ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
A young girl no older than twelve was looking up and said to her friend, "I see Poseidon, but where's Hermes?" The precocious youngster was admiring a pediment of The Parthenon here in Nashville. Unknown to many, it is an exact replica of the famous ancient Greek structure of Athens as it would have originally appeared, before the ravages... Continue Reading →
Other than barbecue, no other food evokes the South more than fried chicken. Southern cooks all have their secret recipes, the Colonel notwithstanding. I was going to be in Nashville. Eating its hot fried chicken is as essential as going to The Grand Ole Opry and the Parthenon. As the story goes, the dish was concocted by a jilted lover who figured she'd teach... Continue Reading →
Besides Graceland, there is another kind of Memphis excess that likewise should not be passed up. Lots of barbecue. Pig transformed into mountains of succulent ribs and sandwiches. No matter where you turn, you're bound to run into a barbecue joint, the pungent, alluring aroma of meat slow-cooking over wood like a siren's call to destroy... Continue Reading →
Although our travel plans were going to be largely confined to Tennessee, how could my wife and I not pass up Mammoth Cave National Park in South Central Kentucky? The first I ever heard of it was during a nature program on PBS, described as the largest cave system in the world. Its size is... Continue Reading →
As the season for the Issaquah Farmers Market draws to a close in two weeks, I wanted to write about my favorite food vendors. These are businesses that I consider to be first among equals, so to speak, businesses that sell uncompromisingly good food that I look forward to every time I'm visiting the market. Summertime would not be the same... Continue Reading →
Gobble Express started showing up at the Issaquah Famers Market this year, swapping the sole food truck location every other week with Maximus/Minimus. As the name suggests, Gobble Express specializes in turkey, as does the brick-and-mortar operation, called Gobble Restaurant, in Woodinville. The truck has a more limited menu, including smoked turkey legs. The first time... Continue Reading →
In the shady part of the Bellevue Demonstration Garden is the frame of a chair that adds a little unexpected whimsy. And, right around the corner is the children's garden featuring a small plot fit for tiny—really tiny—people. Elves?
While no one would ever mistake the climate in the Seattle area for Mexico or the Southwest, or eastern Washington even, King County Master Gardeners are intent on proving that chiles can grow quite successfully in our climate. True, they will never develop the legendary heat of Hatch chiles, but it is possible for our gardens to produce... Continue Reading →
I enjoy the drive through the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side, not only for the waterfalls but because it's a beautiful drive along one of America's mighty rivers. Another revelation, as I discovered on this trip, is noticing the transition between the climate zones on either side of the Cascade mountain range without having to drive over a mountain pass.... Continue Reading →
Mount Rainier is a majestic part of the Seattle skyline. That's, of course, when you can see it through the precipitation and heavy cloud cover that characterize our weather most of the time. But, this year has been different. We've had almost uninterrupted warm and clear weather since May, for us an unimaginably long dry period... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 