The telephone was conceived and invented in this house in Brantford, Ontario. Alexander Graham Bell lived here with his parents after they moved over from Edinburgh. Bell had a handwritten note detailing where he was during each stage of development to allay any future concerns about where the telephone was Read more…
The largest maritime museum on the Great Lakes isn’t the museum in Toledo, it’s in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Valley Camp is a 550-foot long Great Lakes freighter. Although modern ships of the Great Lakes are twice as long, this was one of the largest of its time when it Read more…
The River of History Museum in the Michigan side of Sault Ste. Marie is a history museum on the St. Mary’s River. It shows how Natives lived before European arrival and their interactions with Europeans in the centuries that followed. Its interpretation of the violent history between the US and Read more…
I’ve been to the Canadian side of Sault Ste. Marie before I visited the American side because COVID-19 meant that the borders were closed. The Soo Locks on the American side are more difficult to access, so head up the Tower of History to see it after visiting the largest Read more…
This small city in Ontario has a surprisingly large three-story museum. There’s an exhibition on the contributions people in the region have made to war efforts, but I didn’t get to see it because it was being rearranged. Upstairs on the second floor, there’s a gallery on the history of Read more…
Parliament Hill in Ottawa has been under renovation since 2019 and there’s about a decade of work left. While the Senate was moved to the old Union Station, the House of Commons stayed in the same building. It moved its chamber from inside the building to the courtyard and covered Read more…
Right below the more iconic Neuschwanstein Castle, this little brother is never jealous because it’s got a storied history of its own. Sitting next to the border with modern day Austria this was the home where King Ludwig II grew up, who later built the more architecturally majestic Neuschwanstein Castle. Hochenschwangau Read more…
Constructed in the late 1800’s by Bavarian King Ludwig II, it’s simply amazing to step into a castle where Richard Wagner (yes, the composer) was involved in. Some of the paintings inside the castle were even inspired by his compositions and operas. The brightly decorated interior (especially the throne room) Read more…
The Senate of Canada was founded in 1867 with its confederation, but it is currently held in an old train station in Ottawa built in 1912 opposite the senate’s original purpose-built building. Funnily enough, the former train station is older than the 1920 Parliament Centre Block, which has been undergoing Read more…
Location: Texas, Oklahoma Date: August 4-7, 2023 Distance: 1,185 km Up front: I’ve ridden in a friend’s Volvo S60 before and I didn’t think seats could get more comfortable—but they do. The seats in the latest generation 5-Series have pillowy headrests, adjusts a million ways and the sensatec plastic leather Read more…