I've been thinking about a major overhaul of my web site for awhile. That it felt amateurish was annoying enough, but it had no good way for a reader to focus on a particular topic of interest. So I've been scribbling notes about what a really effective and engaging site would look like, and what kinds of features it would have. And over the last few months, I've been working to make it a reality. Fortunately for all of us, I've also gotten some professionals involved–folks who actually know what they are doing!

Introducing the Brand New 5280 Explorer web site

The first thing you're going to notice is that the new site is a much more visual and well curated experience, featuring beautiful overview images , introductory content and dramatically improved organization allowing you to choose a topic of interest and see all content about that topic in one place.

The next thing you'll notice is that the "Quest for The Lost Lord Keeper" research blog isn't the only blog on the site anymore. There are a few other subjects I'd like to write about over time. The new design allows me to do so in separate spaces, all featuring the same powerful new navigation features.

The (New) Welcome Page

The new Welcome page for the 5280Explorer site

When you go to http://www.5280explorer.blog now, it will take you to a Welcome page. The image there is one I took at Le Hocq, on the South-east coast of the channel island of Jersey (UK), looking toward France. From this page, you can easily navigate to your favorite blog topic, or you can see that last few articles that have been published under any of the blog topics. Just click on the "Blog" selector in the header, and you are on your way!

The New Blog Page(s)

The Quest For the Lost Lord Keeper Blog page on the newly redesigned 5280Explorer site

What the new design is capable of becomes more apparent when you jump into one of the blogs. Each has its own structure, starting with its own Blog overview page. Of course, the first thing you will notice is the large signature image for each blog and an introduction / overview of the blog. Keep scrolling down to discover the real magic of this new design!

The (New) Topics Pages

The new topics list at the bottom of each Blog page (or, next to the new "Blog" selector in the header)

As you can see in the image above, the next thing you will encounter is a grid of the most recent articles (in the order they were published). Next to that is a list of topics of this particular blog. For instance, if you are interested in knowing more about Sir Richard Lane's lost portrait at the 1866 Special Exhibition of National Portraits held in Kew, simply find and select the topic "A Man Without a Face: The Lost Portrait of Sir Richard Lane"  from this list…and viola! You will jump to a page dedicated to that particular topic!

The (new) topic page for the "A Man Without a Face: …" topic.  On this page you will find overview information, a dedicated photo gallery and a grid displaying all the  articles related to this topic.  In this case, the photo shown is the recently discovered 1866 Arundel Society photograph of the lost portrait of Sir Richard Lane.

These new Topic pages allow me to collect everything available about this particular topic (including a "cover" photo, an overview of the topic and a photo gallery of the most important images about that topic) all in one place.

There is also a search tool at the top of all pages, so you can find whatever you might be interested in that way as well.

The New Blogs

If you venture around the other blogs on the site, you'll notice they are set up (including most of their Topic pages), but there are very few other posts there yet. I will resolve that over time, but for now, most have a single "Under Construction" article in them. The other Blogs are:

• Unusual Adventures – This blog will be a showcase for the best of the many "off the beaten track" adventures Mary and I seek out: unusual, uncrowded, interesting, beautiful and affordable.   Its topics are characterized by the sort of activity involved (biking, hiking, etc).
• Solutions That Work – This blog is one that has been on my mind for decades now. As an engineer, I love elegant solutions, especially when those solutions allow you to avoid large expenses. This will include gear for exploring and product reviews.
• Running With Scissors! – This blog is about my band, setting up a cost effective studio, reviews of music gear, etc.
• Stories From an Unusual Life – This blog will be part autobiography, part  articles about some of the truly fascinating characters I've met and gotten to know along the way (including an interview I did with a government historian for the Manhattan Project).  It will also be sprinkled with any worthwhile writings and a "Hall of Fame" of the more worthwhile among our species.

Of course, the new site includes new versions of the usual  standard pages, including a new "Contact" page with a message form you can use to message me. I do hope you enjoy the new site–it was a lot of work getting built, but its a great way to start 2026!

Kudos to my Friends at Capital Numbers

I'd like to give a nod to the development team that ultimately worked with me to build this new site. Jag and Amit at Capital Numbers (an IT development company with an office in Kolkata, in the Northeast corner of India) did a marvelous job of working with me to understand what I wanted and then building it! Where my ideas were good, they did a nice job bringing them to life. Where my ideas were not so good, they worked with me to find alternatives that would accomplish what I wanted in a more effective way. What I could have produced without their help would have been shabby indeed.

Now, I look forward to turning my attention to writing again!