Category Archives: Adventures

What To Do in Casablanca

September 16, 2022Global Travel, Land Adventures, Travel Journal/BlogCasablanca, Haasan II Mosque, Habous Quater, markets in Casablanca, Morocco, Rick's Cafe, What to Do in CasablancaDebi Lander

Casablanca as a First Stop in Morocco

Most travelers to Morocco, leaving from the United States, land in Casablanca or the White City. The name Casablanca rolls off the tongue and entices travelers with romance and intrigue, but the African city lacks tourist attractions. The former French colonial port, fronting the Atlantic Ocean, matured into the country’s most modern and western-like city. Today, skyscrapers and a large business district fill the once-exotic marketplace. So, what do you do in Casablanca?

A look at Old Casablanca — The Streets in Old Casablanca

In my opinion, three sites bring cherished memories and top the list of what to see and do in Casablanca:

Dining at Rick’s Café
Wandering the old city markets
Touring inside the Haasan II Mosque

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First Timer’s Guide to St. Augustine

September 4, 2021Adventures, Land Adventures, Travel Journal/Blog, United StatesDebi Lander

History claims Ponce de Leon and his landing party first came ashore in La Florida on April 3, 1513. Nearby St. Augustine, in Northeast Florida, was founded in September 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles of Spain. The town celebrated its 450th anniversary of its founding in 2015, making it the longest continually inhabited European-founded city in the United States.

My 2015 article was republished by Where Traveler Magazine. You can read it here: https://www.wheretraveler.com/st-augustine/st-augustine-guide-first-time-visitors.

I offer tips on what to see and do depending on your interest.

Flagler College, formerly the Ponce De Leon Hotel.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse as seen from a biplane.

Retelling the Curious Story of Old Douglas, a Confederate Camel

May 14, 2020Land Adventures, National Parks, Travel Journal/BlogCamel Corps, Civil War, Corinth, douglas the camel, douglas the camel grave, douglas the confederate camel, Mississippi, Old Douglas, Vicksburg, VisitVicksburgDebi Lander

Doug Baum, a former zookeeper, maintains a ranch of camels that he hauls to living-history events throughout the South. I first met him back in 2009, when I visited Corinth, Mississippi. He brought a few of his animals to help reenact or tell the story of the US Camel Corps and Old Douglas. Most folks nothing about this curious historical footnote.

How a 2,000-pound camel came to see action in the War Between the States begs a wisp of whimsy, but remains grounded on Mississippi’s hallowed battlefields.