Scout Adventure #17 // Shenandoah National Park

On the walls of the lodges at Shenandoah National Park are framed photographs of the notorious Blue Ridge Mountains. If captured just right, the misty mountains appear as a blue gradient. 

That bluish color is actually hydrocarbons being released by plants into the atmosphere (thanks, Wikipedia). All the plants work together to create the blue haze characteristic of the area. Increasingly, haze is also being produced by pollution, and the visibility is decreasing.

It seems you can't see as far as you used to, but there's still a big sky out there. I stood on our balcony playing with my cell phone as the sun set trying to replicate what other photographers had captured. Zoom in. No, zoom out a little. Tap to focus. Click. Sigh. Repeat.

After a few tries, I almost threw my phone over the balcony. I guess there are some things cell phones just can't capture.

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So, I put the phone aside. (Confession: This was after a few gratuitous "I'm on vacation drinking wine!" photos.) We sat on our balcony in silence for a long while, just enjoying the quiet that comes with being in the mountains. And without the constant push notifications calling us to our phones, we were really able to relax.

Those few hours were better than any picture I could have captured.

5 Castles in North America and the Stories Behind Them

Castles are one of the prime tourist attractions of Europe and the Middle East. These romantic fortresses and royal homes make for great photographs and fascinating reading. They offer an insight into history and are an easy sell to kids. But you don’t have to cross the Atlantic to see them. Back around the turn of the last century, there was a boom in the number of millionaires in Canada and the United States. Industry was expanding and fortunes were being made, for some. It was called the Gilded Age, golden for the rich, rotten for the working class. The new millionaires, many of whom started from modest circumstances, wanted to show off their wealth, and what better way to do that than to build a castle? After all, the rich in Europe had them. Castles starting popping up all across North America. And now, many of these exclusive playgrounds for the rich are open to visitors.

(above) Casa Loma and part of its garden. Photo courtesy flickr user InSapphoWeTrust.

Casa Loma

Familiar to every local schoolchild, Casa Loma (pictured above) is one of Toronto’s best-loved landmarks. This stately home was built by Sir Henry Pellat in 1914. Sir Pellat was one of a handful of millionaires who were said to “own” Canada. He made vast sums wiring Toronto for electricity and speculating in mining and other businesses. He poured much of his fortune into making his dream castle. The final price was $3.5 million, more than $40 million in today’s dollars.

Hallways of Italian marble lead to oak-paneled libraries filled with rare books, a soaring Great Hall that looks like something out of the Middle Ages, and a conservatory with a huge stained-glass skylight. Every room is filled with antiques, including Louis XIV furniture and suits of armor. There’s even an exact replica of the Coronation Chair from Westminster Abbey, where monarchs are crowned, as well as the Stone of Scone, the legendary coronation stone of Scottish kings.

Sadly, Pellat only got to live in his castle for a few years before unwise investments and an economic slump left him deeply in debt. He had to sell off Casa Loma. It was eventually reopened as a tourist attraction in 1937 and is a popular wedding venue and school field trip. The castle is also a favorite for filmmakers, with rooms being used in scenes in movies from Robocop to X-Men.

Thornewood Castle in North America

Classical statues in the English garden at Thornewood. Photo courtesy Joe Mabel.

Thornewood Castle

While Sir Pellat was building a replica castle in Toronto, millionaire Chester Thorne of Tacoma, Washington, was getting the real thing. In 1907, he bought a 400-year-old Elizabethan manor in England, dismantled it, and reassembled it on a beautiful spread of land by American Lake with a stunning view of Mount Rainier. It was all a gift for his beloved wife.

Thorne had an eye for period detail. The windows are Renaissance stained glass from European churches. The main oak staircase is older than the home itself and constructed in a medieval style that uses no nails.

Unlike Sir Pellat, Thorne kept his money and lived in his castle the rest of his life, cared for by 40 servants, plus 28 gardeners who tended the English garden that will make you feel like you’re at Hampton Court, not the outskirts of Tacoma!

While Thornewood Castle remains a private home, it offers a bed and breakfast and weddings.

Castle in North America - Castello di Amorosa

Castello di Amorosa. Photo courtesy Dhinal Chheda.

Castello di Amorosa Winery

Of all the North American castles, this one is the most authentic. Ironically, it’s also the most recent. It was built in the style of a 13th century castle from Tuscany by the owners of V. Sattui Winery near Calistoga, California, in the famous Napa Valley. It makes for an unusual stop on your wine tour.

So many faux medieval buildings turn out to be cheesy, but here the builders got it right. Standing in the main courtyard, you feel like you’re in one of the medieval castles of rural Italy, so much so that it comes as a bit of a shock to ascend one of the towers and see the parking lot right outside. The Great Hall is hits the eye with elaborate medieval scenes vividly painted on the walls. The people of the Middle Ages loved bright colors and would have felt at home here. There’s also a functioning Catholic chapel, a moat complete with drawbridge, and even a torture chamber for those who complain about the wine.

Like all good castles, it’s supposed to be haunted and there is, of course, a ghost tour. Considering Castello di Amorosa was completed in 2007, this must be the youngest ghost on record!

Aerial view of Boldt Castle.

Aerial view of Boldt Castle. Photo courtesy Teresa Mitchell.

Boldt Castle

Another fine replica of a castle is found on Heart Island, one of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York. This one has a sad story attached to it. Back in 1900, the millionaire George Boldt, owner of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, decided to built a fairytale castle for his wife. Sadly, Boldt’s wife died in 1904 before it was finished. Boldt called the workmen and told them to put down their tools.

For 73 years the castle deteriorated until it was purchased and lovingly restored by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority. Now Boldt Castle draws visitors from both sides of the border who visit many of the 120 rooms, look out from the towers for lovely views of the river, and stroll in the Italian gardens. The restoration crew was careful to furnish the rooms the way Boldt had originally intended in a refined fin de siècle style.

Boldt Castle is available for weddings and the local yacht club is popular for New York’s and Canada’s well-to-do, who enjoy plying the waters around Heart Island and examining the castle’s rare steam-powered yacht from 1892. Renovations are continuing, so if you’ve already visited this compelling attraction, it’s worth a repeat visit.

Heart Castle - North American Castle

The Roman pool at Hearst Castle. Photo courtesy Wikipedia user King of Hearts.

Hearst Castle

Of all the millionaires of the Gilded Age, the greatest had to have been newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who brought entertainment and news to the masses with sensational yellow journalism. He fomented war fever against Spain in 1898 and then made millions selling newspapers about the fighting. He was the model for the millionaire in Citizen Kane.

Near the end of his life he built this imposing modern castle of 165 rooms set within more than 125 acres of gardens and pools atop a wooded hill just outside San Simeon, California. Completed in 1947, Hearst Castle is like something from another time. Grandiose buildings such as this were things of the previous generation, but Hearst never did anything by half measures.

There are two vast, Classical-style pools, one inside and one outside, that look like something from a Roman emperor’s palace. The Gothic study has a vaulted wooden ceiling with Medieval-style paintings. The rooms are stuffed with Heart’s vast collection of art, with fine examples of ancient Egyptian statuary, Renaissance religious paintings, and a floor covered in a genuine Roman mosaic. The dining room is paneled in wood from early European churches and features Renaissance tapestries.

Scout Adventure #16 // Somaliland: Visiting a Country that Doesn’t Exist

One morning I woke up nowhere. It was a really noisy nowhere. Outside the window of my clean, brand-new hotel room, a muezzin was singing the call to prayer over a loudspeaker. Trucks and cars were honking in the street below, and the sound of jackhammers and bulldozers from half a dozen construction sites showed that nowhere was building up fast.

I was in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, a country on the Red Sea in East Africa recognized by no other nation in the world.

above: At the center of Hargeisa stands this defiant independence memorial showing the people of Somaliland declaring independence despite deadly bombing from the government in Mogadishu.

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The countryside is littered with the wreckage of past wars.

Somaliland emerged from the northern part of Somalia during the 1991 civil war, a bitter conflict of clans fighting clans that continues in southern Somalia. In between Somaliland and Somalia proper is the Horn of Africa, a region that is now the unrecognized nation called Puntland, infamous for being a safe haven for pirates. In contrast to these two forms of chaos, Somaliland has a functioning government, the rule of law, a viable if precarious economy, and held free and fair elections in 2010.

It’s also open to tourism, although there are few facilities for visitors outside of Hargeisa. Somaliland is not a sightseeing destination. There are no museums and few places of historic interest that have survived the ravages of war. It is the country and culture itself that are worthy of a visit.

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These trucks brave the wild route to Mogadishu to trade. While they have to pay protection money to each local clan and Al Shabab, good money can still be made on this run.

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The Somalis are traditionally a culture of herders, and even in the capital livestock rule the streets.

Somali culture is traditionally based on the clan system, with many people still living semi-nomadic lives herding camels, goats, and other livestock in the arid region. Animal exports are an important part of the economy, as is money coming in from Somalis living abroad. Many of these expats, seeing how Somaliland has stabilized over the past two decades, have returned to invest in the local economy. Businesses and hotels are springing up everywhere and the two main cities, Hargeisa and the port of Berbera, are undergoing a construction boom. The port is also a vital source of income, being the main shipping outlet for neighboring Ethiopia.

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An Indian supermarket in Hargeisa. Entrepreneurs have come from all over the world to set up shop in Somaliland. Most of them go to Hargeisa and there’s a noticeable income disparity between the capital and the rest of the country.

Money is pouring into infrastructure. A few years ago, the drive from Ethiopia to Hargeisa was a grueling ten-hour ordeal over roads that turned from bad to nonexistent. Now most of the way is paved, cutting travel time nearly in half. There’s also a good road between Hargeisa and Berbera. The rest of the country is lagging behind and many places are only accessible with off-road vehicles or on the back of a camel. In the cities and towns, there are still many ruined buildings, their walls pockmarked by bullets. In Berbera, the rusted hulks of several sunken ships poke out of the water.

Most visitors come to Hargeisa first, either overland from Ethiopia or flying into the airport from other East African cities. The town center is all new and crowded with streetside markets, food stands, and colorfully painted trucks bringing in goods from all over East Africa. There is virtually no street crime and visitors are perfectly safe in daylight hours. The Somalis here are sick of war and don’t want trouble. Hurting the wrong person could lead to clan vengeance, setting of a cycle of vendettas and making Somaliland like the rest of Somalia.

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The joy and bane of Somali culture—qat. This narcotic leaf is both a stimulant and relaxant, similar to taking a small amount of marijuana and cocaine at the same time. Qat chewing is hugely popular among Somalis and is the center of many social gatherings, but it’s a drain on personal finances and long-term use can lead to mental instability.

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Selling dates in the market.

Besides the cheap Chinese imports that are ubiquitous in African markets, vendors sell fresh dates and qat, a narcotic leaf. People fry up piping hot samosas in big pans and restaurants offer tender cuts of camel meat. One of the most common dishes is spaghetti, a legacy of the Italian influence in the region. The Somalis have put their own twist on it by eating it by hand, a trick I was never able to master. Ask for a fork and spoon if you value your clothing.

Visitors are few, so Somalis are naturally curious. Expect to answer lots of questions and to be led into people’s schools, workplaces, even the local hospital. Everyone is anxious to show that they have a functioning nation here and the entire country is open to you. Once when I was detained by police due to a misunderstanding I got a tour of the police station!

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Roadside cafes are popular in Somali towns. The tent in the background is a modernized version of the traditional round hut made of branches and grass.

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A workshop making artificial limbs. Many refugees flee Somalia and Puntland looking for a better life in Somaliland. There are also unexploded mines in the countryside that kill and maim innocent civilians.

While the country does function, it’s not entirely stable. A lingering border dispute with Puntland, plus tensions between the ruling Isaaq clan and minority clans mean that stability is precarious. The government asks that you rent a pair of soldiers if you go outside the capital. While this is annoying, it isn’t overly expensive (about $20/day depending on your bargaining ability) and it does smooth things over at checkpoints. Visitors who flout the request for official bodyguards will often find themselves detained by friendly if insistent police. It pays to play by the rules.

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A guide rests by the cave paintings at Laas Geel.

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Ali, Dr. Mire’s assistant from the Department of Antiquities, describes the cave paintings at Laas Geel.

One of the few formal tourist attractions are the beautiful prehistoric painted caves of Laas Geel, halfway between Hargeisa and Berbera and a bit more than an hour’s drive outside the capital. On a rocky outcrop in the desert are nine shallow caves covered with brilliant paintings of cows and people. A few other animals such as antelope and a giraffe appear, but the cows dominate. They’re still an important part of the Somali economy today and this links modern Somalis to their ancient past. The caves were first recorded by Dr. Sada Mire, a Somali archaeologist who runs the site Somali Heritage. It’s hard to date rock art but they may be up to 11,000 years old, making them some of Africa’s oldest paintings. Other estimates place them at about 5,000 years old. Dr. Mire has scoured the countryside and found hundreds of other rock art sites. Hopefully some of these will also become open to visitors.

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Because Somaliland is an unrecognized state, it isn’t a member of the International Postal Union and therefore mail can’t be delivered there. People have to rely on private courier companies. The abandoned central post office in Hargeisa stands as mute testimony to Somaliland’s lack of recognition.

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Colorful murals are found all around the Somali region. This one advertizes a restaurant and hotel in Hargeisa that serves excellent slow-cooked camel.

The port of Berbera has some nice seaside restaurants and a virtually abandoned beach. I’ve heard there’s good scuba diving nearby but have not tried it myself.

Somaliland is the best place to experience the rich culture of the Somalis, a culture that embraces change in some ways and proudly holds onto tradition in others. The Somali region in eastern Ethiopia is far less friendly to visitors and has fewer facilities, while the rest of former Somalia is still a no-go area. If you want to learn about Somali culture, Somaliland is the place to be.