Angling up a three story building and measuring 35 feet tall, what claims to be the world’s largest fork stands for its next meal, the cheesy tourist who detoured for miles off of the road just to take a picture with it. Perched in front of an advertising agency, the world’s largest fork sticks into the ground with conviction. A sign on fork etiquette cautions you to enjoy its hilarity but to stay on the concrete. No forking around here.

When one stands at the feet of such a large utensil, you can’t help but hear your stomach grumble. I knew St. Louis was a few hours away and one of its signature dishes was on my future fork. Toasted ravioli, or what some know as fried ravioli, is one of those wondrous dishes born out of an accident. It was not intended and yet it overwhelms the palette with a mouthful of stomach plopping greatness. Toasted ravioli in St. Louis is something the traveler must search for even if they meet a few forks in the road along the way. This not so accidental journey for toasted ravioli lead me to Charlie Gitto’s on the Hill.

It is no secret that toasted ravioli was born out of the southwest St. Louis neighborhood referred to as the Hill in the 1940s. Charlie Gitto’s on the Hill proudly claims to be the birthplace, the original site of the ravioli accident. As the story goes, Charlie Gitto’s stands on the site of what was once Angelo’s Oldani Pasta House. A non-Italian chef at the restaurant accidentally dropped ravioli in hot oil for an order, mistaking the oil for boiling water. The kitchen staff gobbled up his mistake and toasted ravioli soon made its way on to the main menu.

Like any good story about accidental food greatness, there are conflicting origin stories. Another Italian restaurant, Mamma’s on the Hill maintains that toasted ravioli began on its grounds instead. Mamma’s even has witnesses to the event. Mickey Garagiola, brother to Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Garagiola reportedly sat at the bar the night toasted ravioli was invented and sampled the first mistake. Whichever story you believe, it quickly doesn’t matter once you order up a plate. I decided under limited toasted ravioli sampling time that I must go with the supposed original at Charlie Gitto’s on the Hill.

The landmark of Italian dining in St. Louis serves up a toasted ravioli that is crispy and crunchy yet brimming with meat and sprinkled like a snowstorm with Parmesan cheese. Put most simply on the menu as “the original”, my waiter quickly tells me that yes this is the original. He seems to be defending a sensitive spot, an honor that no one on these grounds would question. I imagine at Mamma’s it is a different toasted ravioli story.  Regardless of who invented these fried pillows of goodness, I’m happy that I took the fork in the road to St. Louis to sample its one and only accidental toasted ravioli. Now to find a store to purchase the next size up in pants…

Have you had toasted ravioli in St. Louis?

Just a few things to keep in mind, please only submit one post per person each week. Your submission must be travel related. Please leave a link to your post in the comment box below rather than sending it to me on Twitter, Facebook, etc. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission. Anything left past Friday will be carried over into next week’s submissions. I will get busy promoting the articles by the end of the day on Sunday. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my stumbles on Stumbleupon and “like” me on Facebook to make sure I give your post the attention it deserves. Check back here next Monday to see if your submission made my five favorites of the week.

The 5 Favorites of Last Week

“Is Fear Keeping You From Traveling?” From I Will Travel

Submitted by Will

Will breaks down notions of failure in the traveling sense. While many tell him he is going to fail by relocating from Canada to South America, he dissects just why those fears of failure should not keep you from traveling.

“Sunrise at Mount Masada: A Bright and Cheery Photo Essay” From A Passion and a Passport

Submitted by Jessica

Woken up at 3 in the morning, Jessica makes the trek up Mount Masada to see the sun rise over the Dead Sea. She shares her photos of the sunrise up atop Israel.

“My Solo-Travel Nightmare: Company” From Pegs On The Line

Submitted by Megan

When a best friend presented the idea of joining Megan’s travels, she panics. As a fan of solo travel, she struggles with having to answer to another person, specifically a good friend while traveling. Megan details just why she told her friend that she couldn’t make the trip and thus avoids her solo travel nightmare of company.

“Biking Around Ireland” From Travel Mindset

Submitted by Jade

Celeste composes this piece for Travel Mindset on biking through the west coast of Ireland. She describes this trip through Ireland’s western countryside as a way to not just see the scenery but to in essence become a part of it.

“Walking Northwest Seattle” From Gluten Free Travel

Submitted by Adina

Sometimes the best way to envision a place is not by touring its major sights, but merely taking a stroll through a neighborhood and soaking up all the details. Adina does just that as she takes us through her neighborhood in northwest Seattle.

Don’t forget to leave your submission in the comment box below. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission.

Just a few things to keep in mind, please only submit one post per person each week. Your submission must be travel related. Please leave a link to your post in the comment box below rather than sending it to me on Twitter, Facebook, etc. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission. Anything left past Friday will be carried over into next week’s submissions. I will get busy promoting the articles by the end of the day on Sunday. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my stumbles on Stumbleupon and “like” me on Facebook to make sure I give your post the attention it deserves. Check back here next Monday to see if your submission made my five favorites of the week.

The 5 Favorites of Last Week

“Mermaids Are Real (We Have Proof)!” From The Gypsy Nester

Submitted by the Gypsy Nesters

The Gypsy Nesters head to the northwest coast of Florida to catch a glimpse at mermaids. They attend a mermaid show, an idea popularized around the 1950s as a way to bring in tourists. Their experience presents an “only in America” type feel.

“My Visit to a Tropical Paradise Islands: Koh Bulon—Thailand” From Lash World Tour

Submitted by Lash

While it might have been rough seas out to Koh Bulon, a Thai island, Lash finds a place deserted by tourists, a tropical island paradise. She settles into her thatched bungalow and gets lost on the island, taking strolls through rubber plantations and snorkeling through Bulon’s reefs.

“100 Days of Travel” From Indefinite Adventure

Submitted by Sam

The guys behind Indefinite Adventure recount what 100 days of travel has looked like for them. They detail their top experiences from hiking mountains in southern Patagonia to food highlights in Buenos Aires.

“Dozing Off Under the Northern Lights…What Could Be Better” From A Pair of Boots and a Backpack

Submitted by Kristin

In a truly unique hotel experience, Kristin shares what it is like to truly sleep under the Northern Lights. She sets up camp at a hotel comprised of glass igloos, a design that facilitates truly sleeping underneath the Northern Lights.

“Diving with Sharks at Osprey Reef” From Wanderlusters

Submitted by Charli

The Wanderlusters take us diving with sharks at Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. Their experience is not your average tourist attraction shark dive where you are submerged comfortably behind a cage. The Wanderlusters get up close and personal with sharks for a truly nail biting experience.

Don’t forget to leave your submission in the comment box below. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission.

I spend the beginning of my week going back to class. I’m making an attempt to discover pieces of my native city that I never considered before as my far away travels remain on hold. I’m also mingling with college students along Ninth Street Historic Park, a practice that both makes me feel old and young at the same time, much like this area of the city can. Ninth Street Historic Park so secretly perches in the heart of Auraria Campus. Auraria Campus encompasses three educational institutions, the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver and the University of Colorado at Denver. Before Auraria Campus became a campus, it began as a settlement laid out in October of 1858 by the Russel brothers from Georgia. Their town of Auraria would suggest why some brothers came all the way from Georgia to the Wild West. The name of Auraria translated as “gold region”.

Auraria would link up to another early pioneer town, perhaps one better known today as Denver. The town was originally comprised of people from Germany and Ireland. After the turn of the century, Jewish and Hispanic families settled into Auraria. Traces of this past neighborhood and town were threatened in 1969. Plans were made to turn the area into the Auraria Campus. That plan would clear 127 acres including the double-sided block of Ninth Street. History would be cleared so that students could read about what once was and study up on the past to understand the present. Luckily Historic Denver wouldn’t allow this to happen. The organization raised the funds to preserve fourteen structures along Ninth Street. Their act of salvation restored the structures so that they could become a part of the campus in 1977.

I take the self-guided walking tour of the oldest of Denver’s restored blocks. At each restored Victorian home, there is a weathered plaque detailing who lived within the walls, what they did, in essence their story. I make out a few of these etchings to learn about the architecture of Ninth Street. In general, the block tells of middle class housing in the late 19^th century. Two homes hail from 1872, making them territorial. They were here before Colorado was. Colorado became a state in 1876. The Centennial House is one of those old timers, often believed to be the oldest brick residence left standing in Denver.

I watch as students casually flap the door open of the old Groussman Store. Today it is a chain sandwich shop but back when Auraria was a golden community, it was a corner grocery story. It tells the viewer what commercial architecture in Denver looked like. In fact, it is one of the few examples of turn of the century commercial architecture left in this town.

At the end or beginning of Ninth Street Park depending on how you look at it, there is a home that stands out. The Knight House was often called the most perfectly proportional and tastefully embellished Victorian house in Denver. A bookkeeper for a flourmill called it home back then. While not every home on this historic block is as visually striking, they all tell of the lives of candy makers, carpenters, railroad engineers and dentists who made this a neighborhood. It is no wonder that Ninth Street Historic Park has made it on to the National Register of Historic Places.

I make one last loop of this park, past students in tie-dye with tired eyes. Without their presence, in many ways, you could call this Denver’s time capsule, an avenue for seeing what working class Colorado once looked like. And yet without the students’ presence, in many ways, this park wouldn’t exist. Perhaps some other plan would have come along at another time and historic preservation wouldn’t have been considered. The contrast of old and new is all the more present and powerful with the lounging of students across history. I step out of this time capsule and back into Denver’s present. Such a trip often costs a pretty penny, but not on the corner of Ninth Street.

Have you ever been to Ninth Street Historic Park? Is their a preserved part of your city similar to it, one that was saved from the wrecking ball?

Just a few things to keep in mind, please only submit one post per person each week. Your submission must be travel related. Please leave a link to your post in the comment box below rather than sending it to me on Twitter, Facebook, etc. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission. Anything left past Friday will be carried over into next week’s submissions. I will get busy promoting the articles by the end of the day on Sunday. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my stumbles on Stumbleupon and “like” me on Facebook to make sure I give your post the attention it deserves. Check back here next Monday to see if your submission made my five favorites of the week.

The 5 Favorites of Last Week

“Just Another Day in Kotor, Montenegro: An Archaeological Dig, Friendly Felines and Mammoth Strawberries” From Tricia A. Mitchell

Submitted by Tricia

Tricia takes us to Kotor, Montenegro. From the journey there to the historic details, archeological remains and tasty food markets, she has the reader yearning to stroll this ancient city’s streets.

“The Sizzle in Algeciras” From Belinda Beckett

Submitted by Belinda 

Some destinations don’t have the best of reputations. Belinda points out the many negatives used to describe Algeciras, Spain. Rather than seeing Algeciras by its negatives, she sets out on a travel challenge and finds a few reasons to love this Spanish “industrial port city”.

“The Story of the Russian Visa” From Colleen Brynn Travels

Submitted by Colleen

Colleen puts her passport in the hands of another to sort out her visa for Russia. When it is mailed back to her, she waits and waits and waits. As no passport arrives for weeks, she is forced to accept the inevitable and miss out on a trip. Colleen has us on the edge of our seats as to how this predicament turns out.

“12 Reasons To Take A Round The World Trip” From World Family Travel

Submitted by Alyson

Once winter is over, I can always use a bit of a kick in the pants in terms of travel. Alyson provides that kick with 12 reasons to take a round the world trip. From the changes of the self to the pushing of limits, the post gives us a number of reasons to pack our bags now.

“Eat, Sleep, Love; Cordoba” From Andalucia Diary

Submitted by Andrew

Lastly Andrew has us eating, sleeping and loving Cordoba. As he gets lost down its narrow alleyways, he discovers one of Andalucia’s more mysterious cities.

Don’t forget to leave your submission in the comment box below. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission.

In that brief instant at the gate, we broke candy and sat in that moment. Travel was just across the jetway. Recently I have been drawn back to this moment at 18 years old. That was my life at that moment, solely focused on travel and where it was going to lead me. Little did I know, that this trip would spur others to Italy that would eventually take me to the life I face beginning now. With my wedding just over four months away, life has detoured the ways of my traveling soul. The details of getting married can be all consuming, leaving me searching for save the dates and wedding cake vendors instead of flights and hotels. Living has clouded the importance that I place on travel in my life, career and existence. 

I am not the only one that feels this way. I receive emails frequently asking how to make travel work with money, with a career or with a fixed home. Frankly it isn’t easy to juggle life and travel, especially when a major event in one’s life is just four months away. Life can always get in the way of travel, whether it be a job that ties us down, kids that keep us in a routine or a lack for funds. I am stuck in limbo until the wedding details subside and I can focus on travel again. In an effort to gain some clarity, to take travel off of the hold button, here’s how my traveling soul plans on surviving those four months when life is in the way.

When travel gets clouded

It’s the little trips

When major life events are road-blocking travels, you have to focus in on the little trips. In just over a month, I plan on exploring Chicago, a city I strangely have never been to, unless you count layovers at O’Hare. Sure, this isn’t a round-the-world adventure but I hope the little traveling stint will bring me back to a clearer traveling mind. If you have a free weekend in the midst of major life events and on goings, take a little trip. It might be small and inconsequential to other travelers, but it will recharge the traveling agenda and give a small sense of clarity. It has been a long time since I didn’t travel for a set purpose. I know that I was starting to lose that wander that only wanderlust can lend. To deal with the problem, I am taking a trip that doesn’t make sense in all of the wedding details, but one I know will recharge these travel batteries. I plan on throwing in a few of these little trips each month until August.

It’s not the Eiffel Tower but at least it’s something new.

Spend time planning the big trip every day

If travel is nowhere near the horizon for you, the mind can grow clouded with the details of life. I know this to be true, but I am gaining some clearness by focusing on my dream trip, even if it is over four months away. For the month of September, I will explore the Greek Islands and revisit Sicily. It seems a long way off when you never think about it. If you have a big trip months away or just the dream of one in the distant future, plan it. Set aside time each and every day to leave life behind and research travel instead. This will keep the traveling soul as balanced as it can be in life limbo.

Relive what travel once felt like

Some people wait a lifetime to begin traveling. They wait until their kids have grown old and the funds are finally there. I am merely waiting four months until I will be back at full travel speed. I know that once I touch down in Greece, I will be back in that travel rhythm so much so that I might ache for those comforts of my own bed at home or a more routine day. The grass is always greener when it comes to traveling and not traveling. I keep that thought in my mind in order to get through these days and months not focused on travel. If you are in a travel drought, only you can change it. You won’t make changes if you don’t relive what travel once felt like. Emotions are always what spur travel. Life gets in the way that you forget that exchange with the Italian woman over nerves and excitement. In the meantime, I will relive those moments until I am in the midst of them yet again. 

Remember this moment…

How do you deal with those time periods when travel is not a priority in your life?

Just a few things to keep in mind, please only submit one post per person each week. Your submission must be travel related. Please leave a link to your post in the comment box below rather than sending it to me on Twitter, Facebook, etc. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission. Anything left past Friday will be carried over into next week’s submissions. I will get busy promoting the articles by the end of the day on Sunday. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my stumbles on Stumbleupon and “like” me on Facebook to make sure I give your post the attention it deserves. Check back here next Monday to see if your submission made my five favorites of the week.

The 5 Favorites of Last Week

“Congratulations, British Immigration. You’ve Obviously Just Caught a Dangerous Criminal.” From Gigi Griffis

Submitted by Gigi

Gigi details her experience of being held by British Immigration and ultimately denied entry on her first try. After following all of the rules of country stays and visas, her story makes a comment on just how power tripping and random immigration officers can be.

“Boribunder to Thana: 1853 Revisited” From Red Scarab

Submitted by Priya/Anurag

The duo at Red Scarab makes a historic journey. They decide to retrace the historic 1853 train route from Bombay to Thane, the first passenger train service in India. They do this all while mirroring that first journey, 160 years ago.

“5 Reasons Why I Dislike This Type of Hotel Shower” From Flights and Frustration

Submitted by The Guy

We all discover the quirks of hotel rooms and hostels when we travel extensively. Chances are you have come across the hotel shower that the Guy takes issue with in this post.

“How Moving Abroad Will Boost Your Career” From 100 Miles Highway

Submitted by Katherina

Katherina takes a different position from the travel bloggers who make a living out of their travels. Rather she travels and maintains a job abroad. She lists out the many ways working abroad can help boost an individual’s career life.

“Exploring the Istanbul Archaeology Museums” From Museum Chick

Submitted by Danee 

Lastly this week, Danee takes us inside and outside the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. She chronicles some of the main highlights, noticing the details of the buildings themselves and the remarkable artifacts within them.

Don’t forget to leave your submission in the comment box below. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission.

In grade school, I had to memorize the Gettysburg Address. Arguably one of the greatest speeches in American history, I loved the dramatic pauses, the simplicity of its words and the lack of words. A good speech moves you to the point where your knees bend, your mouth quivers and your emotions can’t be tamed. I like to think of travel in this regard. The best trips should move you to the point where your knees bend, your mouth quivers and your emotions can’t and will not be tamed. Such a simple yet powerful speech came from Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th president of the United States. Considered one of the greatest presidents, I went to see his humble beginnings in Kentucky, to see Lincoln’s old Kentucky home. 

I envisioned those famous sketches of a log cabin. Honest Abe was born in a simple and small log cabin on February 12, 1809  just outside of Hodgenville, Kentucky . Called the Sinking Spring Farm after the spring that the Lincolns used, I make the trek up 56 steps to the spot where the cabin used to stand.

Today, a reconstructed version lords over within a grand neoclassical monument. The original is long gone, but I can still sense humility here. Travel can show you that no matter where you come from, your home, your final chapter can tell a very different tale. Where and how we travel through the world is not limited to where we came from in the end. It can influence our journey yet it never dictates it.

I make the journey 10 miles up the road to visit where Lincoln spent a little more time, the first home that he remembered. Abraham Lincoln’s Boyhood Home at Knob Creek served as the Lincoln residence from 1811 to 1816. The family lived on 30 acres of 228 acres at Knob Creek.

Deserted with not a park ranger in sight, I admire a field where a future President frolicked. Lincoln said his earliest recollection took place at Knob Creek. It was the first time he witnessed slavery, a practice that he would famously set out to abolish in the United States. Knob Creek is also home to the creek where Lincoln infamously almost drowned. If it weren’t for a childhood friend who saved him, this site would probably be meaningless.

A car pulls over to snap a quick shot of yet another Lincoln cabin, this one also a reconstruction of the family home. They pause for not more than one single moment, one click of the camera and then they are off. They have seen the famous site and must be on their way. I pause and ponder, standing on the grounds of a president that almost wasn’t and a cause that he had to see firsthand. It is both the fame of this space that makes it grand and yet also the journey that took place here. From humble beginnings and homes, Lincoln’s impact on the world truly traveled. His ideals on equality are still being tested today. I traveled down to his old Kentucky home to experience a buckling of the knees, a mouth quiver and emotions that I wouldn’t want to tame. And that is what travel should be, from one man’s humble home to a traveler’s journey.

Have you ever been to Lincoln’s birthplace and boyhood home in Kentucky? Is it important for you to seek out travels that combine famous sites and the journey?

Just a few things to keep in mind, please only submit one post per person each week. Your submission must be travel related. Please leave a link to your post in the comment box below rather than sending it to me on Twitter, Facebook, etc. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission. Anything left past Friday will be carried over into next week’s submissions. I will get busy promoting the articles by the end of the day on Sunday. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my stumbles on Stumbleupon and “like” me on Facebook to make sure I give your post the attention it deserves. Check back here next Monday to see if your submission made my five favorites of the week.

The 5 Favorites of Last Week 

“Does Marriage Really Change Everything?” From Ways of Wanderers

Submitted by Jess

Jess tackles traveling from two different life positions, in marriage or just in a long term relationship. She presents an interesting take on how she sees the challenges that might come up in marriage worked out while traveling the world.

“What’s It Like Sleeping in a Tent When It’s -20C?” From a Pair of Boots and a Backpack

Submitted by Kristin

If you don’t plan on sleeping in -20C temperatures in the Arctic, Kristin has lived through the experience for you. She outlines just what it is like to sleep in a Sami tent when the weather outside is oh so frightful. 

“Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland” From Wanderlusters

Submitted by Charli

The Wanderlusters head to the famous town of Rotorua in New Zealand to explore its geothermal activity. The post presents the eye-popping colors of the pools of the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.

“Hidden Gem: Mérida, Spain” From Indefinite Adventure

Submitted by Sam

Sam divulges one of his quiet corners of the world, Mérida, Spain. The small city in the region of Extremadura, Spain litters in Roman ruins and alluring day trips. Sam shares this hidden gem as part of a tour of the Iberian Peninsula. 

“It’s Cherry Blossom Time in Japan!” From GypsyNester

Submitted by The Gypsy Nesters

Lastly, the Gypsy Nesters provide us with a glimpse of the cherry blossoms blooming in Japan. With luck on their side for catching Japan right at the peak of the season, they show us a little bit more than just blooming cherry blossoms including a taste of rose water ice.

Don’t forget to leave your submission in the comment box below. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission.

Just a few things to keep in mind, please only submit one post per person each week. Your submission must be travel related. Please leave a link to your post in the comment box below rather than sending it to me on Twitter, Facebook, etc. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission. Anything left past Friday will be carried over into next week’s submissions. I will get busy promoting the articles by the end of the day on Sunday. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my stumbles on Stumbleupon and “like” me on Facebook to make sure I give your post the attention it deserves. Check back here next Monday to see if your submission made my five favorites of the week.

The 5 Favorites of Last Week

“Into the Heart of Lesotho” From TrekWorld

Submitted by Shara

Shara and her husband travel through the heart of Lesotho, a country completely surrounded by South Africa. Not often on most travelers’ radar, with each experience and detail that she recounts of the journey, the reader feels like they too are crossing into uncharted territory.

“Climbing Mount Jebel Toubkal in Morocco” From Holiday Nomad

Submitted by Freya

Freya decides to climb the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, beginning first with Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa. She conveys the drama of this climb from the bitter cold to the danger befalling hikers up ahead.

“Training for Paris” From All Things Paris

Submitted by Erin

Most budget saving tip posts are pretty straightforward. Don’t eat out. Keep your loose change in a jar. Erin wants to discover what it’s like to actually live in Paris for a time. In order to afford the adventure, she lists out the many ways she is saving, ways you might not always think of in the end.

“The Hunger Games in Guia” From Matthew Hirtes

Submitted by Matthew

Matthew always presents pockets of Gran Canaria that I have never heard of, including Guia, cheese capital of the island. With its two mouth-watering famous types of cheese and even its own festival of cheese, he makes us hungry for Guia.

“Let’s Get Off Our High Horses—Full Time Travel Isn’t the Only Way to Travel!” From Suitcase Stories

Submitted by Nicole

Suitcase Stories has a simple and succinct message about travel. As full time travelers, they could tell everyone that this is the only true form of traveling. However, they do the opposite, encouraging travel at any length and fashion. 

Don’t forget to leave your submission in the comment box below. You have until the end of the day on Friday to leave your submission.