By 1758, the French and Indian War had been raging in North America for several years, and Native Americans had been launching raids all along the northeast, attacking British-American settlements that were intruding into their territory. In London, it was assumed that the French were behind all the Native unrest, and the decision was made … More Fort Ligonier, Pennsylvania

By 1753, the French and British rivalry in North America had reached a breaking point, and both sides prepared for conflict. The spark that set it off was struck by a young Virginia militia officer named George Washington. Yes, THAT George Washington. As tensions rose between France and England over their colonies in North America, … More Fort Necessity, Pennsylvania

[NOTE: I’ve blogged all these “how-to” posts before, but am gonna re-run them on occasion, since folks may have missed them, and many of them have been updated or expanded since they were first posted.] Fortunately, modern technology has invented a device that uses energy to pump the heat out of an enclosed area and … More Life in the Van: Ice Fans and Swamp Coolers

Lynchburg is one of my usual stops when I’m traveling up or down the east. There’s a Walmart and a Cracker Barrel to overnight in, and a dead mall just up the road where I can get dinner and wifi. But it’s been a few years now since I’ve been here, and the mall is … More A Pit Stop in Lynchburg VA

I never get tired of looking at airplanes.  🙂 Some photos from a visit to the Tennessee Aviation Museum in Sevierville TN.

This is the weirdest story I’ve seen in one heck of a long time, and it happened this week just a couple miles up the highway from where I am camped out: https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/24/us/bear-dies-hot-car-tennessee/index.html A black bear in Sevierville, Tennessee, died after it got into an unlocked car in search of food, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources … More CNN: Bear Dies After Breaking into Car for Food

This aquarium is run by Ripley’s, of “Believe it or Not”, who also have some other places around the area. I always like a nice relaxing day looking at fishies. Some photos.

This privately-owned zoo is not very big, but it specializes in reptiles, and I never pass up a chance to look at snakes and lizards.   🙂 Some photos from a visit.

[NOTE: I’ve blogged all these “how-to” posts before, but am gonna re-run them on occasion, since folks may have missed them, and many of them have been updated or expanded since they were first posted.] Many times people ask me if I feel safe sleeping at night in Walmart parking lots, or if I keep … More Life in the Van: Guns

Sevierville TN is where Dolly Parton grew up, and after she made it big she repaid her tiny hometown by building Dollywood and turning it into a tourist attraction. It’s filled with tourist traps that I likely won’t visit, but there are a few things here I wanna see. I’ll be here for a week … More Greetings From Gatlinburg TN