Wiseman has spent more than half a century documenting the structures, contradictions and rituals of modern life. In Titicut Follies (1967), Wiseman’s landmark debut film takes us inside a Massachusetts institution for the criminally insane, unflinchingly documenting the treatment and mistreatment of inmates. Often blurring the distinction between doctors and patients, and at times harrowing to watch, the film was prohibited from general distribution in the USA for almost 25 years.

More recent, expansive cultural institutions include the New York Public Library (Ex Libris, 2017) and the Opéra de Paris (La Danse, 2009).

While producing a film, Wiseman often acquired more than 100 hours of raw footage. His ability to create an engaging and interesting feature-length film without the use of voice-over, title cards, or motion graphics had been described as the reason Wiseman is seen as a true master of documentary film.

His works affected American institutions and attempted to hold institutions accountable for moral and ethical situations. He was noted as one of the most admired and influential filmmakers by the Associated Press. The Guardian called Wiseman’s films “monuments to human suffering and human challenge and human potential.”

Wiseman said, “My films are based on unstaged, un-manipulated actions. The editing is highly manipulative, and the shooting is highly manipulative… What you choose to shoot, the way you shoot it, the way you edit it and the way you structure it… all of those things… represent subjective choices that you have to make. In [Belfast, Maine] I had 110 hours of material … I only used 4 hours – near nothing. The compression within a sequence represents choice and then the way the sequences are arranged in relationship to the other represents choice.”

Wiseman’s death was announced in a joint statement from the Wiseman family and Zipporah Films:

“For nearly six decades, Frederick Wiseman created an unparalleled body of work, a sweeping cinematic record of contemporary social institutions and ordinary human experience primarily in the United States and France,” the statement read. “His films – from ‘Titicut Follies’ (1967) to his most recent work, ‘Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros’ (2023) – are celebrated for their complexity, narrative power and humanist gaze. He produced and directed all of his 45 films under the banner of Zipporah Films, Inc.”

Wiseman announced his retirement in 2025 due to the lack of energy to make further films.

The post Frederick Wiseman: RIP appeared first on Traveling Boy.

This will be the third Paralympic Games hosted in Italy. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympic Games.

The Games are expected to feature 79 events in six Winter Paralympic sports. A mixed doubles event will make its debut in wheelchair curling. A total of 665 athlete quota places are available: 323 for men, 176 for women, and 166 gender-free.

The Paralympics were established to provide elite competition for athletes with disabilities, originally created by Dr. Ludwig Guttmann in 1948 England to aid the rehabilitation of World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. They promote equality, challenge perceptions of disability, and showcase incredible physical, and psychological, athletic achievement.

Why do the Paralympics exist:

• Rehabilitation & Social Integration: The first games, known as the Stoke Mandeville Games, began as a way to help war veterans with disabilities regain physical strength, self-esteem, and social confidence.
• A “Parallel” Elite Competition: The name “Paralympic” derives from the Greek preposition “para” (beside or alongside) and “Olympics,” meaning they are games held alongside the Olympic Games to celebrate, not just rehabilitate, athletes with a wide range of impairments.
• Shifting Perceptions: The Games aim to focus on ability rather than disability, fostering a more inclusive world by showcasing elite-level performance.
• Global Unity: Since the 1960 Rome Games, the event has grown into a major international sporting event that brings athletes with varied disabilities together in the spirit of friendship and competition.

The competition events are:

Alpine Skiing:

• Downhill (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
• Super-G (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
• Giant slalom (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
• Slalom (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
• Super combined (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men

Also:

• Para biathlon
• Para cross-country skiing
• Para ice hockey
• Para snowboard
• Wheelchair curling

With one month to go, the Paralympics are ready to take over Italy and turn Milano Cortina into the global stage for the very best of Para sport.

Support the Team USA dream

Your 100% tax deductible gift fuels Team USA athletes as they pursue excellence at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games – and strengthens their journey long after the Games are over.

Your support assists with the cost of training, health and wellness resources, innovative equipment and more as Team USA athletes strive to reach the podium.

100% of your gift goes to athletes and the programs that make their dreams possible.

Donate to Team USA Fund | TeamUSA.com

The post The 2026 Winter Paralympics appeared first on Traveling Boy.

At the other end of the square sat the iconic symbol of Milan: The Duomo di Milano. Occupying an entire city block, the Lombard Gothic style cathedral glistened in evening light due to the façade of pink-veined white Candoglia marble. Adorned with 3,400 statues, 135 gargoyles and 700 figures, construction took over 500 years to complete. As the third largest cathedral in the world, I could just catch a glimpse of the rooftop terrace with the gold-colored statue of the Madonnina, standing on the Duomo’s highest spire.

I proclaimed then and there it was the most beautiful cathedral I had ever seen. I read in a guide book that there’s an elevator to the top, but you can also walk up the stairs in an average time of 10 to 15 minutes. I challenged myself to do it in under 10. But first, the night was before me and it was time to explore more of the pulsating city of Milan.

The Next Day

After a filling lunch of the Milanese specialties Osso Buco – a cross-cut veal shank with a bone marrow hole at its center, served with the traditional side dish of Risotto alla Milanese with saffron – I took another look at my guide book.

Surrounded by skinny suit attired locals on the go, I read that Milan is an important railway hub, which many tourists use as a starting point for journeys to more ancient Italian cities with Roman ruins and medieval cobblestone streets.  This is not Milan. As the fashion capital of the world, it is there to experience the moment. Milan embodies the Italian notion of la bella figura: behaving well and looking good doing it.

With a population of 1,357,599,  Milan is also a major financial, industrial, and design hub. It possesses a historic core that has an imposing, solid grandeur to it.  In recent years, vehicles have begun being banished from it (gradually – street by street), making one feel as if in an open-air living room.

As I strolled to the Duomo, I remembered last night’s outing to the famous Navigli, a canal area left over from a system of waterways that once connected Milano with Lake Como and the Adriatic Sea.

The innovative system of locks was designed by Leonardo Da Vinci in the late fifteenth century. One of the canals actually stopped directly in front of Duomo, transporting the Candoglia marble from quarries in Lake Maggiore. Leonardo spent 17-years in Milan. His fresco of “The Last Supper” is available for viewing at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, but make sure you get your tickets in advance.

1:02 PM: Soon I arrived at the darkened entryway of the Duomo. Before me were the high steps to the terrace.   I gave the elevator a second look, and began my ascent up the stairway. Worn smooth by centuries of other pilgrims, it seemed an easy task. There was a young family leisurely walking up the steps before me so I lessened my pace, rather than rush by them and ruin their experience. I decided to take a short break by an open window overlooking the square.

I could just make out the magnificent Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Arcade, named for the first king of Italy in 1900 after the unification of the Italian States. The famous passageway through the arcade was where the likes of Toscanini, Verdi and Maria Callas would walk after a performance at nearby Teatro alla Scala. I had hoped to book a ticket at the historic opera house, but did manage a tour where I enjoyed an unforgettable afternoon rehearsal, thanks to With Locals’ all knowing guide, Francesca Giorgetti.

1:06 PM: I took another look at my watch, and realized that I had some serious time to make-up. I charged up the steps, this time passing the group before me. Another 100 steps on, I began to falter. Did the guidebook say anything about the effect of the altitude? And why had I had such a big lunch? Disappointed in myself, I needed another reprieve.

I caught my breath before another open window where I could see the entrance to the interior. I had booked my ticket earlier at the Museo del Duomo where the helpful staff were quite accommodating, answering my endless questions. As expected, the interior of the Duomo was beautiful, consisting of a nave with four side-aisles, crossed by a transept, then followed by an apse. Above the apse there is a small illuminated red light bulb. This marks the spot where one of the three nails of Jesus’ crucifixion was placed, believed to be retrieved by Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, after a religious tour of Jerusalem. She is regarded as the one who converted Constantine to Christianity, who, in turn Christianized the Roman Empire. Once a year the nail is presented in a wooden basket for viewings.

1:11 PM: Okay, no more time for breaks. I needed to make up some serious time, with about one minute left to make it to the terrace. My legs felt as heavy as Candoglia marble.  Taking deep breaths, I remembered my wife begging me not to let my membership to my health club expire. Huffing and puffing I was soon met with glorious daylight, 30 seconds ahead of schedule. But somehow it wasn’t what I had expected. Where was the statue of the Madonnina and the flying buttresses? A kind guide noticed my confusion, and informed me that there were still more steps to the terrace, just around the corner.

I hurried to her direction to the base of the final stairway. A tourist gave me a quizzical look. I shouted over my shoulder, “I’m on a mission.” The tourist replied, “This is the Duomo, not a Mission.” Adrenalin kicked it and I began to ascend the final stairs.

1:12 PM: With just seconds left of my allotted ten minutes, I made it victoriously to the terrace. Although there were no medals or applause; my reward was more inconceivable than anything I could ever have imagined: I had just ascended to heaven. Before me was a fairy tale array of openwork pinnacles and spires, set upon delicate flying buttresses. And yes, there was the glorious Madonnina, towering above me. The other tourists on the terrace were serene and respectful, only adding to this other-worldly experience. I recalled a quotation from  Mark Twain:

What a wonder it is!
So grand, so solemn, so vast!
And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful!
A very world of solid weight, and yet it seems
In the soft moonlight only a fairy delusion of frost-work
That might vanish with a breath!
How sharply its pinnacled angles
And its wilderness of spires were cut against the sky,
And how richly their shadows fell upon its snowy roof!
It was a vision! — a miracle! —
An anthem sung in stone, a poem wrought in marble!”

– Mark Twain

I walked to the ledge for the angel-like view before me. It was a picture perfect day with spectacular vistas of the city and even the snowcapped Swiss Alps in the distance. There was still much to see and do in Milan. But, for the moment, I was in no hurry.

For further information about travel to Milan, logon to Turismo Milano.

The post Up the Staircase to the Top of the Duomo di Milano: Exploring Milan, The City of Now appeared first on Traveling Boy.

Virtual Sicily

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL SICILIAN SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Sicily, Italy by Fyllis Hockman: “It happens all the time with Overseas Adventure Travel. I start out expecting to write about the trip itself – in this case, Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions – and I end up writing about all the things that are not on the itinerary – what OAT refers to as Learning and Discovery.”FYLLIS HOCKMAN’S ARTICLE ON SICILY

Virtual Antarctica Adventure

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL ANTARCTICA SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Journey to the Bottom of the Globe by Ed Boitano: “After setting foot aboard the deck of my vessel to Antarctica, I began asking guests why they chose to take an eight-day cruise to the coldest, windiest and driest continent in the world; a landscape which is 98 percent thick continental ice sheet and 2 percent barren rock; a continent so cruel and unforgiving that almost no life can survive on it. The overwhelming answer from my fellow cruisers was simple: ‘Because now I can.’ It was a good answer. The more I thought about it, I realized it was my reason too.”

ED BOITANO’S ARTICLE ON ANTARCTICA

Virtual Hemingway’s Paris

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL HEMINGWAY’S PARIS SIGHTSEEING TOUR

A Magical Walk Through Hemingway’s Paris by Richard Carroll: “Magically enchanting and much-loved Paris, the Urban Empress of Europe, remains eternally young and amorous. Occasionally vain, always passionate, and with a long and turbulent history, the legendary city has a special flair for life that has captivated many of the world’s most inspired artistic talent.”

RICHARD CARROLL’S ARTICLE ON HEMINGWAY’S PARIS

Virtual Churchill Museum

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL CHURCHILL MUSEUM SIGHTSEEING TOUR

2 Lumps of Sugar Make This Churchill Museum Unique by John Clayton: “Are several lumps of sugar worth putting in an historic museum? That may sound like a funny question, but the fact is that yes they are – especially if they’re part of the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms (CWR) in London.”

JOHN CLAYTON’S ARTICLE ON THE CHURCHILL MUSEUM

Virtual Aran Islands

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL ARAN ISLANDS SIGHTSEEING TOUR

The Aran Islands: A Living History by Ed Boitano: “In Robert Flaherty’s brilliant 1934 documentary film, Man of Aran, we see an Irish man smashing limestone rocks to bits, while his wife gathers seaweed from the shore below the island’s steep windswept cliffs. Meanwhile, their young son scavenges for animal manure and precious particles of dirt that have collected between the rocks, blown from the mainland. These four ingredients will be used to create the soil in order to grow potatoes – the family’s main source of subsistence. This is the Aran Islands; a landscape made almost entirely of solid limestone rock.”

ED BOITANO’S ARTICLE ON THE ARAN ISLANDS

Virtual Frank Lloyd Wright

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL TALIESIN WEST SIGHTSEEING TOUR

A Tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West by Susan Breslow: “Taliesin West should be an inspiration for everyone who faces another birthday and thinks: I’m too old to follow my dream. Frank Lloyd Wright, who had achieved public acclaim back east for his architectural designs (as well as public disdain for his scandalous affairs), was 70 years old when he arrived with a few apprentices in the foothills of Scottsdale Arizona’s McDowell Mountains in 1937.”

SUSAN BRESLOW’S ARTICLE ON TALIESIN WEST

Virtual Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway

EXPERIENCE A VIRTUAL LYNTON AND LYNMOUTH CLIFF RAILWAY TOUR

2 Classic Trains in England by John Clayton: “Growing up in Great Britain, I loved the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Situated in a setting of steep, ruggedly rolling green hillsides alive with unequalled beauty, below which lies a perfect picture postcard sea, and enriched by a town that looks as if it stepped out of a Beatrix Potter book.”

JOHN CLAYTON’S ARTICLE ON THE LYNTON AND LYNMOUTH CLIFF RAILWAY

Virtual Bluesman Phil Gates

EXPERIENCE A PHIL GATES CONCERT

Phil Gates – Following Tradition by T. E. Mattox: “Bluesmen have been lacing up their walking shoes and relocating to Europe for generations. So, when L.A.-based guitarist Phil Gates packed his bags in 2016 and moved to the Swiss countryside, he was just following in the footsteps of a long-standing blues tradition.”

T.E. MATTOX’S ARTICLE ON PHIL GATES

Virtual Skeleton Coast

EXPERIENCE A SKELETON COAST SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Exploring the Surreal Skeleton Coast by Skip Kaltenheuser: “The Skeleton Coast is one of the most appropriately named stretches of land in the world, a place where many hapless sailors of centuries past have mingled their bones with whale ribs and shipwrecks.”

SKIP KALTENHEUSER’S ARTICLE ON THE SKELETON COAST

Virtual Berlin

EXPERIENCE A BERLIN SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Berlin: Yesterday and Today by Ed Boitano: “I can still recall in detail my first arrival to Berlin. As the cab driver raced passed Tiergarten; the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe; the Reichstag; and Brandenburg Gate, I asked about the new Kennedy Museum, now located in the Mitte (middle) district). Without hesitation, he offered his own personal narrative about JFK’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech of 1963: ‘Over 90% of the people in West Berlin were on the streets. None of us had ever seen anyone so charismatic.’”

ED BOITANO’S ARTICLE ON BERLIN

The post The Best Virtual Vacations appeared first on Traveling Boy.

Hemingway slept above me. No, not in the same room, of course. In fact, not even in the same century. But room #206 – The Ernest Hemingway Suite – was the room directly above my own at the Sun Valley Lodge. It was a big deal for me. I had always admired him, and now here I was staying at his favorite lodge, walking the lodge’s very same halls, breathing the same mountain air and basking in the very same scenery that he too had experienced. I could see why he liked it here and why he eventually made the Sun Valley/Ketchum area his home. Tucked away in the Idaho Rockies, Sun Valley’s 4,000 acres were not only a thing of breathtaking beauty, but they also offered a peaceful solitude – something that a man like Hemingway, who grew tired of the glare of the camera, would relish. The resort’s vast terrain also offered unlimited recreational possibilities for the true outdoors person. As I wondered around the resort, I saw Sun Valley’s world-famous day lodges, tasteful alpine style walking village with shops and restaurants; and a friendly, courteous staff. It almost seemed too perfect. But then, that was the plan.

The Country’s First Destination Ski Resort

In 1935, Austrian Count Felix Schaffgtosch was hired by Averell Harriman of Union Pacific Railroad to find the perfect location for a grand American resort. After fruitless months of searching the mountains of the west, the Count finally heard about Ketchum, a dying mining town in central Idaho. He quickly made a B-line to this town in the Idaho Rockies, and was overwhelmed by what he saw. He immediately wired Harriman with these words: “This combines more delightful features than any place I have ever seen in Switzerland, Austria or the U.S. for a winter resort.”

“Harriman rushed to join him, and purchased 4,300 acres of what was to become Sun Valley. Harriman was determined to build Sun Valley into a resort worthy of its majestic setting, which would include a timeless four-story mountain lodge, complete with a glass-enclosed pool, world-class cuisine, ice-skating rink, impeccable service and nightly orchestra performances. After only seven months of construction, Sun Valley opened in the winter of 1936.

Harriman shrewdly marketed the resort to the Hollywood elite, and soon local wildlife was sharing the mountain with Hollywood royalty that included Clark Gable and Gary Cooper – who would go hunting with Hemingway – as well as Errol Flynn, Claudette Colbert and Bing Crosby. The resort wasn’t just for relaxation either, as world champions used the mountain for Olympic training. Today, as the Sun Valley Lodge turns 80, it is been updated to include 108 new and larger guestrooms, a 20,000 square foot destination spa, a world class fitness center and yoga studio, a glass enclosed outdoor pool and pool café, and re-appointed restaurants, lounges, lobbies and event space.

Not Just Another Day in Paradise

It’s one thing to experience happiness, but to be aware of it that very moment is a rare thing. Last ski season, I had a day of sublime happiness. It went something like this: A breakfast of homemade crepes with seasonal berries in front of the fireplace at Konditorei, an European-style bistro located in the walking village. The food was outstanding; so was the conversation with the attentive staff. It was tempting not to leave the warm fire, but the Sun Valley Nordic and Snowshoe Center, situated in the backyard of the lodge, was waiting.

About 25 miles of manicured and marked trails begin at the Nordic Center, where gentle terrain progresses to challenging hills. I could see that gliding over glistening meadows of snow at an elevation of 6,000 feet would be a great experience for the cross-country skier, but this would be just too extreme for a lightweight such as myself. I opted for the very pedestrian snowshoeing, which fortunately requires the very same skill level as walking. I was soon on my way. For the next two hours I saw not a soul with the exception of a couple of cross-country skiers far off in the distance, who I had sensed was placed there solely for my own visual benefit. I crossed bridges over pristine mountain streams and watched wildlife  scatter into the brush. Snowflakes filled the sky. Once again, I was so happy with surroundings in which I didn’t want to leave.

But I detected the scent of food cooking, and it was coming from the Seattle Ridge Day Lodge, just on the other side of the river. Another warm fire and friendly smile greeted me as I took off my gear, and soon grabbed a table for some homemade soup and a good local micro-beer. While staring out the window, I could see that it was beginning to snow again. I could have stayed there forever, even more so due to having eaten more than my share of food. Maybe I shouldn’t have ordered the huckleberry pie? The snowshoeing back to the Nordic Center would be long and perhaps a little cold, plus I had an important event on my mid-afternoon calendar. I would have to move fast. I was then informed that a free shuttle comes to the lodge every 15 minutes. I decided to order a cappuccino.

After a quick shower back at my room, I headed over to River Run Lodge to attend a Super Bowl party. As I entered the lodge, the party was already hopping with a festive crowd, an array of big screen TVs, food and drink. The event was welcome to all ages, but I was struck by the attendance of so many 80-year-old-plus skiers, some even in their 90s. Yes, it was inspiring.

Later I took a dip in the resort’s famous outdoor circular pool. It was so cold outside that I felt like I was in an Olympic-size Jacuzzi. You couldn’t even see across the surface due to all the fog. As I sat on the edge of the pool, nursing my aching muscles from the earlier snowshoeing, I thought how I someday want to be like one of those 80-year-old senior skiers at the Super Bowl. After all, age is what you make it. And I decided that I would regularly return to Sun Valley Resort. Besides, I still needed to sleep below the Gary Cooper Suite – #306.

For further information about Sun Valley Resort, contact (800) 786-8259 or www.SunValley.com

The post America’s First Destination Ski Resort: Sun Valley appeared first on Traveling Boy.

Desert Hot Springs has long been a destination for rest and rejuvenation. Situated 20 minutes from Palm Springs’ expansive golf courses, artistic rows of palm trees and desert estates, rustic Desert Hot Springs feels a world away. It is one of the few places on the globe with naturally occurring hot and cold mineral springs. The Mission Creek Branch of the San Andreas Fault bisects the wellness getaway where one side is a cold-water aquifer while the other a hot-water aquifer, naturally heated to temperatures as high as 180 degrees by geothermal forces thousands of feet below the earth’s surface.

Unlike hot springs that have high sulfur content, Desert Hot Springs’ hot mineral waters are pure and odor-free, so pure and odorless that you can drink it, which increases its medicinal values.  Research told me that  “balneology” – the study of the therapeutic benefits of natural mineral waters – is especially advanced in Europe and Japan, where balneologists have studied the healthful effects of geothermally heated mineral waters which reduce pain, increase mobility, blood circulation, cell oxygenation and stimulates your metabolism, ultimately rebalancing many of your own body’s natural systems. My own scientific study revealed that soaking in a Desert Hot Springs’ mineral water pool was something that I never wanted to leave.
 
Since 1995, the Desert Hot Springs Groundwater Guardian Team has been designated as a Groundwater Guardian Community, with  the nation’s first Groundwater Guardian Campus, taking voluntary steps in protecting its award-winning ground water resources.
 

Onsen Hotel & Spa 

Upon my arrival at the boutique Onsen Hotel & Spa I was surprised by its serene surroundings. Snuggled in a residential neighborhood, this meant little traffic noise which helped to serve my quest for de-stressing. The front desk receptionist, Tracy Ayala, was waiting at the counter to greet me. She explained the history of the property where it had once been a hotel, an apartment building and then vacant until the official christening of Onsen Hotel & Spa on March 1, 2023. After pointing out the hotel’s amenities – the reception area also serves as a breakfast room with complimentary omelets, fruit, cereal and pastries – I was directed to my two-bedroom stylish suite, complete with office and living room. Creature comforts included a big screen TV, coffee makers, and spacious bathroom and shower, refrigerator and endless bottles of water. But it was a dip into the crystal-clear outdoor pool spa that warranted my attention. Along with the on-site Jacuzzi, both fed by a mineral-rich aquifer, and the surrounding simple plant arrangements, the spa achieves a distinctly Zen aesthetic. For those with walking difficulties two ADA lifts offer an easy and accessible way to enter the pool and Jacuzzi. There’s also a 24-hour fitness center and an on-site spa offering revitalizing massages and hydrating facials to cleanse your body and heal your mind.

Later, I conversed with the affable manager John Hopp, a walking encyclopedia on all things Desert Hot Springs. He covered in detail the work required to turn the vacant property into a spa hotel. He spoke how the goal of Onsen Hotel & Spa was to make it like home-away-from-home for guests. He noted that half the travelers arrive from England, Italy, France, Spain and Germany, as well as South Korea and Japan, drawn to its therapeutic mineral-rich waters, pumped directly from beneath the earth. Onsen Hotel & Spa also proves to be convenient homebase for experiencing the splendor of Coachella Valley’s stunning landscapes with its mountain slopes, panoramic views and wide-open desert expanses, all just outside your door. The property is near the Mission Creek Preserve, a protected part of the Wildlands Conservancy that includes lush wetlands, a perennial stream, and native flora and fauna. And the otherworldly terrain of Joshua Tree National Park is only a 40-minute drive away.
 

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum

Just up the street from Onsen Hotel & Spa is Cabot’s Pueblo Museum. This should be an essential component of your trip. In 1914, Cabot Yerxa (1883–1965) was the first person to rediscover and unearth the curative mineral waters of Desert Hot Springs. Then, only 600 yards from his home, Cabot dug a second well,  delivering drinking water. Finding both the hot and cold mineral wells prompted him to name the area Miracle Hill.

Cabot’s Pueblo

In 1941 Cabot began construction on what would be his and wife’s Portia Yerxa’s home. Considered a marvel of engineering and design, the Hopi-inspired building is hand-made and created from reclaimed and found materials from throughout the Coachella Valley. His intention was also to make it into a museum, showcasing Native American art and artifacts, souvenirs of Cabot’s travels around the world, displays on Native American Rights, and his own works of art. Today, 45-minute tours are available where you will visit the rooms of the Pueblo, experience the story of Cabot Yerxa and discover how he built his incredible home. This is also the best place to purchase gifts and souvenirs, with an array of indigenous art, jewelry, pottery, woodcarvings and Navajo blankets.

For further information

Desert Hot Springs: www.VisitDesertHotSpring.com
Onsen Hotel & Spa: www.OnsenHotelSpa.com
Cabot’s Pueblo Museum: www.CabotsMuseum.org

For more on Oceanic’s selection of properties: www.oceanicenterprises.com

The post Around the Desert Town of Onsen Hotel & Spa appeared first on Traveling Boy.

The Night Witches were the all-women pilots of Russia’s 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. In World War II, the Night Witches were the first women military pilots in the 20th century to directly engage an enemy in combat.

One the most horrifying sounds a German soldier on the Russian front could hear in the dead of night was the “whooshing” of the wind off the struts of a Night Witch jerry-rigged biplane bomber. It was described as the eerie sound of a witch’s broom as it quietly glided in to drop its payload of bombs.

Unfortunately, there weren’t enough modern planes to go around. So, the 588th was given out-of-date Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes that were primarily used as crop dusters and training planes. The pilot sat up front and the navigator, who also was the bombardier, sat in the rear. The plane was like a death trap waiting to spring. Some Night Witches likened the rickety Po-2 to “a coffin with wings” because the plane was made of plywood with canvas stretched over it. If a tracer bullet struck the plane, it could easily burst into flames. The plane’s top speed was 90 miles per hour, and it could carry only two bombs, one under each wing. The weight of the bombs and crew forced the plane to travel low, which allowed it to be spotted easily by the enemy. Because of those handicaps, the planes could only fly at night, under the cover of darkness.

The Night Witches carried no parachutes because they flew so close to the ground and parachutes also added extra weight. They also had no modern instruments and had to rely on maps, compasses, stopwatches, pencils, and flashlights to find their way to their objectives. Because the cockpits were open, the pilot and navigator were exposed to the elements, including rain and freezing wind. In extremely cold weather, they could get frost bite. If they put their bare hand on the fuselage, the flesh might come off when they pulled their hand away. The Night Witches also carried pistols to use if they crashed, but would save the last bullet for themselves so they wouldn’t be captured alive.

The Po-2 did have some advantages, however. Its light weight made it more maneuverable than the German planes, which made them harder to shoot down. Being made of wood and canvas, the plane didn’t show up on German radars or infrared indicators. And the top speed of the Po-2 was slower than the stall speed of German fighter planes, making it hard to engage from the air. The biplanes also could take off and land almost anywhere. That quality was essential because the 588th had to operate very close to enemy lines, constantly moving operations during the day so the women could fight at night. Because of their combat schedule, the women slept and trained during the day and flew during the night. Understandably, they didn’t get a lot of sleep… but neither did the German units nearby that had to be prepared for nighttime air raids. The psychological effect of the Night Witch raids took a nightmary toll on the German troops.

Because their planes could carry only one or two bombs, the Night Witches flew multiple bombing sorties – from eight to eighteen – in a single night. They’d drop the bombs, return to their temporary base, refuel and take on more bombs, and then fly off on another sortie. Each sortie lasted between 30 to 50 minutes. Sometimes the Night Witches would return with planes riddled with bullet holes. Nadezhda Popova, one of the most famous Night Witches, once returned from a sortie with 42 bullet holes in her plane as well as in her helmet and map. Another pilot lost the bottom of her plane to enemy fire but kept on flying.

Thirty-two Night Witches died in service. Eighty-nine Soviet women won their country’s highest honor, the Hero of the Soviet Union award.

The post Who Were the Night Witches? appeared first on Traveling Boy.

The group’s performance on the program was seen by over 73,000,000 people, people, setting a record at the time for the largest television audience in America.

Soon the whole world was to become obsessed with what was known as the Fab Four: John, Paul, George and Ringo. John was the founder, leader co-lead singer of the band. He had his own microphone while Paul and George shared one.

There was something special about John. Even then I recognized he had star power and wanted to look like him.

Everyone had their favorite Beatle. My best friend chose Paul. Arguments would break out between us. But it was a friendly rivalry, for we loved them all. Boys generally preferred John and George; girls, Paul and Ringo.

My parents let me grow my hair longer and I became conscious of how I dressed. I even wore Beatle Boots playing kickball in the 5th grade.

Today, John and Paul are regarded as the greatest composers in pop and rock history.

John Lennon’s life ended in December 1980 in New York City, approximately at 11:15. He was shot twice in the back and twice in the shoulder by a lone assailant. John was 40 years old.

RIP: John.
Your music and legacy lives on.

The post I remember John Lennon: 1940 – 1980  appeared first on Traveling Boy.

The time and place: The 1849 California Gold Rush.

In the 1840s, Las Californias — the collective name for Alta California and the Baja California Peninsula — was the ancestral homeland of the indigenous Nisenan Maidu people. Their population had already been reduced to less than 100,000 people, due to the spread of European diseases — primarily a malaria epidemic — brought by Spanish and U.S. expeditions. Californios (people of Spanish or Mexican descent) made up approximately 14,000 of the other permanent residents, which included 2,500 “foreigners” (whites of non-Hispanic descent).

But, by 1849, more than 100,000 get-rich-quick migrants had arrived from all over the world — and they came for one reason: GOLD. In January of 1848, James W. Marshall discovered the first gold nugget, while reviewing the construction of Sutter’s Mill, situated in the Nisenan village of  Koloma (known today as  Coloma) on the South Fork American River.

Though Marshall tried to keep the discovery quiet, the news soon spread like a California wildfire, creating the largest Gold Rush in U.S. history. Californios called the area La Veta Madre (The Mother Lode), while others referred to the rugged migrants as 49ers, due to their year of arrival. Las Californias was still a part of Mexico, but eventually would sign the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, that ended the Mexican-American War in 1848. Two years later, California joined the U.S. union as the 31st state.

Camp settlements sprang up wherever gold was found, and then were abandoned when they ran out.  The excessive use of ‘working the land’ caused a strain on the environment, prompting a drought and starvation. Then, in one of the darkest periods in U.S. history, genocide was committed by the new Anglo-American migrants, massacring thousands of Nisenan Maidu and Miwok tribal people or forcing them into labor. President Zachary Taylor had created a new federal agency — the Department of the Interior — and transferred ‘Indian’ affairs to its care from the War Department. Under Chapter 133, a white non-Hispanic American could claim Nisenan Maidu and Miwok land by simply presenting a request to the local justice of the peace. A white American could also kidnap Native American children and ‘adopt’ them — or keep the youths as unpaid field hands until they reached the age of maturity. Chapter 133’s most abhorrent clause stated, “In no case shall a white man be convicted of any offence upon the testimony of an ‘Indian’, or ‘Indians.’” With those 20 words, California effectively legalized the rape, robbery and murder of any Amerindian within the boundaries of the state.

White settlers went on a rampage, killing the people of tribal nations, with the reward of selling scalps for 25 cents and more than $5 for severed heads. The prices for enslaved children were up to $60 for young boys and up to $200 for young girls.

The law’s final section established a form of state-sponsored fascism: “Any able-bodied ‘Indian’ who shall be found loitering and strolling about shall be liable to be arrested on the complaint of any resident citizen of the county.”

Through the indiscriminate use of terrorism and murder, California’s 49ers carried out one of the most successful — and, until recently, largely unacknowledged — campaigns of systematic ethnic cleansing that the world had ever seen.

It was so successful that Adolf Hitler later spoke with admiration about the slaughter and the overall genocide of Amerindians. When Hitler was reluctantly selected as German Chancellor by the ageing president, Paul von Hindenburg in 1932, he took offence when the U.S. first  verbally attacked the new Nazi Third Reich for discriminating against Germans of Jewish ancestry. He countered by labeling the U.S. as hypocrites for claiming the United States to be the ‘land of freedom,’ when African-Americans were clearly regarded as second class citizens. Later, with VE Day around the corner in 1945, many African-American army troops (then segregated until president Harry Truman) desperately wanted to stay in Europe for they were treated with great esteem by the populace as gallant liberators. People would rush out onto the streets, showering them with wine, flowers and kisses – almost a lynching offence in the U.S. Jim Crow south.

The Conquest of the Californios

Once the many inexperienced American gold miners realized that finding gold was not as easy as they expected, they took their anger out on the Californios.  Racism and nativism became increasingly common, and white settlers began living on the Californios’ land without their permission. Soon violence erupted, where crops and cattle were destroyed. Californios were chased out of their ranch haciendas that had existed for generations. Those who would take a stand often found their homes torched to the ground, or were lynched by savage mobs. Californios that managed to stay in their homes, faced an extra tax and long courtroom battles.

African-American Slavery in the ’49 Gold Rush

White southerners brought black slaves into the California camp settlements as early as the summer of 1849. Slavery wasn’t popular in the mines, but there were no laws barring it in the early days of the Gold Rush. In Washington, DC, Congress was embroiled in a rancorous debate over whether the land acquired during the Mexico War, including California, would be admitted to the union as free or slave states. The nation was evenly divided, with 15 states free and 15 states slaveholding. California would tip the balance, becoming a state free of slavery. The back population of Gold Rush California was not large, comprised roughly of only one percent of the population. The significance of their story is not in their number, but in the moral force and courage that African-Americans were able to exert, which lead to the ‘Negro Rights’ struggles for freedom in California.

The Chinese from Canton

Chinese immigrants arrived by the thousands during the 1850s, and began mining in large numbers relatively late, but were subjected to the dominant prejudices of the time. Most of the ignorant Anglo-American migrants had never even seen a Chinese person before, and that ignorance led to anger. The Chinese tried to avoid direct confrontation with the white miners, but American rage boiled over in 1852. When the southern mining town of Columbia held a mass meeting, they passed a resolution forbidding “these burlesques on humanity” from mining in their town. Another miner’s tax was passed, targeting Chinese. Like Californios and Amerindians, Chinese were routinely harassed and driven out of diggings. Eventually they settled in their own mining camp, first known as ‘Camp Washington’ or ‘Washingtonville,’ which had already had been mined and discarded by American miners.

Soon the camp was called ‘Chinee’ or ‘Chinese Camp’ and ‘Chinese Diggings.’ An 1860 diary indicates that Chinese Camp became a small metropolis, comprised of a post office, a bank and homes to at least 5,000 Chinese laborers, with many eventually living in urban comfort. The new Chinese-Americans worked the mines and were successful where other miners had given up. The gold lay just below the surface of the ground, but the work was hard due the lack of nearby water. All the gold had to be hauled to a creek to be cleansed. While placer mining had played out in much of the Gold Country by the early 1860s, it was still active at Chinese Camp as late as 1870. An 1899 mining bulletin listed the total gold production of the area close to 2.5 million dollars.

Historical Sites, Now

Today, there are a number of high profile camps to visit — which includes Chinese Camp. Fortunately, some of the remnants of the settlement still exist today. It’s easy to find — right on Highway 49 about 5 miles south of Jamestown. The historical landmark is located at the Northwest corner of State Highway 120 (P.M. 15.9) and Main Street in Chinese Camp. This site is part of the Mark Twain Bret Harte Trail.

Chinese Camp

Chinese Camp currently has less than 200 residents, but there is ample evidence of its colorful past, despite disrepair and some structures surrounded by barbed wire. The Saint Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, established in 1849, is the oldest church in the county. It sits on a hill next to a cemetery, overlooking the town, making an ideal stop for a visual overview of the camp. The first post office and store opened in 1854. As the town grew, Chinese Camp became a transportation hub for stagecoach lines and express offices. The town was composed of hotels, two joss houses (Chinese temple of worship), blacksmith shop, school, and the first Adams Express, which existed before Wells Fargo was established as a viable business.

Gold Country South

Located near Yosemite National Park, Tuolumne County is the recreational and cultural center of California Gold Country. It is an area of immense beauty with rivers flowing through lush canyons and forested mountains towering above. The Nisenan Maidu coined the name Chullia, which translates to paradise. Like most tribal nations, they did not believe in ownership of land and space — how can one own the air?— but as stewards for its protection. As you explore Gold Country, keep in mind that history is written by the victors; so you may experience a somewhat sanitized Anglo version of past events, despite some park rangers doing the opposite. I remind myself that the 1849 California Gold Rush is very much part of our heritage as Californians and Americans.  After all, there’s a chance that I wouldn’t even be currently living in Southern California if it weren’t for the Gold Rush.

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park

This is where it all began: the sawmill where Marshall first discovered gold. There are demonstrations at a working replica of the original mill, museum and several restored historic buildings now part of California’s state park system. With a map from the museum, you can guide yourself on tours of the town, the cemetery, the Monument Trail, and the Monroe Ridge Trail.

Columbia State Historic Park

Established in 1850, Columbia State Historic Park is the best preserved of all California Gold Rush towns. Once known as the Gem of the Southern Mines, over one-half billion dollars in gold (at today’s currency rate) between the 1850s and 1870s was mined in the area. At that time it was the state’s second largest city. Today it is a year-round getaway that offers a unique blend of museums, displays, town tours, live theater, shops, restaurants and saloons. No other location offers a better overview of California’s Gold Rush history. Docents (trained volunteers) appear in costumes throughout the park, and interpret Anglo life in a California Gold Rush town with living history demonstrations. Events include the annual Columbia Diggin’s, which is a re-creation of the tent town days of early Columbia.

Angels Camp

Angels Camp is nestled on scenic Highway 49, with a history similar to that of many California Gold Rush towns. In 1848 Henry Angel opened a trading post and made a fortune selling items at grossly inflated prices. A single egg could be sold as high as $25 in today’s currency. Soon there were as many as 4,000 miners working the surface gold of Angels. Today, Angels Camp’s population is nearly 3,000, and the entire town remains honeycombed with miles of mine tunnels. One of its most popular attractions is Moaning Caverns, an immense limestone miracle with a main cavern large enough to hold the Statue of Liberty, which is open to the public.

Mark Twain Cabin – Jackass Hill

At the top of Jackass Hill, west of Tuttletown, sits a replica of the cabin where Mark Twain spent the winter of 1864. Twain heard a story about a jumping frog in the saloon at the Angels Hotel in Angels Camp. He returned to the cabin and wrote The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, his first great success as a writer. The California Historical Marker is located 1 mile northwest of Tuttletown on Highway 49.

Twain was a man of remarkable insight and wisdom, never afraid to look history straight in the face. Like his Huck Finn in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) – often named the Great American Novel – Twain was raised close to the Mississippi River, and overcame the entrenched values of the U.S. during that era, particularly racism. And as Americans, we will always be proud when remembering his quest for truth and justice for all.

The post The Golden Nugget that Sparked California’s Horrific Past appeared first on Traveling Boy.

Despite his diminutive 5 ft frame, Norwegian composer Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a towering rock star long before the expression existed. Born into a successful Bergen merchant family in 1843, his life dramatically changed when violin virtuoso Ole Bull recognized his talent and also introduced him to the treasures of Norwegian folk music. Grieg studied the masters abroad, but dreamed of reprieves to his beloved Norwegian countryside – a pattern which continued after he became a world-renowned composer. Grieg and his wife built a home on Lake Nordås on the edge of Bergen, which he called his best opus so far. Christened Troldhaugen, the Victorian villa featured a tower, flagpole and rooftop vegetable garden. It soon became a center piece for Bergen’s artistic community and visiting dignitaries. Grieg loved the attention, but needed quiet to work, and built a composer’s hut by the lake. Grieg died in 1907 of chronic exhaustion. But today his legacy lives on at Troldhaugen – a living museum consisting of the Edvard Grieg Museum, the Villa, the Composer’s Hut, Concert Hall and Edvard Grieg´s tomb.

For me the highpoint of a visit to Troldhaugen was a recital at the concert hall, which is discreetly built right into the grounds, complete with sod roof. The floor-to-ceiling windows behind the stage overlooks the composer’s hut where Grieg would work, superstitiously sitting on a stack of sheet music by Beethoven so that he could reach the piano. At the end of each day, he would leave a note: “If anyone should break in here, please leave the musical scores, since they have no value to anyone except Edvard Grieg.”

It is essential that you spend at least two days in Bergen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bergen boasts endless tourist attractions, and the Bergen Tourist Card is an important component to your tour of this historic harbor town. The price allows you free or reduced- price admittance to the Bergen Art Museum, Fantoft Stave Church (a medieval wooden cathedral), harbor boat tour, Bergen Castle, and St Mary’s Church. Wander through the harbor fish market and down the wooden streets of the historic warehouse district. A fish buffet should be on everyone’s list for a sampling of Bergen’s world-famous fish soup, gravlaks (cured Atlantic salmon), fish cakes and hearty breads, all washed down with the city’s own Hansa beer.

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