We’re off once again to Europe, this time to visit the Waltz Capital of the World, Vienna, Austria (and you don’t know how badly my fingers wanted to type Vienna Sausages 
). Vienna is the largest city in Austria and in addition to its musical heritage, it was the home of Sigmund Freud. We can attend concerts, the opera, the theater, visit museums, or check out the historic architecture. Or we can just wander the parks and gardens. And we can eat. And eat and eat. 
Today in history:
- 1889 – Director Victor Fleming was born. His most famous films were The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind.
- 1896 – The Tootsie Roll was invented.
- 1903 – Cuba leased Guantánamo Bay to the United States “in perpetuity”. Bet they regret that deal!
- 1905 – Chicago attorney Paul Harris and three other businessmen meet for lunch to form the Rotary Club.
- 1927 – President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill by Congress which established the Federal Radio Commission (later replaced by the Federal Communications Commission) which.
- 1954 – The first mass inoculation of children against polio with the Salk vaccine began in Pittsburgh.
On TV tonight: Wipeout and The Finder
Reading: Finished up A Fitting End which I loved. Now I’m reading The Walled Flower by Lorraine Bartlett. This is the second in her Victoria Square series.
At last! A place I’ve actually been myself! Many many times! Saguaro National Park is in my beloved Arizona. Tucson, to be exact. The park is actually two parks. One on the east side of town and the other on the west. I spent most of my time on the west side. 
There are a total of 150 miles of hiking trails plus shorter interpretive walks where you can learn about the various types of cacti and native wildlife. Check out the official park site for more information and pictures. Just remember, though, if you go hiking, watch out for scorpions, tarantulas, and rattlesnakes!
Today in history:
- 1883 – Actress Marguerite Clark was born.
- 1879 – Frank Woolworth opened the first of 5 and dime Woolworth stores in Utica, New York.
- 1907 – Actor Robert Young was born. He’s probably best known for his roles in Father Knows Best and Marcus Welby, M.D.
- 1924 – Calvin Coolidge became the first U.S. President to deliver a radio broadcast from the White House.
- 1959 – Lee Petty won the first Daytona 500. He was also the father of racing legend Richard Petty and the grandfather of Kyle Petty.
On TV tonight: Ghost Hunters International and Top Guns.
Reading: I’m reading A Fitting End by Melissa Bourbon. She’s a new-to-me author and I’m loving this book! Can’t wait to read the first one.
Ice Station Zebra is thriller by Alistair MacLean which was written in 1963. It later became a movie starring Rock Hudson. Why am I talking about this, you ask? It’s about an American icebreaker submarine sent on a rescue mission. And today, we’re going on an icebreaker cruise! On a ship, not a submarine, however. The Sampo is a tourist icebreaker which operates out of Finland. Passengers can even get off the ship onto the ice for a stroll (what kind of lunatic wants to stroll on ice? ) or to go ice fishing.
Today in history:
- 1902 – Legendary American photographer Ansel Adams was born.
- 1906 – Actor Gale Gordon was born. He’s probably best remembered playing opposite Lucille Ball in three of her series.
- 1933 – Congress proposed the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution that would end Prohibition in the United States.
- 1935 – Caroline Mikkelsen of Denmark became the first woman to set foot in Antarctica.
- 1942 – Lieutenant Edward O’Hare became America’s first World War II flying ace.
- 1943 – American movie studio executives agreed to allow the Office of War Information to censor movies. Why? Learn more here.
On TV tonight: Alcatraz, Castle, and Hawaii 5-O
Reading: Over the weekend I read Town in a Wild Moose Chase by B. B. Hayward and Old Haunts by E. J. Copperman. Both of these were a lot of fun! Now I’m reading Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington which I’m loving!
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