If you’re a US expat, the Thanksgiving holiday can be one of those times when you’ll go to extraordinary lengths to get a taste of home.

After living in Bahrain, Japan and the Netherlands, I have vivid memories of the “turkey trot” – US expats running around trying to find an oven that could handle a standard-sized turkey.

Admittedly, as military personnel we had access to base commissaries that carried turkeys and other American exotica like sweet potatoes, canned pumpkin and those French onion crunchy things you sprinkle on green bean casseroles.  The battle wasn’t won, though, until you found an oven that was big enough to actually cook the holiday bird.

If you’ve never been an expat, you have no idea how enormous and powerful the average American refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, washer and dryer are compared to their often diminutive and underpowered overseas counterparts.

Just try drying two or three pair of blue jeans at once in many Japanese or European clothes dryers, for example – you’ll feel as though you’re waiting for DAYS for them to un-soggify.

So, at Thanksgiving, if you can lay hands on a turkey, you must plot where to cook it.

Those servicemembers who live on US overseas bases often have coveted US-sized appliances in military housing. To help with the cooking challenge, many generous on-base spouses arrange sign-up sheets and schedules each Thanksgiving so that off-base families can get in there and jam their turkeys into an oven that can handle it.

Here’s how it works….

“OK, Sue, you can cook in my oven from 8-10 am. Frank, you’re in there from 8:15-10:15. Maria, be ready to go 10:30-12:30….” and so on.

It’s a little thing, to have some familiar holiday foods once a year, but it means a lot when far from home.

I never thought I’d be so thankful for something as simple as an oven.

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This is the lobby of the historic King Edward Hotel in downtown Jackson, Mississippi as it was before renovations began in the fall of 2006.

This is the same lobby in the fall of 2011, when I stayed there on a short road trip through central and northern Mississippi. It’s now operated as the Hilton Garden Inn Jackson Downtown, but everyone I talked to still calls it the King Edward.

When Marika Cackett from the Jackson CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau) told me that the place had been an empty, blown-out mess for 40 years before restoration, with garbage all over the lobby where we sat visiting, I could not get my head around it.  A huge thanks to people like local Jackson developer David Watkins who can look at a disaster area and see infinite possibilities, just as I found with the spectacular SteelStacks redevelopment project in Pennsylvania.

Cackett also mentioned that she’s heard of many older African-American couples who like to stay at the hotel, partly because they were not allowed to enjoy its hospitality during the days of segregation and Jim Crow.

Interestingly, the Mississippi Blues Trail historical marker out on the front sidewalk says that there used to be recording studios in the hotel: OKeh Records in 1930 and the American Record Corporation in 1935. Blues artists cutting records there included Bo Carter, Robert Wilkins, Joe McCoy, Isaiah Nettles and the Mississippi Sheiks.

Some poignant thoughts from the Preservation in Mississippi blog on the day after the hotel re-opened in 2009:

“As I walked down Capitol Street with friends, we saw other groups of people going in the same direction. As we got closer to the King Ed, the trickle became a stream, and past the Mayflower [cafe, still open today] the stream became a river of people. It was a wonderful feeling to be a part of a crowd on the sidewalk in downtown Jackson….One thing that struck me was the almost perfect balance between blacks and whites in the crowd, a hopeful sign for the city and for Mississippi, showing civic and business cooperation to bring this incredibly complex and difficult project to completion. This was not a “white” project or a “black” project. It was an Us project.”

Room rates were reasonable, WiFi was free, my room was super-comfy and more businesses and restaurants are springing up nearby, including the new Farish Street Entertainment District.

If you’re ever in Jackson, don’t stay in some suburban box hotel. Get yourself downtown to this gorgeous property.

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Welcome to the Carnival of Cities blog carnival, where we tour the world in a single post, via submissions from a variety of different blogs, all about any aspect of one, single city (or fair-sized town.)

The previous Carnival edition was hosted on Sheila’s Guide, and will return there on November 16.

If you would like to host a future Carnival edition on your blog, please contact me at Sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com. Thanks!

Off we go….

Cities in Europe

London, England Anne-Sophie Redisch reveals Murder and Mayhem in London through the Ages – The Bridges posted at Sophie’s World, saying, “London’s bridges have been silent witnesses to plenty of action during the last millennium. If only they could talk…”

Krakow, Poland Andy Hayes may surprise you with Krakow at Christmas: The World’s White Christmas Capital posted at Travel for Christmas, saying, “Nothing is more charming that this Polish city during the holidays.”

Paris, France Jack Norell brings out the sighs of delight with Bon Appetit! Romantic dining in Paris posted at Eyeflare, saying, “Is there a better city than Paris for fantastic food in a romantic atmosphere?”

London, England Emm hops a train to enjoy Wandering Down Portobello Road posted at Emm in London, saying, “Take a walk down Portobello Road, London on a beautiful, sunny late October afternoon.”

Cities in Australia and New Zealand

Melbourne, Australia David Webb reflects in The Highest Tower posted at Pinky’s Page, saying, “This one is about how buildings in cities relate to our priorities as a civilisation. The discussion centres around my home city of Melbourne, Australia.”

Christchurch, New Zealand Jeff Peters warms the heart with the story of Re:START posted at CentrePoint on Colombo Motel blog, saying, “Blog post about Christchurch NZ’s inner city being reopened after 8 months post-earthquake.”

Cities in the Middle East

Eilat, Israel Elisse Jo Goldstein-Clark leaves West Virginia to visit Eilat, Israel: SeaDooing, Snorkling, & Camel Trekking! posted at We Live In The Country!, saying, “An ongoing series of blog posts on recent travel to Israel.”

Cities in the Americas

Tillamook, Oregon, USA Mary Jo Manzanares makes us all hungry with Cheese & More at Tillamook Cheese Factory posted at Traveling with MJ.

Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA Nicole enjoys Fort Wayne’s Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory posted at Arrows Sent Forth, saying, “The Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a beautiful space to enjoy nature regardless of the weather.”

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Jennifer Miner gives you an update on Waikiki Beach Walk Restaurants and Shops posted at The Vacation Gals, saying, “Waikiki Beach Walk is a lively, fun area of Oahu for a dining/shopping splurge during a vacation in Hawaii.”

San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico Timothy Scott enjoys but regrets A Too-short Stay in San Cristobal de las Casas posted at Luxury Latin America Blog, saying, “Notes and photos from the most popular traveler city in Chiapas, Mexico.”

Concrete, Washington, USA Becky McCray finds one of those hardware stores that carry everything;  The Biggest Store East of Skiyou on Small Biz Survival.

Detroit, Michigan, USA Dominique King finds Detroit’s William G. Milliken State Park and Lighthouse posted at Midwest Guest, saying, “This pretty lighthouse on the Detroit River is a unique urban oasis in Detroit and pays tribute to the many historic lighthouses once dotted the shores of the river.”

Oakland, California, USA Nancy Brown goes to the East Bay in Things to see and do in Oakland, California posted at Nancy D Brown, saying, “Did you know that Tom Hanks grew up in Oakland? Kids love Children’s Fairyland, as did Walt Disney himself. Discover the softer side of Oakland with these insider tips from former resident Nancy D. Brown.”

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA I wrote about an urban renaissance and industrial tourism at the former Bethlehem Steel plant, in Travel Post Friday: Guided by someone who lived it at Sheila’s Guide To The Good Stuff.

Seattle, Washington, USA Mari checks out Columbia City in a Photo Essay of America’s Most Diverse Zip Code posted at eTourism Insight, saying, “98118 has been named America’s most diverse zip code. It’s just one more reason to visit Seattle, Washington.”

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA erin likes a Trip to Milwaukee Art Museum 2 posted at Audiochic, saying, “few things to do for a weekend in Milwaukee”

That concludes this Carnival edition, and thank you for visiting.

Please submit your (ONE, non-spammy) blog post to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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This melted beauty includes tomatoes and diced red onion, both of which I love.  All-cheese purists can get it without those items, of course.

It’s one of many sandwiches and other goodies waiting for you at the Blue Dome Diner in Tulsa, Oklahoma (right on historic Route 66.)

I thought it was a savory delight that the world needed to know about, immediately.

You’re welcome.

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Want to see an incredible example of making lemonade out of a busted-industry, corroded, hulking, sad-looking batch of lemons?

Take a look at what’s happened at the site of the old Bethlehem Steel plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Now called SteelStacks, it’s become a performing arts/culture magnet and tourist attraction for the entire Lehigh Valley.

I know; it’s some major cognitive dissonance to say “Bethlehem Steel” and “arts/culture magnet” in the same sentence. But, it’s more than true.

Right in front of a former blast furnace, there’s an outdoor music pavilion (seen in each photo) plus the modern ArtsQuest performing arts building, a new building housing local public television station PBS39 and a bit further away in the complex, a huge (and tastefully designed to fit the industrial area) Sands Casino.

Music events at this pavilion include the fabulously-named Blast Furnace Blues Festival.

Another model for rescuing a blighted industrial area is Landschaftspark in Germany’s Ruhr Valley, which ArtsQuest founder Jeff Parks visited in 2002 and found inspirational.

There’s still a lot of work to be done restoring many remaining brick Bethlehem Steel buildings and bringing in more shops, restaurants and other businesses, but what a start!

I’m afraid that I’m starting to get rather seen-it-all in my traveler old age, and I was truly blown away.  If the only thing you know about this part of Pennsylvania are the depressing lyrics from Billy Joel’s song “Allentown,” you’ve GOT to see what’s happening there today.

(Disclosure: I was in the Lehigh Valley area as a keynote speaker for their annual regional tourism meeting, so my travel expenses were covered by the Convention and Visitors Bureau, but there was no cost to seeing SteelStacks.)

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