Doughnuts have a long history. The concept of a deep-fried dough ball traces to Roman times and the Iberian churro is a cousin. Dutch settlers brought the idea to New York in the 1700s, which claims the title of US home of the doughnut, though the ring shape was refined in 19th-century New England, while... Continue Reading →
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal was built during the "transportation revolution" to connect Washington DC with Cumberland, MD, along the Potomac River. Construction began in 1828 and finished in 1850, with active use from 1831 to 1924. Today, the NPS hosts the 184.5-mile trail as a national historical park. The trail runs between the river... Continue Reading →
Three states converge where the Shenandoah River empties into the Potomac River, giving the tiny hamlet of Harpers Ferry a stunning view of Virginia and Maryland. The National Park Service manages Harpers Ferry National Historic Park - the depot where John Brown's raid holed up and a little village - as well as the Appalachian... Continue Reading →
This morning, I picked up a bike from Capital Bikeshare and rode 39 miles round trip from my hotel in Virginia into the nation's capital. Though I've been to DC numerous times, this was the first on a bike, giving me the chance to see many iconic sites. Leaders The Lincoln Memorial Washington Monument Martin... Continue Reading →
A work assignment took me to Iowa City, so I arranged to finish my task with time to ride! 10 miles through the heart of downtown, along both banks of the Iowa River - just right. "Old Capitol" served as the territorial seat from 1842 to 1846; now it's part of the University of Iowa.... Continue Reading →
Brisket is one of the nine beef primal cuts, taken from the pectoral muscles of the breast or lower chest that overlie the sternum and ribs -- the Middle English term brusket comes from Old Norse brjósk meaning cartilage. Briskets can be baked, boiled, or roasted and often involve basting, rubbing with spice rub, marinating,... Continue Reading →
I finished my weekend of riding with a relaxing pass along the Indian Creek Trail and Blue River Trail. It was a mix of gravel (above), busy public parks, and the backside of strip malls.
Tiny Liberty, MO, sits across the Missouri River to the north of Independence and is the county seat of Clay County. Joseph Smith was imprisoned for five months in the Liberty Jail. The Liberty Jail Historic Site hosts a replica of the prophet's prison. The site of Jesse James' first daylight, peacetime robbery is celebrated... Continue Reading →
Independence, MO, is the county seat of Jackson County and a suburb of Kansas City. With population over 123,000 it is the fifth-largest city in Missouri. The city is overlaid with layers of history, serving as a starting point for overland trails (California, Oregon, and Santa Fe), a promised land for Latter-day Saints that never... Continue Reading →
I took the opportunity to sample some foods developed in nearby St. Louis. St. Louis-style pizza features a thin crust made without yeast, a white processed cheese known as Provel (no mozzarella), light sauce, and slices cut in squares--a delicious combination at Waldo Pizza. Gooey Butter Cake is sweet, rich, flat, dense, and dusted with... Continue Reading →
the Bikeswain 