Grave of Marion "Sam" Cree, Mapleton Over the years I have made numerous trips up the Thousand Steps Trail, which is located in Jacks Narrows between Mapleton and Mount Union, and every trip has been a new learning experience. On this particular trip it wasn’t history or geology I was learning, but a piece of … Continue reading Sam Cree’s “God Bless America”
Years ago I had the opportunity to spend a week in Los Angeles when my mother's work took her there. Having never been in southern California before, I went along to do some touring. While most visitors would have been enjoying the beaches or visiting the sights around Hollywood, I was on a different schedule. … Continue reading Les Brown and The Band of Renown
Grave of Jim Croce We were getting off of Route 202 in the community of Frazer in Chester County when “You Don’t Mess around with Jim” came on the radio. A strange silence came over the vehicle as the song filled the air. “Do you think it is a good sign or a bad sign … Continue reading You Don’t Mess Around With Jim Croce
Grave of James "Jimmy" Dorsey A trip through Pennsylvania’s coal country found me in the small community of Shenandoah Heights, on the northern edge the town of Shenandoah. The narrow street was lined with row houses and I definitely felt like an outsider as every person seemed to turn and watch as I passed. As … Continue reading The Big Band Sound of Jimmy Dorsey
I parked at the entrance to Penfield Cemetery and stepped out of the vehicle into the shaded cemetery that the sun had yet to find. Looking at the steep hillside before me, I realized I should have brought climbing gear to ascend to the grave I sought. The graves were placed on narrow ledges cut … Continue reading George Rosenkrans: A Forgotten Composer
While my mother had arrived in Los Angeles for work, my motivation was to escape the snowy, cold Pennsylvania winter. We arrived a couple days early to explore the region. Upon leaving the airport, we headed northward into the San Fernando Valley. The majority of the places I wanted to visit was in the Glendale … Continue reading Ritchie Valens
