travel – One for the Road

Silent Guns & Sunken Iron: Vicksburg and the Cairo

The heat was intense and my back was killing me by the time I was crossing the Mississippi River. I had read so much about Vicksburg and I was lucky that it laid right in my trip’s path on my drive to Alabama from Texas. I pulled in and the first thing that you notice immediately is the great arch at the entrance. Then you begin driving through these hills, now a very quiet and beautiful place. I passed several memorials and markers. About every one hundred yards there was a plaque that was marking the Union trench line. After driving for about 20 minutes we arrived at De Golyer Battery. The first open area that starts to reveal the size and scope of the battle and later the siege. I was stunned to see that many of the earth works, the trenches, and battery positions were still there. I can only imagine the ferociousness and overall size of the conflict that took place here. You can feel the weight of this place as you walk around. A true sense of reverence for all the men that fought here.

We then made my way along the trench line to the Wisconsin Memorial, a large marble obelisk standing tall along the old Union trench. Walking around it seeing the names of all the men you begin to feel the personal cost of this battle. So many names. I had walked up the long set of white marble stairs leading to the top looking up at the figures of the troops flanking each side. Walking down again back towards the car I took the opportunity to run over and take a closer look at the Union trench line that the road follows as you drive through the battlefield. The heat was insane so by the time I had run over I was sweating through all my clothes. I took a look at the temperature in the car when I got back in and it was 104 degrees so it was definitely hot for running around but very much worth it.

Next, we drove to the highest point on the battlefield, Fort Hill. I did stop at a few spots on the way up the hill, investigating the Union lines and the different approaches and the earth works creeping towards the Confederate readouts and defenses. It was amazing to see for myself a place I had read so much about. It is easy to tell you are at Fort Hill as you pull off in your truck on the top of the mountain. Overlooking the great Mississippi River and how it bends going into the city of Vicksburg it was very clear why this was one of the most important positions for the Confederates. The heavy artillery could fire directly onto the river and any Union Ironclads making a run on the city.

It was getting late in the day so I immediately made my way to one of the most important places of the trip. Time to see the Union Navy Ironclad the Cairo. The first thing that blew me away was the sheer size of the ship. I had only ever seen pictures obviously, since the Cairo is the only ironclad that exists today, the rest being repurposed or dismantled after the war. So, I had never really had an idea of how huge they really were until that moment. In the bow there were two 42 pounder rifles and an 8 inch smoothbore between them. On the Port side three 32 inch smoothbore and an 8 inch smoothbore. The Starboard was equipped with a 42 pounder rifle, an 8 inch smoothbore, and two 32 pound smoothbore. Finally, at the stern of this iron beast of war was a 30 pounder parrot rifle, which is a rifled cannon, on the left and a 32 pounder smoothbore on the right. Seeing this ship of war paddling its way up the river must have been terrifying. Cairo was a paddlewheel steamer like most of the ironclads that fought in the Mississippi River Campaign. Walking through it though was one of the most amazing things I have ever done and as a historian something I can’t believe took me this long to do.

After exploring the great ship I made my way into the Cairo Museum. This amazing part of the Vicksburg National Military Park not only shows the work put into recovering the great ship from where it was sunk by a mine but also shows all the equipment, weapons, and even personal belongings of the sailors on board. It was amazing how the ship acted as a type of time capsule locking everything in how it was when it sunk during the beginning of the siege on December 12, 1862, North of Vicksburg. The video I made of this trip is still the most popular one I have ever made up to now and one of favorites. If you love history or anything maritime this is definitely a location you may want to check out and if you are interested in the history of the Civil War it is most certainly somewhere you may want to wander through for a day or two. Thank you so much for reading friends, God bless you, and don’t forget to go outside!

Pneumonia, Nassau, and the Sea

These last months have been quite a wild ride. It started about a month ago or so when I swore I had some kind of ear infection. Well, it’s a very good thing I am not a doctor because the symptoms got much worse before I decided to go see one only twenty four hours after speaking to a doctor on Teledoc. Which, the doctor on there only heard what I told him so there’s no way he would have known how bad I actually was so I am not trying to throw any shade towards them, not at all. But, I had gotten in pretty bad shape. After several tests and an X-Ray later it was determined I had Bronchopneumonia. Apparently a much tougher, bigger pain in the lungs, than your average bronchitis or pneumonia, like all the fun of both in one convenient package.

So, for about a month I had the most intense pain in my entire chest. From my muscles burning because of the constant coughing and hacking. The first couple weeks were the most painful. It was like an asthma attack but it wouldn’t end and nothing would help. I couldn’t sleep except by sitting nearly straight up and if I did pass out the hacking and chest pain from not being able to really breathe woke me up. Another issue I am still dealing with, how much that reversed my sleep schedule. Even now, I am writing this at 12:45 at night. Another reason I had to be well was because I was taking a cruise over to Nassau and Coco Cay with Leonor for some important family stuff. So, I needed the Fat Man and Little Boy of antibiotics dropped on my immune system and burn this sickness out of me as quickly as possible. It took me a month before I could even talk without losing my breathe and I am still running out of breathe after a mile hiking in the bush so when the time came to set sail I was still pretty rough but no longer sick or on meds.

When we set sail it was on the Utopia of the Seas with the Royal Caribbean. I have to say that every single time I take a cruise with Royal Caribbean I always have the time of my life. I get onboard the ship and make my way to our stateroom, Leonor and I. We were in an interior cabin this time, so no balcony. But, honestly it gave me a great reason to spend a lot more time exploring the ship and spending time on deck. After dropping off the luggage we headed to the deck and I had my signature, get into cruise mode, double of Irish whiskey and a coke. I may have had two. Of course I had just gotten over being sick so I got pretty buzzed fairly quick. So, what is a man to do when he gets a little buzzed on deck. Why, he makes his way to the free ice cream of course and has a nice cold vanilla, chocolate, or a swirl of both while you decide what you are in the mood to eat. Personally, I had a vanilla cone and then followed it up with a brat sausage, something Leonor knows I love. A tasty brat and some mustard and ketchup. Across the water you could see Cape Canaveral and the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building as well as the launch towers. I remember watching the last shuttle launch from there. It didn’t take long to lose sight of land as we made our way into the Atlantic with Nassau as our first port of call, a location that would leave some definite memories.

As the sky went from a bright blue to a dark black matched only by the black of the sea that was impossible to differentiate between. It is a darkness that is impossible to really explain unless you have seen it. So intensely dark, it is almost ominous. But, there was no ominous feeling on the deck that was alive with laughs of children and adults enjoying the beauty of the sea and relishing the distance from the world’s troubles. When eight thirty rolled around it was dinner time. We all made our way to the main dining hall and were seated immediately. I had a delicious meal. A perfectly cooked crab cake for a starter, fried chicken which was amazing with mashed potatoes and biscuits with honey. Finally ending the meal with a Key Lime Pie. That was awesome. We then made our way around the ship enjoying the stars and I enjoying a coffee before we headed down to the casino. Leonor’s parents were there already warming up the poker tables and doing very well. Something about gambling at sea always makes them lucky. I don’t gamble so I enjoy playing a slot or two before having another coffee and disappearing on deck to enjoy the view of the deep darkness trying to find where the dark sky met the black sea.

Arriving in Nassau I was excited to visit a new territory outside the U.S. The last country I got to enjoy exploring was England. I did just finish field work in Dallas and a long drive from Texas to Vicksburg, Mississippi and then through Alabama and then on to Florida. I have been to a few countries: England, France, Belgium, Venezuela, and Gary, Indiana by way of Chicago, which, if you are from South Florida is definitely a different country. The first thing that really strikes you are the amount of vendors the moment you leave what most people call the resort area, but I will refer to this as the Green Zone. Walking out of the Green Zone I am almost immediately attacked by vendors and salesman. It is kinda like those videos of Egypt with the vendors following you except a bit worse. After graciously saying no to the thousandth person I was beginning to hear someone scream that I was a racist because I would not rent an ATV. I immediately found a taxi and went to another Green Zone in a cab. That other Green Zone: The Atlantis Casino and Resort, a very beautiful and very expensive resort right on the water with million as well as billion dollar yachts hanging out in the private marina the Leonor’s Dad led us through. The ships that were there reminded me of movie stars and Bond villains. Then relaxing in the casino I posted up at the bar where I was given the most amazing service, as well as, the most well made coconut rum mixed drinks I have ever had in my entire life. A local coconut rum with pineapple juice and grenadine and as a garnish a dried out pineapple dried out to look like a flower dropped on top, AMAZING! After winning a buzz at the bar and Leonor’s parents winning at the tables we all made our way back to the ship where we would be on our way to Coco Cay but my next port of call would be enjoying the on-ship bars, restaurants, and even winning at some trivia with Leonor, all because of her TV sitcom knowledge, and enjoying the no cell phone coverage and private interior stateroom.

I have said it before and I will probably continue to say it, because it is a quote I love and feel deeply. It’s by Khalil Gibran and he said “There must be something strangely sacred in salt. It is in our tears and in the sea.”. I love the sea, and for me there is something very calming and centering in my soul that comes from the sea. I come from a family of mariners from Tipperary, then Norwich, and now, finally, in Tampa, so I suppose it makes sense that I love to look out into the vastness of the Atlantic and almost feel as if I am seeing an old friend. If you haven’t taken a trip lately whether it is at sea or your local state park I encourage you to go, explore somewhere new, and let the worries of the what the world tells you to think fade and blow away in the strongest wind cooling your brow. Thank you so much for reading, until the next adventure my friends, take care and God bless you.

Running Trails with the brand new 2026 Polaris ATV

When I got home from Dallas for the first time in months I first hugged my family, held my cat, and then immediately started prepping to head out to Croom for a day of trail running with Adam. Adam who usually rides a dirt bike recently bought a brand new Polaris. This beast was the trail model so it came with a lift kit on it, a winch and the bars you would usually see on an ATV have been removed. It is a black beast of a four wheeler. I never personally thought I would love an ATV with an automatic transmission but let me tell you this thing was so smooth running those trails.

We got out to Croom a couple weeks before the fourth of July and Croom was totally empty. The weather was brutal, to be specific the intense heat was brutal with a average temperature of about one hundred degrees. I can see what sitting on top of a extremely hot motor may not sound very fun to most people, especially my cousin who wears work out gear when he rides, but I am not a normal person. So I came anyway. The dust was intense at the sand pit but because there was no one there we got to really see the Polaris at speed off road which was apparently on half throttle. Adam is making a point of easing it in which I totally agree with just not great at practicing it. There has been a couple times that Adam had to be a little more clear about slowing down until it is completely run in. Sorry Adam, I am working on this.

We were pulling into the perfect spot with a good canopy lining up our trucks, Adam in his white Dodge Ram that is a beast just like the ATV it brought into the Withlacoochee Forest today. I, of course, was in Big Red, my ’79 Ford F-150 with my ’98 Honda Foreman 400. We didn’t waste time before jumping on the trails. Adam was eager to find some mud to put his four wheel drive to the test and maybe even to get stuck and give his new winch a test drive. The heat and how dry it was I wasn’t too sure we would find any serious mud but we had only been running the trails for about ten minutes before we found the same exact spot my ATV had gotten stuck the last time we came out there with Chris. When Adam saw that mud he went straight into it.

He hit the mud and at first he was plowing right through it until he started to come to the other side of this miniature lake and he got bogged down. I had gone through a smaller cut next to him so I wouldn’t get stuck since he was very stuck and I was gonna need to help pull him out. I cam around and he looked up with a huge grin, the kind you would expect on the kids on Christmas morning, and says out loud “WINCH TIME!”. Yes, it was indeed winch time. We first were going to set it to a tree, why not my ATV? Adam also wanted to see how long it was. When we couldn’t reach the tree so we hooked it up to my ATV. It came right out, I loved it. It was so awesome rolling through here now with a winch. I even bought one for my ATV, I just need to take it my ATV shop and have them install it because, surprisingly it is much more complicated than just bolting something on. So I would be visiting Haps in Sarasota very soon.

We probably rode for about three hours before having to return to reality but we already have started planning a longer moto-camping trip, something we have been talking about for a couple years. We are currently looking at the Ocala National Forest, since we already know the terrain really well, we can make that our first location for a full on, off the grid, moto-camping trip. Both of us having 4x4s, winches, and the ability to carry a decent amount of cargo. The possibilities are endless. I look forward to telling you more about this in the future. Thanks so much for reading, don’t forget you can watch this adventure at my YouTube channel Dan Goes Outside and check out Mud, Dust, and High Speed Rust. I promise that you will enjoy it, and please like and subscribe, it truly does help. I hope you have an awesome day wherever you are my friends, God bless, and don’t forget to go outside!

What’s a bill when you’re at Willie’s?

As we came close to the end of my birthday celebration in New Orleans I wanted to finish it up with a delicious Seafood Boil. We find an awesome place called Willie Seafood Boil near Bourbon Street. On the corner we walked in and they sat us immediately. They were really quick about getting us in our seats and getting us a drink. As it was the last day of vacation I had my traditional double shot of whiskey and a Dr Pepper. Sipping my whiskey as I explored the menu. Leonor was checking out what the table next to us was having. A huge table a couple were sharing that looked absolutely delicious. We agreed that was the way to go. I was committed to drinking at this point and had passed all food decisions to her and simply nodded with approval when any questions were directed to me. I couldn’t see how anything could possibly go wrong for me tonight. Just enjoying some Irish whiskey in the Big Easy.

When our food came I was at first confused. Since we had not received one but two huge platters with two lobsters, some snow crab clusters, a few dungeon crab clusters, shrimp, mussels, sausage, and oh my giddy up so much food. I looked at Leonor in utter bewilderment and asked, “What did you get?” her horrified expression immediately told me she had this well in hand and everything was under control. Or maybe not. I took a moment after calculating the mountain of food to look at the price for such a large meal. I had somehow nodded a five hundred dollar boil to my table. As we explained our case to an even more confused server and manager I once again employed my nodding and motioned my hand to forget any complaint and I simply said bon appetite.

The manager seeing the mistake and how we wanted to enjoy it either way made everything awesome when he laughed and said that we may eat everything. I thought that would be impossible looking at this mountain of food. You should never underestimate the power of Irish whiskey and weed munchies in moments like this. I started with the shrimp and then after enough of those delicious morsels were cleared I finished off the perfectly steamed crab legs. Amazing… I then finished off the shrimp and then tore into the mussels. I then finished it off with not just my corn on the cob but Leonor’s as well. I will never forget the managers face as he rounded the corner just in time to see me clear my plate and give me the most dry hilarious “I told you so” stare before I shrugged the most “yeah you totally did” grin back to him before we broke out laughing and he offered us another drink which I happily accepted. It was the most expensive meal I ever paid for but I think I got more out of that meal than just amazing food. Money always comes back, but living your life, that is something you can never get back. Life is a lot like a great meal, best enjoyed in good company.

Ghosts, Beignets, and Cafe Au Lait

Some things that you have to do when you are in New Orleans is getting drunk off of a special liquor slushy called a daiquiri, I suggest the Quad shot (four extra) if you want to live dangerously as I do. I was walking by the way do not visit Bourbon Street and plan to drive. And the other thing is a ghost tour. Now, if you are reading this and you need to find a tour I recommend a very cool chap who’s name I unfortunately cannot recall in a small red box pavilion and ask him about the New Orleans night walking ghost tour. It is awesome.

After you go book your tour you need to follow the Mississippi River to this outdoor/indoor cafe called the Cafe Du Monde. It may look a little hectic because it is a place where you go in and seat yourself and another heads up, it is cash only, but it has the most amazing beignets you will ever eat in your entire life. Now, it looked busy every time I had gone so you may have to rub a shoulder or two but try to get a look inside because every time I went inside it was easy to find a table compared to outside. I think people just grab the first empty they see which is outside which makes sitting inside pretty easy. So, in case you want to grab a little air conditioning its perfect. I had an order of beignets, which is three per order, which may not sound like a lot but these things can really fill you up. Start with a single order and get it with a small Cafe Au Lait, which is just coffee and milk, simple, but delicious. It’s hard to beat a classic. After you enjoy your coffee and beignets and enjoy the music from the street. The street performers while I was there was amazing. It really added to the experience.

When you leave, and do please tip your server, exit and go towards the Mississippi and you’ll cross some rail road tracks and find yourself at a beautiful side of the bank, seeing the crescent bend that New Orleans is famous for with the great bridge in the background. You will also see the paddlewheels working up and down the river, something I wonder if Mark Twain would recognize and find cool that we still enjoy them today. Standing there an older gentleman with a guitar began playing a very beautiful almost lo-fi jam that made the entire view surreal. As I stood there listening to the music the clouds released a misty haze soaking in the moment as the wind blew over this great river.

Later that night, we made our way back out for a walking ghost tour. Now, I love tours but i had never done a walking ghost tour. I love history and I lose the paranormal so I was really stoked but at the same time I was afraid of getting too excited and then leaving disappointed. It started off in a room that was decorated to look creepy where we met our tour guide. A very cool Irish dude named Orion. Now this dude is awesome and it is not because I am Irish and so is he or that I believe that the Irish are the best story tellers in the world, though they are absolutely are. I liked him because he allowed himself to get lost in the story, to become emotionally invested on a level. The stories were also pretty wild. I am not going to tell you what they were because, as Orion said, that is his product and I do not want to give it away, but I can tell you if you book a ghost tour in the French Quarter you are going to have an amazing time. We hit several very haunted locations, one in particular was the LaLaurie Mansion.

The LaLaurie Mansion was very creepy. We heard the story and we all were like “ahh that is scary” but this spot was really weird. First, the tour guide would not get close to it. He said we could walk under the balcony and get close to it but he had no interest in getting close. Now, it wasn’t weird at that moment for me. We went through the rest of the tour which was awesome but later on we got hit with a really hard rain walking back to the hotel room. We stopped at a pub called the Voodoo Tavern. I had a delicious po’ boy and Leonor had something else. I drank a Dr. Pepper… no alcohol… After I used the lavatory I came back and sat down and was talking about this place and felt a really strong poke on my shoulder. I though something had dripped on me so I started looking on my shirt. I asked Leonor if she saw anything I was so sure something had to be there. Nothing… now I know this sounds kinda silly but it was really weird. It felt like someone had poked me as if to say, “Hey, I heard you..” and this city is so charged with the paranormal that you can feel the history every where. That night, I had a weird feeling that something was on the couch at some point but I told myself I was tired and imagining things.

If you ever find yourself on the banks of the Mississippi River make sure you pop into Cafe Du Monde for a beignet and a Cafe Au Lait and relax to the saxophone player bringing life to the busy streets stretching through the Quarter. Every corner has its own story, has its own unique history, and its just waiting to be found and explored. This place has such an enchanting energy, it’s impossible not to be drawn in to the mysterious beauty of this place. If you ever have a chance I highly recommend coming here and really letting yourself get lost in the Quarter.

Exploring Bourbon Street and a Quad Shot Daiquiri

I finally turned forty years old last week and to celebrate this well rounded number my girlfriend took me to New Orleans. I had not been to New Orleans since I was a small child so I was really excited to experience a city, that as musician, I had always heard as being a hoppin city. We left Dallas in the morning and drove which came out to be around eight hours. That may sound like a long drive but honestly with the right company it is an amazing drive. I took a longer route taking me through several small towns that were farming villages that’s main crop appeared to be sugar cane. At first I was not sure what it was because it looks like a bush but as it grows you begin to recognize it. Miles and miles of sugar cane fields slowly give way to the bayou as you drive into Baton Rouge and cross the great Mississippi River. If you have never seen the Mississippi River then I highly recommend you find the chance. Such a huge mighty river. You can see how it captivated Mark Twain to write so much about it. After crossing a huge bridge it was about another hour and a half and we came into the famous city of New Orleans.

Now, I stayed at the Hotel Indigo it’s about a five minute walk from Bourbon Street. Which is perfect, just close enough to enjoy but far enough to not have the party on your front door stoop. When we arrived we immediately dropped of our bags in our room and immediately made our way to Bourbon Street for a delicious New Orleans meal. We paced the French Quarter where I saw several palm readers and fortune tellers as well as an accordion player what felt like it was straight out of a scene of Master and Commander, that was especially awesome. The park was filled with all kinds of things like that. Eventually, we found ourselves at the Oceana, a hot spot in Nola. I remember the meal was delicious but the four shots of Irish whiskey make it hard to be specific about what exactly I ate. I know the hush puppies were amazing.

After my four shots and delicious New Orleans meal we began making our way around Bourbon Street, getting lost exploring the Quarter. It was about then that I passing the twentieth daiquiri shop when I finally asked what it was. Apparently this is a liquor slushy. I immediate thought this must be a traditional native drink of Bourbon Street and if I really wanted to immerse myself in the culture I would have to drink one. I approached and began looking at the flavors and decided on watermelon I think. I know the liquor added was vodka. I asked if we could add additional shots. Now, this is where the story gets really exciting.

“Can I get two extra shots?”

“Yes”

“Can I get three extra shots?”

“Ugh.. yes..”

“Ya know, we should probably go ahead and do four extra shots.. can we go ahead and do that?”

“Wow.. ugh.. yes, we can do that”

I began exploring the French Quarter armed with my liquored up slushy and began getting lost in Nola. We made our way to a huge beautiful Catholic Church that someone was saying something about a giraffe but I have no idea what the hell they meant and I don’t think that is totally the six or seven shots of liquor. Actually, as I write this, it may have been. The Church is extremely beautiful and sits directly in front of a large park. This is where I heard the accordion player and palm readers. I then popped in a few shops and got some cool stuff. The feeling on Bourbon Street is definitely a party atmosphere but it has such a deep soul. You can feel the history of this beautiful city all around you. It will be easy for me to remember this as one of the best birthdays I have ever had.

Editing Days in a Dallas Apartment

It has been nearly a week I believe since I have gone outside except for the occasional taco. We are getting very close to the end of this project and therefore coming to a conclusion in the filming which means I have to now start seeking an “ending”. Something to really sum up the film of this huge adventure, this David vs. Goliath of long odds.

The arrival in Dallas came immediately after New Years. Driving the sixteen hundred plus miles from my hometown in South Florida to Dallas Texas was an awesome ride. Cruising past Pensacola, Through Mobile Bay, past Louisiana, and finally arriving in Dallas, Texas. After being taken in by the breathe taking skyline and being shown to the apartment that would be home for the next eight months I took in one immediate fact. That the roads in Dallas must have been drawn by someone who had taken too much Adderall. Winding through one way streets and immense hoards of the homeless wandering around downtown almost like something out of an old zombie movie. Though this place has begin to grow on me. The friends I have made here have been some of the most amazing people I have ever met.

It is hard to believe that we are already in May and going through that month faster than anyone could have expected. I have gone ahead and purchased tickets to go to Japan with Adam and Chris. The trip we have been talking about for a couple of years is actually on the way. This November eleventh this adventure will begin just as this current one comes to a close. As I sit here now working through all the footage I have filmed for the last 5 months it is dawning on me that I will have to say goodbye to Dallas soon as well and I believe that I had forgotten what it was like to love something or someplace and then let it go. For me, personally, that’s the hardest part, the letting go. I always wish I can bring all the awesome people I meet with me, but they have their own adventures to embark upon and thus we must enjoy our time on the trail together, we all have a different camping spot we are hiking to in life so be kind, love, care for, and enjoy the other people you find on the trail. God bless you my friends, until next time.

Getting Lost in the Dallas World Aquarium

It was a cold and rainy day in Dallas when I made my way twenty minutes from the apartment I am currently staying in to the Dallas World Aquarium. The parking was a bit difficult but once I navigated the craziness of Dallas’ streets and parked I was surprised that the line getting into this aquarium stretched around the building, literally. Snaking its way through the alley and then finally reaching the entrance I was really surprised by how nice this place was. Just the entry itself was already impressive giving the feeling that you are walking into a jungle. Around you bamboos are roped together making homes for toucans and other brightly coloured and beautiful tropical birds. Their native calls filling the halls as we all lined up eagerly to enter. I was already getting excited and I knew it was not just me because Leonor was also getting really eager to see what was there to discover here.

When we made it past the cashier where we paid to get in we immediately see by the stairs taking you to the first level were a family of baby penguins. Just hanging out, three of them looking at us through the glass as we admired their beauty. One of them darting through the water. Those National Geographic shows are not joking, let me tell you, these birds are as fast as sports cars when they are underwater. I started going up the large spiral staircase and all of a sudden I found myself in a South American jungle. Complete with waterfalls, tropical birds, and even a tiny deer which I am sure was not a deer but looked like a deer if you shot it with that laser from “Honey I Shrunk the Kids”, what a great movie. If you haven’t seen it you have to give it a try.

Making our way through the jungle passing the waterfall looking down several stories into the heart of this portion of the aquarium we could see a large pool at the bottom with two enormous crocodiles in one area. At the top monkeys played and laughed alongside birds resting and singing in the trees. Making our way through a fog past the waterfall we approach several tanks containing brightly coloured poison dart frogs. Colours unimaginably bright: gold, turquoise, bright blue, and more. Crawling around on their leaves inside their tanks, sometimes taking a moment to see because they are about the size of a half dollar, give or take. We then passed by something that holds a very special place in my nightmares. As a boy growing up in a small town in Venezuela when my father was working there as a contractor were the stories about the anacondas. Huge snakes that have been known to eat large prey like deer, cattle, and even people. When I was hiking with my family in Canaima (may have spelt that wrong) the main thing the guide made cautioned us to be aware of the anaconda as they wait under the water and snatch their victims squeezing them to death.

Now, here before me this enormous snake, that almost looks too huge to possibly be real. Truly a monster of the jungle, an apex predator, now resting in this tank in Dallas looking back at me. Wandering past the tank we made our way down to the next floor. We were now seeing colourful fish, sunfish, clown fish, and a “Dora” fish. Then we got to Shark Tunnel that held many different sharks including the most peculiar shark that seemed to have a large saw blade for a nose sticking out of his. What was most unnerving about this shark was the mouth and how oddly human it looked. It definitely made you more uncomfortable the longer you looked at it.

We eventually wandered into an area where a huge eagle with a very large Arrium with very tall tree it was going from branch to branch from. Open to the outside air the eagle seemed happy to feel the cool breeze and almost performed when it saw people out of excitement. Another animal that almost played with the people watching was the sea otter that was the size of a large dog. Such a beautiful animal and so playful just swam past anyone who would get close splashing around to get more attention. Truly the puppy dog of the water. We went past the eagle and saw another very large enclosure with a small cat. An ocelot pacing and waiting to get fed maybe. Honestly it really reminded me of my cat, Rocket, how he would pace back and forth while I got his food out and got it ready for him.

Finally getting to the final floors we got to the penguin outdoor exhibit. The penguin is definitely one of my favourite animals and the fact that we can get so close to them was really an awesome experience. There was maybe six of them or so huddled around another waterfall just relaxing. It was really awesome being able to see so many different animals and to see them sometimes with no barrier and really enjoy their beauty. There was so much more that we saw that day that it would be more like a book if I tried tell you it all. What I can tell you is that the Dallas World Aquarium is definitely a place that you should visit and if you love nature, the ocean, and all the amazing creatures that reside in it or near it, then this a place you will want to see. I highly recommend.

The Sixth Floor at the Texas School Book Depository, Dallas, TX.

Driving to Dealey Plaza is surreal as someone who has spent years reading about this place. Nestled in a beautiful and busy part of Downtown Dallas, Texas, it takes a moment for you to realize where exactly it is you are standing. It took me a moment to find the parking area, that once you find it it is just a short walk from the Grassy Knoll. As I exit the car I look up at the old brick building standing ominously in the Texas sun. I gaze over to the Grassy Knoll and my gaze followed past the knoll to the rail road where a witness said he saw a group of men and what looked like a puff of smoke, possibly from a rifle. He mysteriously died after his testimony. Dallas Police also found several footprints and cigarette butts on the knoll.

I made my way across the parking lot to the entrance of the Sixth Floor Museum at the Texas School Book Depository Museum. The building where it it said that Lee Harvey Oswald had a sniper nest and murdered the young and beloved charismatic President John F. Kennedy. That is what the government told us for years amongst the sea of conspiracy theories and inconsistencies surrounding the death of the president. Going through the main doors we are directed to a cashier and given a ticket that grants us access to the elevator that takes us to sixth floor, now a museum in honor of the late President John Kennedy and that haunting day in American history.

Exiting the lift you walk through a short accessway passing the original freight elevator that Oswald would have used to transport the books to the storage area on the sixth floor. The books stacked in a certain way would have made it somewhat easy to make a hidden sniper nest by a window as it is posed that Oswald did but the location he selected is still something that continues to cause debate amongst theorists. As I looked out the window myself I could see that his vision would have been obstructed slightly by a large tree and that the position of the motorcade before the turn on Elm would have been a better location for a solo sniper operating by himself but Oswald didn’t do that.

The museum is a showcase of the achievements of the late President Kennedy and the life of a young Oswald leading up to the day where the tow paths would cross for the last time on this Earth. The exhibits include Oswald’s wedding ring, the sweater he wore when Jack Ruby shot him, and a historical walk through of that day that will leave you moved with its immersive experience.

Leaving I took a stroll over to the Grassy Knoll and gazed out of the white dome next to Elm street. I strolled slowly past the first X higher up on the drive. Where the first shot struck the president in the neck. A little further a more defined larger white X. The spot where the fatal shot stole the life of a president who had just started a legacy that would change the country forever.

Looking around now, the business of downtown, the families walking by, the drivers passing over the X. It is as if the history of this place rests quietly amongst those ho call this place home but never truly gone. A place renowned for conspiracy and sadness that changed a country forever.

Evening Run to Vulcan

My nephews and I have created this tradition that every Thanksgiving I drive my family up to my old hometown in Alabama and after we have our big meal that is usually around twelve in the afternoon we go up to Oak Mountain and hike up to Peavine Falls. Oak Mountain is a huge State Park near Birmingham and is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. Now, one thing I always do is, when I am at the top of Red Mountain I would always survey the neighboring mountain tops for Vulcan. Now, Vulcan is the largest cast iron statue in the world and it too sits atop Red Mountain so I am surveying the tops of all the surrounding peaks but I can’t see him, I never do. Then I launch into my usual speech about how much I wish we could take a side quest to Vulcan before heading home but there is no way it would be open that late… or would it? I had equipped my phone now with the latest in AI technology that even James Bond would feel a twinge of jealousy about as I asked ChatGPT what Vulcan’s hours were. I was blown away when I saw it was open until ten. I immediately rounded up the children and made the twenty minute drive to Vulcan Park. It was a very short drive so it was not long before we were coming up the road taking us up the mountain when we saw him. Vulcan, the largest cast iron statue ever made in the world. The gray steel colour was outlined in the dark blue sky standing high on his pedestal reaching up towards the sky. It was nearly sunset. We first headed into the museum to get our tickets to go to the top of Vulcan but we were once struck with a kind providence as we were informed that their computer systems were down and therefore we would not be charged. We were given our official post it note and made our way over to the pedestal that Vulcan sat atop. The entire monument was being renovated so naturally the lifts were out but that was fine by me as I was interested in seeing the guts of the statues as we lumbered our way up. The pedestal was a stone mason style that felt like an old turn of the century design. Accurate since it was made in the early nineteen hundreds. The bottom of the stairs was a white marble room with the stairs starting on the right and wrapping around the wall going to the left. After going up the original stairs the marbles gives way to a dark stone. The original walls of the statue. Going up the only hint to how high you are is the thin windows. Approaching the top, the large steel doors open to an outside view of downtown Birmingham from almost two hundred feet above Red Mountain. I am actually slightly averted to heights but I can never say no to a breathtaking view and the thrill of filming it. As I stepped outside into the cold high altitude breeze I could see the lights of downtown lighting up and in the distance the sky was a deep red being washed out slowly by a black star dotted sky. I made my way slowly walking around the entire deck and seeing the entire three hundred and sixty degree view that Vulcan offered. There is something almost spiritual for me being in places like this. I had visited Vulcan years ago when I was a kid and it was an inside observation room and you couldn’t see Vulcan but just the surrounding view but now being outside in the wind looking up and seeing the great cast iron olympian and not only see the view but really feel. The grating was a little bit of a shock when I realized I could see all the way to the ground. After taking a moment to really take in the view I had been waiting to see for years I took my time climbing back down the stairs. I felt like I was leaving a friend’s house that I knew I wouldn’t be seeing again for a very long time and it was a little sad. Before leaving though we took a walk through the Museum at Vulcan Park, spoiler alert, there is a celebrity housed there, Bill for Capitol Hill, if you know you know. Making my way back to my ride I stopped and turned around and took a moment to really let the moment sink in, to really let it settle in my memory before heading back. If you are ever in Birmingham, Alabama I highly recommend a stop to enjoy it. Sunset, in my opinion, is the very best time. Until next time dear adventurers, God bless you, St. Brendan travel with you, and may you always find the right trail.