Las Vegas Secret: Valley of Fire

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“Hate” is too strong a word, so I’ll just say I’ll never invite Las Vegas to my pizza party. (Though I once tried to turn “Sin City” into ScIeNce City.”) That said, because the fact that such a booming bizarro of a city … Read on

Tagged secret

Oklahoma Secret: Boley Rodeo

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I grew up in Oklahoma and never heard of Boley, or 40 other “black towns’ that were formed in the early 1900s by African Americans looking for the “promised land.” Boley, 53 miles southwest of Tulsa, is one of a couple that are … Read on

Tagged Memorial Day, secret

NYC Secret: Manhattan’s Highest Point

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The weird thing about going up to the north end of Manhattan is seeing San Francisco-esque inclines on otherwise atypical New York streets. Look one way, just over a five-floor apartment block, and you see a hill of exposed rock wooded with the … Read on

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Montreal Secret: The Big Orange

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If you’re a local in Montreal, you know about the “big orange,” one of the city’s longest lasting (and brightest) landmarks. Most visitors never see this 40-foot orange-shaped diner that’s stood here since 1942. Gibeau Orange Julep (7700 Boulevard Décarie) is a long … Read on

Tagged secret

NYC Secret: 6½ Avenue!

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Between 51st and 57th St in Midtown is a funny thing: a walkway that cuts through the belly of office buildings and leads off to sidewalks past stop signs, where vehicles must stop for you footfall. The signed “6½ Avenue” had been, according … Read on

Tagged secret

London Secret: Nebraska St

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Nothing in the world of travel planning pays more than to study maps. While living in London a decade ago, I noticed an enlarged street plan posted in a Tube stop highlighting an area south of the river. A wee lane caught my … Read on

Tagged London, Nebraska, secret