Arts and Entertainment

If you think, “Florida is not for me,” then check out the Apalachicola area. It touts itself as “what Florida used to be like.” The area south of Tallahassee on the Florida Panhandle is eighty-seven percent national preserves, state forests and protected lands with virtually deserted pristine beaches, and something for everyone – fishing, kayaking, museums, shopping, golf, swimming, or doing absolutely nothing.

Thinking of visiting Europe? Consider Bruges (Brugge in Dutch) this spring. It is a fairy-tale medieval town in the northwest of Belgium often referred to as “The Venice of the North.” Wandering the cobbled streets past medieval buildings and canals is a step into the past. It is one of Europe’s best preserved cities.

Many people don’t realize that other than the 50 United States, there are territories that enjoy many of the same benefits as residents of the states. The Caribbean Island of St. Thomas is one of the three U.S. Virgin Islands. Locals often refer to St. Thomas as “Rock City,” St. Croix as “Twin City” and St. John as “Love City.”

We, of the Western world, tend to think that our calendar, the Gregorian calendar, is the only calendar in use. But that is not the case. It is estimated that there are about forty calendars in use today most of which are used to determine religious dates. In China, according to tradition, it is 4716. The Chinese calendar is one of the oldest calendars in modern society.

I always felt that New Year’s Eve was amateur night. Most years we stayed home putting puzzles together. It became a tradition. In fact, we receive a 1,000-piece puzzle from Santa each year. However, there are a plethora of ways to ring in the New Year.

What is a “Banana Republic?” It is a derogatory term that describes a politically unstable country dependent on the exportation of a major product such as bananas. In most cases, the company doing the exporting plays a critical role in the politics of the country – for example the United Fruit Company in Honduras exporting bananas. Bananas only became popular in the United States at the end of the nineteenth century.

Honduras is often listed as one of the world’s most dangerous countries – statistically. Mark Twain, among others, said, “There are three kinds of untruths: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Plus, the US State Department recommendation for Honduras is “Reconsider Travel.” There have been serious complains about the US travel warnings as they were considered too politically based.

The Cumberland Gap is a narrow pass through the Cumberland Mountains, near the junction of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. It was the gateway to the west for early pioneers and later became the route of the military during the Civil War. Today, it is part of the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. The nearby Hensley Settlement is now a historic site on top of Brush Mountain.