WHAT DID THE FORD BRONCO SAY TO THE JEEP WRANGLER? I began to suspect that America had a secret obsession with wild horses. They were everywhere. On highways, in neighbourhoods and outside supermarkets. But these horses had four wheels, round eyes and a distinctly rugged attitude. They were Ford Broncos! Back home in India, Jeep … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #62
Category: REMINISCENCES & REFLECTIONS
Personal reflections shaped by memory, experience, and the passing of time — stories written to pause, remember, and reflect.
America, One Moment at a Time — #61
Why Does America Love Brick? The story behind the reds and browns that colour its cities If you’ve been following my US travel stories, you know we’ve explored quite a few stops by now. But looking back at our very first couple of drives through the region… one particular visual stuck with me right away. … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #61
America, One Moment at a Time — #60
The Ferry I Watched, the City I Discovered. I had watched the ferry arrive and depart from Lynn almost every day. Its horn before departure was familiar music. One evening, I decided to stop watching and hop aboard. There were just two passengers on the large catamaran: another traveller and me. Back home, where ferries … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #60
America, One Moment at a Time — #59
Hanover: A College Town, a Long Queue and One Memorable Breakfast Some family outings need little persuasion. A promise of a good breakfast will do nicely! One Sunday morning, the kids suggested a drive from Boston to Hanover, New Hampshire. We were happy to go along, leaving the choice of destination to them. Hanover is … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #59
America, One Moment at a Time — #58
A Little Bite of Paradise There’s something special about picking an apple straight from a tree... and discovering that eating it right there is half the fun! At Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, Massachusetts, we found ourselves surrounded by greenery, rolling fields and the cheerful bustle of autumn. Founded in 1926, this 186-acre family … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #58
America, One Moment at a Time — #57
Salem: Two Visits, Two Surprises In September, Salem welcomed us with historic buildings and quiet charm. By October, it seemed to have invited every witch, ghost, and skeleton in the neighbourhood to a party! Our first visit revealed handsome brick buildings, imposing old courthouses, and a church with a tall steeple. But Salem has a … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #57
America, One Moment at a Time — #56
Getting Ready to Die Can Be Beautiful New England in autumn looked as though nature had been handed a huge box of bright paints and decided to use every last colour! For years, my wife had wanted to see the famous fall colours. Every autumn, our children would drive around admiring the spectacle, and we … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #56
America, One Moment at a Time — #55
Sausalito: California’s Little Italian Riviera The first thing that struck us about Sausalito was the feeling that we had somehow wandered into Italy... except that, instead of the Mediterranean, a sparkling blue bay stretched before us. Colourful buildings lined the waterfront, while beautiful homes climbed the green hills, gazing across the water. The whole town … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #55
America, One Moment at a Time — #54
Big Sur: The Coastline That Played Hide-and-Seek Some places reveal their beauty at a glance. Big Sur prefers to keep you guessing. We drove along California’s spectacular coastline, where mountains tumble towards the Pacific Ocean and the road winds between rocky slopes and breathtaking drops. But the fog had its own plans. One moment, cliffs … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #54
America, One Moment at a Time — #53
Carmel-by-the-Sea: A Town with a Paw-sitive Attitude Some towns reveal their character slowly, one little surprise at a time. Carmel-by-the-Sea was like that for us. The more we wandered through its streets, the more we discovered that this was no ordinary town. Brick-paved lanes led us past cottages with crooked roofs, timbered walls, and gardens … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #53
America, One Moment at a Time — #52
Pier 39: The Lions’ Share There are places where humans go to see the sights. And then there are places where the sights seem to have taken over. At San Francisco’s Pier 39, the sea lions appeared to have secured the best waterfront property, attracted a crowd of admirers, and become celebrities… without doing a … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #52
America, One Moment at a Time — #51
Alcatraz: Paradise, Prison, and a Missing Key Blue waters, beautiful views, and a picture-perfect island. Our ferry ride to Alcatraz could hardly have been more pleasant. Yet we were heading towards one of America’s most feared prisons. Some destinations come with an unsettling twist! We had spotted the island from San Francisco’s marina, with the … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #51
America, One Moment at a Time — #50
The Golden Gate Bridge: More Than a Pretty Picture I had seen the Golden Gate Bridge in so many Hollywood movies that I almost felt I knew it personally. I never imagined I’d actually meet it. Apparently, watching movies doesn’t automatically qualify you for a guided tour! And then, there we were, driving towards it. … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #50
America, One Moment at a Time — #49
San Francisco: A City Full of Surprises One moment you’re cruising along a beautiful street; the next, the road plunges downhill as though the city has forgotten to flatten it! In San Francisco, even a short drive can feel like a small adventure. The Golden Gate Bridge needs no introduction. But the city’s smaller surprises … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #49
America, One Moment at a Time — #48
A Campfire That Changed America Can a conversation around a campfire change the future of a forest? During our travels through America's beautiful natural places, I kept coming across the name John Muir. I had never heard of him before. Curious, I began reading about him. Born in Scotland, Muir had travelled to America and … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #48
America, One Moment at a Time — #47
THE TELEPHONE THAT DIDN’T NEED A VOICE An unexpected discovery at the Ahwahnee Hotel The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite has a way of making you look up. Its grand interiors and magnificent architecture invite admiration. But I found myself looking at something rather less grand. A public telephone. Having grown up in the days when … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #47
America, One Moment at a Time — #46
THE AHWAHNEE: A HOTEL I DIDN’T EXPECT I had come to Yosemite expecting giant trees, towering cliffs and breathtaking views. I wasn’t prepared for the Ahwahnee Hotel. In the middle of a national park, I found a hotel that looked more like a grand mountain fortress than a place to spend the night. Inside, there … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #46
America, One Moment at a Time — #45
OLMSTED POINT TO TENAYA LAKE: TWO SIDES OF YOSEMITE At Olmsted Point, Yosemite put on a grand show. Granite slopes, endless pine forests and in the distance, Half Dome. Seen from an angle quite different from its familiar face above Yosemite Valley. Same mountain. Different perspective. A useful reminder that even old acquaintances can surprise … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #45
America, One Moment at a Time — #44
THE PEOPLE WHO CLIMB THE IMPOSSIBLE Most of us look at a rock face like this and think, “Wow.” Rock climbers apparently look at it and think, “I can climb that.” We had stopped along the road in Yosemite, like many other visitors, simply admiring El Capitan. Then someone spotted them. Tiny figures on the … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #44
America, One Moment at a Time — #43
YOSEMITE: WHERE I DISCOVERED I WAS VERY SMALL There are places that make you feel small. And then there is Yosemite. We entered Yosemite Valley expecting beautiful scenery. What we got was a lesson in perspective. Granite walls rose around us, almost casually, as if someone had decided that ordinary mountains weren't quite enough. And … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #43
America, One Moment at a Time — #42
THE FOREST THAT MADE ME LOOK UP Muir Woods doesn’t announce itself.It slowly takes you in. We followed a rather ordinary sign. A few minutes later, ordinary had disappeared. We were walking among coast redwoods, their trunks rising around us and disappearing somewhere above the canopy. I had seen photographs of redwoods. Then I discovered … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #42
America, One Moment at a Time — #41
They Began as Tiny Seeds. And They Learned to Live with Fire. As we entered Mariposa Grove, I realised I had come to see some trees. Very big trees. But once I saw them, the word “big” suddenly seemed completely inadequate. 😄 I have photographed plenty of trees in my life. These made me stop, … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #41
America, One Moment at a Time — #40
The Palace That Wasn’t Supposed to Stay When we first saw the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, I wasn't quite sure what I was looking at. It looked ancient. Roman, perhaps.Greek, maybe. Definitely not what I expected to find in San Francisco. 😄 Then I discovered something surprising. It wasn't ancient at all. … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #40
America, One Moment at a Time — #39
Why Are There Ducks on Jeeps? When I was young, I thought “jeep” was a type of vehicle, not a brand. In India, almost any rugged, boxy vehicle seemed to qualify as a jeep. 😄 Of course, soon enough, I learned that Jeep is an American automobile brand. But during our American sojourn, I discovered … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #39
America, One Moment at a Time — #38
Cab Came. But Where Was the Driver? Our children told us they had booked a cab for us. Nothing unusual about that. The car arrived. We got in. And then my wife and I discovered something our children had conveniently forgotten to mention. 😄 There was no driver. We looked at the steering wheel. Then … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #38
America, One Moment at a Time — #37
The Berry I Had Never Heard Of We’ve been in San Francisco, California, for the past few days. As part of our welcome pack, we received some water, snacks and a few little goodies. Among them was a packet of cookies. I looked at the back of the packet to understand more. Boysenberry. I knew … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #37
America, One Moment at a Time — #36
Old Shops, New Robots One thing I didn’t expect to see in New York: A robot delivering food. 😄 A real little robot, quietly making its way along the street. And somehow, that made me notice something much more familiar: the bodega. This was Gem Spa, a famous East Village neighbourhood store. It sold newspapers, … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #36
America, One Moment at a Time — #35
The Steam Beneath New York When I saw steam rising from a New York pavement, I immediately thought of Marilyn Monroe. 😄 Not because there was a white dress involved. Thankfully. Just the steam. In The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn famously stands over a subway grate while air blows her dress upward. New York, it … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #35
America, One Moment at a Time — #34
Why Is New York Wearing Scaffolding? One thing I noticed almost immediately in New York: The city seems to be wearing scaffolding. 😄 Not just one building.Not just one street. Scaffolding everywhere. Beautiful old buildings.Grand facades.Modern towers. And quite a few of them hiding behind metal pipes and wooden platforms. At first, I wondered: Is … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #34
America, One Moment at a Time — #33
New York Has a Different Speed New York doesn’t seem to walk. It moves. Fast. And we discovered that even after the sun goes down, New York doesn’t seem to get the message. 😄 Lights flashing.People crossing.Taxis moving.Buses rolling. Thousands of people somehow going somewhere. Apparently without consulting a map. 😄 As a first-time visitor, … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #33
America, One Moment at a Time — #32
A Century of New York on Wheels We had come to see the Brooklyn Bridge. Instead, we found ourselves staring at buses. Lots of them. And not exactly the buses we were used to seeing in New York. 😄 There was this 1918 open-top double-decker. 1918! It looked like it had arrived straight from another … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #32
America, One Moment at a Time — #31
They Looked at All That Water and Thought BIG. Getting off the boat, an old sailing ship at the jetty immediately caught our eye. It looked wonderfully out of place among the buildings of modern New York. As though a little piece of another era had been left behind. And then came something my wife … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #31
America, One Moment at a Time — #30
New York From the Water The previous evening, we had explored New York by train. The next day, before taking to the roads, we decided to take to the water. 😄 New York from a boat. That sounded like a good idea. So we climbed aboard a Circle Line boat on the Hudson. And suddenly, … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #30
America, One Moment at a Time — #29
The Lion King — From Screen to Stage We had come all the way to New York. Took a train. Had a quick dinner. And now we were standing outside the Minskoff Theatre. The Lion King was finally happening. We had actually hoped to see it when we visited the UK. We watched Mamma Mia! … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #29
America, One Moment at a Time — #28
The Car Stayed Behind We had driven all the way from Boston to New Jersey. Our car had brought us safely to the Hyatt House at One Exchange Place. And then we left it there. 😄 Our hotel was right beside the PATH station, and we were heading into New York. Our kids suggested we … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #28
America, One Moment at a Time — #27
One Exchange Place — One Building, Many Stories We arrived in Jersey City after our drive from Boston and checked into the Hyatt House at One Exchange Place. After the long drive, I thought I had only one job: Find the room. Put down the bags. Relax. 😄 Then I looked out of the window. … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #27
America, One Moment at a Time — #26
I-90, Mass Pike… What’s That? Whenever we travel on the roads here, I keep noticing things. Road numbers. Road names. Signs. Words I’ve never heard before. On our drive from Boston towards New York, one kept catching my attention: MASS PIKE. What exactly is a Mass Pike? I had to find out. 😄 Apparently, Mass … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #26
America, One Moment at a Time — #25
Who Really Owns the Park? One thing I’ve noticed during our American sojourn: The wild squirrels and rabbits in the public gardens seem remarkably unafraid of people. They simply carry on with their lives, right among us. And then we spotted something I hadn’t expected. A wild rabbit with its baby, living right there in … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #25
America, One Moment at a Time — #23
The Dogs Have a Life of Their Own The other day, I was reading the Boston Sunday Globe when I came across an article about a hotel guest kept awake by a barking dog. “Barking mad: Loud dogs, sleepless hotel nights…” It made me smile. Because, as a visitor to the US, I’ve noticed something … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #23
America, One Moment at a Time — #22
When English Needs an English Translator One thing I’ve discovered during our American sojourn: Sometimes I need a translator. Not from English to another language. From English to English. 😄 After all, English is not exactly my first language. And sometimes, even after all these years, my ears seem to have their own ideas about … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #22
America, One Moment at a Time — #21
Lynn, Lynn… The City of Sin? When we came to Lynn, I knew very little about the place. Then I heard its old rhyme: “Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin, You never come out the way you went in. Ask for water, they give you gin — It’s the darndest city I’ve ever been in.” 😄 Not exactly … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #21
America, One Moment at a Time — #20
The Shadows and Shades of the Boston Public Garden Boston Public Garden was bright and sunny the day we visited. The kind of sunny day that makes you reach for your sunglasses... and then wish you had brought a hat as well. 😎 But what caught my attention were the shadows. They were everywhere. The … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #20
America, One Moment at a Time — #19
When the Water Looks Too Shallow — Finding the Channel From our apartment in Lynn, I’ve become quite used to seeing the ferry that carries passengers across the water to Boston. But today, something about it made me stop and look twice. The tide was out. Very much out. The harbour looked as though someone … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #19
America, One Moment at a Time — #18
The Road to Ogunquit We left Boston and headed north. The first part of the journey was pretty much what you would expect from a road trip. Highways, traffic, bridges and plenty of road ahead. Then we crossed into Maine. And there it was: “WELCOME HOME.” We had just arrived. So apparently, Maine was already … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #18
America, One Moment at a Time — #17
Fluent in What’s Next I went to Best Buy to buy a new Mac laptop. I wasn’t expecting to come away thinking about the future. But then I saw this: “We’re fluent in what’s next.” Interesting. Then I saw another young face beside the same words. And another poster said: “Giving teens the tools for … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #17
