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StoryCorps – 10 Years of Tales and Tears

StoryCorps image courtesy of WDET.org
StoryCorps mobile unit — image courtesy of WDET.org

If you’re a regular listener of “Morning Edition” on National Public Radio (NPR), then you’ve probably wept and laughed – but mostly wept – after listening to the weekly short segments of oral histories known as StoryCorps.

NPR marked the 10-year anniversary of StoryCorps this past week, featuring daily segments of oral histories NPR had aired in the past, including “where are they now?” updates. It was almost too much to bear.

Why?

Because I love StoryCorps, and I hate StoryCorps. Continue reading “StoryCorps – 10 Years of Tales and Tears”

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New York City’s High Line – Elevating Urban Renewal

New York City's High Line
The High Line — image courtesy of Friends of the High Line Flickr Pool

Thirty feet up.

That’s how you see the West Side of Manhattan when you walk the High Line, from its 30-foot elevation as a former freight rail line for the Meatpacking District.

It’s not necessarily better than seeing the city at street level, or from the top of the Empire State Building, or from a boat on the Hudson. It’s just different.

Which is one reason why I love the High Line so much. It offers a new way to experience New York City. Continue reading “New York City’s High Line – Elevating Urban Renewal”

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Hiking the Billy Goat Trail, Just in Time

Potomac River Great Falls
The Great Falls of the Potomac River

Two days before the Federal Government shuttered, I hiked the famous Billy Goat Trail Loop A in Great Falls, Maryland, with a friend.

Consider it dumb luck before a dumb shut-down.

The craggy rock-strewn trail – inspiring its name – is located in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

I hadn’t done the Billy Goat Trail in years, but the experience brought back distant feelings and experiences… Continue reading “Hiking the Billy Goat Trail, Just in Time”