of this difference in scale, an HO caboose seriously dwarfs an N caboose when sitting side by side. Serious model train aficionados (i.e. adults) would…
Tag: World Travel
McDonald’s Worth a Road Trip Detour I usually avoid McDonald’s restaurants on road trips, simply because I want to taste local flavors and support small, non-franchised family restaurants whenever possible. Plus, we all know what the menu is like, and if we’re really craving one of their burgers, we can always get one at home. Alien Themed McDonald’s Address That said, if you ever travel through Roswell, New Mexico there is one McDonald’s fast food restaurant worth visiting, not for the food, but for the architecture: this particular McD’s looks like a flying saucer! Here’s the address for the alien-themed…
The Old Man & the Polydactyl Cat Not only was Ernest Hemingway fond of cats, but his name has become synonymous with a particular feline genetic mutation, one that causes cats to have extra toes. While these polydactyl cats are not an actual breed, they are often referred to as, “Hemingway Cats,” in his honor. It all started down in Key West, where Ernest Hemingway lived in the 1930’s with his second wife, their kids and, rumor has it, a polydactyl Maine Coon named Snowball. The cat was given to him by a local sea captain. While it’s unclear how…
High Tide in Venice Italy Venice is known for seasonal flooding called Acqua Alta. This “high water” is especially strong when wintry high tides coincide with a Mediterranean wind called a scirocco. Normally, I would avoid traveling to a city during a flood, but Venice is different. Acqua Alta is something Venetians have dealt with for centuries, and visiting the city during this time makes you feel like part of some ancient rhythm. As you can see in the photo below, they sell rubber boots for travelers who show up unprepared. I like how they made that W, too. Does…