I’m not a churchgoer so perhaps it’s unsurprising that I don’t get it. But while driving across the country, I passed several enormous churches. Not only were they truly huge, but far away from any population centers.
A 2,500 mile thunder run is absolutely not my preferred pace of travel. I put a great deal of time and effort into building a life that would allow me to travel and explore at a somewhat leisurely pace. Unfortunately, elements of this particular trip are dictated by constraints that...
Activities / Adventure / High Adrenaline / USA
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published March 12, 2022 · Last modified February 20, 2022
The place where I hid out for winter of 2021-2022 was on a very tiny horse farm outside Mobile, Alabama. Aside from the two horses, the family that owned the farm had a collection of toys that rivaled any church carnival. A trampoline A motorized train made from rain barrels...
Adventure / Culture / Laid-back / USA
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published March 5, 2022 · Last modified February 20, 2022
It was an accident of timing that I visited New Orleans two weeks before the start of Mardi Gras. But I can now definitively say that’s the best possible time to go. The French Quarter is a ghost town. You get none of the drunks, vomiting, crime, or other unseemly...
Off-the-beaten-path / USA / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published February 26, 2022 · Last modified February 20, 2022
I read the book Forrest Gump long before it was made into a movie. These days I like the movie but when it first came out, I despised it. Forrest went through so many more adventures in the book. It was much more of a farce. I felt outraged at...
I’ve been hiding out from winter in Mobile, Alabama. The rainiest city in America, as it turns out! (It’s true! I didn’t believe it when someone told me. Then I looked it up. Mobile gets 67″ of rain per year; easily enough to submerge most 5th graders.) One rainy day,...
The small town of Adrian, Michigan very briefly held the world’s record for largest number of decorated Christmas trees on public display all in one place. Within a few hours, another town took the record. But seeing these trees was still quite a sight, even for someone who hardly cares...
Logistics / Moderately Active / Modes of Transport / Off-the-beaten-path / Strenuous / USA / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published August 31, 2021
This story will have more twists and turns than a goat path through the Ural Mountains. It will also be a really long story. For those who don’t want to read the whole thing… TL;DRRV’s engine broke down. I fixed it. The end. First, a key take-away:When I was involved...
Active / Activities / Adventure / Nature / Off-the-beaten-path / USA / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published July 13, 2021
For my birthday recently, I decided to take a weekend trip back to my childhood home. I had not been there since I was 12 years old.
On my way across the country, I skimmed through the southern part of Minnesota. There are now only three US states I have never visited. That’s not to say I’ve seen all there is to see. Only that I’ve at least set foot and seen some of 47 different states....