Beijing Lunch: Bugs on a Stick

Bugs on a Stick - Yummy! 751
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

At this food stall just off of Wanfujing Street in Beijing you can enjoy fried scorpions, grasshoppers, and other bugs on a stick which are usually deep fried. I tried the scorpions which tasted sort of nutty and crispy.

China takes food *very* seriously, and most regions have a cuisine they are noted for throughout China. Beijing is more noted for duck and meats, where in Shanghai soups and dumplings are more traditional fare. Hong Kong? Try the world's best Dim Sum.

Jim's Philly Cheesesteaks, Philadelphia PA

Jim's Steaks, Philadelphia
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Blogging about pizza was making me hungry and also making me realize how important history and food can be to an enjoyable travel experience.

History and food intersect in Philadelphia PA in the form of the Philly Cheeseteaks - a delicious but artery clogging combination of chopped (or, less often, sliced) beef, smothered in melted cheese (usually Cheese Whiz), and served on a large hot dog style bun.

This is not exactly fine dining, but you'd be missing something to visit Philadelphia without enjoying one of these local bad boys.


It took some research to settle my curiousity about competing claims as to who invented the Cheesesteak. No less than the New York Times says it was probably Pat and Jim Olivieri, formerly of of Pat's King of Steaks.

Jim's Steaks is one of Philadelphia's most popular restaurants, though it's more like a huge hole in the wall with limited seating and huge lines. But folks keep on coming because Jim's is known as among the top purveyors of the legendary Philly Cheesteak - chopped meat and cheese served in a bun. Was this line, which snaked around the building to the left and had about 50 people waiting, the lunch rush? Nope, we were there in the middle of the afternoon.

First American Style Pizza?

You've got to love the internet. I was reading the blog DIGG co-founder Owen Byrne, noted the interesting Pizzaria picture at the top, could not make out the name, Googled the address, and wound up at Lombardi's Pizza in New York, which claims to be the world's first American Style Pizza and still the best as rated by Zagats and other sources:



In 1897 an Italian immigrant reinvented a Napoletana staple food into one of the worlds most eaten foods. New York City was the birth place of New York style pizza. During the year of 1905, Lombardi's was licensed by the City of New York, becoming America's First Pizzeria.



Hey, is this important history or what?



I should note that claims like this are not necessarily undisputed. In Philadelphia it seems there are a lot more than *one* inventor of the Philly Cheesesteak, but more about that on the next post....

Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Tian Tan Buddha is the world's largest seated bronze Buddah and sits high above the Po Lin Monastery at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island which is part of Hong Kong.
The statue is also called the the "Big Buddha".
Wikipedia says that the statue symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion.

Black Hills of South Dakota

Fans of the history of the America West will love the cultural and scenic drama of the Black Hills of South Dakota. The name of the region refers to the gently rolling forested hills of the area, but this part of South Dakota is also home to Mount Rushmore and the beautiful Badlands with their many stark painted desert landscapes. The difficulty and danger for pioneer crossings are what gave the Badlands their name.

Check out the The Black Hills Travel Blog which features stories and information about this great American Destination. Here is their Black Hills and Badlands history and culture section.

South Dakota Travel
South Dakota History
South Dakota's Official Travel Website is here

US History through the year 1630

You really should be catching up on your US History because those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and we really don't want that now, do we?

Here are our US History pages for the early eras of Native Americans and the European "exploration" which some would suggest was less exploration than a European invasion and subjagation of native peoples who lived in the Americas at the time. Here at US History and Travel we'd rather have people argue that issue here in the blog comments rather than try to force our opinion on you:

US History through 1630:
Early America Pre-contact.
Native American Origins and Cultures.

Early Exploration of what is now the USA:
The Spanish. The French. The English. Roanoke Island. Jamestown. Leif Ericksson. Christopher Columbus. John Cabot. Sir Francis Drake. Jacques Cartier. Henry Hudson.

Portland Oregon Vacation

Sunset has a nice piece about Portland Oregon travel right here.

Portland is one of the USA's most charming big cities and in some ways has the look and feel of a rural small town with a big footprint. Here, the Columbia and Willamette Rivers converge and big ship traffic makes its way to the Pacific some 80 miles to the west of the city at the seaside town of Astoria (hence the name Port-land).

Oregon Travel
Portland Travel