Spiritual Sanctuary on West 14 Street, Manhattan The bluish-greenish gates of a church on West 14 capture the attention of the Brawny Sherpa and me as we are heading vaguely back uptown after a visit to the High Line in Chelsea. Should we go in? Others are. The door is open. Let’s check it out….
Author: BashfulAdventurer
The Best ‘No Soliciting’ Sign Ever
Seen in Salem Found on an entry to a house built in Salem around 1710 by Jonathan Archer, cordwainer, is the best ‘no soliciting’ sign ever—unless you are selling thin mints, do not knock! For the curious, cordwainers made shoes. Archer, who lived from 1671 to 1746, is buried at the Old Burying Point in…
Seeing Salem in a Single Day
How to Make the Most of Limited Time in Witch City An extemporaneous trip to Salem, MA gives us an adventure to look forward to—quickly—but it also means that we are too late to book a hotel in Salem itself. No matter, we will make the most of the time that we do have. This…
Side Yard to Table at Bedford’s Truck
There is something blissful about sitting beneath the Truck sign in the dining room of the restaurant of the same name in Bedford, N.Y. and looking out the window at the garden where some of my lunch comes from. I am not sure I have ever had any other food that tastes quite so fresh….
In-N-Out Burger: Real Food Fast Food
Worth a Detour in Santa Rosa or Anywhere What inspires me to make an effort to find an In-N-Out Burger during our short stay in California is the penchant of actors to swing by on Oscars night. Who can’t relate to dieting all week (or all month) to get into a dress for a big…
Trim: Saint Patrick Was Here
Big Castle, Big Saint, Big History On the last leg of our roadtrip in Ireland, driving from Galway back to Dublin, we take a slight detour north to see what is billed as the largest Anglo-Norman fortress in the country. It is a castle’s castle alright: it is not hard to imagine boats pulling up…
Encountering the Titanic in Athlone
Remembering Margaret Rice and Her Five Sons As ambivalent as I might feel about disaster tourism—is it really okay to go and look?—I am still drawn to all things Titanic. Of course, I loved the James Cameron movie, reenacted actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s “I’m the king of the world!” scene at the Luxor exhibit in Las…
Where to Stay in Danbury: Hotel Zero Degrees
Sustainable, Affordable, Super Cool: What’s Not to Like? Travelers with reason to visit Danbury, Conn. (right on the border of both Westchester and Putnam counties in New York) might look into a stay at Hotel Zero Degrees, which opened in the fall of 2016. This adventurer happens upon it thanks to a wedding invitation, and…
Finding the Oldest Bar in Ireland
A Visit to Sean’s Bar in Athlone A series of unfortunate events lead us to Sean’s Bar in Athlone. Driving from Galway back to Dublin but willing to take detours should we see a reason to frolic and detour, we stop to get some gas. Unfortunately, my credit card will not work at the pump,…
Flannery’s Hotel Offers Affordable Convenience
Staying in Galway on a Budget Our stay in Galway will be a short one, so basically we want to check into a hotel that is inexpensive, safe, and clean. We get lucky and book a visit at Flannery’s Hotel, which is all of these and with free parking, an accommodating staff, and a pub…