Rich62's VirtualTourist Home Page

Born in California, raised in Colorado, living in Nebraska since 1972. I am a retired teacher, and owner of a small business. My wife and I love to travel when we can, although on a restricted budget, so nothing fancy. But we have a lot of fun. One thing we like to do is visit college campuses all across the country, where I often add to my T-shirt collection.* (photo: sunset on Lake Michigan, at the town of Benton Harbor, Michigan)

Our favorite place in the world to visit is the coast of Maine. Everywhere you go there are fantastic sights to see, people to meet, great food to eat. Camden, Boothbay, Kittery, and Damriscotta are only a few of the coastal towns that are such fun to visit. One tip: visit the Stonewall Kitchens headquarters in York, Maine if you like delicous jams, mustards, etc. (See my travel pages for more info and a picture.) Freeport, Maine is the home of L.L. Bean and lots of outlet shopping plus Harraseeket's Lobster (again, see travel pages.).*

I grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Colorado State University, one of the four best schools in the state, is located here (the others: Univ. of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado School of Mines in Golden, and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs). Just to the west of town is seven-mile long Horsetooth Reservoir, where my parents and I could catch our limit of Rainbow Trout anytime we wanted. You can still go fishing there, but the increase in population has put more pressure on the fish and reduced your chances somewhat. Ft. Collins is a town of about 130,000 people. It was a wonderful place to grow up.*

What a great town to live in. population about 30,000. A respected medical center that serves an area the size of Indiana. Home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney, or "UNK". My wife and I love college sports and attend many of the games. As I write this, the UNK volleyball team is ranked #1 in the nation among division 2 schools. We have a nice selection of restaurants in town (try Pane Bello or Sidneys) and if you are visiting, there are a number of quality motels near the Kearney exit on Interstate 80, and several are relatively new. Plus we have the incredible "Arch" which actually straddles Interstate 80! (What is it? Go to my travel pages, click on Kearney and go to the travel tips.) Kearney is a clean and friendly town where people will smile and say "hi" to you even if they don't know you. We are lucky to live here.*

Arguably America's most beautiful city. Especially by night. So much to see, and the Metro is a great mass transit system to get you there. See the Kennedy Center, the Watergate complex, Union Station, The Vietnam Memorial, Korean Memorial, World War II Memorial, and so much more. Visit Georgetown, George Washington University, the White House, the Supreme Court, the National Archives, and of course the many superb museums of the Smithsonian Institution.*

We often visit family in Mishawaka, Indiana, near South Bend. In South Bend we never tire of strolling the Notre Dame campus. Now that's what a college campus is supposed to look like! On our most recent visit to Indiana, we stopped at Butler University in Indianapolis, and specifically went to see the Butler Field House. Why? Because my wife's favorite movie is "Hoosiers", and the final championship game was filmed in the Butler fieldhouse. Also, if you love wine, be sure to stop at the Oliver Winery about ten miles north of town (see my "off the beaten path" travel tip for "North Indianapolis").*

We often visit the Austin area in Texas, and have also visited Houston and San Antonio. Do not miss the River Walk in San Antonio. It makes every town in America wish they had a canal! Of course, the Alamo is nearby and you should not miss that either. Fredericksburg is a very interesting town with great German food, wineries and shops. Or check out the town of Salado, right by I-35 north of Austin. Lots of art shops & other interesting browsing.*

We were able to visit Boston in May of 2008. As a former history teacher, Boston was fascinating to me. To walk the Freedom Trail is probably the greatest self-guided tour in America. There is much to see and do, including the famous Duck Boat Tours, which go from the streets of Boston right into the Charles River.