Keene, New Hampshire, USA

Defining Main Street: The Candy Store. Happy Valentine's Day! Did you remember? If not, better head to your Main Street candy shop. Have you noticed how candy stores are re-appearing in those newly-built town centers that are modeled on streets like this? [2009]

Burlington, Vermont, USA

Defining Main Street: The Tea Shop. Tea brings the world to Burlington. While tea shops are less common than coffee shops on America's Main Streets, they always add a touch of refinement. Still, they can't keep up with the new trifecta of beverage purveyors: breweries, distilleries, and cideries. [2009]

Boulder City, Nevada, USA

Defining Main Street: The Coffee Shop. In the 21st century, towns are judged according to whether they have a coffee shop or not. Cities are judged by how many coffee shops they have. Here's the inconvenient truth, though: Coffee shops were all but dead until Starbucks started to expand in the 1990s. [2019]

Sturgis, South Dakota, USA

Defining Main Street: The Pizza Shop. Even without a full-scale restaurant, most Main Streets will proudly proffer a pizza shop. This one must max out its potential during the Sturgis Bike Rally. But, do you think the breakfast buffet is all-you-can-eat pizza? [2019]

Howell, Michigan, USA

Defining Main Street: The Restaurant. It is hard for suburbs to duplicate the ambiance of Main Street restaurants. Still, in most small towns it will be hard to find more than one or two full-service eateries like this. Does "seafood" capture the essence of place in a setting surrounded by Great Lakes? [2018]

Marietta, Georgia, USA

Defining Main Street: The Movie Theater. First there was the opera house, then there was the movie theater, and then there was streaming. Home town cinemas have survived only when they have found a dedicated preservationist movement or a niche market to serve. [2013]

Stevens, Pennsylvania, USA

Bucher's Mill covered bridge is still open to traffic, both human and canine. It spans a waterway with one of the most colorful names in American toponymy: the Cocalico Creek. Across the region, though, there are more watercourses with equally entertaining names: Chiques, Conestoga, Conowingo, Conewago, Codorus, Conodoguinet, Conococheague. [2023]

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Escalators are not usually thought of as modes of mass transit, nor are they thought of as being outside. In Las Vegas, however, you don't always get what you expect. Along The Strip, escalators, elevators, and skywalks are used to keep people from crossing Las Vegas Boulevard at street level. [2019 and 2022]

Trieste, Italy

When you think of swimming in the Mediterranean, you probably don't conjure up landscapes like this. Instead, your mind goes to the Rivera and the Costa del Sol, with their long, sandy beaches. But, the Adriatic is different. [2008]

West End, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Here is some guidance for predicting ferry connections in the Lesser Antilles. Islands close to one another will have daily connections. Islands far away will have no connection (fly!). Islands in between near and far will have limited connections, as in limited to several days a week. [2014]

Muzaffarnagar, India

Looking rather traditional, these multi-generational men represent the Muslim population of Muzaffarnagar. Muslims are just slightly outnumbered by Hindus, which a decade ago meant there was reason for conflict. [2011]

Muzaffarnagar, India

Looking rather hip, and with enough disposable income for shopping (see the designer bag?) and cell phones, these young men represent the Hindu population of Muzaffarnagar. Questions: (1) Why would anyone wear a long-sleeve shirt in the humid subtropics during summer? (2) What is that huge mound in the background? [2011]

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

A victim of Friday the Thirteenth? Are you superstitious enough to avoid flying today? If you were in Stockholm, would you board Finnair Flight 666 to Hel today? Hel, of course, refers to Finland's capital. The flight is always full. [2021]

Elizabeth City, North Carolina, USA

Retired, with two dogs and a boat. For them, it must be a dream come true. The Pasquotank River and the re-purposed Elizabeth City waterfront make a beautiful backdrop for the day's activities. The captain and his first mate may be navigating the Intracoastal Waterway with enough time to explore some of the Albemarle's tidal creeks. [2020]

Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA

If you happen to catch the unveiling of a historical marker, consider yourself lucky. Usually there is only a small gaggle of people lurking around. Some have been asked to take an active role in the ceremony. Others have planned their day around being a spectator. Still others (me!) just happen to be in the right place at the right time. [1982]

 

Norfolk, Virginia, USA

Tonight will be a busy one for Santa. He must take flight at jet speed to make his way around the entire world. That means he will be leaving his ersatz reindeer (see the antlers and red nose?) behind in favor of the real Rudolph and his team. [2020]

Greenville, South Carolina, USA

Late Sunday morning in Greenville: You could either go to church or the brewery. Notice the same confrontation in your community? Especially with regard to sports events. Nevertheless, it's a appealing blend of outdoor and indoor space, the type of design that more eating establishments should emulate. [2022]

Punda, Willemstad, Curaçao

Curaçao may be Dutch in polity, but its food choices are more American: hot dogs and hamburgers. This is not the type of food, or even fast-food, you will find in the tourist promos, which promise a fusion of European, African, and Latin American flavors, including meatballs, stuffed Gouda, gumbo soup, and goat stew. [2017]

Seneca, Kansas, USA

How do we honor our veterans? Here's another method: We build an honor wall of names, one plaque for every veteran in our town or county. Before the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, honoring vets meant only one thing: sculpting a statue. Walls like this are far more personal. Remember: Today is Veterans Day. [2009]

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Let's give credit where credit is due: Kaoshiung has not buried its life-giving stream (so important to its history) in a culvert underground. That is what so many cities around the world have done with their water resources: put them out of sight where they can't be appreciated for their scenic and ecological values. [2011]