Simanaitis Says

On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff

Category Archives: Just Trippin’

LOFTY LONDON—1930

“THE EYE of the Airman sees all—even the private terraces, lawns and walks in the secluded gardens of the King’s Palace.” This is true today, albeit from some altitude, for … Continue reading →

August 19, 2015 · 1 Comment

I DON’T EVER GO THERE

LIKE MANY people, I reside on Main Street, Anytown, U.S.A. (You know the deal: My name is Occupant.) Though my life has been blessed with adventurous travel, there are other … Continue reading →

August 9, 2015 · 2 Comments

FROM LITHUANIA, WITH LOVE

I HAVE been remiss in scant praise of my ancestral homeland, Lithuania. Alas, when I toured nearby during especially historic times (see “He’s Got a Lot of Balts”), the pesky Russkies … Continue reading →

July 10, 2015 · Leave a comment

Wyoming Tales

I ENJOY when learning a little about something encourages one to discover a bit more. For example, I knew next to nothing about Wyoming until I randomly opened The WPA … Continue reading →

July 7, 2015 · 2 Comments

TRANSPACIFIC AIR LOCALES

INTERESTING ISLAND history lives in the tale of transpacific air travel. In the Golden Years of Aviation, 1919 – 1939, airliners lacked sufficient range for the vastness of the Pacific. … Continue reading →

May 31, 2015 · 2 Comments

A MOTHER LODE OF NUGGETS

CALIFORNIA’S FORTY-NINER Gold Rush owes its origin to a construction fault at Colonel John Augustus Sutter’s mill. What’s more, Sutter wasn’t really a colonel. He didn’t actually discover the gold. … Continue reading →

May 26, 2015 · Leave a comment

A FOURSOME OF FRONTENACS

SO THERE I was, preparing a remembrance of Quebec City’s Hotel Frontenac, when my research reveals yet more valve orchestrations. The resulting foursome of Frontenacs includes the famed hotel, a … Continue reading →

May 14, 2015 · 1 Comment

PARIS 1922

“…PARIS IS a moveable feast,” said Ernest Hemingway. And, based on the 1922 Continental Hotel’s Guide, it must have been memorable. Surely Google Translate has this wrong: What I suspect … Continue reading →

May 6, 2015 · Leave a comment

SARAH BRIGHTMAN—COSMONAUT

THE WOMAN loved by the Phantom of the Opera has fallen in love with space tourism. And not just the concept, but the actual thing. Classical crossover/musicial theater soprano Sarah … Continue reading →

April 23, 2015 · Leave a comment

THE DANUBE

THE BEST travel books offer historical nuggets and personal insights as well as trip details. Nick Thorpe’s The Danube is a fine example. Why upriver? Thorpe says he’s following a … Continue reading →

April 22, 2015 · Leave a comment