World History Blog

Check out the World History Blog for some personal perspectives on world history themes. Here at Travel and History we recognize that you simply cannot separate history from the rest of our lives, and I don't just mean history in the sense that, technically, almost any piece of information can be seen as part of "history" since that item either happened in the past or is being influenced by the past.

Rather, I mean that historical events of all types are the *only* foundation from which our present and future springs. We cannot escape the fact that the past spawns the present, and therefore history should be of primary interest to us.

For travelers, a knowledge of history offers insights, context, and richness you don't get by simply walking into a place. Westminster Abbey in London is pretty fantastic even without any history, but with history this magnificent site opens a thousand windows to the past and future as one of the western world's most significant religious and political cultural icons.

Official Google Blog: Bringing history online, one newspaper at a time

Google and newspapers are bringing a LOT of history online soon in the form of archived newspaper pages - billions of them - that will over time flow online, giving us one of the best pictures of history across many cities and a long time period that we have ever had.

This could be a researchers dream in that local news often has information you can find nowhere else. Things like Police and Fire reports, obscure local political quotes by major politicians (hmmm - that's gonna hurt sometimes), and much more. I'm really looking forward to this project!

Official Google Blog: Bringing history online, one newspaper at a time

Vikingsholm, Lake Tahoe 087

Vikingholm, Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay

Vikingsholm, Lake Tahoe 087
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay is one of the most scenic areas in California - some would say this is the prettiest place in the whole state. Vikingsholm is a nordic mansion built on the lake almost 100 years ago, now managed by the state park system. Inside the mansion is fully furnished with mostly original furniture and other historic artifacts, including a Steinway Rosewood Piano commissioned especially for Vikingsholm.

Frenchglen Hotel, Oregon

Southeastern Oregon is one of the American West's most wide open expanses of rangelands, forests, and high desert. Here, the counties are larger than many Eastern US states. Harney County, for example, is bigger than Connecticut.

Southeastern Oregon has only two cities with much of a population - Burns and Lakeview. Both offer the charm you find from a sparsely populated area where the folks in the cowboy hats are usually ... working cowboys and cowgirls.

About 60 miles south of Burns in the tiny town of Frenchglen is a treasure of the Oregon State Parks system - Frenchglen hotel. The rooms are not glamourous but are comfortable and historic. The meals - served family style at large tables - are delicious and harken back to the day when the journey itself was a more important part of the travel experience as it took days or even weeks to travel to final destinations.

Frenchglen Hotel (Part of Oregon's State Park System but run by a private concession)

No Prohibition Building Advertisement in Fells Point, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

No Prohibition Ad, Fells Point, Baltimore Harbor 265
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Fells Point is one of Baltimore’s most historic areas.

This faded “Vote Against Prohibition” advertisement has lasted long past the demise of Prohibition. Perhaps not coincidentally the Fells Point area is known for bars and nightly rowdiness even as it remains a "must see" during the day for visiting tourists and nearby conventioners.

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is the perfect example of how history and travel intersect in wonderful ways. Formerly the Inner Harbor was mainly for shipping, but over the past several decades Baltimore has turned this into a convention and tourism hot spot for the entire coast.

One of the most appealing features in Baltimore are the Water Taxis which take you from place to place all day for $9, offering a cheap tour. Be sure to ask the pilots about the buildings and harbor history - most are very well informed.

Half Dome top overhang, Yosemite NP

Half Dome top overhang, Yosemite NP

Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

I couldn't resist blogging another picture of Yosemite.

This shot was taken at the top of Half Dome, which is not a technical climb if you go around the back. Still, it's a long day of about 16 miles round trip with a pretty intense final push up the rounded granite of Half Dome's eastern flank.

Cables allow this final climb of about 1/4 mile to be safe, but it's so steep that you feel at times like you are dangling off the edge.

The tip shown here is visible in most views of Half Dome.

Harpers Ferry WV. Lewis and Clark?

VirginiaBaltimore08 114
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Lewis and Clark are more familar as key explorers of the American West, but here in Harpers Ferry West Virginia the Lewis and Clark expedition camped for some time while wagons and boats were made and provisions put up for their upcoming adventures. Fresh with orders from Thomas Jefferson to document and claim lands to the west of a fledgling USA, Lewis and Clark made their way to Astoria Oregon and home again in one of the most significant of all American expeditions.

Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=harpers+ferry+VA&mrt=all&sll=43.201703,-91.146784&sspn=0.023525,0.05579&g=harpers+ferry&layer=c&ie=UTF8&ll=39.323749,-77.735084&spn=0.006042,0.013947&t=h&z=17