Cruise Ship Tourism Threatens Alaska’s Capital

by Christian Karim Chrobog The Guardian    “The noise never stops,” says Karla Hart, her voice competing with the hum of approaching helicopters. “I can feel them before I see them.” She looks at her phone to check a website that monitors air traffic and identifies operators. Hart wants to know whether the pilots are adhering …

Countries That Will Pay You To Move There

by Meghan Shouse housebeautiful.com    Moving out of the United States may sound appealing for cultural, political or personal reasons, but the process can be challenging. Securing the right visa for you and your family is often a difficult task, especially without easy entry options like schooling or family ties.    Still, if your desire …

No Problem Youngstown, We Have Enough Gas

by Kevin Burton    Like most people, my wife Jeannette took driver’s education in high school. But it’s the driving advice of her father that never leaves her mind.    He counselled her never to let the gas tank go below half filled. So when she says we need gas, I know we’re not in …

Of Long, Long Trains And Trains Under Water

by Kevin Burton    “There’s something magical about train travel for just about everybody,” writes the Interesting Facts website, “whether you’re an engineering nerd, a hopeless romantic, a world traveler, or an easily excitable 8-year-old.”    The longest train ride I have taken so far was (round-trip) from Wasilla, Alaska up to Denali National Park. …

All Aboard For Interesting Facts About Trains

by Kevin Burton    My dream vacation is to accompany my bride on a long, interrupted train ride along the Mississippi River.    The plan is to ride the City of New Orleans train on Amtrak – the one that Arlo Guthrie sang about – from Chicago to Memphis, get off and explore that town …

Words Describing That Road-Trip Feeling

by Dictionary Scoop    Aside from the mechanical aspects of moving oneself from one place to the other, the poetry of wanderlust and journeys creates words to describe sensations, feelings, and experiences.    All over the world, different expressions from different languages describe similar human experiences relating to the joy of traveling and discovering new …

Wife Carrying: A New Sport For The Burtons?

by Kevin Burton    Now this one has potential.    On the Dictionary Scoop website I stumbled upon an inspired idea for a new sport my wife Jeannette and I can get involved in. The website called it “weird” and “unique” and it is both.    Wife carrying.    I am psyched!    So fortunate …

Quibbles And Bits: Going Postal, Smart Water

by Kevin Burton     Come and get it, kids! Page 7 is now serving up quibbles and bits for the first time in 2024. \   We’ve been helping you connect the dots since 2019 and we’re not about to stop now So here’s a train of thought that makes a few stops along the way……. …

Where Does Lost Airline Luggage Go?

by Melanie Peeples National Public Radio    The Transportation Security Administration screened 30 million people over the recent Thanksgiving holiday.    That’s a lot of suitcases for airlines to keep track of, and unfortunately, some are bound to get lost. So where does all that lost luggage end up? In a store called Unclaimed Baggage, in …

Survey Names Mexico Best Location For Expats

by Kevin Burton    I’ve done it before; I could do it again if I had to. So file this under “just in case.”    The BBC recently published a list of ten best countries for expatriates – people who leave their home country to live abroad – based on a survey by Internations, the …