Traveler’s Show & Tell – Ancient Mosques and Modern Ruins

Traveler’s Show & Tell – 27th Edition

Welcome to this week’s Traveler’s Show & Tell blog carnival.

Today’s blog carnival balances specific travel tips with philosophical travel musings. Read on to find out:

• …how citizens of the USA tend to underestimate a visit to Canada.
• …where to find the best persimmon pudding, fried catfish and sweet potato fries in Indiana.
• …how one couple built a successful online travel business in the midst of the current recession.
• …and much more:

This Week’s Photo: Modern Ruins in Glen Rose, TX

This week’s photo was snapped on a recent road trip my husband and I took to Glen Rose, Texas. Glen Rose is a cute little town with roughly 2,000 inhabitants. Not only is Glen Rose home to the official state dinosaur of Texas, Paluxysaurus Jonesi, but many of its buildings are made of stone and petrified wood.

This one, on the outskirts of town, is rumored to have once been a speakeasy. Wish I could buy it and fix it up. Quick, somebody call This Old House. Maybe they can bring it back to life!

1. “Your Own Backyard” by Joii Cooper

Joii Cooper presents Your Own Backyard posted at A Full Day. It’s her account of a day trip she and her husband took to Nashville, Indiana. From her description, it sounds like a cute little town with some fun places to eat:

“There’s Miller’s Ice Cream. You have to try persimmon pudding with vanilla ice cream. Then there’s The Trolley. There it’s either a sloppy joe or pulled pork sandwich with potato salad, baked beans, chips and a pickle. Don’t forget a cup of sweet tea. OMG!!!! Then there’s the Artist Colony Inn. So much there is super tasty. I usually go with the fried catfish sandwich with sun fries (sweet potato fries). “

Her post makes me want to head over and grab some lunch. I’d never heard of persimmon pudding before!

2. “Writer in Transit” by Claire van den Heever

Claire van den Heever presents Writer in Transit posted at Old World Wandering, saying,

“An article on working on the road – or, to use the buzz word, being a location independent professional – and how difficult it can sometimes be to have your mind and body in the same place.”

It’s a well-written and thought-provoking account, full of observations that make the reader stop and mull it over, such as this:

It wasn’t India that sucked all inspiration out of me; India has a habit of giving and taking in equal proportions. During my first few days in Mumbai, I was alive; I looked on the world with the open-eyed gaze of a traveller. I was experiencing a temporary – but intense – release of stress, having packed up my life in Shanghai.

See what I mean?

3. “One Day in Victoria, British Columbia” by Perrin Smith

Perrin Smith presents One Day in Victoria, British Columbia posted at nod ‘n’ smile. Perrin’s travelogue includes lovely pictures of this photogenic city, and she makes a good point:

“Canada is a country that’s often overlooked and under-appreciated by Americans as an international destination because it seems so close to home (literally and figuratively). An oft-repeated conversation: “Have you been outside of the country?” “No. Well, I’ve been to Canada but that doesn’t really count.””

Judging from Perrin’s vibrant photos and lengthy list of activities, I’d say she had quite an action-packed day in Victoria!

4. “The start of Fay Safaris” by Ambert

Ambert presents The start of Fay Safaris posted at Fay Safaris Tanzania, saying,

“It was 2007 and the recession had just hit the west and getting in business was an uphill battle. With no agents and connections abroad we had only one way of getting the word out – The Net.”

5. “Mohamed Ali Mosque – Cairo, Egypt” byShawali

Shawali presents Mohamed Ali Mosque – Cairo , Egypt posted at We are all in !!!. His fact-filled post describes an impressive building:

“Situated on the summit of the citadel, this Ottoman mosque, the largest to be built in the first half of the 19th century is, with its animated silhouette and twin minarets, the most visible mosque in Cairo. The mosque was built in memory of Tusun Pasha, Muhammad Ali’s oldest son, who died in 1816.”

I especially like the photo he has of the interior in which not only shows you how big the building is, but is filled with beautiful lamps. You’ll see what I mean when you check out his article.

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