Adventure Awaits at Primland theepochtimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theepochtimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Funk, Frivolity, and Florida History in Key West
Key West, Florida, is more than a place. It’s a spirit, a funky energy that enters your soul and takes residence in your worldview as well as your inner vision. A state of mind more than a city; a way of life more than a place to live. It’s a lifestyle, not a destination. All expressed in the absurdist poetry that is Key West, a language not spoken anywhere else in the country.
But even recognizing all this, I didn’t fully have a grasp on the essence of the town until I spotted several older men playing bocce ball. I asked another observer if lawn bowling is popular because many people of Italian descent live in Key West.
Enjoying the Simple Life in Patrick County, Virginia
One place that my wife, Fyllis, and I visited promised a “luxury boutique” that has won accolades as among the best resorts in the country. The other invited us to “experience the simple life.”
These very different settings stretch along the Virginia–North Carolina border. Together, Patrick County, Virginia, and the Primland resort offer an inviting getaway with an eclectic appeal. Primland combines touches of elegance with a friendly, casual atmosphere and opportunities to enjoy activities not found at many resorts.
The surrounding area of Patrick County offers an immersion in a locale where people cling proudly to their strong Appalachian heritage and colorful past. Much of the traffic in the region consists of trucks carrying freshly downed trees, horse trailers, and an occasional plow heading for a farm.
Secluded Smith Island Is Living at Its Best
Talk about hometown pride! When I asked a grizzled waterman who lives on Smith Island, Maryland, if he’d like to accompany me to one of the community’s other nearby villages, he replied “Nope, I’ve already been there.”
While the twinkle in his eyes suggested he wasn’t completely serious, the fact is that residents of Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay good-naturedly tout the superiority of their tiny town over the other two. Along with being loyal to the little village where they live, Smith Islanders are hardy, independent, and welcoming to visitors.
US Train Stations Have Surprises in Store
Betty Condon and Tom Butler are checking out a beautifully furnished room that was created for the use of U.S. presidents. Roger Price and Paul Beatty are enjoying a spirited game of tennis. Brothers Charles and Ted Brawner are sharing and comparing tastes at a state-of-the-art brewpub.
While none of these experiences might seem to be much out of the ordinary, where they’re taking place is. The locations are train stations in different parts of the United States.
Some railroad terminals are more, much more, than just places where passengers board or depart from a train. They can double as art museums and examples of magnificent architecture, places to shop and sip, and in some cases, locations of hidden surprises.