Tourism - Mark Marchand blog

My love affair with bridges; soaring across the Hudson on foot

Post published:December 17, 2020

Most people consider bridges as structures built for convenience and safety. They are so ubiquitous that we take them for granted, scooting over them in cars, trucks, and trains without much thought. The only time we pay attention to them is when one of them fails spectacularly, like the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis 13 years ago. Fourteen people were killed and 145 injured in that catastrophe. In a similar disaster, a major bridge in Genoa, Italy, crumbled to the ground in 2018, killing 43. The public reaction to bridge tragedies is similar…

Thomas Edison’s winter home in Fort Myers. Credit: author

Fort Myers, Florida: More than just a home for MLB Spring Training

Post published:May 28, 2019

For years, I’ve been visiting Fort Meyers, Florida and the surrounding area in March, spending time watching my Boston Red Sox get ready for another campaign up north. This Southwest Florida city and the surrounding area is a terrific destination for a late-winter recreational sojourn. And it’s filled with with attractions that go well beyond the spring training homes of the Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. From nature/wildlife preserves to historical sites, there’s more than enough here to satisfy even those visitors who aren’t fans of America’s pastime. And of course there…

Viewing 20th century America through Norman Rockwell’s eyes

Post published:January 15, 2019

Before he passed away in 1978, famed illustrator Norman Rockwell offered the “secret” behind how he crafted his amazing paintings: “I love to tell stories in pictures,” he explains in a biographical video at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. He adds that what he was trying to do wasn’t “fine art.” His legions of fans would probably disagree. “The story is the first thing and the last thing,” he concludes. A visitor to the wonderful museum dedicated to Rockwell’s life and work doesn’t really need to hear those words. Each…

The Guggenheim walk

Post published:February 6, 2018

(This is the second in a series of posts about hikes I've taken through New York City and elsewhere) New York City. There is, in my opinion, no other city in the world that so easily reveals an eclectic mix of history, arts, entertainment, business/finance, retail, architecture, and simply people from literally every corner of the globe. All are slowly unveiled while walking the avenues, streets, bridges, and alleys of The Big Apple. Over the last decade, I have embarked on many New York City hikes to experience the wonders of this…