Two things brought me back to Orlando for the third time in the past year: the color pink, and the chance to see what’s been called “America’s Team” in person. On top of that, I got to try some off-brand KFC that punished my body the next day, so that’s exciting. As with my previous two trips to the area, I didn’t do a lot of sightseeing. Disney and theme parks aren’t my thing, even when there’s not a pandemic going on. Still, it’s hard to escape the tourist-dependent landscape of central Florida, even when you’re not here for touristy purposes. While college football bowl games are normally a massive haul for tourism, 2020 has taken its toll on all of that. Unlike my previous bowl game in Montgomery, I couldn’t buy just a single ticket ... read more

Where did I go this weekend? Here are a few hints: a smokey dog, an iconic checkerboard, and a unique shade of orange. Still stumped? Before I tell you, let's keep it real for a minute. I saw a headline through the windows of the journalism building this morning that scared me: “AP News: New Covid-19 Strain Spreads Faster Than Previous Versions.” My heart stopped, wondering if I was unknowingly taking part in a new disaster movie. Much of 2020 has felt that way. But it’s not the disaster movie we all expected; most of us take precautions while others act like nothing is out of the ordinary. We’ve even got a new pair of vaccines being rolled out just in time for the holidays. But that doesn’t mean that everything has gone back to normal, ... read more

No tourist attractions exist along the eastern flanks of Laramie. Everything you’d want to see as a tourist ends once you get to Wal-Mart on Grand Avenue on your way out of town. The interstate is only about a mile past Wal-Mart, but as I pass by, trepidation fills my chest. Am I really doing this? Am I actually going to see the site where Matthew Shepard was murdered on a cold night in October 1998? That seems like it happened so long ago now, but somehow it never gets old to me. Some things just can’t get old, no matter how often the subject comes up or how much time passes. It was a moment of clarity in my own young life, and in the lives of many others, from what I hear. The murder ... read more

*This post is NOT about football. More properly, though, it’s about what to do when there ISN’T any football in a college town on a football weekend. The football game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and Georgia Bulldogs, scheduled for Saturday at 4:00 PM, was postponed due to Covid issues in the Vanderbilt program. What resulted for this writer was the opportunity to explore the treasures that Athens, GA, has to offer to a visitor, or even a native, when football leaves a big hole in your plans for the weekend. Spoiler Alert: It involves lots of good food and pleasant strolls in the crisp December weather. Friday 6:00 PM. Enjoy a quiet meal at one of Athens’s premiere restaurants, DePalma’s Italian Café on Broad Street. It’s right across from the big University of Georgia sign on ... read more

Central Florida—land of palm trees, cool breezes, and 5 short rainstorms every afternoon. Also home to the most theme parks in the world. On Saturday, I saw several palm trees, enjoyed the cool breezes, and only endured 2 of those rainstorms. And my faithful readers will be happy to know that I successfully avoided all the theme parks. In these Covid times, only one thing gets me to travel: college football. Yeah, I know I’m weird. But as long as it’s outdoors, and I’ve got my mask, and other people are being at least somewhat responsible with distancing and mask-wearing, I don’t feel too bad. But boy, has the 2020 college football season been weird. Tell me something I don’t know, right? All the prognosticators are saying that if a team from a lower conference has ... read more