Despite the name "Golden Girl" appearing near the nose of this B-24, it's real name is "All American" and was operated by the Collings Foundation of Massachusetts. The author flew aboard the "All American" on a hop from Panama City to Crestview in March 1998. Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.
On March 4 it was my honor to fly aboard the “All American,” the world’s only operational B-24 Liberator. This World War II-era bomber, restored and operated by the Collings Foundation of Stowe, Mass., flew from Panama City Airport to… READ MORE
Julie Coble (in purple shirt) is serenaded by a gorilla during a birthday celebration at Lucky Strike Lanes in 1996. Image by Del Stone Jr.
In September 1991, I joined the Friday Nite Early Mixers, a bowling league headquartered at Lucky Strike Lanes in Fort Walton Beach. That first night was a lesson in humility for me. My brand-new ball wouldn’t hit the big side… READ MORE
Image courtesy of Picryl under a Creative Commons license.
Greetings from Stockholm, where I am receiving the Nobel Prize for chemistry. I thought invite you, but only people with IQs above 185 are allowed. I have been very busy the past year. I not only conquered my fear of… READ MORE
Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.
Today’s cat itinerary: 5 a.m. – Sit outside the big guy’s door and meow frantically as if to shout, “The house is on fire!” When he’s standing in front of you, wild-eyed and hair sticking out at crazy angles and… READ MORE
Christine and Rainer's factory has seen better days after decades of misuse and neglect by Soviet occupiers. Image by Del Stone Jr.
Their names are Christine and Rainer, and they live in what used to be the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany. Now things are better. They own a small factory, across the street from their house, which produces rubber parts…. READ MORE
Dachau is a testament to the German sense of order and efficiency. The camp is a huge box surrounded by a moat and two rows of fencing. Guard towers overlook the perimeter. The interior consists of an administration building and quarters for the guards, plus row upon row of box-like plywood structures to house the inmates. Image by Del Stone Jr.
It was hot the day we came to Dachau. The air was thin and unbreathable, the sun boring through the haze with a strange determination. Absolutely nothing should be right with a place where hundreds of thousands of people were… READ MORE
This is a look back at the restaurant that occupies Eagle's Nest, Adolf Hitler's mountaintop retreat in Bavaria during World War II. Image by Del Stone Jr.
A river runs through the little town of Bertchesgaden, Germany – a clear, blue ribbon of foam, as pretty as a river can be. The river tumbles down from mountains that ring the village like a crown reaching into the… READ MORE
Germans refer to Berlin as the world's biggest construction project. Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.
The drive from Leipzig to Berlin, in what was once East Germany, carries you from the past into the future. The past begins on the autobahn, which in some places still uses the cobblestone-like ext and entry ramps of the… READ MORE
Greenery is abundant, even in German cities. Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.
When I got back from my trip to Europe, Staff Writer Bruce Rolfsen asked me, “How many columns are you gonna milk this trip for?” I answered, “Oh, about 14.” He laughed. I laughed. As I mentally laid out Column… READ MORE
The author snapped this photo of the Delta jetliner he flew aboard to Germany. In the column he referred to it as a DC-10 but in all probability it was an MD-11. Image courtesy of Del Stone Jr.
A large group of my friends – large enough to physically overpower me – escorted me to the airport for my recent trip to Europe. They know I’m a weenie about flying (as if I hadn’t collapsed into their arms… READ MORE