Everyone knows that we aren’t your regular retail consuming mallrats. We pretty much live out of our car and my motto is “If it can’t fit in the car, we shouldn’t buy it.” All of this being said, I found it very hard to visit Minnesota and just drive right by the behemoth that is the Mall of America. Here are 5 things to do at Mall of America that don’t include shopping. Be prepared to spend an entire day here having the time of your life.
Snow is on the ground and the air is filled with the smell of baked goods and spices (at least it is at our place). You know what that means. The holidays are sneaking up and that means it’s time for our Ramblin’ Holiday Gift Guide for 2014. Our guide will cover all of our favorite things for the travel and pet lovers in your life.
Louisiana cuisine, it’s not just gumbo and Po’ boys. French, Italian, German, African-American and American-Indian influences run deep in the food scene of the state. Well-seasoned grub, spiced with a lil’ bayou heat and a pinch of “ain’t nobody’s cooking better than mine” attitude makes Louisiana a go-to state for some of the best food I have ever put in my mouth.
When I first heard that I was going to have the opportunity to visit the Mark Twain study I was less than enthused. You see, I’ve never been an avid reader of Classic American Literature. As a matter of fact, the only time I’ve ever read any of Twain’s books was when it was on assignment from school. Then I was reading it for later study and dissection rather than for enjoyment. Yet somehow, when I stepped into the tiny 8-sided room, I understood that there was something here for me. There was a lesson here for all of us who write and seek to inspire with our words. I understood why this room, now located on the campus of Elmira College, was such a powerful place. It’s a fine start to anyone’s journey through Mark Twain Country in Elmira, NY.
Adjacent to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is a gem of a place called the American Visionary Art Museum. The building itself is hard to miss and immediately grabs your attention as you make your way around the harbor. The AVAM promotes Visionary Artists. What is visionary art? Well…the museum’s mission statement says that “Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself.” In other words, “passionate people doing things that create a fire in their soul”. This museum quickly turned out to be my all-time favorite art museum to date. The works were raw and titillated all of my senses. Everything in the building (and it’s outskirts) was so colorful and catching to the eye. The AVAM is a Baltimore staple, a “must-see” attraction. Don’t miss it!
