Musicoligists disagree on what was the first musical device. They generally agree that the first musical instrument was the voice. So it’s a simple leap to believe our ancient ancestors figured out whistling, and from there, the flute. The whistle imitated birds, the flute imitated the whistle and thus, music was born. But it’s always […]
historical attractions
Yorktown Battlefield Historic Site: Vive la Yorktown!
It’s a cliche of course, but no less true, the statement by George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I’m reminded of this for two reasons. First was a quote by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in last week’s Republican debate, “Our troops should not go off and fight […]
Driving through a disappearing countryside in the midwest
The loss of small, family family farms and increased exploitation of our natural resources means the stereotypical American countryside we all believe is out there, is rapidly disappearing.
Historic attractions, shipwrecks and solitude on Cape Cod
Many things come to mind when you mention Cape Cod – JFK walking the beach at his summer White House at Hyannisport, a getaway for the well-to-do, the arts and alternative lifestyle of Provincetown. But an incredible amount of history has washed up on Cape Cod’s shores. One of the largest barrier islands in the […]
Historical attractions in Gotham City: A gin-soaked stroll through New York City’s Manhattan Island
For nearly eight years, I lived only an hour’s train ride to New York City. Yet I seldom visited there, and developed a true love/hate relationship with the place. The names associated with the place now don’t ring with the same sweet tones as the ones that came before them. There are no Gershwins, Cohens, […]
Historical Attractions: A stroll through time in the downtown preservation district in Evansville Indiana
I was in Beaufort, South Carolina recently which prides itself in its old homes and architecture. And yep, it’s something to be proud of. But I couldn’t help but think that if you take away the Spanish moss, what you’re left with is heat and stunning architecture. In short, we’ve got that at home. Evansville, […]
A Contrarian’s View of History: The Myth of Independence
Who do we thank for our independence? Surely not the British for granting us self-rule under duress. Taxation without representation? We paid among the lowest taxes in the British empire, despite the disproportionately high costs of defending our safety. Jefferson, Addams, Franklin and the rest who signed the declaration? Curious that in this day of […]
Living history at the 2010 Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous
The Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous, held in Vincennes, Indiana, a charming town on the banks of the Wabash River full of historic attractions and living history, always feels like a homecoming. Which it is for myself, as I spent several years living and working there. But it’s not just me. I see the same spirit […]
South Carolina’s Low Country: A Jimmy Buffet lifestyle meets the old South
People call it the lowcountry, or low country, and it’s made up of the coastal lands south of Charleston, South Carolina, including Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties. Some include Charleston, some don’t. Some include Myrtle Beach. But all seem to agree that it’s as much a state of mind as a geographic area. I […]
Newbury and Newburyport, Massachusetts: Early American history and historical attractions from the colonial era in an enchanted New England landscape
Top: Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, circa 1695, Newbury, Essex county, Massachusetts.Newbury reminds me of the west of Ireland. You come into Newbury via a roundabout. Head one direction and you’re going back in time to Newbury’s early American roots, to Newbury itself. Take off in the other and you end up in Newburyport, a town full of […]
Philipsburg Manor: Historic Attraction in Historic Hudson Valley’s Sleepy Hollow
Philsburg Manor, a historic attraction In Sleepy Hollow, in the heart of the historic Hudson River valley, by history/travel photographer and writer Todd Atteberry for the History Trekker.
Jonathan Kruk, The Sleepy Hollow Storyteller
Jonathan Kruk, The Sleepy Hollow Storyteller by history travel photographer/writer Todd Atteberry for the History Trekker
