Twelve Mile Circle – An Appreciation of Unusual Places

Tag: Atlantic Ocean

  • Angra do Heroísmo

    Terceira, The Azores (Açores), Portugal (March 2001) Angra do Heroísmo (map) has been important to Portuguese history since the 16th Century. Traditionally it provided a convenient central landing point in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Here, mariners could rest, resupply and shelter their ships as they plied the trade routes between Europe, Africa and…

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 9 (Lists)

    I like to count a bunch of different things and that didn’t change simply because I went on vacation. If anything, it actually accelerated it. I’m always looking for opportunities to grow my lists. So I thought I’d wrap-up this final article in the Bermuda series with a summary of my progress. Parish Counting I…

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 5 (St. George )

    We spent our first three days in and around the Town of St. George and the surrounding parish of the same name. Bermuda didn’t have many actual towns per se. Hamilton seemed more like a small city. On the other hand, St. George actually felt like a town. Everywhere else just sort of sprawled across…

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 1 (Follow the Leader)

    I’d never seen Bermuda. It simply never rose to the top of my travel list. I never thought much about it actually. I wanted to see so many other places. Nonetheless, the opportunity dropped into my lap so I took it. My wife the runner who worked for a race company went there on business.…

  • Tybee Island Light Station

    Tybee Island, Georgia, USA (July 2006) The Tybee Island light station sits a pleasant 18 mile drive east of Savannah (map). From there, visitors can overlook Georgia’s Atlantic coast and the mouth of the Savannah River. The beautifully restored facilities mirror their original condition. Admission requires a modest fee.  This allows visitors to climb all…

  • Aircraft Carrier, Part 8 (Other Spaces and Places)

    I certainly enjoyed my all-too-brief time on the USS John C. Stennis and hopefully I can get another opportunity to do it again someday.  However, all things must end so I’ll tie-up a few remaining threads so we can move on to further adventures. Museum A museum on an aircraft carrier?  Sure, why not.  Behind…

  • Aircraft Carrier, Part 7 (Always Working)

    The USS John C. Stennis had only been out to sea for a couple of days when we visited.  Morale remained high with the crew so early into their voyage, with absolute professionalism in whatever jobs they performed.  We watched everyday activities as they took place, the many parts that worked together keeping a warship…

  • Aircraft Carrier, Part 6 (Feeding Time)

    Jets roared from the deck of the USS John C. Stennis around the clock, the most visible sign of its power.  However, the ship needed thousands of people to keep this one vital function going and they all needed to be fed around the clock.  The massive effort to procure, load, store, cook and clean…

  • Aircraft Carrier, Part 5 (Living Aboard)

    The USS John C. Stennis felt like an otherworldly city, with some things strange and others more familiar.  For example, the Internet did not exist there, at least not for us, and neither did mobile phones.  Scarce satellite bandwidth had to be doled out.  Sailors could check email every once in awhile; short-term visitors such…

  • Aircraft Carrier, Part 4 (The Island)

    From the surface of the flight deck, one feature stood literally above all the rest. A superstructure rose several stories into the sky, with a commanding view of everything happening on and around the ship. The Navy called this feature the “Island.” Funny, I kind-of thought of the whole aircraft carrier as an island, completely…