Every year my family takes a trip to Kabetogama Lake in Voyageurs National Park.  This year we had some new guests including my wife and my sister’s boyfriend.  While discussing the history of Voyageurs National Park, I began to think about the relationship between the area and humans.  From the indigenous peoples who inhabited the […]

During the final leg of our Nashville trip, we spent our last night in Illinois near St. Louis, Missouri.  Our hotel was next to a Cracker Barrel and per family travel tradition, we did not waste the opportunity to stop and shop.  I was also eager for my wife to experience the “country” vibe of

On our way back from Nashville, we stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park.  This national park is home to the largest known cave system in the world.  I was fascinated with the extensive caverns and expanses within the cave.  Naturally, the historian in me wanted to connect the human historical element but also the geological

When my family and I went on a vacation to Nashville, Tennessee, we immediately felt the country music vibe of the city.  However, I quickly realized that there were many other cultural and economic influences aside from Music Row.  As an ardent student of history, I am quite familiar with the role of slavery in

While taking a trip to Nashville with my family, we stopped at The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.  I had been there once before but did not go up to the top.  This time I wanted to cross that off my bucket list.  Between my minimal research prior to the trip, as well as

Recently, I was having lunch with my mom and nephew and we were discussing the route for a road trip we were planning.  When it was mentioned that we would likely be traveling through Chicago, a conversation started about being mugged, robbed, shot, etc. My nephew then asked why Chicago has the crime problem that