It seemed fitting to focus on some of America's natural wonders this week in honor of its birthday. Here are some photos taken in the Yellowstone National Park area in 1964. Some or all of them are souvenir slides, which explains the random strangers featured in them! Enjoy....
We live in such a beautiful country. It makes me proud to be an American.
These photos were taken by Joan and Sid in June of 1979 while they were on the Isle of Capri, Italy for my parents' wedding. Film photography does an excellent job of capturing the Capri light and the colors...As amazing as digital photography is, it just can't quite compare.
Jonathan and I traveled to Capri in August of 2010. You can see some of my own photos of Capri here.
In the heart of northwest Mississippi is the small town of Oxford, home of the University of Mississippi.
Other than the University, the crown jewel of Oxford is the historic town square. It has been painstakingly preserved and is home to the beautiful courthouse and many of the best restaurants in the city. The smells alone are worth a visit. After a meal, visitors and locals alike enjoy people watching and strolling through the many quaint, locally owned shops. Square Books, Off Square Books and Neilson's Department Store are our personal favorites, and we rarely leave town without a new book or three.
A short walk from the square leads to Ole Miss where the Lyceum, Ventress Hall and the Grove are the most well known and photographed landmarks. While we are partial to Oxford in the spring and early summer, everyone should experience football season in Oxford at least once. Tailgating is an art form, the people watching is off the charts and of course SEC football is the best in the country.
Oxford is distinctly Southern with a rich literary history and a growing reputation as a mecca for food and the arts. April is a great time to visit -- there's the Double Decker Arts Festival on April 25 and 26 and plenty of Ole Miss sports to enjoy the rest of the month.
I want to have a picnic in the Grove before the summer heat sets in....
A few miles down the road from Oxford, Mississippi is the village of Taylor. Taylor occupies 4.1 miles and boasts a population of less than 500. To call it a village is a bit of an overstatement, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in charm.
It's the kind of place where dogs sit in the back of pickup trucks while their owners eat dinner at Taylor Grocery, the local catfish joint. Dogs, rusty pick up trucks and tin roofs are the norm here. The pace is slow. The line in front of the restaurant is out the door, so everyone drinks their beverage of choice in the parking lot while they wait. On certain nights, a local band serenades patrons while they eat dinner off red and white checked tablecloths. The grilled catfish is delicious, the hushpuppies are decadent and the only thing missing from the entire experience is sweet tea served in Mason jars. When the rest of the world thinks of the South, they think of a place like Taylor. Taylor doesn't disappoint.
And just to further prove that we're crazy about dogs in the South, here are a few photos of our dog Porter playing with his new lab cousin Easton.
Neither one would sit in the back of a truck to wait for us to finish dinner.
City dogs...
