Virginia’s Original Arlington: John Custis II's Labor of Love - Later a Refuge from Lousy Marriage
Love and Marriage – Love and Marriage Make You Want to Ride Your Horse and Carriage (Right into the Chesapeake Bay) Northampton County on...
TRAVEL
It's a big world out there; too bad there's only one lifetime to experience as much of it as you can.
Whenever I go on hunting or fishing trips, or outdoor writers conferences, I always build in time to experience the place away from the camp or boat. Check out the places, food and experiences to be had. Several blogs include videos.
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Ken Perrotte
- Jun 21
Queen Mine Tour a Highlight of Visit to Eclectic Bisbee - Experience the Inside of a Mountain
Just outside of Bisbee, Arizona, as you head south on Highway 80 toward Mexico just 11 miles away, is a massive, deep hole in the earth...
Ken Perrotte
- Jun 10
Mackinaw City & Colonial Michilimackinac - Scenic. Historic. Destination: Northern Michigan
A visit to beautiful Gaylord in northern Michigan for an outdoor writers conference in September 2021 yielded an opportunity to make a...
Ken Perrotte
- Nov 2, 2021
Leisurely Drive Across Beautiful Nova Scotia, with a Visit to Pictou, 'Birthplace of New Scotland'
While traveling to Newfoundland for an early October hunting expedition, I was fortunate to be able to make an overnight stop in Nova...
Ken Perrotte
- Sep 7, 2021
PIER GROUPS -- Friends are Just a Cast Away When You Enjoy a Day on a Virginia Fishing Pier
Note: The article originally appeared in the March/April 2020 edition of Virginia Wildlife. Here is it, slightly expanded -- with many...
Ken Perrotte
- Aug 16, 2021
Ancient Bull Sable, Iconic Gemsbok & Impressive Blesbok Round Out Incredible South African Hunt
Note: This article originally appeared in The Hunting Wire, a great publication and news delivery service. We were minutes from calling...
Ken Perrotte
- Aug 2, 2021
'Dugga Boy' Cape Buffalo Crossed Off Bucket List; Mossberg Patriot .375 Ruger, GPO Optic, Hornady
Hunting African buffalo has been on list for more than four decades, ever since the author read tales by Roosevelt, Hemingway, Ruark and...
Ken Perrotte
- Jun 24, 2021
Shark Tooth Fossil Hunting in Florida - Fun Time!
Arcadia, Florida -- Armed with a shovel, a ¼-inch sifting screen and optimism, we launched canoes and set out on a hunting expedition,...
Ken Perrotte
- Apr 8, 2021
Florida Inshore Fishing Coast-to-Coast Offers Exciting Light-Tackle Action; Catch the 'Slam'
Great inshore fishing on Florida's coasts - includes snook, redfish and spotted seatrout slam. St. Augustine, Charlotte Harbor, Ft Myers
Ken Perrotte
- Mar 9, 2021
Ghostly Encounter at Belmont Plantation Leaves No Doubt About Delta Mansion's Playful Spirits
“If only these walls could talk!” That is usually a figure of speech, representative of wonder about a dwelling’s stature, age, and...
Ken Perrotte
- Nov 18, 2020
Duck Cannons of the Chesapeake – When Punt Guns Spoke, Waterfowl Markets Sang
Imagine a time when nighttime duck assassins stealthily maneuvered low-profile skiffs toward vast rafts of dozing ducks and geese,...
Ken Perrotte
- Oct 29, 2020
Soggy Early Season Turkey Hunt in New York Vineyards Yields No Birds, But Offers Insights
Click on photo for article in NWTF Turkey Country magazine An early May excursion to Chautauqua County in far northwestern New York along...
Ken Perrotte
- Oct 7, 2020
It's a 'Cisco Disco' and 'Laker Love-In' Fishing Trip on Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay -
Trolling deep water successfully requires technical know-how and the right equipment. It is often the only way to catch fish on some...
Ken Perrotte
- Oct 1, 2020
Northern Michigan a Fishing, Hunting Wonderland - Did Someone Say 'Salmon on the Fly'?
The river tributary Lake Huron in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was stained a deep tea color. Yet, the big fish clearly stood out 10 yards away
Ken Perrotte
- Sep 11, 2020
'Days of Wine and Crappie Fishing' - My Latest Article in Crappie Now - a NW New York Hotspot
Northern New York state is known for its expansive borders along two of the Great lakes, Erie and Ontario. In the state’s...
Ken Perrotte
- Jul 28, 2020
The Allure of Virginia's Eastern Shore Beaches - Kiptopeke, Assateague Island and Cape Charles
It was a pleasure to write a piece for USA Today's GoEscape magazine (Mid-Atlantic edition) this summer. The article is shown in the...
Ken Perrotte
- May 25, 2020
A Mission to Italy – Searching for a Hometown Boy
The two American women were a little nervous as they boarded a bus in Florence, Italy, one sunny morning in 2003. They had begun their...
Ken Perrotte
- Mar 21, 2020
'Come to the Light' - Hardwater Crappie Fishing in the Green Mountain State - a Winter Wonderland
Vermont has long been known as a winter wonderland. Crappie fishing on Lake Champlain through the ice can be hot with the right set up....
By Ken Perrotte
- Dec 5, 2019
William Faulkner's "Rowan Oak" Home Site Well-Preserved by Ole Miss Down in Oxford
A late October trip to the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association's annual conference in Oxford, Mississippi,provided an opportune time...
By Ken Perrotte
- Sep 5, 2019
Uruguay Mixed Bag Hunt Delivers Hot-Barrel Shooting, Exquisite Food & Ambiance
Note: Blog Includes Video. I held off on posting this blog about a hunt at Uruguay Lodge until the feature in Safari Club International's...
By Ken Perrotte
- Feb 27, 2019
Last Tango in Montevideo! Primuseum, Mercado del Puerto, Wine and 'Football'
The summer of 2018 -- actually, much of 2018 -- saw Outdoors Rambler in full Road Warrior mode. One fun, and all too brief, stop came at...
By Ken Perrotte
- Feb 14, 2019
Sundance Head -- the Soulful Country Artist with a Passion for Everything Outdoors
The massive SHOT Show at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas attracts nearly 60,000 people every January. Miles of exhibits showcase...
By Ken Perrotte
- Dec 25, 2018
Is It Possible to Overdose on Great Music? It's Fun Trying in the Americana Music Triangle
Music, as the legendary Dick Clark used to say, is the soundtrack of our lives. I had the wonderful opportunity to visit multiple...
By Ken Perrotte
- Dec 21, 2018
Franklin & Leiper's Fork, Tennessee - Great Destinations on Your Americana Music Trek
When people think of music in Tennessee, they tend to think of Nashville. Nashville is great, a lot of fun. It’s also expensive, crowded....
By Ken Perrotte
- Dec 20, 2018
Memphis: Visit One of Music's Melting Pots - Blues, Country & Soul Keep on Rockin'
Heading up the Mississippi from New Orleans takes you along the western edge of an area touted as the Americana Music Triangle. A “can’t...
By Ken Perrotte
- Dec 13, 2018
Blues (and Great R&B), Brews and BBQ in "The Shoals" - Incredible Music History
American Indians living along the Tennessee River in Northwest Alabama called it the "Singing River” because they believed a woman who...
By Ken Perrotte
- Nov 23, 2018
Destination: Tupelo, Mississippi – Birthplace of Elvis a Key Stop on Storied Music Trail
Ask anyone what they know most about Tupelo, Mississippi, and it’s a safe bet Elvis Presley will be in the answer. Tupelo was the...
By Ken Perrotte
- Nov 19, 2018
Does Anything Taste Better than a Great Steak Cooked Over a Wood-Fired Grill?
Yes, that headline is a bit of a rhetorical question. For many, cooking over a wood fire restores us to the primeval time that resides...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 19, 2018
Don't Miss St. Augustine's Historic Forts, Well-Preserved Reminders of Colonial Past
Founded in 1565 by Spain as a military outpost, St. Augustine, Florida, is one of America’s most historic cities. For military history...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 19, 2018
Bikers, Hikers, Anglers & Bluegrass Fans Find Lots to Love with Smyth County, VA
Bikers and mountain enthusiasts discover incredible adventures when they trek Virginia Route 16, a two-lane road snaking over three...
By Ken Perrotte
- Sep 22, 2018
North Dakota's Badlands - Stomping Grounds for French Aristocracy, Cowboys, Indians
This Outdoors Rambler lifestyle gets me out into some incredible places. Whether it's in a treestand watching the woods wake up, on the...
By Ken Perrotte
- Sep 17, 2018
Hiking North Dakota Badlands with Teddy; Rousing Words Delivered from Majestic Vista
Cross North Dakota off the list of states yet to be visited by the Outdoors Rambler. Too bad it took so long, but better late than never;...
By Ken Perrotte
- Aug 29, 2018
Daytona Beach: Sand & Water, Speed & Thunder; Plus So Much More - Check It Out
When most people think of Daytona Beach, Florida, they’ll likely admit knowing the place for its miles of sandy beaches, auto racing...
By Ken Perrotte
- Aug 23, 2018
Lake Erie - Head to Walleye Heaven & See Why Pros and Novices Can Have a Blast!
I've often heard Lake Erie described as the best walleye fishing in the United States, but never made an opportunity to fish this lake...
By Ken Perrotte
- Jul 6, 2018
Banging the Drums North of New Orleans with Early Summer, Light Tackle Fishing Action
Here’s a little video I put together of the fun we had in early June 2018 catching black drum near the L&N Train Bridge where The...
By Ken Perrotte
- Apr 16, 2018
Replica Vietnam Memorial Wall in Beautiful Punta Gorda Stirring in Its Authenticity
During a fishing trip a couple years ago to Florida's southwest gulf coast, I was told about a unique half-size replica of the Vietnam...
By Ken Perrotte
- Mar 1, 2018
Visiting the “Crab Capital” of the Eastern Shore - Crisfield, Maryland
The inhabitants of Crisfield, Maryland, have made their living from the water since the earliest days of Chesapeake Bay commerce. Crabs,...
By Ken Perrotte
- Jan 14, 2018
Explore Bygone Days of the Watermen, Market Gunners & Carvers at Eastern Shore Museums
The Maryland Eastern Shore is legendary for its beauty, with quaint fishing villages, verdant farms and waterfowl without compare along...
By Ken Perrotte
- Nov 22, 2017
Three Days of Rambling Through War, Wine and Wagon Stops - West Virginia and Maryland
Load up a three-day weekend with a balanced blend of Civil War history and a wealth of lighter engagements centered around the wonderful...
By Ken Perrotte
- Nov 1, 2017
Chattanooga – Gateway to Union Victory and Reconciliation - After Bloody Chickamauga
Richmond may have been the Confederacy’s capitol, but it wasn’t necessarily the lynchpin to Federal victory in the Civil War. No, it was...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 31, 2017
Tackling Tench! Fishing With Paddy Murphy in County Cavan during Visit to Ancestral Land
Note: this article first ran in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star in August 2016, right after my return from a 10-day trip to Ireland....
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 31, 2017
Tennessee Aquarium: A Must-See Stop on Chattanooga's Scenic Waterfront and Historic Downtown
The world beneath the wavetops holds a strong fascination for many humans. Being face-to-face with a razor-toothed shark or a prehistoric...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 30, 2017
Minnesota's Lakes Offer Outdoor Smorgasbord; Baudette and Mouth of Rainy River a Fishing Hub
BAUDETTE, Minn.—The mouth of the Rainy River, just north of here, was misleadingly calm as our 27-foot Sportcraft fishing boat joined the...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 30, 2017
Island Hopper Festival at Fort Myers Beach - Beat Summer Crowds, Listen to Awesome Music, Drink Loca
After most families have wrapped up their summer vacations and kids are back in school, you can often find Florida's usually crowded...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 27, 2017
Neon and the Mob - Must Be Vegas Baby!
Before monolithic hotel/casinos dominated Las Vegas’ landscape, smaller, more intimate venues along Fremont Street and a mile south...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 27, 2017
St. Augustine - Where Pirates and Paranormal Abound: Cue Spooky Music...
When you’re in a coastal city dating to 1565, you can bet you can find ample haunts to shiver your timbers. So it is in St. Augustine,...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 16, 2017
Kilkenny, Ireland – Home of the Medieval Mile – and Some Damn Good Pubs
Dublin is jumping off point for a number of trips into Ireland’s countryside. For visitors seeking a unique blend of old world and new,...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 14, 2017
Stowe, Vermont -- Skiing, Spas, Breweries, Cider Mills, Fishing, Hiking & Mountain Biking
Stowe, Vermont, nestled in the Green Mountains and tucked into the western shadow of Mount Mansfield, the state’s highest peak, serves up...
By Ken Perrotte
- Oct 2, 2017
Goliath Grouper fishing Florida's Gulf Coast; Food, Fun in Sun - Watch Out, These Fish can Hurt You!
If you’re looking for a total saltwater heaven destination check out the area around Charlotte Harbor, Florida, where three rivers...