US City Guides – Page 2 – PalmTreeMusings

Christmas on the Coast: the Gulf Seashores of Mississippi

December 30, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in Home, North America, US City GuidesTagged bay St. Louis, best things to do in, Biloxi, bozos seafood, budget travel, Christian pass, friendship oak, gulf coast, Gulfport, Jimmy Buffett bridge, Mississippi, Pascagoula, po’boy, secret coast, travel, travel blog5 Comments

If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, but don’t like snow- then I suggest a trip to the US Gulf Coast. Stretching from Florida to Texas, the white sand beaches and quaint coastal towns, coupled with 70 degree days, are a delight in the off-peak winter months.

A “sandman” greets us at Christian Pass, Mississippi

The Gulf Coast isn’t complete without a ‘Pascagoula Run’, so avoid I-10 and take Highway 90 instead to Pascagoula. Are you a Parrothead? Look for the Buffet Bridge near Buffet Beach, a 2015 honor for local-boy-made-good Continue reading “Christmas on the Coast: the Gulf Seashores of Mississippi” →

How do you say goodbye to your hometown?

May 21, 2018February 4, 2022Posted in Home, North America, Travel Tips, US City GuidesTagged Back to the Future, Bob Simon, History of Reston Virginia, Lake Anne Brew House, Lake Anne Farmers Market, Lake Anne Village, Lake Thoreau, New Town Communities, Reston Town Center, Reston Used Book Shop, WOD Trail7 Comments

christmas tree at reston town center pavilion virginia

Six years ago, Chris and I left Africa and returned to the US. In just one short month, we lived in a hotel, got married, bought a house, got a job (Deah), and got deployment orders for nine months (Chris). It was a crazy month, and we we found ourselves living in Reston, Virginia- which turned out to be our home for the next few years.

Reston has a very interesting history. It was one of the original “New Town” planned communities of the 50s and 60s, designed by a man named Robert E Simon (our town is named after his initials). It was inaugurated on Simon’s 50th birthday in 1964, and ol’ Bob lived to see quite the expansion of the area during the rest of his lifetime- I actually met him in 2013, and he lived until the age of 101.

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A Day in DC: Embassy Row, the National Cathedral and Georgetown

January 19, 2018March 20, 2022Posted in Home, North America, US City GuidesTagged best things to do in, DC circulator, embassy row, georgetown, national cathedral, Washington dcLeave a comment

My friend Kelly came into town, and on one of the days I took her to see an area of DC I hadn’t spent enough time in: the northern part, which features Embassy Row, the National Cathedral, and Georgetown.

Embassy Row

Since we were in a car, it was easy enough for us to just slowly drive around the Kalorama neighborhood, near Massachusetts Avenue and Sheridan Circle. You could also take a Zip car- I noticed quite a few Zip cars in the area, and there were Capital Bike docks nearby as well, so a bike ride in nice weather would be a lovely way to see the embassies. DC has more than 175 foreign embassies, residences, and diplomatic missions, so don’t expect to see them all. But focusing on Massachusetts Avenue and nearby streets should let you see close to 30 of them, including Philippines, Portugal, Togo, Luxembourg, Ireland, Cyprus, Latvia, and Japan. My favorite is the imposing Kazakhstan embassy. In fact, here’s a handy map.

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Day in DC: the Botanic Gardens, the National Geographic Museum, and Arlington National Cemetery

December 5, 2017March 20, 2022Posted in Home, North America, US City GuidesTagged arlington national cemetery, best things to do in, Botanic Gardens, church of the holy sepulchre, corpse flower, famous DC landmarks, Jerusalem, national geographic museum, roadside attractions, Robert E Lee's house, tomb of the unknown soldier, Washington dcLeave a comment

Every time friends come in to town, my DC bucketlist seems to get longer, not shorter. It seems like DC is constantly adding museums, and of course even the museums I have been to change their exhibits quite frequently, warranting a return trip. So this week I found Continue reading “Day in DC: the Botanic Gardens, the National Geographic Museum, and Arlington National Cemetery” →

Cuban Burgers, Craft Beers, and a Cabin: A weekend in Shenandoah Valley

November 27, 2017March 20, 2022Posted in Home, North America, US City GuidesTagged AirBnB cabins, Bella Luna Wood Fired Pizza, best things to do in, Civil War Museum, craft beers, Cuban Burger, Harrisonburg, Shenandoah National Park, Shenandoah Spirits Trail, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia2 Comments

In September, I started feeling a little landlocked, so I booked several local trips: (this one to Outer Banks) and also two nights in a cabin in the Shenandoah Valley for the weekend after Thanksgiving. I figured a couple of nights of peace and Continue reading “Cuban Burgers, Craft Beers, and a Cabin: A weekend in Shenandoah Valley” →