Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast. On this episode, Anne and I try to bring to life for you some places we know well.
Bill’s Places He Knows Well
- Riverbank behind the house on Plymouth Road in Winamac, Indiana
- Orient Geographically: Winamac is 100 miles southeast of Chicago and 90 miles straight north of Indianapolis.
- Give an image: the river bank was steep with concrete steps and broken stone spread around on the bank. We had a silver jon boat.
- Story from or connection to the place: Brent Herman shot Tank in the calf with a BB gun. We fished for sunfish with a cane pole.
- Campus of St. John’s University in Queens, NY

- Orient Geographically: Queens is across the East River from Manhattan, sits on top of Brooklyn and share the island with Long Island. St. John’s is 5 miles down the Grand Central Parkway from Flushing Meadow.
- Give an image: St. Augustine Hall sits at the end of a great lawn, is made from gray limestone, and evokes a cathedral feeling that matches the university Catholic’s mission. Built from Indiana Limestone also known as Bedford Limestone.
- Story from or connection to the place: I didn’t realize how much I would miss walking across a college campus. I remember walking across the lawn headed for Asheville.
- Ledges Whitewater Park on the French Broad River in Asheville, NC
- Orient Geographically: The park is north of Asheville, North Carolina that is in the mountains of Western Carolina. Asheville is a 5 hour drive from Myrtle Beach.
- Give an image: whitewater rushes over boulders with mountains rising up on both sides.
- Story from or connection to the place: our family rafted the length of the river and Anne did a section of it with us.
- Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina

- Orient Geographically: It’s 83 miles to the northeast running along the ridge line and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Give an image: Lots of red brick buildings, surrounded by mountains, and adjacent to King Street.
- Story from or connection to the place: It’s year 8 at App State! I visited twice: once fifteen years ago with Tank and Herb. Probably 5 years after that with Klop and always thought it would be an ideal place to live.
- Valle Crucis Community Park in Valle Crucis, NC

- Orient Geographically: it’s 7 miles west of App State and sits on the Watauga River. It’s a little over a mile loop of unique flat land in the middle of the mountains. It’s Latin for Valley of the Cross.
- Give an image: It’s a valley in the mountains with long green grasses. The river is full of large boulders. A stream lines the side of the park near the Mast Store and the old Valle Crucis Store.
- Story from or connection to the place: There’s a big loop that’s about 1.2 miles. During the hurricane, I think the water probably reached 10 feet. There’s marks on the trees of the high water level.
Anne’s Places She Knows Well
- Place 1: Point Dume Malibu
- Orient Geographically: Malibu, north of main part of town, just south of Zuma Beach
- Give an image: point that juts a bit out from line of shore, cliff top above beach
- Story from or connection to the place: laid back beach, drive is fun
- Place 2: Griffith Observatory
- Orient Geographically: Griffith Observatory view and hike in Los Feliz
- Give an image: high above LA in SM mtns
- Story from or connection to the place: first neighborhood, city at your feet and huge part up high blocks from apt
- Place 3: Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
- Orient Geographically: Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
- Give an image: spectacular valley surrounded by mtns/waterfalls
- Story from or connection to the place: hike with cows and bells etc
- Place 4: Yosemite
- Orient Geographically: Yosemite
- Give an image: best NP I’ve been too, lush and spectacular
- Story from or connection to the place: steps never ending, crowded start and then became very solo
- Place 5: Melrose
- Orient Geographically: a street in LA a block away from my apt
- Give an image: weekend days are crowded with street vendors in front of vintage clothing stores, restaurants, designer stores, sneaker stores, coffee shops
- Story from or connection to the place: walk west and watch as gets more high end
Honorable Mention:
- Zermatt, Switzerland, Signs, Matterhorn
- Heavenly Ski Resort, Lake Tahoe view
- Aspen Buttermilk powder
- Lake Como town on hike
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!
