A Towering Friendship Between a Lawman and President Roosevelt
When I first discovered the Friendship Tower in the mid 1980s, I was only 13 years old. I stumbled upon it quite accidentally while hiking through the snow with my little brother, Aaron. The site had fallen into obscurity. There were no paved roads leading to the site; no signs; no parking lot, no gift shop. There was nothing to explain the purpose or meaning of this stone tower. It was a lost monument without fanfare buried deep within the Black Hills of Deadwood Gulch. Well, nothing save a small plaque on its rock wall that read:
IN MEMORY OF
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
“THE AMERICAN”
OCTOBER 27, 1858- JANUARY 6, 1919
THIS TABLET IS ERECTED BY THE SOCIETY OF BLACK HILLS PIONEERS
JULY 4 1919
My brother and I entered the tower and took refuge halfway up its spiraling steps. Aaron’s feet were near frozen from trudging through knee-deep snow in cheap plastic tennis shoes. I removed his shoes and damp socks, and began warming his small feet with my hands. As young boys often do while exploring, we reclaimed the discovery as our very own, and renamed it The Castle. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Historical Journeys, North America and tagged deadwood, friendship tower, roosevelt.
Traditions of Christmas in Dixie
The Christmas season is once again upon us. It’s a time to love, a time to give, and a time to spread good cheer. Because it’s the most wonderful time of the year, It’s only fitting that I pay homage to America’s most beloved of holidays. In doing so, I’ve set my sights on a region of the United States that has a distinct culture all of it’s very own. Y’all know the place I’m referring to… Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton, Old times there are not forgotten, Look away, look away, look away Dixie Land!
That’s right boys and girls, I’m talking about the South. Home of antebellum plantations, bluegrass music, shrimp and grits, and mason jars full of sweet iced-tea! If you find yourself this holiday season restless and going south of the Mason-Dixon line, then allow me to point you to a few of my favorite places for Christmas in Dixie. You’re fixin’ to have a real swell time down South! Spend some time in any one of these spots and you’re certain to discover that good old-fashioned yuletide cheer!
Question: What do the Alps of Germany have in common with the southern state of Georgia? Well absolutely nothing, unless you’re talking about the town of Helen. This charming village, with a population of roughly 500 people, is hidden deep within the shadows of the Chattahoochee National Forest. In 1828, this Blue Ridge Mountain community sprang up out of the glittering dust of the Great Georgia Gold Rush. When gold fever finally ran its course, the town became a hub for an emerging timber industry. Unfortunately, the people there had more saws than they did trees and in the 1960s the town nearly shut down. It wasn’t until 1968, when businessmen bumped heads with a local artist, that they came up with a unique solution to revitalize the town. Helen, Georgia would be given a Bavarian facelift; and slowly over the following years, the entire town was recreated to look just like a German alpine village. There are German-styled restaurants, German-themed gift shops, German traditional festivals, and one of my favorites -cold German beer! With all that Old World appeal, this place is just brewing with adventure! When you throw in Santa, horse-drawn carriages, and some holiday lights into the picture, than Helen becomes a place that easily populates the top of my list for spending Christmas in Dixie.
Go to Helen, GA for a wonderful Christmas in Dixie with real Bavarian charm. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, North America and tagged christmas in dixie.
The Perils of a Paperboy in Deadwood Gulch
Growing up I never stayed put in one place for any extended period of time. The conditions surrounding my childhood were such that I had lived in seven states all before the age of eighteen. Looking back now, there is one place that brings back more fond memories than any other. That place is the historic old-west city of Deadwood, SD.
Main St, Deadwood Gulch – circa 1876
This frontier town was a place born out of adventure. It was certainly a rowdy place in 1876 when Wild Bill Hickok was shot playing poker in Deadwood’s infamous Saloon #10; and it was still a place of excitement in 1985 when I moved there at the youthful age of 12. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Historical Journeys, North America and tagged deadwood, paperboy.
Fort Monroe, Virginia is an amazing place!
Not that long ago, Rebecca, Noah, and I visited the historical Fort Monroe outside of Hampton, Va. Having never been to the fort before we didn’t quite know what to expect. We were all pleasantly surprised with the entire experience and would definitely recommend this place to those that love American military/ Civil War history.
F/A-22 Raptor flies over Fort Monroe, Virginia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ben Bloker) (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Historical Journeys, North America and tagged Abraham Lincoln, fort monroe, ft monroe virginia, General Robert E Lee.
Hungry as a Hog inside Jamestown Colony
Yesterday we drove along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia. The fall foliage is so beautiful this time of year and the colorful drive really carried with it a certain spirit of the seasons. We had originally planned to visit all three points of interest: Yorktown, Jamestown Colony, and Colonial Williamsburg. After getting off to a late start, and then getting lost, we had to curtail our schedule a bit and ended up making it to two out of three places. This is my unfortunate tale of being hungry as a hog inside Jamestown colony.
Jamestown Colony, America’s First English Settlement in the New World
This was a return trip for me ; although it had been several years since my first visit. Upon our arrival, we first visited the reenacted settlement before going to see the original one. I must have been a lot hungrier this particular visit since the first time going there; because once I got inside the park all I could think about was food! When one of the park actors in colonial garb began talking about the amount of settlers that died of starvation the very first year in the colony; well I started to get even hungrier… you might even say that I was scared hungry!
As luck would have it, I came upon a deerskin hat lying on the ground outside the makeshift Indian village. I just knew that a Powhatan had lost it and now they were going to have to do some real bartering to get it back. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, North America, Tall Tales and Big Fish Stories and tagged colonial jamestown, colonial parkway, jamestown, jamestown colony, jamestown colony virginia.