By Russ Kirk ITWPA Member We’re in Wuwei, Gansu province, Northwest China. No English spoken anywhere. We’re off to see the 1,600-year-old Big Buddha of the Tiantishan Grottoes. This massive 45-foot-high carved sitting Buddha is 31 miles south of Wuwei. Arriving at the turnoff to the grottoes, we find the road closed. After some pantomime with the guard and taxi driver, … [Read more...] about Looking for Big Buddha, Finding Big Trucks: Making the Most of What You Get
Destinations
Going Off the Beaten Path in Nashville’s Donelson Neighborhood
By Annie Adams Nashville has quickly transformed into the new Southern hot spot, and is now a must-see destination for many travelers. Drive the short six miles east of Broadway’s honky-tonks and bright lights, though, and you’ll find yourself in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods that is having a renaissance of its own. Donelson has been a proper neighborhood since … [Read more...] about Going Off the Beaten Path in Nashville’s Donelson Neighborhood
Sunday Pleasures in the Mexican Countryside — Rancho Zandunga!
By Nina Wisniewski ITWPA Member On a short, pleasant drive from the center of colonial San Miguel de Allende, you will find Rancho Zandunga, a music and dining venue created by world-class musician Gil Gutierrez and Rebecca Kemelhar. Six years ago, Gil and Becca began building a “country place” to join with friends and indulge in their passions: making music, cooking and … [Read more...] about Sunday Pleasures in the Mexican Countryside — Rancho Zandunga!
The French Quarter’s More Mellow Cousin
By Caitlin Williams ITWPA Member Crossing the threshold of The Spotted Cat and into the semi-darkness beyond, I hear a jazz singer channeling Norah Jones. And I am mesmerized. While scores of jazz spots in the French Quarter of New Orleans have their own appeal, travel another mile or so beyond the Quarter and you’ll find the hidden gem that is Frenchmen Street -- a … [Read more...] about The French Quarter’s More Mellow Cousin
Anderson’s Dock: A Door County Must-See
By Dawn Priebe ITWPA Member Drive through the small, charming village of Ephraim in Door County, Wisconsin, and you can’t miss it. One of the most recognizable sights in Door County: Anderson’s Dock. In the late 1850s the Anderson brothers, Aslag and Halvor, built their namesake dock to ensure that goods would have a way to be exported from Ephraim. As summer visitors … [Read more...] about Anderson’s Dock: A Door County Must-See