My second piece for Travelhoppers on the Australian outlaw, Edward 'Ned' Kelly is now online.

The post looks at the legend of Ned Kelly as it survives today, and provides a route map for a suggested road trip through Kelly's life and subsequent death, for true crime fans, and for travellers interested in Australian history and the story of the Ned Kelly.

It may seem incredible, but the story of Ned Kelly still resonates across the years, despite his death by hanging on November 11, 1880 at Melbourne Gaol. In fact, it wasn't until recently that his remains were finally identified and returned to surviving family members for burial or disposal as they see fit.

However, the lingering mystery of what has happened to Kelly's missing skull remains. Forensic examination of a skull thought to be Edward Kelly's and in the possession of a Western Australian family for 30 years, now turns out not to be the skull of Ned Kelly, but quite possibly the skull of another criminal also hanged at Melbourne Gaol.

It all makes for fascinating reading for history buffs and true crime fans alike, and a good place to start your examination of the Kelly legend might as well be my piece for Travelhoppers.

The Bitter End – Natural Woman

This is the third in a series of videos recorded at The Bitter End All Star Jam during August 2010. The song featured here is the Carole King classic, You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman).

To my great shame and regret, I did not make a note of the singer’s name, although I do know she was (and may still be) working at The Bitter End behind the bar. In between serving punters and waiting on tables she would always do at least one song during the Jam session.

Nor do I know the name of the African-American guitarist playing during this song. However, the other musicians are Mark Greenberg (drums), Brett Bass (bass), and Danny Thompson (guitar). If anyone can provide names for the singer and the second guitarist, I would be very grateful.

The Bitter End is at 147, Bleecker Street, and remains one of my favourite New York night spots to catch live music. You never know which rising star will make an appearance there during the open mic nights or the Sunday and Monday night jams that start late and finish even later. Thousands of performers (including Lady Gaga) have graced the stage at the Bitter End, and the venue has been the go to place for many a rising star.

Visit The Bitter End Jam website…

And since you are online anyway, why not check out their MySpace page…

Travel With Children

Image courtesy of Children At Risk Foundation (CARF Brazil)
CARF Blog... and CARF Website...

Julia Odgers and Laura Morris have put together a couple of excellent eBooks packed full of advice outlining ways to keep children entertained and occupied while travelling. As they say in their introduction to the first eBook: “Traveling with kids can be fun, exciting, rewarding and at times challenging,” which is why they put together this collection of their own “tried and tested” travel tips and activities.

Whether you are planning to drive, fly, or journey by train or other means, both these eBooks will give you dozens of ideas for keeping the kids happy. Best of all the books are free and can be read online or printed off before you hit the road.

The first 21 page book contains travel games, word search puzzles, coloring activities, and tips and advice for parents about road food, travel sickness, and even advice about camping with children.

Click here to read the Children's Travel Activities and Travel Tips eBook now…

Open publication - Free publishing - More car games

The second (25 page) eBook from Julia and Laura continues the theme with more great ideas, including some from other contributors. With headings like 3 Simple Steps for Surviving Long Journey With Children; Handy Tips for Flying With Kids; Inspiring Kids to Get Walking, and Top 10 Tips for Feeding Kids on The Move, there really should be no excuse for you family holiday to turn into a test of wills and tantrums.

The second Children's Travel Activities and Travel Tips is embedded below:

Open publication - Free publishing - More car games