Journey to Egypt, Part 11: Luxor – Lunch, a Ferry Ride, & Dinner with a Local Family

December 27, 2018 A Walk to Lunch Back in the city of Luxor (about 850,000 population), our bus driver dropped us off in the vicinity of the place where we would have lunch. The restaurant was a few blocks away down dusty streets, and we had to walk. I was glad for this because as […]

CFFC: Shiny: Photographic Effects and Mistakes

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge theme this week is shiny. Using photographic manipulation and mistakes added to the shiny-ness of some of these photos! Icicles – I got the effect I was looking for in this shot, with the late afternoon sun shining behind the icicles to create a golden glow. (Taken from my living room […]

Getting Our Kicks: Homeward Bound (Route 66, Day 9-Part 2)

June 16, 2018 Heading northeast toward Chicago, we passed up Towanda, which has a couple of sites worth mentioning; mainly “A Geographical Journey” Parkway with interpretive kiosks along the road, and Towanda Dead Man’s Curve, part of the original 66 before the 1940s and now on Old Route 4. We intended to stop in Lexington […]

Time for Soup

There is a Mexican restaurant in our neighborhood where I like to go when it is super cold outside. They have a very good caldo de pollo – chicken soup with big pieces of white meat, potatoes, carrots, and beans. With it they serve little cups of chopped onion, cilantro, rice, and lime slices which […]

Photo A Week Challenge: Lit From Within

Nancy’s Merrill’s A Photo a Week Challenge has a very creative and season-related theme this week: Lit from Within. Most holiday lights are “lit from within” the tiny bulbs, such as these at Macy’s (formerly Marshall Field’s) in Chicago… but here are some other Macy’s holiday lighting from within. Yesterday my friend Marcia and I […]

Getting Our Kicks On the Way Home (Day 9, Part 1)

June 16, 2018 We headed toward home today, but there was plenty to see on Route 66 along the way. We had picked up a free guidebook – Illinois Route 66 Visitors Guide – the previous evening. First stop was Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which we had visited the previous evening (see my previous […]

Getting our kicks in Missouri: Vacuum Cleaners, Murals and Bridges – Day 8 (Part 2)

After leaving Uranus, we finally arrived at Devils Elbow Bridge. Our AAA guide said, “This 1920s-era bridge takes the original 66 roadway across the Big Piney River. Named for the tight bend in the river, the bridge and adjacent town were (and still are) considered one of the most scenic spots on the route.” After […]

CFFC: Lights

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge this week is lights. Symphony Center, Chicago Tiki Terrace Hawaiian restaurant, Des Plaines, IL Beatles tribute band, American English, in concert at Surf Ballroom, Clearwater, Iowa Park Inn Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in Mason City, Iowa: At a side entrance Café inside the hotel In a lounge Skylights Holiday […]

Lens-Artists Challenge: Windows

The theme this week for Lens Artists’ Weekly Photo Challenge is windows. Mormon church – Salt Lake City, Utah Trigger – photography studio and wedding venue, Chicago, IL Northlight Theatre, Skokie, IL – with sculpture in front Bike frames in a window, Chicago, IL Inspirational message on the rear window of a parked car, Arlington […]

Getting Our Kicks on the Road in Oklahoma (Route 66, Day 7, Part 1)

June 14, 2018 We left Oklahoma City this morning, and acquired our new Oklahoma Route 66: The Ultimate Road Trip booklet along the way, which lists many more exciting attractions than the AAA guide we’d been using up to that point! This Oklahoma guide has the advantage of listing all the attractions in order as […]