Prisoner of Hopes

Category: History

  • Standing On A Corner: Rural Road Trips Arizona

    Standing On A Corner: Rural Road Trips Arizona

    “Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona. Such a fine sight to see.” The Eagles’ hit dominates the town of Winslow. At the infamous corner, you can take a picture at the junction of Route 66, take your picture with Glenn Frey, take your picture with a local musician, buy souvenirs, buy a guitar, have…

  • Trading Post: Rural Road Trip Arizona

    Trading Post: Rural Road Trip Arizona

    On our way to Canyon de Chelly, we stop at the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic site. To get here, we drove though miles of Navajo Country, wdesert and across a tiny one lane bridge. On the outside, the building looks as it once did. Adobe bricks baked by the sun form crude walls. A…

  • Old Town Charm: Rural Road Trips New Mexico

    Old Town Charm: Rural Road Trips New Mexico

    Sometimes a road warrior just needs a little down time. In old town Albuquerque, a quiet stroll and a leisurely meal fit the bill. The old section of town is a bit ragged around the edges. Shops have closed and the tourist traffic is light. But the streets and adobe buildings have a magic all…

  • The Canyon Remembered: Rural Road Trip Texas

    The Canyon Remembered: Rural Road Trip Texas

    We are standing in Palo Duro Canyon. A roadrunner follows us around the parking lot. He assumes an assertive stance on the red dirt hill just off the sidewalk and challenges us to follow along the trail to the river. Of course I tag along. He is cute and I love to hike. It is…

  • Pompeii: Tragedy on Tour: Rural Road Trip Missouri

    Pompeii: Tragedy on Tour: Rural Road Trip Missouri

    When I have time between grown up responsibilities, I like to make my own fun. This often involves random searches for “things to do near me” or “things happening this weekend”. Today google suggested that we could check out the Pompeii exhibit at the St. Louis Science Center. We hadn’t been there in several years…

  • Ceide Fields: Travel Goals Ireland

    Ceide Fields: Travel Goals Ireland

    Once in awhile, I find myself in a place that feels timeless. I could be anywhere at all. Time stands still between the Earth and sky. At Ceide Fields near Glenurla, County Mayo, it is easy to forget modernity in favor of a simpler life. It is cold and the wind coming off the Irish…

  • Sligo in the Rain: Travel Goals Ireland

    Sligo in the Rain: Travel Goals Ireland

    Sometimes in Ireland the rain sets in. There is nothing to be done except to find an umbrella and sing. We find ourselves in Sligo on such a day. Using our trusty Google Maps, we find a large parking lot near the town center. So we arrive at Sligo Abbey only half drenched. The ticket…

  • I Too Am America

    I Too Am America

    When talking heads try to define what it means to be an American with their endless flag waving , fireworks, and angry cries; I calmly lift a steady gaze. With a firm voice, I say clearly, “I too am America.” My people were the first to walk these woodland trails until the trail turned to…

  • Character Matters: Educating For Sanity

    Character Matters: Educating For Sanity

    When we talk about “character,” we’re referring to the values and traits that guide how a person thinks, feels, and acts. It’s the compass people use to navigate relationships, challenges, and decisions in school, at home, and out in the world.  A person of strong character consistently chooses to do the right thing—even when it’s…

  • Revolutionary Countess: Travel Goals Ireland

    Revolutionary Countess: Travel Goals Ireland

    We visit Lissadell house on a warm summer afternoon. The family home of the Gore-Booths, Lissadell sits outside of Sligo, Ireland. It is now owned and lived in by Irish attorneys who allow tours to offset the upkeep. The estate had a great location with both Ben Bulben and Knocknarea mountains in view as well…