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2004: Vintage adventures
The Armchair Adventurer looks back at a year of some of his favorite experiences. By Paul Sullivan. IT HAS BEEN a vintage year for Armchair Adventures, with many happy memories and quite a few good things in the works for the year ahead.
Date published: 1/1/2005
When I look back through more than four dozen tales told, it seems so long ago that I began the year with Ken Hyde's wonderful story about re-inventing the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. People often ask my favorite story and I reply--quite honestly--that I have too many favorites. But surely Hyde and his band in Warrenton and their continuing efforts to understand and replicate the genius of the Wrights is one of the best. We touched upon the Blue Ridge Parkway in January and in depth later in the year, and it continues as a favorite theme among my readers, judging from their comments. The parkway and its northerly extension, Skyline Drive, have become treasured gateways to the beauties of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains as the lands surrounding them have increasingly developed. And speaking of favorites, I also recounted the story of a rail trip I had taken some years ago through Mexico's Copper Canyon. When it comes to stunning wild scenery, this may be at the pinnacle. Judging from readers' responses, the most popular column I wrote last year was a cross-country trip by train from Flagstaff, Ariz., to Fredericksburg. It was inexpensive, great fun, and offered not only a memorable experience in a relaxed setting but all sorts of opportunities to meet interesting fellow travelers. I came to the conclusion that, if time allows, the train beats planes and cars by miles. Those who have stuck with me through the years have seen certain themes re-emerge regularly, among them things with wings--both avians and airplanes. We took a trip through the past at the Virginia Aviation Museum, always worth a visit, and did the same in revisiting days running a newspaper in the Cayman Islands. In April, I had the honor of writing about the legendary Flying Tigers after watching two of them relive their days of glory in China, and in October I grabbed at the chance to take a flight in a genuine B-17, another rare relic of World War II. The past was also a theme when we spent an afternoon at a British sports car show near Mount Vernon, rekindling days when I roared around in one of those fun machines.
Date published: 1/1/2005
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