One of my great friends from college, Colin, attends Vermont Law School and I had been anticipating a visit to Vermont for years—with the fall leaves in full effect, now appeared to be the best time.  Before we made it to his village—-(yes, the village of South Royalton….I am from a small town but a village…but with such an aristocratic nomenclature perhaps I was reading too much into it?) We took a stop off to eat  near Derry, New Hampshire. I am huge fan of restaurants with a story and when I saw the sign that read “ How’s Your Onion?” I knew this was the place to stop.

We were greeted by a middle aged woman with a strong accent and an even stronger maternal presence.  After looking over the menu I knew this was going to be the hearty meal that I needed—apparently, the onion phrase was a family thing—when all of the Italian family was gathered, laughing and having a great time over delicious food, someone would ask  “How’s Your Onion,” another family member would proclaim, “good enough to make you cry.”  This food was indeed good enough to make you cry—I had the delicious bowl of spaghetti  with three homemade meatballs and garlic bread. My friends had something called spiked potatoes which sounded like a recipe stolen from the south:  potatoes with bacon , cheese, jalapenos—crushed barbecue chips were thrown on top and then they were deep fried in beer batter. Whoa!  There were no empty plates or stomachs.

For more info on How’s your Onion: http://www.howsyouronion.com/

Another cool fact about this part of  NH  was that Robert Frost’s farm was a few miles down the street but much to my dismay we did not go for the photo opportunity.

South Royalton, Vermont was indeed a village—no Starbucks, large food chains, or even gas stations from what I saw. It was pretty refreshing.  The landscape was filled with greenery with remnants of Hurricane Irene who definitely left her mark here. We met some of Colin’s law school buddies for a bonfire under the very starry Vermont sky.  It was indeed a great time for new and old friends.

The next day after a delicious brunch of venison chilli with Vermont cheese at the Harrington House in Bethel—we got to see the vibrant foliage surrounding the area. Stunning beauty—we also got a tour around the Vermont Law School with its historic buildings and quaint atmosphere.  If you ever want to just get away from it all and get some clean air—I would suggest this Vermont—I think my blood pressure dropped -30- just by being here..that was about to change…

Venison Chilli with Vermont cheese at Harrington House Restaurant.

Be sure to check out Harrington House if you are ever near Bethel, VT!

http://www.harringtonhouseinn.com/

En route to Boston, my friends thought it would be a great idea to stop of in Salem—yes, the Salem from the witch trials that we all read about . I wasn’t totally into it but I acquiesced for history’s sake.  The town had a very eerie feel of course—all decked out for Halloween…or is this how it is all the time? We happened to be here for the fall festival—which basically meant more creepsters that usual.  There were booths with masks and skull purses and what not.  We decided to go to the Salem Witch Museum which was pretty cool—you sat in a room as a narration gave you a historical play by play of the hysteria that hit the town and sent the word  ‘witch’ into an accusatory frenzy.  As the narration played—the dark room would be illuminated with illustrative scenes.

http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/

Well worth  the 9 or 10 bucks—afterwards a guide takes you through an exhibit of witches through the years and how that term was once good and has over time been transformed into a malicious connotation.  Very cool…but I was trying to take one last photo of the moon shining over the town….when this came out!!! Time to go!!!!! It was actually some type of flash error..so don’t call the ghost hunters quite yet. Now to Boston we go….

Boston is one of those cities that everyone seems to love! How could you not with its rich history. To say that I was excited to explore this place would be a vast understatement.  We were definitely not in South Carolina anymore, Bostonians , in my opinion, are a bit brash and always in a hurry. That’s ok—that’s why we have places like the upstate of South CarolinaJ  The first night in the city, exhausted from travel  we wanted to settle at a place where everybody knew our name…..Cheers!  We had a beer at the bar made famous by the television show and of course I documented the visit. Way cool!

The next day we were up early on foot—gawking at the beautiful buildings—the State House with that beautiful gold dome,  the tons of monuments in every direction. We stopped off at the famous resting place for Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and even Mother Goose ( who wasn’t a real goose, Emily!

As we continued to walk through the crowded streets we caught sights of the historic city hall. Next we were at the famous Quincy Market—which was vibrant with vendors and musicians enjoying the abnormally warm  October weather.  Here are some shots of some reenactors that were in the square. There were also some intense street performers there….one of their routines required one performer to balance on the other’s head. …crrrraaazzzzy!

Up next…to Paul Revere’s house.  There was no photography allowed inside but pretty cool nonetheless! People were very short back then—I had to duck a lot to maneuver through the house which has been restored of course.

Every since I did the duck tour in Seattle—I have fell in love with these things—since Boston is a water city it was time to get our duck on—part tour bus..part boat.  Here are some pictures from the city tour—part of it was blocked due to the Occupy Boston protestors. We jumped into the Charles River ( which has been distinguished as one of the cleanest rivers in the country) The pictures speak for themselves—with the lighting and reflection of the water,  it was absolutely beautiful  sight to behold. Take a moment and just indulge!

After the duck tour—-we went to meet one of my friends, Esther, from college.  She lives in Boston and had the perfect seafood place for me to try, The Barking Crab. I wasn’t thrilled by the service, however, but the clam chowder and shrimp was everything I desired and all of the lights from the financial district was magical. Its always great to catch up with special people from the college years!

Want to visit The Barking Crab when you are in Boston?

http://www.barkingcrab.com/

The Barking Crab, Boston, MA

Headlines, Headlines, Headlines! We have all seen the images of protestors demanding change plastered on newspapers and television screens. I expected that Boston would be occupied by the movement, but I hadn’t anticipated it on the walk back from dinner. Television live trucks, tents,  hundreds of people, and just as many gawkers lined the area surrounded by staggering skyscrapers, mostly financial institutions.  We observed the call and answer of the group for awhile as we documented the scene—here are some of those photographs. The next morning I learned that over one hundred protestors had been arrested during the demonstration. I presume it got a little rowdy after we departed?

Also of note—-a moving tribute for Steve Jobs outside the Newbury Street Apple Store. The storefront was filled with notes and flowers to the Apple icon.(See below)

On the last day in Boston we decided to visit take water taxi over to the U.S.S. Constitution—over -200 years old and as the sailor tour guide yelled,” and she still looks gooood.”  Old Iron Sides is a magnificent  sight and it was amazing to hear all the stories about her as well as seeing where the crew slept and worked. Want more of the history behind “Old Ironsides”

http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/visit/index.htm?gclid=CNGbgLjW7asCFQLj7Qod4wIoiw

Before we had to bid farewell to Beentown, one of my closest college friends, McMillan, called to meet us for lunch. McMillan is a talented musician who attended the Eastman School of Music in NY—he now plays in the area and manages a yoga studio. He is an all- round amazing person.  It was great to grab some delicious cuisine at a cool little place called “The Globe” while catching up!  What a great way to end a trip I wont soon forget.  Until the next adventure…..

CBS News Anchor/Managing Editor and 60 Minutes Correspondent Scott Pelley engaged a packed auditorium at Clemson University today. Pelley delivered an address, ” This Moment in America-A Reporter’s View,” in the Strom Thurmond Institute Self Auditorium. I wondered what Scott’s connection was to Clemson University—He joked with the crowd asking, “Did anyone watch the game yesterday?” Smiles were from ear to ear as the mostly student audience cheered for their victory over Florida State the day before. Pelley’s son is  a sophomore at Clemson—he says they visited the university 2 years ago at the FSU/Clemson match up and after Clemson won that game–his son turned to him and said, “this is where I am going!” Pelley says he and his family attended the game yesterday as well.

Pelley was engaging and insightful in his discussion about some of the most important stories he has covered in his award winning career in journalism. He talked about a number of of those important stories that have shaped his life as a journalist: budget battle between Congress and President Obama, the explosion in the Gulf, the attacks of 9/11, and interviews with former Federal Reserve chief/ Dillon, South Carolina native, Ben Bernake—-and an explosive interview with the former CIA Director about interrogation techniques of terror suspects. See Below.

Pelley says a question he always asks commanders-in- chiefs is “Do you like the job?” He says President Obama said ‘yes’ and then covered his microphone and whispered…’but I dont like Congress.’ Pelley later quipped Lincoln once said he knew he was going to hell…but he didnt know it was a couple miles down the road with a dome on the top. I got a kick out of that.

He also showed a powerful interview with a worker from the rig that exploded in the Gulf. The worker, with a fresh gash on his forehead, described to Scott how he had to jump approximately 100 feet to the waters below, only to find they were on fire. The man was eventually rescued by nearby fishing boats.  This was a great example of how as reporters much of our responsibility is not to talk but to just get out of the way and listen to what is being said.

Of course everyone remembers where we were on 9/11. Scott Pelley was in Manhanttan and running towards the towers to cover what he knew was “a big story.” He described the moment of looking up to see as the final tower crumbled in front of him—he relives it in slow motion, although he knows that is not how it happened. Pelley says he just fell to his knees and asked God to take these people with as little pain as possible. He says he was honored that he could tell the story of those firefighters, police officers, and other first responders who risked and gave their lives to help others. It was fascinating to hear his account of an event that dramatically changed history.

An audience member asked what was his most difficult interview–he replied it was also him most fun one with  the Iranian President–where he asked about their weapons production. Apparently , Ahmadenejad doesnt really answer questions and was appalled that Scott would demand answers. Scott joked, ” he apparently didnt know about 60 Minutes.”

Another lighter question was about how he balances his job with his personal life–and I thought the response was particularly enlightening. “They arent separate…they work together…they are two halves to the whole.” He says his wife( who was there) supports him, and he supports her–and while his job takes him away a lot of times–they have been married for 28 years because they have found of balance of working together. “Everyone at CBS works 13 hour days it seems.”  Other interesting moments from his address came when students asked about his job and what it means to be the main anchor of  a major network—he said his days start at 7:30 am with meetings with senior producers to determine what should and shouldnt be covered from their reporters from around the world. Apparently, Scott also changes the reporter scripts as they come in during the day, which is something I never thought about at the network level. “What you see each night at 6:30 is not the most important thing I do all day.” I thought that was awesome!! He proclaimed..” I am not the most important person here…I am the most visable..but my job is to get out of the way so the work that our staff has done shines through.”

There most profound take away from Scott Pelley’s speech for me was that great stories are all over..its our jobs to find them. He told the group—that he is truly blessed to be able to travel the world looking simply for interesting people with an interesting story. He challenged us to find the most interesting people and stories in our state…country and world. As a features reporter, sometimes others dont see the work we do as relevant work in the newsroom. I think Scott sums it up—if we are telling a story that is honest, true, done to the better of the community and world in which we live—then our jobs are done! and that no matter how uncomfortable it may be….work is work..and work is hard.

WSPA-TV main anchor Tom Crabtree interviewed Scott for an upcoming special report so be sure to stay tuned to Seven on Your Side for that  one on one.

I have always lived in South Carolina, although some people don’t take my southern accented word as truth when it comes to my home state.  Like most people, I have dreamed of a career that allows me to globetrot, experiencing new and different cultures along the way. I do get to experience my fair share of the scene, but unfortunately it keeps me relatively confined to a certain geographic area.  When given the opportunity to crash a friend’s Seattle / Canadian vacation, Needless to say—I jumped aboard the first plane headed to the home of Starbucks. I hope you guys enjoy this cup full of new sights, sounds, and adventure as I embark on my first trip out West. Of course   I could make a movie about all of the things I did while in Seattle and British Columbia, but I will save you from that and only include some of my favorites.

Pike Place Market at Night.

After a very long flight to Seattle—(well, it was only like 3.5 hours—but it felt like an eternity because I generally hate commercial planes) I made it to downtown to get a glimpse of the renown Pike Place Market. It is one of the oldest, if not the oldest continuous farmer’s market in the country—started due to soaring onion prices. I must say it is more beautiful at night—with the brightness of the red neon light casting a sort of vintage glow, as the Puget sound rests so beautifully behind it. The market was closed for the day—but  still got some cool shots of a neat pig sculpture which serves as  a piggy bank. I went back to the Pike Place Market days later to get the full picture of what it is like during the day. I bought some Ranier cherries—delicious! I also got to see the famous fish tossers—when you order some of the fresh catch—one worker will sing and toss your fish to the other worker who then wraps it up for you. Very entertainment .  I managed to capture this on camera.

Underneath the market is the “gum wall.” This was super cool—bubble gum stuck to a back alley wall—now years later merged into a form of public art. Gross- surely—art? Definitely!   If you know me at all you know  how much I love coffee—so, visiting the original Starbucks was like returning to a promised land—a Mecca of mochas—the land of lattes—well, you get the picture. (see below)  There were some photos on the wall from the first baristas but other than that just a typical Starbucks.

Apparently, the best view of Seattle would come from Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. A nice lady befriended us on the walk up to the spot and reaffirmed the Mount Everest-like hike was indeed worth it. Once we made it to the top, the view of the Space Needle and cityscape was absolutely awesome. There were many tourists here taking shots for the Facebook profiles and the like. There was even some Microsoft people there preparing for a “new product commercial.” Awesome!

When you think Seattle, you think Space Needle. The iconic structure which was supposed to be what buildings looked like in the 21^st century—that didn’t turn out to be practical at all.  I visited the Space Needle during the day and at night to get some contrasting shots. It is as impressive inside as it is from the outside and in the movies, a panorama of beauty. There is also a restaurant here where you can rotate while you dine but be sure to bring your big boy wallet!