About Us

Welcome to New York Traveler! This is our “about” page where you can learn all about the Mecomber clan who makes this blog possible.

We live in Upstate New York. We are Christians who homeschool our children. Our travels serve as educational outlets as well as entertainment. The places we visit usually have some historical or geographic significance. Often times, one of the children will be assigned to write an essay where we have visited, and I post these essays on my blog.

My blog was born out of my own desire to travel and pursue adventure, and out of my love of writing short stories. I’ve always wanted to travel around the United States and Europe, but as is common to many parents, we just don’t have the time or the funds to do so (yet). If there is one thing that I have regretted from living all over the state, it is that I never took advantage of the delights of the location I was in. How I wish I had seen the Museum of Natural History and Trinity Church and other places when I’d lived in Manhattan! I didn’t take the opportunity to enjoy the many attractions of the many places I lived.

In case you are wondering, Mecomber is my pen name. It is a Scottish derivation of the surname McCumber. The photos I use for my husband and I are not our true likenesses. They are scanned photos of old tintypes. The icon portraying me is of my great-great-great aunt, taken in the late 1800s. I do not look like her, but there is some slight family resemblance. The icon portraying my husband is a portrait from the mid 1800s of my great-great-great-great grandfather. My husband looks nothing like him, but they are both handsome men. The photos of the kids are real, but taken a few years ago.

Mrs. Mecomber
I have lived all over the state, from Manhattan to the Finger Lakes region. My interests are writing, studying the Bible, history, law, constitutional government, home improvement, and gardening. I am over age 30 but younger than 50. That’s old enough to mind my manners but young enough to be wild and crazy.

Mr. Mecomber
I call him “The Southerner” because he was born in the Deep South and was raised mostly in Delaware. We married in 1988. He is not a writer, but is an accomplished musician and works hard so I can stay home and raise the children. His interests are math and science, so we complement each other quite well.

The Historian
This is Ms. Mecomber, a budding historian and writer. She is thoughtful and musical. She pens most of the short historical essays for the traveling blog. She also has a blog of her own, The Historian’s Archives.

Injane
This is Injane, the second-born. Where her elder sister is meeker and milder, Injane is spunky and sassy and very musical. She loves the great outdoors and thoroughly enjoys our camping and hiking expeditions. Her goal is to grow up to be Daniel Boone and to skin squirrels. We’ll see…

Beetle Bailey
This is the eldest Mecomber son. He resembles the eldest daughter in temperament and appearance (mild and fair). He likes mechanical things, especially relating to military weaponry and strategy, thus his nickname. Like his father, he is a science whiz.

Sniffy
Sniffy is the youngest of the Mecombers. He is much like his sister InJane, he is dark and energetic. He has great talent in etymology and communications. He is an excellent writer and creative, and tends to be a little moody. He is also quite strong-willed, a Mecomber trait. He is named Sniffy by his affectionate mother who tired of his aversion to Kleenex during cold season.