Countless Overhill Cherokee towns are buried under water in East Tennessee. The history of this region and its native people is still full of mysteries and surprises even after decades of extensive archaeological projects. The modern town of Vonore is a historically and culturally-rich, prominent archaeological site just a few miles south of Historic Loudon,…
Depending on who you ask, Loudon County is comprised of Loudon (City), Lenoir City, Tellico, Philadelphia, Greenback, Dixie Lee Junction, parts of Farragut, and Unitia. It was not until today that I even heard of Unitia; a small Quaker-established community near Friendsville that was rather lively from the 1790s until the Tennessee Valley Authority flooded…
Mark Twain wrote about Heidelberg, “I have never enjoyed a view which had such a serene and satisfying charm about it as this one gives” in his book A Tramp Abroad and it still rings true. In the heart of Germany, Heidelberg rests over the Odenwald mountains divided in two by the Neckar River. Germany’s…
The Asamkirche is Munich’s most unique church. Known formally as the church of St. Johann Nepomuk, this tiny late Baroque gem was built by the brothers Cosmas and Egid Asam over the period of thirteen years. For this entry I chose Hozier’s “Take Me To Church” for obvious reasons. Before the brothers began building…
During the Manhattan Project, workers were sanctioned into communities. Each had its own town square where residents at respective plants could purchase their food…because of this, Oak Ridge lacks a central downtown area, but has many clusters of interesting places instead.
I don’t believe there is anything in the whole earth that you can’t learn in Berlin except the German language.” – Mark Twain’s Notebook.
Superstition holds that women who pay a visit, and a few Euros, to Saint Munditia will soon find their true love.
One particularly foggy night in München required Adolf Hitler to take the train home instead of a car. It was November 1939, and an anti-Nazi activist named George Elser had planted a bomb. Hitler was giving a speech that night but it was abruptly cut short in order for him to catch the train. He left just minutes before the bomb went off.
Moscow’s historically bohemian Arbat district is where ancient rulers charged their caravans into town and tradesmen followed route to sell their wares. It was first mentioned in literary works as far back as the early 1400s.
When I found out Bauhaus would be playing within a few hours’ drive, I immediately bought a ticket without thinking of any details. Seeing them live has been a dream since, oh… the late 90s, and I would not abide another missed chance. My song for this entry is “Double Dare” by Bauhaus: …
My day job comes with a lot of perks, and one of them was having the privilege of working remotely from a medieval Scottish castle. Except this castle is only half an hour from our office in Tennessee. Our crew had been working there for some time and we were so excited for the opportunity…
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Though his words were simply a battle cry from the West, they seemed to open the proverbial floodgates.
