Having trouble multi-tasking? See how the Russians do it.

No bikes on the sidewalks, but horses are okay.

So it might be a bit hard to see since I took this picture through the window of a moving bus, but you’ll have to trust me on this: this young woman is indeed riding a horse down the sidewalk in St. Petersburg, a designer purse on one shoulder, while drinking a bottled iced tea (or is it vodka in disguise?), smoking a cigarette, and talking on her cell phone.  Ah, you say, impossible, as she’d have to be doing it all with one hand since her right is holding the reins.  I promise.  I and a dozen other passengers saw it with our own eyes.

Shoes and Stockings St. Petersburg Style

While the vestiges of communism linger here (there’s no such thing as an elegant family home; ramshackle apartments are all the rage), fashion is a serious priority.  Jeans and sneakers are not a common sight on the streets of St. Petersburg.  Women prefer heels, mini-skirts, and chunky accessories.  This former Russian capital is a virtual poster child for Sex and the City sans New York.

If you’re into shoes, bring your camera and your zoom lens….

Yep, the Russians love it, too.

Crusty Babushkas and Leonardo Up-Close

The Hermitage and Winter Palace

If you’ve ever been to The Louvre in Paris and experienced the sad letdown of not being able to get within five  feet of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, you will find The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, at once a little refreshing and a bit frightening.  This state museum located in the former Winter Palace of the tsars houses some of the world’s greatest works of art and gives you a rare opportunity to get within what I hate to point out is almost touching distance of them.  You can literally stand within a foot of Leonard da Vinci’s Madonna With Child, Raphael’s The Holy Family, and Rembrandt’s Portrait of an Old Man.

Why?

Hall of Mirrors

Well, Russia seems to carry enough vestiges of communism to make art accessible to the people even at the risk of its preservation, i.e. flash bulbs blasting away at centuries-old paintings and the foot traffic of millions stirring up dust and grime.  That being said, I still found it a bit titillating to come so close to the masters….

If you have the good (or perhaps bad, depending on how you look at it) fortune of jumping all the hurdles required to gain entry to Russia these days, you might want to schedule your St. Petersburg visit for winter.  In summer, cruise ships by the dozen call on this  former Russian capital, unleashing tourists by the tens of thousands on the city’s palaces, museums, and cathedrals.  Hang on tight to the little ones, and don’t let your hubby out of your sight for a second.  The crowds here are enormous.

That being said, The Hermitage is still worth a visit no matter the season.  Its ornate baroque design, its sheer immensity (its exterior facades measure over 600 feet), and the grandeur of its interiors (not to mention the art) make it a destination not to be skipped.  Just realize it would take you nearly a decade to fully explore the museum, which houses 365 rooms of exhibits and nearly three million works of art.

Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna With Child

If you have a day or less (as I did), the second floor of The Hermitage is a good place to focus, providing access to the Hall of Mirrors, a stunning reflection of Versailles; Pavilion Hall with its Moorish and Renaissance decor; and the works of Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Renoir.  Beware the babushkas, however.  These tight-lipped ladies never hesitate to keep wayward visitors in line, and their looks alone will make you think twice before getting too close to that painting of Rubens….

1812 Gallery and portrait of Tsar Alexander I

The Book is Here!

Moon Blue Ridge & Smoky Mountains

My new book, the 1st edition of Moon Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains (Avalon Travel, 2010), is hitting bookstores around the country this week.  But you can order an author signed copy directly from my web site, too.

The book is part of Avalon’s popular Moon Handbook series, which Money magazine has referred to as “America’s finest travel guidebook series.”   My book covers the best of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, and surrounding areas. Get my personal recommendations on what to see, where to hike, what to eat, and where to sleep.

For the latest news on book signings and author events, please visit Moon Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains’ Facebook page.

America’s Favorite Drive Turns 75

View from the highest point on the Parkway at 6,053 ft.

The Blue Ridge Parkway celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, so if you’re in need of a summer road trip, this might just be the one to take.  Check out my top picks for must-see attractions along the way in the latest issue of AAA World. And if you really want the lowdown on what to see on and off the Parkway, be sure to order a copy of my new book, Moon Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains (Avalon Travel, 2010), which hits bookstores around the country within the next couple of weeks.  You can also order a signed copy from my web site.

Join Deborah’s panel at the Virginia Press Women’s Conference

Freelance writer Deborah Huso

If you’re planning on attending the Virginia Press Women’s spring conference in Roanoke later this week, make sure you’re signed up for the Editor/Freelancer Face-Off at 10:15 a.m. on Friday, April 23.  As one of the panelists, Deborah will be offering some insider tips on how to make a living as a freelance writer, covering story pitching, pay rates, establishing long-term relationships with editors and publishers, contract negotiation, and how to stay current (and still get paid well) in a world where more and more media is going digital.

Land of the Big Sky

My backyard view of Virginia's Switzerland

No, it’s not western Montana, but it’s as good as it gets east of the Mississippi….

The Best Hike to Camp Rapidan

Mill Prong Cascade

Before the official establishment of Shenandoah National Park in 1936, President Herbert Hoover found respite from the heat of Washington at Camp Rapidan, a shady retreat located at the confluence of Mill Prong and Laurel Prong with the Rapidan River, one of Virginia’s premier trout fishing streams.  Hoover and the First Lady spent their time here in the surprisingly informal Brown House overlooking the Rapidan.

President Hoover's retreat at The Brown House

The Presidential couple used the retreat from 1929 to 1932, and many residents of Madison County (which borders the park just below Camp Rapidan) believed that when the national park came to be, the road into Camp Rapidan would become a park entrance.  But this was never to be, and to this day, Madison County is the only community bordering the park without an auto entrance to Shenandoah.

My daughter rests at the Brown House after her first spring hike

The Brown House is one of only a handful of buildings left here at Camp Rapidan, and during the high season, park rangers often hold interpretive programs here.  You can even catch a bus to the camp on certain days during the summer, but I recommend hiking in instead.  The best (and least crowded) route to take is the Mill Prong Trail.  The trailhead parking is located just south of Big Meadows.

The trek from the parking area to Camp Rapidan is about four miles roundtrip with a fair amount of up and down hiking, a few stream crossings, and lovely glimpses of small waterfalls.  If you’re lucky, you might even see a black bear or two along the way.  Much of the hike parallels Mill Prong, and there are a couple of great swimming holes along the way.  Allow at least four hours if you plan to spend some time exploring the camp.

Black bear cub near Camp Rapidan

Morning Fog Over the Blue Grass Valley

Looking south toward Hightown, Virginia

Morning fog settles along Lantz Mountain

God Google Strikes Again

Writers and book publishers have already had plenty of reason to loathe Google given the company’s ongoing efforts to scan and make available online every book it can get its hands on…nevermind U.S. Copyright Law.  The public at large has turned a blind and uneducated eye on the whole debacle, which is one big step in the direction of denying authors and publishers the right to earn money from their intellectual property.

While there still isn’t any good news on the book front (unless you think settling for $60 for Google to have its way with your copyright forever and ever is a good thing), perhaps media mogul Rupert Murdoch will finally draw some attention to Google’s blatant disrespect for intellectual property.  Murdoch is cracking down on news aggregators like Google that basically borrow news content from other sites and post it on their own.  Beginning this summer, Murdoch plans to put the online content of his major media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, behind a paywall, something he is urging fellow media industry magnates to do, too.  You can read more about Murdoch’s stance in a recent article in The Guardian.

The problem is Murdoch is pushing 80, and there are few like him left in the industry who are willing and financially able to stand up not just for Copyright law but for the value of well-researched and well-written content by experienced professionals.  Unfortunately, in an age where anyone with an Internet connection can put content out there as “news,” the younger generation may have very little experience understanding the difference between truth and tabloid.  And why pay for the former when the latter is free?

Order Signed Copies of My New Book

Moon Blue Ridge & Smoky Mountains

My new book, the first edition of Moon Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains (Avalon Travel, 2010), will be hitting bookstores next month, but you can pre-order signed copies from my web site right now.

The book is part of Avalon’s popular Moon Handbook series, which Money magazine has referred to as “America’s finest travel guidebook series.”   My book covers the best of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, and surrounding areas. Get my personal recommendations on what to see, where to hike, what to eat, and where to sleep.

For the latest news on book signings and author events, please visit Moon Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains’ Facebook page.