Travels in the 2nd half

One of the best ways to see how people live in a place that you are visiting is to get out of the tourist center and visit some of the smaller towns and cities. It is one of my favorite things to do when I travel. On a recent trip to Puerto Rico I took a day and traveled twenty miles south of San Juan to Caguas. The city of Caguas, founded in 1775, sits at the entrance of the Cordillera Central , the mountain range that crosses the entire length of Puerto Rico, as you travel south from San Juan. During the late 1700’s British and Dutch privateers raided San Juan on several occasions, and many colonialists fled to the mountains inland for protection. In 1874 Caguas was designated as a city, and its position on main road between San Juan and Ponce made it a major stop and trading point for travelers, farmers and businessmen moving goods between the north and south coasts. The Jardin Botánico y Cultural de Caguas William Miranda Marín is a lovely place to explore...

Each subway line in New York City, whether underground or elevated, has its own vibe. It comes from two factors: 1) the neighborhoods it travels through, and 2) the neighborhoods at the terminals of the train. This is the first of a series of what you will find if you go to The End of the Line. I am starting with the Number 1 train. Not because it is the lowest number, or even because it is one of the oldest subways in New York. I start here because this is my line. I grew up on this line, and I have lived somewhere along it for almost all of my life. When I picture a subway in my head, it is always the Number 1 train I see. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=138076 The Number 1 train is part of first subway line that was built in New York. The Interborough Rapid Transit System was a private company and the operator of our first subway. Today you will hear old-timers (like me) still refer to the IRT. In 1904 it opened a line that...