Travel

ABOVE PHOTO: Freedom Riders Museum  (Photos: Renée S. Gordon) By Renée S. Gordon “My soul looks back in wonder.”  -African American spiritual Montgomery, Alabama has, from its beginning, acted as a historical vortex, drawing people and events into its orbit in astonishing configurations. This is the city of the Creek Indians, M.L.K., Rosa Parks, Judge…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Legacy Memorial Raise Up Artwork   (Photos: Renée S. Gordon) By Renée S. Gordon “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of these acts will be written the history of this generation.”  —Robert Kennedy…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Barnes Foundation   (Photos: Renée S. Gordon) By Renée S. Gordon “The lines are all Mr. Trumbauer’s, but the shadows are all mine.”  –Julian Abele Whether your latest resolution was to spend more time with your family or not, this column is for you. Philadelphia was designated the nation’s first UNESCO World Heritage…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Savannah Carriage   (Photos: Renée S. Gordon) By Renée Gordon Georgia, named in honor of King George II, was the thirteenth of the 13 colonies and was founded in 1733. When the ship Anne landed the 120 colonists on the shore of the Savannah River, at the foot of a 45-foot bluff, founder…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Baltimore Harbor (shutterstock) By Renée S. Gordon The Mid-Atlantic region is the most historic corridor in the country. It consists of a series of metropolitan areas within 220 miles and is accessed by I-95. The major cities — New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC — each have distinctive attractions; New York’s glitz,…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Blue Ridge Parkway (shutterstock) By Renée S. Gordon “I was with General Grant when Lee surrendered at Appomattox…..that was freedom….” Private William Harrison, 45th U.S. Colored Infantry More Civil War battles were staged in Virginia than in any other state. any of those battles played out in and around the 34,000-sq. mile Blue…

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The quickie you need in Nawlins’ cuisine By Mariska Jonsette All cities have their popular spots. New Orleans, a foodie’s paradise, has so many. Which restaurant is the top pick depends on who you ask. If you only have a short time in the Crescent City, here are two spots in the French Quarters you…

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ABOVE PHOTO: View from Bar Harbor, Maine (Photos: Renée S. Gordon) By Renée S. Gordon The Hamburg-America Line launched the Princess Victoria Louise, the first ship built solely for luxury cruising, on June 29, 1900. Prior ships were ocean liners created to transport passengers and cargo on transatlantic journeys as expeditiously as possible but the…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Some of the many elaborate lobby decorations   (Photos: Renée S. Gordon) By Renée S. Gordon A recipe for a sensational winter holiday is based on creating the best gifts of all, lasting memories of family, camaraderie, mirth and unrestrained joy.  Add to this mixture a surprising blend of seasonal activities, thematic interactive…

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ABOVE PHOTO: Anne Spencer House (Photos: Renée S. Gordon) By Renée S. Gordon Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León is credited as being the first non-indigenous European to explore Florida, although earlier expeditions reached the region seeking slaves for export to Spain. He set sail in 1513 on a quest for gold and new lands,…

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