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Barbara Falconer Newhall

Veteran journalist Barbara Falconer Newhall riffs on life as she knows it.

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travel adventures

Shanghai Chic – Where a Woman’s Style Starts With Her Shoes

December 5, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Canvas espadrille shoes decorated with stars and stripes in red, white and blue on the streets of Shanghai. Photo by BF Newhall

 

I thought I was traveling to China to explore the mysteries of China’s storied past — the big dynasties with their poetic one-syllable names: Ming, Tang, Han. But what really caught my attention was China’s storied present: The skyscrapers. The ubiquitous one-child families. The traffic jams. The fashionistas . . . Read more.

Photo Ops: China’s One-Child Families — They’re for Real (For Now)

November 18, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A mother in Shanghai China wipes the face of her schoolage boy in a crowded bazaar in Old Town. Photo by BF Newhall

China’s one-child families may soon be a thing of the past. But for now, they are very real. Jon and I saw them everywhere during our trip to China in September — and I took lots of pictures of mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers doting on that one child. Read more.

SXSW: Quirky, Lovable Austin, Texas

October 24, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Cartoon of LBJ showing off his scar in the Johnson Presidential LIbrary in Austin, TX. Photo by BF Newhall

Austin, Texas, is quirky – in a good way. During a recent visit, every bridge, park and intersection I encountered in this Central Texas city made me smile. Read more.

At Point Reyes: Wild Flowers . . . and Animals Wild and Tame

May 16, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Dairy cows returning to the barn cross a public road at Point Reyes, CA. Photo by BF Newhall

A couple of weeks ago, I mourned the loss of little hill in Michigan called Eagle Top. This week I’d like to celebrate a place that — unlike Eagle Top — has been preserved in all its wild and pastoral beauty – the vast triangle of land along the California coast known as Point Reyes, and especially the narrow outcropping called Chimney Rock.

On the Shores of Lake Michigan — Eagle Top, a Wild Place Tamed

May 2, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A channel crosses a sand beach and empties into Lake Michigan. Photo by BF Newhall

Somebody owns Eagle Top. They bought it ten years ago and built a cottage on it. I didn’t think it was possible to buy, sell or own Eagle Top. Eagle Top was a wild place. I thought it belonged to itself. Read more.

Real Snow in Minnesota . . . and Real Warm in My Real Austrian Walkjanker

February 8, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Snowplow clearing snow in a snowstorm in Eden Prairie, MN. Photo 2013 by BF Newhall

 

My authentic Austrian Walkjanker jacket has hung forlornly at the far end of a plastic garment bag for decades. It had no place to go till my son got engaged to a Minnesota girl — and I had a chance to show it a good time on a snowy weekend in Minneapolis.

Atotonilco, Mexico — High Art, Folk Art, Hot Springs, Food!

January 8, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Interior of Galeria Atotonilco, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, with hand-painted figurines of jaguars. Photo by BF Newhall

If you’re planning a trip to San Miguel de Allende, be sure to budget time for a day trip to the nearby town of Atotonilco.

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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

No to Bride Barbie — Yes to a Real-Life Wedding

Christina Newhall, age 7, playing tug of war at a party. Photo by Barbara Newhall

My 7-year-old wanted nothing to do with her Bride Barbie doll. But twenty-five years later, she’s ready to be a bride for real. Read more.

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