Karl Bushby’s Goliath Expedition

by Erik Olsen on

There are epic trips and then there are…well, there is Karl Bushby’s Goliath Expedition. Bushby, an ex-paratrooper is in the midst of undertaking one of those trips that truly flabbergast. He’s trying to walk around the entire globe. The self-declared stats he has on his site say it all:

12 years
36,000 miles
4 continents
25 countries
6 deserts
7 mountain ranges

But I guess those numbers don’t truly reflect the magnitude of this journey .And this being the 21st century ,you can go to Busby’s site and follow his journey in text, video, audio and photos. According to the site, Bushby, if he succeeds, will become the first person to complete an unbroken round the world walk.

The site says that Bushy is readying himself for the next leg of his journey, and he should be heading out from Russia sometime, well, I’m not sure when. He has apparently been having problems in obtaining the special permits required for the Chukotka region of Siberia. Here is the route is has taken and plans to take. Coming up from Tierra del Fuego way way up then over the Bering Sea and then all the way across Russia through Europe. The BBC has covered some of the story, and I’m surprised I haven’t seen more of it on US media. But maybe that will happen soon.

Presidents’ Day: George Washington Slept Here

by Jamie Rhein on

Chances are you’ve heard the adage, “George Washington slept here.” There is a reason for the saying. The man got around. I don’t mean he got around in a nudge, nudge, wink, wink, ya’ know what I mean kind of way, but he did sleep in a lot of places. During the Revolutionary War he traveled across the Mid-Atlantic states and through the Northeast eating, drinking and catching some shut-eye in various taverns and inns.

Tracing Washington’s steps, either the actual steps or the possibilities, is a way to travel through American history. One website Did George Washington Sleep Here? You Can! at www.BnBFinder.com lists bed and breakfasts where Washington may have tucked in for the night or stopped by for some eats. Whether he stayed at these places or not, they are featured as if he might have. Each have retained their historic value and ooze charm, but their upscale amenities bring them into the 21st century. Here are the list’s highlights.

I also found a section of Flickr photos devoted to the George Washington slept here theme. If you click on the above photo, you’ll be taken to a larger image on Flickr by mdmarcus66.

SoundAboutPhilly’s Awesome Audible Tours/Google Maps Mash-up

by Willy Volk on

Recently, we told you about the [murmur] project, an audio archive of the stories of Toronto. It turns out that SoundAboutPhilly is undertaking a similar project for the City of Brotherly Love. SoundAboutPhilly’s free, customizable sound-seeing tours are told by “real” Philadelphians, and provide an insider’s look at the city. Moreover, since it’s mashed with Google Maps, the site lets you plan an interesting, detailed trip from wherever you are.

Featuring dozens of audio clips, SoundAboutPhilly lets people browse by subject (History, Unplugged Philadelphia, Flavorhoods, My Philly, Philly Noir, Once Upon A Nation, Vintage Philadelphia) and even lets users create and upload their own tours. For example, I just finished listening to Aaron’s Haunted/Eerie Philly tour. (The Mütter Museum sounds creepy!)

SoundAboutPhilly allows you to save your favorite tours (and their associated waypoints), so you can create your own personal audio tour/map of the city. Perfect for that upcoming trip, just download all the portions of your custom Philly trip, print your map, and listen to the tours as you explore. If you go by yourself, just don’t get scared when you reach the Edgar Allan Poe house.

Happy President’s Day! Tour Abe Lincoln’s Home!

by Willy Volk on

Located in Springfield, Illinois, the home of Abe Lincoln is now a National Historic Site. Free to visit, the modest log cabin home has been restored to its 1860 appearance, expressing Lincoln as a husband, father, and politician.

Generally-speaking, the two-story home — the first and last home the Lincolns ever owned — looks a lot like how you’d expect it to look, with those old-timey fancy carpets; ornate, floor-length draperies; and heavy, wooden furniture. Nevertheless, it’s still beautifully decorated, as you can see from the photos on Flickr (which are far superior to those on the NPS’ site).

After you tour his home, you can hit The Lincoln Museum. Don’t forget, though, that it’s in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

[Photo: bdinphoenix]

A Chinese New Year Parade in Butte, Montana? Sure.

by Jamie Rhein on

Butte, Montana might be the place you’d least expect to find a Chinese New Year parade, but sure enough, every year Butte’s residents take to the streets with an authentic dragon to march through town. Billed as the shortest, the loudest and possibly the coldest Chinese New Year parade in the world, this quick route through historic Butte ends at the Mai Wah Museum where 10,000 firecrackers go off in a series of bangs. Until that point, people not carrying the dragon make a ruckus with noise makers. This year ‘s festivities are on Saturday, February 24.

Why a Chinese New Year parade in Butte? There used to be a hopping Chinatown here until discrimination laws made it too difficult for people of Chinese descent to make a living and they left for California and elsewhere.

The Mah Wah Museum is housed in what was once a noodle parlor and is run by the Mai Wah Society. The dragon, on display in the museum the rest of the year, was a gift from Taiwan. I’ve seen the dragon mounted on the wall, but never in action. It’s gorgeous.

Of all the small museums I’ve been to, Mai Wah is one of my favorites. The society’s website is full of fascinating information about this little talked about piece of American history when Western towns thrived thanks partly to a lot of sweat equity from Chinese laborers.

Here is an article about last year’s event.