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Best of 2017 [part 1]: Our picks for best attraction, show, new place, and people
It is -6 degrees today where we live in Crete, Nebraska. Church was cancelled. We're still in our jammies. And we're not going outside. Instead, we're pouring a second cup of coffee, cranking the heat up, and reminiscing about some of our favorite travel experiences...
A parade, The Pioneer Woman Mercantile, and Pawhuska at Christmastime
Just after Thanksgiving, I received a text message from the Pawhuska (OK) Chamber of Commerce that said, "Kind of kidding, but if you Steve want to be in Pawhuska the first weekend in December, I have two judging spots left for the parade. We just miss you all!" It...
A gift from Nebraska Tourism and the most popular post from our home state
Yesterday we received a nice surprise in the mail from the Nebraska Tourism Commission Staff. As a thank-you for our help spreading the word about Nebraska's tourism industry, they sent us two beautiful calendars and each page included ... wait for it ... a postcard!...
Remembering my dad
On a cold day in November of 2000, exactly five months to the day after he was diagnosed, my dad, Robert Forrest Shrewsbury, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 51. While my dad had a fulfilling life, it makes me sad to think that he never got to see or do...
Yes, Nebraska has a safari and I’m so glad we finally took the time to stop there
No matter where you live, there are likely tourist attractions nearby that you've driven past for years. You have good intentions of visiting, but never actually take the time to stop. At least once a month for more than 16 years, I've driven past a large, green sign...
All about Kristin Chenoweth, page caches, and a Pawhuska post (say that 10 times)
Let me just tell you about our weekend. After a busy Halloween week filled with college ministry, cooking, trick-or-treaters, doctor's appointments, and blogging, we finished a loooooooong post about 70+ things to do in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, on Thursday, posted it, and...
![70+ things to do in Pawhuska [Part 2] after you’ve eaten at The Pioneer Woman Mercantile](https://postcardjar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Pawhuska-Part-2.jpg)
70+ things to do in Pawhuska [Part 2] after you’ve eaten at The Pioneer Woman Mercantile
Note: If you have not read #1-35 of the "70+ things to do in Pawhuska after visiting The Pioneer Woman Mercantile," click HERE first. 36. Get a refill on your pop at Handy’s If you’re working your way down this list, by now your cup is dry and you still have many more...
Our moms loved The Pioneer Woman Mercantile but we couldn’t get them on that swinging bridge
Both my mom and my mother-in-law are big fans of Ree Drummond and The Pioneer Woman cooking show on Food Network. We'd been to Ree's new Mercantile store and restaurant in Pawhuska twice this year, and when we returned home from our last trip, we could tell that both...
We brought our moms to Pawhuska!
That's right. It's only been a few weeks since we were in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, to judge the National Indian Taco Championships, but we're back in town, this time with our moms, Carol Johnstone and Gayle Teget. Having been to Pawhuska twice already this year, we got the...
The secret to that good Handy’s fountain pop in Pawhuska, Oklahoma
When we agreed to come to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, for the National Indian Taco Championship, we asked locals what we should do when we got to town. The first thing anyone told us was to go to Handy's to get a fountain pop because it's really good, and because they, "have...
5 things we learned judging the National Indian Taco Championships in Pawhuska
As you may have heard, earlier this month we were invited to be celebrity judges for the National Indian Taco Championships in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. We'd been invited by the Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce to join six others (who had much greater celebrity status than we...
That time we got to hang out with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood in Vegas
Did we ever tell you about the time we met Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood? We had gone to a TeamMates mentoring program silent auction in November of 2012, and about half way through the evening, we noticed that no one had bid on a package that included tickets to...
Talking with Johnny and other things we did in Norfolk and Neligh, Nebraska
We'd been on the road for several days, now, and while Valentine marked the turn toward home on our Nebraska adventure with my folks, we were far from done with our trip. We set out from Valentine, our sights set on the Ashfall Fossil Beds, and made it east of town a...
TripAdvisor’s most hilarious manager responses from Robert J. at Peppermill
With more than 500 million candid traveler reviews, TripAdvisor has quickly become a go-to online resource for many travelers, including us. We often roll into a new city with cell-phones in hand, searching for a top-10ish restaurant to stop for dinner. We typically...
What’s not to love about Valentine?
Valentine, Nebraska is an easy place to love. And not just because of its name, either. When we took our trip around Nebraska this summer with my folks, we knew that one of our stops had to be Valentine. There is just so much to see and do in and around this city of...
How we drove 18 holes at Quarry Oaks Golf Club and didn’t lose a single ball
Yesterday, we drove carts through an entire 18-hole golf course and didn't have to stop once to look for a lost ball. Only because we didn't hit any. Not this time, anyway. This time, we didn't have to tee off once. My sister, Laura, works for a memory care residence...
Don’t judge Nebraska until you’ve gotten off of I-80 and seen the Sandhills
There is nothing quite like getting off the interstate to help you get to know a place better, and nowhere is that more true than Nebraska. Our state has a reputation for being flat and boring because the interstate used by hundreds of thousands of people each year...
Bull whips, the Wild West, and genuine hospitality – North Platte, Neb., has it all
Finally, I got to show my parents that 14-year-old me was right. On the second day of our trip across Nebraska this summer, we woke up at our hotel, mere steps from the place I'd wanted to go when I crossed the state with mom and dad 30 years earlier: Fort Cody...
Trains humping and other fun things we saw on our trip through central Nebraska
Day 1 of our Nebraska trip with Steve's parents began with a stop at The Village Pie Maker in Eustis, Nebraska. After learning the secret to making the best pie ever, we headed north to Cozad where we crossed the 100th Meridian. Having been on Interstate 80 a thousand...
The secret to The Village Pie Maker pies
Note: Since the publication of this post, Village Pie Maker was sold to a new owner, and the pies are now made at a facility near Omaha, Nebraska. We've tried the pies since the sale, and they are just as good now as they were then. I am the first to admit, I am not a...
Yes, we’re going to be celebrity judges at the National Indian Taco Championship!
Between the two of us, we've got some interesting titles on our resumes. Sports writer, lifeguard, vice president of public relations, athletic director, lobbyist, middle school principal, travel writers, and bloggers. And now, we get to add ... wait for it ......
A perfect fall day with family
Today was one of those cool, cloudy days when it starts to really feel like fall in Nebraska. The trees are starting to change colors and the corn fields are almost ready for harvest this time of year. Now that Steve has a more flexible schedule, we thought it might...
Eclipse 2017: An earth-shadowing experience from our home in Crete, Nebraska
When science writer Trudy Bell said to never let anyone convince me that 99% of the sun covered was the same as totality, I didn't know what to think. She then went on to say, "It's 1% of the sun's surface, but it's 100% of the experience." The moment the moon fully...
Happy 50th anniversary, Mom and Dad
Fifty years ago today, something pretty special happened -- my mom and dad got married. I feel pretty lucky to have had them both as my parents and we are so excited for them to celebrate 50 years together. Over the years they have been a great example of what it...
Headed to the Pacific Northwest
As you may remember, when Steve resigned as middle school principal this summer, one of the first things we wanted to do with our more flexible schedule was spend some quality time with our parents. We took his mom and dad on a week-long trip across Nebraska in July...
70+ things to do in Crete, Nebraska
As you have probably noticed, Steve and I are very excited for next week’s total solar eclipse! We are really fortunate that Crete, Nebraska, (where we live) is in the path of totality and because of that, we’re expecting lots of visitors to begin arriving here in the...
An earth-shadowing experience planned for eclipse in Crete and Wilber
I have to admit, we're pretty excited about the total solar eclipse that is about to happen. We follow a lot of travel bloggers, and know that many are making plans to travel great distances so they can experience what it's like to be plunged into the shadow of the...
On the road again
When I decided to leave my full-time job as a middle school principal this spring, one of the things Ann and I wanted to do in this interim stage was spend more time with our families. For years, our jobs have dictated when we could travel and how much time we could...
Postcards from the Johnstone family
Ann's brother and sister-in-law, Stephen and Carrie, took their two sons, Nathan and Noah, on a driving adventure last summer. They headed out across northern Nebraska, through Valentine, and up into the Badlands of South Dakota. They wanted to take a trip that felt...
Actually, it is rocket science! Our visit to Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston is just what the child inside you wants it to be. As you drive up to the entrance, your view is dominated by a 747 with a space shuttle on its back. I mean, what could be cooler than that? Earlier this summer, we took a week-long road trip south...
More than candlesticks: What we found at Clint Harp’s shop
No Fixer Upper fan's trip to Waco, Texas, would be complete without a stop at carpenter extraordinaire Clint Harp's design company. When we were in Waco last month visit Magnolia Market [read more about that HERE], we took a little jaunt about a mile down the road to...
My attempt at conquering a Vitek’s Gut Pak
When David Ridley of Waco Tours recommended the Gut Pak at Vitek's BBQ, I knew that was where I wanted to go for lunch. Sure, he had a couple other suggestions, but the name piqued my curiosity and after spending two days at The Pioneer Woman Mercantile and Magnolia...
Explaining shiplap and shams to my husband at Magnolia Market
I’m still not quite sure how I convinced Steve to visit The Pioneer Woman Mercantile and lodge as well as Magnolia Market within 24 hours, but I did. After spending two days in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, where he waited in line almost two hours for a taste of Ree Drummond’s...
Seven things that surprised us about The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond’s lodge
This post is about our visit to the Drummond family lodge where The Pioneer Woman shows are filmed. If you'd like to read about our tour of the Pioneer Woman Boarding House, click HERE. The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond and her husband, Ladd, have been opening up the...
Finally home for the Fourth of July
After having spent the Fourth of July out of the country three of the past four years, we're excited to be home this year to celebrate our country's Independence Day. In 2013, we were in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2015 we celebrated in Barcelona, Spain. And last...
I like big buns and I cannot lie
Let me cut to the chase. One of the main reasons people visit The Pioneer Woman Mercantile in Pawhuska, Okla., is to eat. Sure, there are colorful serving bowls to admire, plates to purchase, and recipe books to thumb through. But for me (and I suspect many others)...
Haven’t been to Huntsville…yet
We recently received a postcard from the folks at Visit Huntsville, Ala. We have not been to Huntsville, but I qualify that statement with a big, "yet!" The Rocket City, as it's known, is definitely on our list of places to visit because if its rich history with the...
Six reasons to take your wife to The Pioneer Woman Mercantile
I had my doubts when Ann told me she wanted to visit The Pioneer Woman Mercantile in Pawhuska, Okla. For me, I couldn't see how this would be time well spent. I envisioned a crowded store with mostly middle-aged women roaming around, oohing and aaahing at spatulas and...
A Teshhamitroy family vacation
That's right -- Teshhamitroy. It's our new family name for the week and includes the first two letters of all of our last names. We are taking our daughter, Meghan, and four college students on a family vacation to ... wait for it ... Branson, Missouri! Steve and I...
Meg Kane keeps folks in line at The Pioneer Woman Mercantile
Within minutes of arriving at The Pioneer Woman Mercantile in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, a young woman with a cheerful smile and a gift for hospitality greeted us. Her name was Meg Kane. How Meg Kane got her job Meg’s job is to welcome visitors to The Merc and ensure they...
Our visit to The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond’s Mercantile
About 12 hours after Steve finished his last school board meeting and his ended his career as a middle school principal, we were on the road for a much-needed (and anticipated) vacation. First stop – Pawhuska, Oklahoma to visit The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond's...
His boxes and our bags are packed
Today was Steve's last day of work as middle school principal at Crete Public Schools. You can read all about his decision to move on to something new HERE. At the end of the day, he packed up the last of his personal belongings from his office while I was home...
A postcard from San Diego
Our friends, Gary and Linda, recently headed west to sunny San Diego, Calif. I've known Gary and Linda for years, and even had the opportunity to travel with them on one of the school tours to Europe I led a few years ago. They are great travelers, always looking to...
Teaching your kids through travel
Travel isn't just for fun, it can also be a great way to learn something new. Our friends, the Bissons, took this to heart when they headed out on a road trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin from their home in Florida to see family. They decided that their two sons should...
Bringing back old-school family vacations
We are so impressed by our friends, Matt and Jennene Anderson, who still take their three kids on old-school family vacations. You know the ones - where you load the kids in the family truckster and drive across the country to explore new cities, visit National Parks,...
See where our parents have been
We thought we'd kick off this summer travel season with a series of blog posts featuring some of the postcards that we've received. We love going down to the post office, opening our P.O. box, and finding postcards from far-away places. It is so neat to think of all...
Our weekend getaway to Chicago
Sometimes you just gotta go. I know, I know. You'd like to travel more but feel like you never have the time. But trust me, you can pack a lot into a long weekend. Sure, the garage might need cleaning. But let's be honest. It can wait. Would you rather look back on...
Traveling with my mom and the lessons I learned
Note: This guest post was written by our daughter, Meghan Shrewsbury in 2017. Meghan is now a cardiac ICU nurse in Tulsa, Oklahoma. By Meghan Shrewsbury I think I was born to travel. My first trip traveling with my mom (aside from the one through the birth canal)...
Great gifts for a 48-year-old traveler
When special gift-giving events like birthdays come around, my family is constantly asking what they can get me. And I must admit, I'm not the easiest person to shop for. I typically don't have very many good ideas to give my husband or daughter, but usually can come...
So, I kinda quit my job.
A little more than a month ago, I sat down and wrote a letter to my boss. It is one I'd been thinking about for awhile, and as I said in the letter, I wrote it with mixed emotions. I have been an educator most of my adult life. I didn't really set out to be one, it...
Travel Tip: Sometimes you have to go up to go down
Recently, we traveled to Chicago for a long weekend. We stayed on the 18th floor of the Palmer House Hilton, a beautiful, historic hotel in the middle of the loop located just a block from Millennium Park and the Art Institute. This 25-story hotel is a great place to...
My first visit to a nude beach
So, we've debated for some time whether or not to write this post. As you know, Steve and I are actually quite modest people. We don't wear clothing that draws attention (unless you count a couple of Steve's Hawaiian shirts) and we often blush at PG-13 movies....
Our first cover story!
How cool is this? My college alma mater, the University of Nebraska - Kearney, just featured one of my photographs and our travel blog on the cover of its alumni magazine, UNK Today! It was so nice to see the story posted online today and we are looking forward to...
Blogiversary 3: By the numbers
Bloggers seem to be into numbers. Likes, followers, comments, page views, posts, sessions, bounce rates ... The list goes on and on and on. When Steve and I started our blog, we couldn't help but watch the numbers ourselves. Then, last May, we went to TBEX North...
Blogiversary 3: What a year!
Who'd a thunk it? Three years into this crazy adventure we call travel blogging, we're having the time of our lives and we can't thank you enough! Readers like you have inspired us every day with your comments and suggestions, notes about your travel experiences, and...
Following our hearts to St. Kitts
Two years ago, I had never even heard of St. Kitts. Then, in August 2015, two incredible young men from this small island in the Caribbean stepped into our lives and into our hearts. We met Michael and Josiah their first week in Crete when they came to our church one...
Why we love Valentine, Nebraska
It seems like a fitting time of year to write about a place we love to visit -- Valentine, Nebraska. Meghan and I drove to Valentine for the first time on one of our annual Nebraska road trips when she was in middle school. We went to see Smith Falls, Nebraska's...
Sharing our Postcards from Nebraska
One of the primary goals of our blog is simply to inspire people to travel more. So, when we got a call from a nearby community college asking if we'd be interested in teaching a course on Nebraska travel, we jumped at the opportunity. And so, last night, we found...
Plane spotting at Maho Beach in St. Maarten
I've always loved airplanes and flying, so I was really looking forward to our stop at Maho Beach in St. Maarten. Situated at the end of the runway of St. Maarten's Airport sits Maho Beach, a wonderful spot to take in some rays and bob in the waters of the Caribbean...
Cruising the Caribbean: St. Lucia
I have been to tropical places. I've admired the lush forests and gazed at the blue waters. But nothing could have prepared me for the for sights and sounds above the treetops in St. Lucia. The second port of call on our Caribbean Christmas cruise was this incredible...
Cruising the Caribbean: Barbados
The first stop on our Caribbean cruise on the Celebrity Summit was the island nation of Barbados. Twenty one miles long by 14 miles wide, Barbados is home to nearly 300,000 people if there are not ships in town. Our ship was one of about five docked there that day,...
Celebrating Christmas at sea
Christmas has always been a really important time for me. I love preparing for and celebrating the birth of my Savior, giving and receiving gifts, singing Christmas carols, and spending time with family and friends. So, it was't easy for me to agree to taking a family...
How to pack gifts for a cruise at Christmas
Yes, it is possible to pack for a cruise at Christmas. I love giving people gifts. I truly enjoy picking out just the right things, wrapping them in color-coordinated paper, and tying them up with fancy bows and name tags. I couldn't imagine Christmas morning without...
Christmas in the Caribbean: Puerto Rico
I never sleep well the night before we fly out early for vacation. The combination of the excitement for the trip, along with a worry that I will sleep through my alarm and miss the flight, often conspire to give me a short night with lots of waking moments wondering...
A look back at 2016
After traveling in the Caribbean for 10 days over Christmas, Steve and I returned to our home in Crete, Nebraska, about 15 seconds before the clock struck midnight Saturday night and just in time for a New Year's kiss to ring in 2017. Before we delve into our travel...
A peek at this year’s new ornaments
For the past several years, we've decorated what we like to call our Christmas travel tree. [We wrote a blog post all about it that you can read HERE.] We had lots of help decorating for Christmas this year. Our daughter, Meghan, was home and we invited a couple local...
A postcard from Husker fans
We have had the privilege of having season tickets to Nebraska Cornhusker football games for the past five years. Every fall, we look forward to returning to Memorial Stadium, going through Gate 20, walking up and up and up to section 108, and squeezing ourselves in...
A sip of nostalgia in Hastings, Nebraska
Lots of interesting things were invented in our home state of Nebraska. Yes, we're the creators of vise grip locking pliers, frozen TV dinners, collapsable voting booths, and center pivot irrigation. Perhaps our biggest claim to fame, however, is the fruit-flavored,...
Leaving I-80 for a better view
In case you didn't know, I'm usually a get-there-as-quickly-as-we-can kinda guy. So when Ann told me that she and Meghan preferred to avoid the interstate on trips around Nebraska, I felt a little queasy. The thought of trailing long lines of cars and putting along...
Crete’s Great Pumpkin Festival
Our hometown of Crete, Neb., hosted its 2nd Annual Great Pumpkin Festival this weekend and we had so much fun hosting the photo booth and meeting so many new people. This year's festival was even bigger and better than last year's inaugural event [read more about that...
Postcard from Rocky Mountain Natl. Park
Estes Park, Colorado, is a favorite vacation spot for our friends and neighbors, Matt and Linda Hanson of Crete, Neb. They have vacationed there for years and continue to rave about the Golden Aspens, the wildlife, and the variety of outdoor activities available for...
Postcards from the Pipers
Ben and Nikki Piper are two of our best friends and were so happy that they were able to take a quick getaway this summer with their young children and Ben's parents, Martha and Steve. For their family vacation, they drove from their home in Crete, Neb., to beautiful...
A postcard from the “villes”
One of our most avid followers, Dale Strehle and his wife, Cindy, recently sent us a postcard from the Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville, Tennessee. They stopped there on what they referred to as their "ville" tour which took them through Louisville, Knoxville,...
Our Journey of a Lifetime
It has been said that a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. It was Aug. 27, 2011, that Ann and I took our first step together as we walked down the aisle at Westminster Presbyterian Church as a husband and wife. Since that day, we've been on an amazing...
A postcard from Turkey
Some friends of ours, Paul and Micaela, sent us this postcard from Istanbul! Paul is a teacher in the same district where I work as a principal. Micaela is an athletic trainer at a local college and has worked some with Ann on weight training. We've enjoyed getting to...
A quirky place called Carhenge
When we were in Great Britain last month, our first stop was at iconic Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, where a ring of standing stones is set. Its history and purpose have boggled the minds of archaeologists and visitors for hundreds of...
Fort Cody Trading Post: More than meets the eye
The first time I visited North Platte, Nebraska, I was 14. My family drove there via I-80 to attend the wedding of a close family friend. After almost 30 years, I don't remember too much from that visit, but I do remember being intrigued by the western stockade I saw...
5 interesting facts about Stonehenge
We arrived in London, England, as scheduled and had a lovely drive (thanks Chirton Grange) through the countryside to our first stop -- Stonehenge. It was amazing to see this ancient phenomena in person and learn even more about its history and mystique. We spent...
A postcard from North Platte, NE
If you've been thinking about visiting North Platte, Nebraska, this is the weekend. Seriously, just get in the car and go! Yes, it's that time of year to put on your cowboy boots, find your hat, and mosey on down to the Wild West Arena where you can wrangle up all...
Five things we’re NOT looking forward to on our next cruise
As you may have heard from our Facebook "LIVE" event, we are headed to Europe for a Baltic cruise this summer. While there are tons of things we're looking forward to (i.e. visiting the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia; exploring Stockholm, Sweden; and...
A postcard from Harry Potter’s world
This summer, our friends and neighbors, the Faltins, visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in California and we were so excited to get their postcard! Kevin and Michelle and their two youngest kids flew to California (where Michelle is from)...
Postcard from Africa and the Watoto Children’s Choir
Six years ago this week, a 7-month old baby boy was abandoned at a hospital in Mbarara in western Uganda, Africa. He was malnourished and weighed just 7.6 pounds, a size typical for most newborns in America. His then teenage mother was unable to care for him and he...
A postcard from James in Kuwait
A former student of mine, James Donaldson, sent this postcard from Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. I first knew James when I taught Spanish in Greenville, Mississippi, right after college. He, and his now wife, Kira, played on the high school soccer team I coached there. I...
Nebraska’s Nicest Nine
A couple years ago, Steve and I took off on a 6-day journey to find out for ourselves if our home state lives up to its then new slogan, "Nebraska Nice." We wrote about some of the nicest things we saw -- calling them our 2014 "Nebraska's Nicest Nine." The list was...
Rediscovering Historic Stillwater, MN
For me, Stillwater is one of those places that will always take me back to my childhood and ignite fond memories. Every day I spent there as a child was filled with fun and relaxation. We'd fish off the back deck of my grandparent's houseboat, slowly boat over to a...
Postcards from Minnesota
Steve and I are getting ready to head to north to Minnesota again this week. We've been going there several times a year to visit friends and family and for doctor's visits at the Mayo Clinic where I'm being treated. It is about a 7-hour drive from our house in Crete,...
Celebrating our 2nd blogiversary!
Two years ago today, we sat in a Doubletree hotel in Rochester, Minnesota, where we had returned for a third time since that January for appointments at the Mayo Clinic. The next day, I was to have an electrophysiology study and a heart biopsy in hopes of helping...
A great pit stop for Midwest travelers
A couple of weeks ago we were invited to visit the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed as guests of the museum. Even though it's located in Lincoln, Nebraska, only 30 miles from our home, we'd never heard of it. After just a little more than an hour there, we...
Ray’s Shabby Cottage Furniture
About this time each year, we make the hour and 45-minute drive from our home in Southeast Nebraska to Steve's hometown of Shenandoah, Iowa, to have our taxes done. We typically meet with our CPA in the morning and then check out downtown Shen, stopping for a vanilla...
A postcard from Argentina
Six years ago, we had the privilege of meeting a delightful young lady from Germany who was living with a family we know in our hometown of Crete, Nebraska. She was here to study at the high school as a foreign exchange student. At the time, she was in school with our...
Our first trip to see the Sandhill Crane migration on the Platte River in Nebraska
As we began to quietly leave the wooden blind from which we'd watched Sandhill Cranes descend onto sandbars in the Platte River at dusk, there was only one thing on my mind. I simply could not get over the fact that I'd spent most of my life living in Nebraska and had...
A postcard from New England
Happy National Clam Chowder Day! We thought it was a great day to share this postcard we received last summer from some of Steve's college friends from Lawrence University. In doing a little research about clam chowder, we found that according to Savoring Gotham: A...
Wahoo, Nebraska — A Pleasant Surprise
For the last few years, we’ve enjoyed purchasing half a beef from one of Steve’s colleagues who is also a local farmer. This year, they had the beef processed at the meat locker in Wahoo, Nebraska, so we thought we’d make the 55-mile drive from our home in Crete to...
A postcard from the Outer Banks
During these cold winter days in Nebraska, it's fun to dream about walking along a sandy beach, taking in the sun rays, and swimming in the ocean. While it's pretty cold there now, the Outer Banks of North Carolina look like a great place to relax near the water...
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Remembering an incredible leader and man today.
The Joy of Sidewalk Cafes
I have always loved travel. As a Spanish teacher, I thought it important to share my love of travel with my students. So, together with a German teacher colleague from across the hall who shared that belief, we planned a European tour for our students. It was hugely...
Exploring Ancient Roman Ruins
When we stepped out of the car along a roadside overlooking the Roman Forum and ruins, I could hardly believe my eyes. I'd seen pictures of these places in history books, and watched movies like Gladiator that showed these scenes, but nothing quite compared to the...
Postmark: Cedar Rapids, IA
This summer, we received a beautiful postcard from the Amana Colonies near Cedar Rapids, IA. The postcard was sent by a friend of ours, Jen Van Winkle and one of her friends, June Biggs. Jen and I have been friends for more than a decade. We met when I was working in...
Inspiring the next step on your journey