Here is a collection of topical articles and personal essays by Robin Van Auken.
In 1942, after America entered World War II, its citizens were asked to sacrifice much for the war effort. Gasoline, sugar, butter and silk were rationed and entire communities rallied behind scrap and tire drives. One community, however, sacrificed much more: The entire village of Alvira walked from their homes and farms in the
Williamsport: The Grit Photograph Collection (Van Auken, Robin and Louis E. Hunsinger, Jr., Arcadia, 2004) This book is a look through 100 years of Grit newspaper history. Dietrick Lamade, a German immigrant and self-made man who settled in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, published Grit a Sunday-morning staple and America’s favorite family newspaper. The first year of Grit
We stopped at Cabela's and browsed through its camping department, looking for useful items. This Gsi Sports Javapress was very impressive, especially because it came in two sizes -- wussy (30 oz) and normal (50 oz). We liked it so much, we brought it out of the camper and use it in the house. Regular coffee
My History Is America's History This free eBook, "My History Is America's History: 15 Things You Can Do to Save America's Stories," is a guidebook to help families and individuals to explore family history and discover how our own family stories connect to the history of our nation. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF (LARGE
Public Archaeology As a historical archaeologist, I work with museums and non-profit organizations, colleges and universities, public and private schools, and avocational archaeology groups. Services I offer include: Field trips Field schools Hands-on heritage programs Historical research, oral histories Ethnographic research and interviews Interpretive exhibit, video development National Register assessments, nominations Testing, data
March is Women's History Month, and to celebrate, here's an awesome chronicle from the Library of Congress on Suffrage: 100 Years Ago Today: "A Declaration of Independence We Celebrate," The Washington Herald, March 3, 1913 In March 1913, more than one parade occupied the nation's attention during President Woodrow Wilson's inauguration in Washington, DC.
I use Wordpress for all of my websites, and all of my college students create one during their time earning their Media Writing minor. Perhaps you want to use WordPress but you're not sure how to go about it? A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON WORDPRESS WordPress is a popular Content Management System (CMS) used by companies, large
If you're not using Google, then you need to consider all that this amazing company has to offer. Most amazing of all is that it is free, open-source and easy to use. There are literally hundreds of How-To videos available online for everything Google has to offer, so there's no excuse why you can't learn
Kayaking on Hills Creek State Park is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, even if you’re not camping at the spectacular park.
We enjoyed finding our first geocache on our first camping outing. Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor adventure that is happening all the time, all around the world. To play, participants use the Geocaching app and/or a GPS device to navigate to cleverly hidden containers called geocaches. Try geocaching at Little Pine State Park.
Our first outing for the 2012 camping season was Little Pine State Park in Pennsylvania.
When leaves begin to fall, and the temperatures drop, my thoughts generally turn towards sunny locales and my favorite sunny spot, Key West. If you’ve been there, you know what I mean. If you haven’t visited the Keys, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s filled with unique shops, galleries, restaurants, and, of course,
Scheduling time to write creatively is a difficult task for most authors. It’s a selfish endeavor, hiding from the world, shirking responsibilities, ignoring the family. But it’s also a necessary endeavor. Without writing time, we don’t produce books. If we don’t produce books, we don’t make money. I don’t know about you, but writing books
Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness I thwarted my husband’s vacation plans. Days before he purchased tickets for a Caribbean cruise, I suggested Scotland. In the blink of an eye, I wasted months he spent researching itineraries. Gone were his plans to lounge poolside on the lido deck, dine on all-he-could-eat buffets and
"'Play Ball!' is a delightful walk down the storied history of Little League Baseball. For those of us who played the dreams of your youth, it brings back mighty memories. For those of us reluctant adults who still dream, it's a wonderful reminder of what might have been." —John Grisham Play Ball! The Story
This week, we’ll burn our socks. It’s a tradition in the maritime community to celebrate Spring, which begins in the Northern Hemisphere on the vernal equinox. Burning socks a mariner tradition? Yes, it is known. Burning Socks a Mariner’s Tradition - Robin Van Auken So why do we burn socks? Despite the fact that
Canfield Island is a recent addition to the Susquehanna shoreline, having been added during the 19th century during Northcentral Pennsylvania's lumber boom. But, before sawyers toiled in the mill, processing logs into lumber, American Indians called the area home. In fact, for the past 4,000 years or so, people have traveled to the river's edge
Hobie Mirage Kayaks Hobie, a leading catamaran design company, expanded and introduced a line of sit-on-top kayaks, fishing kayaks and float cats. One of its more useful boats for use on local creeks, lakes and rivers is the pedal-driven Hobie Mirage Kayak. A river reputed to be “a mile wide and a foot
