Any Excuse to Travel

Stories from travels in

September 2019

Mall of America, Bloomington, MN

I went unprepared. I’d heard the bumf: biggest shopping mall in America, has its own amusement park … inside, would take 86 hours to spend

Walnut Grove, MN: Little House on the Prairie

We were on holidays in St Joseph’s Hotel in Fethard-on-Sea in Co. Wexford when Elvis Presley died. I didn’t realise what the big deal was

Washington: Boating on the Columbia River

It’s strange going back to a place you haven’t seen in 25 years. There’s a weird sense of sameness and yet everything is so different.

Oregon: Astoria and Seaside

There’s a metro stop in Budapest named Astoria. It’s right by the Astoria Hotel, a lovely French-Empire-style building that first opened to guests in March

Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives

You can tell just by looking at me that I like my food.  I appreciate good food, be it in 5-star restaurants, other people’s dining

Happy Days in Milwaukee, WI

“Wait, what was that? Did I hear something in the attic? There it is again. Oh wait, never mind. It was probably my imagination.” After

All Aboard the Empire Builder

That’s it. I’m converted. My preferred mode of transport in America is now the train. Yes, Amtrak has its detractors but I’m certainly not one