More to Come

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I'm a little behind on my updates.  I am back in California and went back to work today, but will get my postings done soon.  Hope you've been enjoying my travels.  Stay tuned.....

Denver - Oct 20

My day in Denver started out sunny but quickly turned to overcast. My first stop was the state capitol and the first thing I spotted was the Liberty Bell replica in a park across the street. I made my way there and started chatting with a young mother named Becca who was exploring the city with her son Andrew - he’s a little over 1 year old and was a real trooper. She and her husband and son recently moved to Denver from Las Vegas. He husband is working on the gubernatorial campaign for Scott McGinnis - hope he wins so they can stay in the area as they really like it there. She and I walked over to the City and County Building and wandered about the building taking pictures. We then walked back toward the Capitol taking lots of pictures along the way, then said our goodbyes. I went into the Capitol and happened upon a tour that had just started so joined it. We toured the first, second and third floors. The walls on every level (including the lower level) are lined with rose onyx and is very stunning. The quarry where the onyx came from is now the site of a new housing development. They recently found a new vein but have no plans to mine it.

After the Capitol tour, I made my way to the 16th Street Mall. It’s a mile long pedestrian mall lined with the usual shops. I stopped into a couple stores that were selling Denver and Colorado items so I could pick up some postcards.  I also bought a fleece jacket for me and a gift for my sweet friend Riley.  I ate lunch at Marlowe’s, a local restaurant, and I recommend it any time you get to Denver. By now it was after 4:00 pm and the weather was getting progressively uglier so I made my way back to my hotel. I considered going to one of the local casinos, but they were in Blackhawk which is about 30 miles west of the city.  Because of the weather and the prediction of snow showers, I decided to stay put. Read my Denver to Green River post next and check out my Denver photo album.

Stay tuned for more….

Denver to Green River, Utah to Salt Lake City - Oct 21 & 22

Denver to Green River - Oct 21

Today I left Denver in rainy and snowy weather headed toward Salt Lake City.  Last night, the weather predictions were for snow.  Luckily, the major snow was to the south and east of Denver - the opposite direction I wanted to take.  I really wanted to drive across the Rockies via I-70 rather than drive north to I-80 at Cheyenne, Wyoming.  I did that  drive across southern Wyoming many years ago and it's boring.  I watched the Colorado DOT travel site this morning for a while and when I saw that the weather in the mountains was mostly rain mixed with some snow, I went for it - all the cameras were showing wet roads but not snow sticking.  I'm so glad I did - what a treat.  I want to do this drive again in nicer weather and explore the mining towns.  Even though the weather was wet and somewhat foggy to start, I thoroughly enjoyed the drive from beginning to end.  There are similarities to driving through the Sierras but many differences, however, both are extraordinarily breathtaking.  Traveling through the Rockies you go through several tunnels, one of which is the Eisenhower Tunnel which crosses the Continental Divide at 11,158 feet above sea level.  There are also quite a few sizable towns along the route unlike the Sierras.  Because you start out at above 5,000 feet, the elevation changes are mostly gradual but there are 2 or 3 areas where you really climb and your car feels it. 

After coming through the Eisenhower Tunnel, everything was dry and clear - no snow or rain anywhere.  I stopped at Vail for lunch, but the village was fairly deserted so I ended up at a local Subway.  I continued on toward Grand Junction and passed through Glenwood Canyon - truly amazing.  It's about 13 miles long and the Colorado River runs through it, so that is most likely how it was formed.  It was like driving through a mini Grand Canyon.  I snapped the photo on the left while I was driving and unless you've ever taken this drive, it doesn't really convey the true feeling of going through here.

When you come out of the Rockies, you're in the high desert and still at about 5,000 feet.  When I got to Grand Junction, I still had lots of time to keep going so I headed to Green River, UT - having no idea what would be there.  It turns out that between Grand Junction and Green River there is nothing and it's a two hour drive so I hoped I wasn't making a not-so-good decision.  Very shortly after I crossed into Utah, there was a road that read "Eagles on Highway".  I never saw any eagles - in the sky or on the road.  And, I only saw that one sign.  Their deer crossing signs are different from most - they read "Frequent Deer Crossings Next xx Miles".

During my visit with my youngest sister, her husband Rick and I had a discussion about driving for hours without seeing any civilization except cars on the road.  He has never experienced this and couldn't visualize what that would be like.  So, Rick this photo is for you - a lot of nothing in Utah - but beautiful in a bleak way.

I arrived in Green River just after 7:00 pm and from what I could tell, it's a little spit of a town in the desert, but there were plenty of hotels to choose from and I'm here for the night.  I think it exists only for I-70 travelers. 

Green River to Salt Lake City - Oct 22

In the light of day, I got a better look at Green River and discovered that they have a history museum and also a Rocky Mountain Power plant.  Otherwise, just a handful of hotels, a few gas stations, two restaurants, a couple campgrounds and a small residential area.  It's aptly named as the Green River runs through it. 

I stayed off the interstate for most of my drive today - I headed west on Rte 191 then onto US-6.  This route took me through the towns of Price and Helper plus the Wasatch Mtns.  Price is fair sized town and Helper is a smaller town, but according to the road signs has some history to it.  Outside of Helper, I noticed about 20 people on horseback and a herd of cattle along the side of the road.  By the time I could pull over they were herding the cattle up the hill.  One old cowboy who was pulling away in a truck said I should have been there earlier and that they were moving the cattle to pens on top of the hill.  I don't know where the cattle came from and what happens to them after they're penned.  I did manage to get a picture before they totally disappeared from my sight.

This is still a work in progress, so check back again for the updates.

Kansas City - Oct 18 and 19

KC is a beautiful city and I spent quite a bit of time exploring it.  There are over 200 public fountains in KC and I set out to find some of them.  I got back from Independence about 5:00 pm and spent some time driving around the downtown area and found my first fountain (Muse of the Missouri) in a business district.  As I was roaming around, I kept seeing young girls and their parents headed toward the Sprint Center so I decided to park and take a walk to see who was in town - it was Miley Cyrus.  The sun appeared and it warmed up a little from earlier in the day, so I kept walking.  Across from the Sprint Center is an area called the Power & Light district which encompasses lots of restaurants.  One area within this district is Kansas City Live! - it was pretty cool.  It is made up of various restaurants and bars surrounding a multi-level outdoor seating area.  There was a very large outdoor monitor on which a college football game was being shown.   There a large canopy with heaters over the area.  From there I continued walking through the P&L district toward the Convention Center.  There was some interesting looking towers looming above and one guy I asked thought they were weights for a bridge.  I don't know if they're decorative or have a purpose but they're on top of the convention center. I walked around more then headed back to my hotel on the Kansas side. 

I spent most of the next day in KC exploring the Country Club Plaza area and searching for some of the many fountains, then getting on the road about 3:00 pm.

The Country Club area is a historic area that is now a shopping area.  The architecture is primarily Moorish and Spanish - very beautiful.  I found more fountains and lots of artwork.  It seemed like every corner I turned, I found something new and intriguing.  I walked along Brush Creek Parkway which is bordered by large hotels and old apartment buildings.

My fountain search took me along Ward Expressway toward Meyer Circle and into a very upscale residential area - think Sacramento's Fab 40s on steroids.  The most beautiful part of this area is that the houses are not hidden behind fences - they are on display for all to enjoy.  I don't know what this area is known as, but how would you like to live in the house behind this fountain - look to the left.  It's directly across the street and I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to enjoy the beauty of the fountain every day.  Next I headed to Loose Park to find the Rose Garden fountain.  What I found was a fabulous park in the middle of the city and, of course, the target fountain.  It was a glorious day and there was lots of professional photography going on in the park of families, an engaged couple and a group of 6 guys and a gal that I guess is probably a band - or brothers and sister.  As I headed back toward the freeway, I stumbled onto more fountains and stopped to snap a few photos.  Check out my Kansas City and KC Fountains & Statues albums.

Salina to Denver - Oct 19

Another quick post - I made it to Denver and will be here for 2 nights, maybe 3 depending on what I do tomorrow.  I'm really tired so I won't be adding my KC post tonight, but stay tuned as it will get done soon.

Salina, Kansas - Oct 19

Quick post - spending the night in Salina, Kansas - about mid-state.  I stayed in KC till about 3:00 pm today, then hit the road.  Will be in Denver tomorrow night.

My Independence post has been updated.  Stay tuned for my Kansas City post and photos....

Independence, Missouri - Oct 17

Kansas City, Kansas - Oct 16
I arrived early in the evening in KC, Kansas.  This hotel was off the freeway but in the business area and there was nothing to see so I ventured to Harrah's Casino on the Missouri side.  The place was packed and the slots were tight so I made a donation instead of walking out with any extra bucks.  It kept me entertained instead of sitting in a hotel room.

Independence, Missouri - Oct 17

I spent a good part of Saturday in Independence and I pretty much had the town to myself.  The weather was overcast and cold.  My original plan was to tour Truman's home and the Truman Library.  I thought I'd be in town about two hours, then head into Kansas City.  I thought wrong as there was plenty to keep me busy - I toured the NPS Truman museum, Harry Truman's home, the National Frontier Trails Museum and roamed about town.  I never made it to the Truman Library.  The Truman Home will be closed on Oct 19 for restoration and maintenance and will re-open some time next year so my timing was just right.  It's a National Parks Service property so I was able to get a free ticket by using my NPS pass. 

The home was originally built by Bess Truman's grandfather and Harry lived nearby in Grandview.  His cousins lived in Independence and he met Bess on one of his visits.  After her father died at a young age, she and her mother moved into the house and lived with her grandparents.  After she and Harry married, they both also lived in the house till their deaths.  Their only child Margaret was also born in the house.  There is an iron fence around the property which was installed by the Secret Service after JFK was assassinated.  The house is on a tree-lined street in a typical middle class neighborhood and is quite grand for a house of its type.  As with other houses I've toured, no picture taking is allowed inside the house.  They also don't take you up to the second floor as the staircase is weak and not suited for the number of people who go through the house each year.  The Trumans lived as normally as you and I live.  The house is still the way it was when Bess died on Oct 18, 1982.  Margaret donated the house to the NPS to preserve the Truman legacy.  Harry's trademark was his hat and cane.  When he would come home, he'd hang them on a hook inside the side door - Bess left them there after he died in 1972 and they hang there still.

After my tour, I walked around Courthouse Square and took lots of pictures.  Because it was Saturday, the building wasn't open so I could only enjoy it from the outside.  Across the street from the Courthouse is a now-closed shop called "Wild About Harry". 

There is a 'religious district' with churches of various denominations in this area.  As I was roaming about town, one very shiny, modern steeple caught my attention.  The National Park Ranger at the Truman House told me it was the Community of Christ Temple, so I also checked that out too. 

This the world headquarters for the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).  There is quite a complex here which also includes a huge auditorium in a separate building across the street.  There was an LDS Visitor Center but because I had limited time, I didn't stop in.  I also passed a church called the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - I'm not sure how that fits into the grand scheme of things and if it's different from the Reorganized Church.  Nearby there was a fountain on a small plaza that turned out to be the The U.N. Peace Plaza which was quite lovely. 

There was van parked on the street near the plaza that was plastered with signs.  I took this picture just because it was so out of place in this area - luckily the owner wasn't there as I didn't want him to think I was buying into his hype.

Next I went to the National Trails Frontier Museum which is devoted to the Oregon, Santa Fe & California Trails.  Independence was a major jumping-off point for these trails. There was a lot to cover and it was quite interesting.  Even though I had about 1-1/2 hours before the museum closed, it still wasn't enough time to take it all in - though I did cover most of it.

Check out my Independence photo album and read my next post about Kansas City.  I hope you're enjoying my blogs and my photos.  Once I'm back home and I have more time, I'll work on reorganizing and labeling my photos.  You can view any of my albums via this link - they'll be there for quite some time.

Back on the Road - Oct 16

Yesterday was a drive day from Troy, IL to Kansas City - I'm staying on the Kansas side.  I've decided to stay here for two nights so I could do some sightseeing - I'm not ready to go home yet.  The weather the last 3 days has been rainy and overcast, but I think today I'll see some sunshine.  Last night I entertained myself by going to Harrah's casino - no luck.  No pictures from my drive but stay tuned for some from my adventures today - there's lots to see.

Short & Sweet - Oct 14

Today was just a drive day - a little over 400 miles.  I stayed in Cambridge, Ohio last night and had hoped to do a little touring in that area, but it was raining when I left, so I just got on the road and headed to my brother's house in Troy, IL.  It rained on and off all day and the temps all across Ohio, Indiana and Illinois were in the 40s.  I'll stay here tomorrow night too, then head toward Kansas City on Friday with the plan of staying there 2 nights and doing a little sightseeing on Saturday - the weather should clear up by then.  Stay tuned....

Back on the Road Again - Oct 13

I'm back on the road heading west.  My drive today was uneventful so there's nothing much to report, but I promised family and close friends I'd post every day since I'm traveling alone on the return trip.  I will do some sightseeing along the way so my posts won't all be boring.

Now that the weather has gotten considerably cooler, I'm being treated to a good dose of fall color and I'm loving it.  This is the season I miss the most.  Luckily, the Sacramento area does get some color in the fall.  I decided to travel back on I-70 which will take me through some new states.  I'm spending my first night in Cambridge, OH.  There's a historic area downtown so I may poke around a little bit tomorrow before I head back to Troy, IL to spend a night or two with my brother - this stop will be my only repeat. 

Winding Down

My time in Pennsylvania has sadly come to an end and it’s time to hit the road back to California. It was really great to spend quality time with my family and here’s my recap.

Mostly I stayed with my Aunt Diane in Allentown with side trips to visit other family.

Week 1 - 9/21 to 9/27

My first order of business was getting my hair cut - my experiment with longer hair didn't last too long.  I also got my car washed and I'm sure it felt better too.  I went to a car wash called Tippy's where they wash your car by hand rather than putting it through a mechanical wash - this was a first for me.  The first few days I just relaxed and visited with my Aunt. 

Then on Friday, I went to Paoli to spend time with my youngest sister Althea and her family. I had hoped to spend one day each with my niece Amy and my nephew Andrew doing something special, but unfortunately Amy was recovering from a bad cold and wasn’t up to going anywhere. Andrew and I spent Saturday afternoon at Ramsey’s Farm in Delaware and we had a wonderful time together. He’ll be 7 in November and he’s non-stop, but I managed to keep up with him. The first thing we did was take a hayride around the farm. After that we went through three mazes - a hay bale maze geared for the young kids, a sorghum maze for everyone but not as intricate as the corn maze, and finally the corn maze. The lady who was guiding everyone to the each maze entrance told us it would take about an hour to complete the corn maze. We spent about 45 minutes in the maze and Andrew did very well at guiding me along the right paths. After the mazes we had lunch, then headed to the pumpkin patch where Andrew picked out a very nice pint-sized pumpkin. Before we left we took another hayride. All-in-all it was a great day and the weather was perfect for a day on the farm. I think the fresh air wore down Andrew’s batteries as he spent the ride home watching a video.

Week 2 - 9/28 to 10/04I spent Tuesday and Wednesday with my Uncle Tony and Aunt Donna enjoying some country time. My uncle and I spent an afternoon going through old family slides - we laughed a lot, mostly at how goofy we all looked. We divvied the slides up for different family member and they received their 'gift' at the family party on Saturday.

That Saturday, my Aunt Diane held a family party and we had a fantastic time. My Mom, my sister Mary Ann and two of my cousins (David and Christine) were there along with other aunts and uncles. I am the oldest of 14 grandchildren and Christine is the youngest. The last time I saw her she was 5 and now she’s in college studying to be a pediatric nurse, with the hope of eventually being a pediatrician. It was a real treat to see her after so many years.  She's a snow boarder so I expect she'll want to visit me some winter and go to Lake Tahoe.

On Sunday, my Aunt Diane and I took a casino bus trip to Atlantic City. We didn’t hit any jackpots, but we managed to play mostly on ‘their’ money and come home with most of ours. One man on the trip plays in slot tournaments and is one of 300 top winners from around the country to be invited to Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe for a slot tournament at the end of October. The top prize is $1 million so I might just stop by during the tournament to cheer him on.  I gave his wife some tips on sightseeing while he's 'pounding the slot machine'.

Week 3 - 10/5 to 10/11

My mother stayed in Allentown with us till Monday and I took her home to Hummelstown where she lives with Mary Ann. Hummelstown is a very cute, quaint town. Every year they hold a “Scarecrow on the Square” contest so on Tuesday we walked around looking at the scarecrows. There were some very clever ones. My sister enters every few years, but not this year - too bad, because she’s pretty creative. Later that day, Mom and I went to Hershey to poke around a bit - the street lights are 'topped' with Hershey Kisses, some wrapped and some chocolate.  Next we went to Chocolate World - heaven for any chocoholic.

The next day we went to the State Capitol in Harrisburg - what a beautiful building. Even though I'm a PA native, I had never been there.  All Californians reading this will appreciate that their budget isn't settled as of this writing.  A bit of trivia - there is a Liberty Bell replica at every state capitol - something my sister didn’t know. The Pennsylvania bell is at the State Museum next to the capitol. Anyone know where the bell is in Sacramento? We then took a drive along the Susquehanna River to find the “Statue of Liberty” in the middle of the river. Years ago someone built a replica of it on what looks to be an old bridge pier. We found it but the only way to get this picture from our side of the river is to stop along the freeway. We also toured the mansion at Ft. Hunter State Park - we had the docent to ourselves and she presented a very interesting and informative tour. I left that night and headed back to Allentown.

On Thursday, Diane and I took advantage of a beautiful day and went to Philadelphia. We drove to Lansdale and took the SEPTA train into Center City. The first thing we did was see the Diana Exhibition at the National Constitution Center. Alas, another place we couldn't take pictures. Among the items on display were Princess Diana’s wedding gown, tiara, evening gowns and other outfits, plus memorabilia from her childhood. There’s a room devoted to the Spencer women and their lineage. Of course, no exhibit about Diana would be complete without the tragedy of her death. It was very tasteful, but also emotional. There was a display wall that contained the condolence books that came in from around the world. We had also planned to explore the rest of the museum, but Bill Clinton was presenting the Liberty Medal to Steven Spielberg that evening at the Center so they closed at noon. Luckily, the Diana Exhibit wasn’t too crowded and we were able to see it all comfortably. We had lunch at Gigi’s on Market Street - a wonderful Italian restaurant and we were able to sit outside - we recommend it.

After lunch, we took a Ride the Ducks tour around old Philadelphia and into the Delaware River. There was a new destroyer docked at Penn’s Landing which was to be commissioned on the weekend - it’s the USS Wayne E Meyers. After the Duck tour, we saw the Liberty Bell. Since I had last seen it, it's been moved into a very nice exhibit building across from Independence Hall.  From there, we walked down to City Hall.  A statue of William Penn stands atop City Hall and for many, many years there was an unwritten rule/law that no building could be taller than the brim of his hat - that rule has been broken.  

We then walked to the Farmer’s Market at the Reading Terminal to roam around there and have some Amish-made ice cream. I had chocolate mint chip and it was a bit unique in that they used spearmint flavoring instead of the usual peppermint - very pleasant tasting. They offered the usual cone choices, plus pretzel cones - I was still full from lunch so passed on the cone, but I really wanted to try the pretzel cone (the dark ones). We took the express train back to Lansdale and one of the passengers had the Phillies game playing on his laptop so everyone around him ’tuned in’. They lost that game by one run, but as I’m writing this just heard on the news that they clinched the Eastern Division title in Colorado. Will they go all the way to become repeat World Series Champions?

Every state we drove through on our trek east has casinos and Pennsylvania is no exception. The newest casino is in Bethlehem - the Sands - so my Aunt and I spent last Friday night there. I had $45 in free slot play from my first visit that I wanted to use. We thought we’d be there about an hour or two, but ended up staying for six hours and again played mostly on ‘their’ money - we each spent less than $20 of our own money. We had some surprising wins and a lot of laughs. The Sands was built on the old Bethlehem Steel site.

On Saturday, I went to see Menopause, The Musical at the State Theater in Easton. This is a beautiful old theater that has been restored. Attending with me were my Aunts Diane, Donna and Lynn plus my Uncle Wayne’s girlfriend Karen. It was a hoot and of course we all could relate to something in the show. After the show, we had dinner at Pearly Baker’s in Easton - another recommendation. The front part is a bar - very nice, but casual so the dining room was a pleasant surprise - old, but elegant with a huge crystal chandelier in the middle - I regret that I didn’t get a picture of it. On Sunday, Diane and I went to Flemington, NJ. Flemington is a picturesque old town that is home to Flemington Furs and Flemington Cut Glass. We were a bit disappointed in that the unique shops on Main Street were either closed on Sundays and closed for good, so we spent time walking around the outlet stores. The Flemington Courthouse was the site of the Lindbergh Kidnapping Trial.


Today, the 13th I’ll be back on the road again. My original plan was to go over I-80, then head up to Mt. Rushmore. When we started this trip, the hottest temps we had were 107 in CA and AZ - now it's in the high 50s and low 60s as I leave PA.  Since there’s already been snow in Colorado, I’m sure I’d hit some bad weather farther north, so I’ve scrapped that idea. I’m now returning via I-70 which will take me through St. Louis, so I’ll get to spend another night my brother and sister-in-law. I-70 ends at Denver and once I get there, I’ll decide whether to head south or north depending on the weather. I’ll be keeping tabs on the weather ahead of me and have a couple re-routes picked out in case I run into weather problems. I’ll be blogging along the way, but probably not making as many sightseeing stops as I did when I was traveling with Olga. I'll post pictures for this post when I settle in for the night - somewhere around Columbus, Ohio.  Stay tuned and check out my Allentown, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Flemington photo albums.

Parting Company - Sept 20

Olga and I are going to part company today as we each continue our sabbatical separately.  Our friend Kathy S. is flying into Newark to meet up with Olga.  Before I take her to the airport, I gave her a little tour of Allentown - my home town.  I showed her the house I grew up in and the house two doors over is for sale and there was an open house.  Naturally, we stopped in to see it.  It's laid out like my grandparents' house was but there are some differences.  Olga has never been in a 'row home' so she was intrigued by that.  These are three-story homes, plus a basement.  Then I showed her my high school.  Our friend Gail's daughter lives in Allentown and we drove by there too.  Unfortunately, midtown Allentown is no longer as nice or well kept as it was when I was growing up.  I took her through Lehigh Parkway which was one of my 'happy places'.  On Sunday afternoons, my friends and I used to cruise through the park.  Other times, I just loved to walk around the park and enjoy the solitude.  The old bridge was closed off so we had to turn around and go back the way we came, which was okay since I just looped up into the upper section of the park. 

My aunt was making dinner for us but I wanted Olga to have a Yocco's hot dog, so we split one and she had a pierogi - something new for her.  Yocco's hot dogs are famous for their chili sauce, plus they use Medford franks which are a smaller size hot dog and most people order more than one.  Yocco's was founded in 1922 by Theodore Iacocca, uncle of Lee Iacocca, who is an Allentown native.  His brother George has twin sons who were in my circle of friends during high school so I'm only three degrees of separation from Lee :).  From there we drove around west Allentown a bit and went to three more open houses, then back to my aunt's house for dinner.

We left Allentown about 4:00 headed to Newark Int'l Airport to meet Kathy.  Her flight got in about 30 minutes early and we arrived at the same time.  Once we collected Kathy and her luggage, we took them to their hotel on Staten Island - then my aunt and I drove back to Allentown.  Their adventure was beginning - a week touring New York City, a few days in Boston and a few more days on Cape Cod.  They are flying home from Boston on October 4.

My next three weeks will be spent visiting with family.  I will leave PA on Oct 13 for the drive back to Calif.  Anyone want to fly somewhere East or Midwest and drive with me?  You can contact me via csnieves@hotmail.com.

There are no pictures for this blog, but stay tuned.....

Mt. Vernon & Longwood Gardens - Sept 19

This is our last official touring day together.  We left my cousin Janet's house about 10 am.  Even though we often tried to leave earlier, this turned out to be our usual 'get on the road' time for whatever we were doing.  Our first stop was to Mt. Vernon which was George Washington's home in Virginia.  As with other places I've visited many, many years ago, there were changes here as well.  They've added a beautiful visitors center which also included a food court.  On the day we visited, there was an 18th century crafts fair going on.  The vendors were setup in white tents and all the crafts were related to what you would buy in those times.

The main property obviously is still the same.  The large expanse in front of the main house is called the bowling green - I don't know why it's called this.  The tour was set up a little differently in that there was a docent in each area that you pass through, rather than a single docent leading a group.  You enter the main house through the Overseer's Quarter's, then across the portico to the main entrance.  Again, we were not allowed to take pictures in the main house.  As we walked through the upstairs and downstairs, we learned that the Washingtons entertained quite often and usually had a houseful of overnight guests.  Martha was a widow with two children when she and George married, however, they did not have children of their own.  At the back of the house is a long porch that overlooks the Potomac River.  I just could imagine them sitting there enjoying that peaceful view.    The cupola on top of the house was the last thing that George added to the house.  George and Martha, plus other family members are buried on the property.

As we were walking through the marketplace, the militia was gathering and marched off to a battle.  The battle was fought on the bowling green and while we could hear the cannons and gunfire, we didn't get there until it was over.
At this point, we made our way toward the visitors center, had lunch, bought a few souvenirs and got back on the highway headed to Pennsylvania.  Be sure to check out more photos in our Mt. Vernon album.

Our next stop was Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA.  "In 1906, Pierre S. du Pont purchased the Peirce Arboretum to save its trees from being cut for lumber. Over the next nearly half century, Mr. du Pont developed Longwood Gardens into what it is today, a magnificent horticultural showplace."  This was one of my happy places when I still lived in PA and it truly is magnificent.  If ever you are in southeastern PA and have the time, please include Longwood Gardens on your 'must visit' list - you won't be disappointed.  If anyone reading this blog, knows of a similar garden in California, please tell me about it.

We arrived about 4:00 pm so there wasn't much time to fully explore the grounds.  Before we left I bought tickets for their final Fountains and Fireworks show of the season, so that was our main objective for this visit.  Here again, a beautiful visitor center and shops was added since my last visit in the 1980s.  The first garden we walked through was the Topiary Garden - these are not your normal backyard topiaries.  (Riley, I took this picture specifically for you!) As we exited the other side, we set up our chairs for the show.  My guess is there was already close to a thousand people on the grounds (if not more). 

Since we had about 3 hours, we spent quite a bit of time in the Conservatory.  This building houses many different displays - tropical, desert, orchids, etc.  The highlights here are the water lily ponds and the Children's Garden (pure whimsey and delight).  We then made our way to the Terrace Cafe for dinner before the show started - we got back to our chairs just in time.  We were not in a good enough spot to really enjoy the fountains, but the fireworks were spectacular and went on for about 40 minutes - all set to ABBA music.  By about 9:30 pm, we were on the road again headed to Allentown to my Aunt Diane's house for the night - we  arrived about 11:00 pm.

Be sure to check out our Longwood Gardens photo album for more wonderful pictures.  Stay tuned....

   

Washington, DC - Day 2 - Sept 18

We had beautiful weather on Day 2 in DC.  We decided to drive into DC and park at Union Station.  The cost was a tad less than parking at Pentagon City and taking the Metro combined.  Plus, it was an easy in, easy out and we didn't get stuck trying to find the car when it was time to leave.

We again took the Old Town Trolley as our ticket was for 2-days.  We absolutely wanted to see the monuments and the National Cathedral.  Our first stop was the Jefferson Monument which was a short walk from the Trolley stop.  Jefferson's statue is quite tall and imposing.  In our Day 2 photos, you will see quotes that are inscribed on the walls surrounding Jefferson.

From there our next stop was near the Lincoln Memorial.  In this area we also visited the WWII Memorial, Korean Memorial and Viet Nam Memorial.  We spent quite a bit of time here as the WWII Memorial is at the opposite end of the reflecting pool from the Lincoln Memorial.  It was a very pleasant walk from one end to the other.  Every memorial is absolutely stunning and unique as well as heart-touching. 

The Korean memorial is a group of statues "walking through the grass".  Alongside is a walking path flanked by a black granite wall.  When you first walk into the area, the wall looks blank but covered in fingerprints.  Those "fingerprints" are actually engraved pictures of men and women who served in Korea.  This was amazing - it's as if you are there with them.

Our next stop was the WWII Memorial which is dedicated to the millions of men and women who served in WWII.  The center piece of the memorial is oval fountain and is flanked on each end by a semi-circle of of tall 'monuments' for each state (in order of their admittance to the Union).  The hole in each state monument represents those men and women who did not return.  The reflecting pool waterfalls over a wall into a smaller pool where there is a wall of 400 gold stars.  Each star represents 10,000 men and women who died in the war.

From there, we went to the Viet Nam Memorial.  This is a black granite wall with the etched names of the men and women who lost their lives in Viet Nam.  This was extremely touching for me as many of my friends fought in Viet Nam.  The names are etched onto the wall but by a computerized typesetting process called photo stencil gritblasting. I do not personally know any who died but being at the wall brought back memories of that time in our history. The wall was built in 1982, but the latest name was added in 2009.

Our last stop was the Lincoln Memorial - very imposing and awe inspiring.  Etched on one wall is the Gettysburg Address.  There's not a lot to say about this memorial as I think it speaks for itself.

We later boarded the Old Town Trolley again and headed for their Welcome Center where we boarded a new trolley on the green line.  From here we went to the National Cathedral (Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul), which is in a completely different part of the city.  Now we went through very residential areas - a change of pace and a new view of the city as it pertains to daily life for those who live there.  The National Cathedral sits on Mt. St. Albans hill and is the highest (not the tallest) structure in DC and can be seen from many miles away.  This is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful churches I have ever visited.  It took 83 years to build the church - the cornerstone was laid in 1907 and the final finial was placed in 1990.  The church has no congregation and is fully supported by donations and gifts. 

We arrived in time for the last tour of the day - wonderful tour and we highly recommend it.   One of the stained glass windows is dedicated to the 1969 moon landing and contains an actual moon rock brought back by the astronauts.  Enlarge the picture to the left and see if you can find it.  There are quite a few famous people who are buried in the tombs below and only one is named - Helen Keller.  

There are several small chapels within the church - one is a children's chapel.  Another contains seats with embroidered pillows.  By looking at them, you should be able to tell who it represents.  Do you now who this pillow is for?  Our tour guide kept showing us examples of how you learn its history and stories through the various depictions in the church.  Before people knew how to read, they learned through pictures (icons).

After we left the church, the trolley drove through Embassy Row, Georgetown, Foggy Bottom (the Watergate Hotel is here) and around Dupont Circle.  I was very impressed at quickly he could name each embassy as we passed - to your right is..., to your left is...., to your right is...., to your left is....   This went on non-stop for quite a while.  Some of the embassies are marked and some are not.  We chose not to get off at any other stops on this loop as it was gettng late in the day and we were on the last trolley.  After we got back to the Welcome Center at 10th Street, we walked around that area for a while.  We went to the Old Post Office but it was closed and the restaurants in the lower part of the building were primarily fast food.  We went to Harry's Cafe (very famous in DC circles) but they were very busy and the hostess kept trying to put us at tables crammed up against a wall and in a corner - we decided to pass.  We started walking in the direction of Union Station and came across a restaurant with outdoor seating.  This turned out to be a good dinner choice and the weather was just right for outdoor dining. 

From there, we headed to the Metro to get back to Union Station.  On a corner across from the Metro was a group of guys playing jazzy New Orleans-style music so we watched them for a while.  Their "money card" was a little boy about 2 or 3 yrs old with his own pint-sized trombone - he was the hit of their whole show.   This was our cap to the whole day. 

Stay tuned for our final travel day....

Washington, DC - Day 1 - Sept 17

DC - Day 1

We spent two days touring Washington, DC and if you've ever been there, you'll know we only scratched the surface.  My cousin Janet and her youngest daughter Brooke joined us for part of the first day - we took two cars and parked at Pentagon City - a very large mall about 15 minutes from DC.  From there we took the Metro to Union Station.  Brooke had a ball as she never rode on a train and in a very short time, got to ride on two trains.  Once at Union Station, we checked out the tour companies and decided on Old Town Trolley - a very wise choice.   Their trolley drivers actually narrate the tours vs using pre-recorded material.  They also injected their own stories which made the tour very interesting.  Every driver we had was great and I can't say enough about their customer service.

We waited for the Trolley outside in Columbus Circle and Brooke had a great time chasing the pigeons.  She didn't understand why they wouldn't stay still so she could pet them.  She was a little disappointed at that, but she certainly entertained us.

Our initial plan was to ride the trolley around the orange loop, then decide which stop to make our first.  We scrapped that idea fairly quickly and made the Smithsonian American History Museum our first stop.  Our targets here were to see Julia Child's kitchen, Archie Bunker's chair, the ruby slippers and Seinfeld's puffy shirt - I was assigned the task of getting a picture of the shirt for my cousin Jeff.  We didn't get to see the slippers or the shirt as the exhibit area was being re-arranged and those items were in storage - the guard said everything would back by the weekend, which would be too late for us - we'll just have to see them on another trip.  There was an area where Brooke could play a little, then we went to see the First Ladies' dresses.

From there we walked across the Mall to The Castle.  Brooke wanted to see the princesses and didn't quite grasp that no princesses lived there.  We passed through this building on our way to the Metro so we could go to Arlington National Cemetery.  By the time we got to Arlington, Janet had to get right back on the Metro to be home about the same time the boys and Erin would be home from school, so we said our goodbyes until we would see her later that night.

If you've never been to Arlington, please make it a point to go.  The first time I visited Arlington was on a Spring day in the late 1970s and it was a drizzly day - as was the weather on this day.  We rode the Tourmobile which took us to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, to the Kennedy gravesites and to Arlington House.  Our first stop was to witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.  This is a very moving ceremony and not to be missed.  The solemnity and the precision are awe-inspiring.  Each time the soldiers make a turn, they swing one leg out wide and tap it against their heel very sharply.  I noticed they each have a block attached to the side of their heel which accounts for the loud crack.

From there we decided to walk to the Kennedy gravesites - a  bit farther than it seemed.  As we walked, we just reflected on the people who are buried here and their contributions to our great country.  Edward and Robert are each buried a short distance from John and their graves are marked by a simple white cross and a small headstone.  I would have to dig out pictures from my first visit for comparison as I didn't remember that Robert's grave was so simple.  Buried alongside JFK are Jackie, his son Patrick who only lived a few days and an unnamed daughter who was stillborn.  The eternal flame is still burning.

On the bus back to the Trolley stop, we met a delightful couple from Calgary, Canada (their names escape me at the moment).  They were in Washington for a few days, then going off to tour more of Virginia and civil war sights. We parted company the at the Trolley and we made our way  back to Union Station.  We had dinner at the American Restaurant on the main level.  We sat on the "patio" so we could people watch.  Since the rain had stopped, we decided to take the night tour to see the monuments lit up.  We chose the Double Decker tour for price and time - not recommended.  They kept us waiting at least 30 minutes before they took off and their customer service was lousy, plus they use pre-recorded narration and you can not get off at all.  The Old Town Trolley also has a 2 1/2 hour night tour that ended about 10 pm and you can get off at the monuments.  Once our bus got going, the tour was adequate. 

After the tour we made our way back to Pentagon City - that very large mall.  I remembered the level we parked on, but not how we came into the mall.  As a result, we spent at least 30 minutes trying to find our way to the parking garage.  The mall stores were closed so there was very few people there and no one we asked could direct us.  Once we got into the garage, we were on the opposite end of the garage.  Thank goodness for panic buttons as I kept hitting mine til we were close enough to trigger my car alarm.  To make our comedy even more crazy, I dropped my glasses while we were exiting the garage and I drove "blind" a short distance.  But... we made it back to Janet's safe and sound.

Day 2 is my next post.  Check out our Day 1 photos - DC Day 1.

Charlottesville and Richmond, VA - Sept16

The first thing we did today was tour Monticello - the home of Thomas Jefferson.  The grounds and home are beautiful.  I first toured Monticello in the late 1970s and there have been some changes.  A beautiful visitor center has been added which house a large gift shop, a theater and a museum.

As we are touring historic homes, we have learned that taking pictures inside these homes is not allowed as a lot of the artifacts are on loan and they do not have permission for picture taking.  This is disappointing because there are so many interesting things I would have loved to share via photos.  We were allowed to take pictures outside the house and those are in our Monticello photo album.  Strolling around the grounds we encountered a few peacocks that have free reign.  The gardens are lovely and I've included quite a few pictures of the flowers.  In this picture, the very large tree in front of the house is a tulip poplar.  We've learned this is a common tree in the South and live a long time.  In the photo album, you'll see a tree stump of a tulip poplar that was cut down in recent years.

When we left Monticello, we went down the road a short distance to Michie Tavern (pronounced Mickie) for lunch.  There are tours of the Tavern, which we did not do in the interest of time, but probably worth the visit.  Inside the inn, they were serving a colonial buffet lunch and we don't recommend it.  

From there we headed north to Fredericksburg to my cousin's house - we arrived about 7:00 pm.  Several important battles were fought in Fredericksburg during the civil war so there is lots to see and do there.  It is also where George Washington's mother Mary lived in her final years.  We didn't do any sightseeing in Fredericksburg on this trip as our timetable only allowed us to focus on DC.  Visiting with Janet and her family was a treat.

Stay Tuned

Olga and I are at my cousin's in Virginia and doing the DC tourist thing. We're so busy, I don't think I'll get my blog updated till Monday - stay tuned.

You can either check back then or subscribe to Posts and I think you'll be notified by email when I update the blog.

Stay tuned - we'll have lots to talk about and many more pictures.

Driving Days 8 and 9 - Troy, IL to Ashland, KY to Charlottesville, VA

Quick note - our Graceland, Beale Street and Missouri photos are now linked.  Please go back and re-read those blogs. 

Drive Day 8

Our plan after leaving my brother's place was to drive to Nashville, TN and then to Asheville, NC before heading to my cousin's house in Fredericksburg, VA on Wednesday.  We looked at a map and decided to keep on an easterly route rather than driving south, east then north.  So...  we headed to Kentucky but hoping we'd get to Charleston, WV.  In Indiana, I kept seeing signs for Marengo Cave so I decided to stop. It was a little farther off the highway than we thought but when got there decided it was worth checking out. It turns out we would have to wait 40 minutes for the next tour and that would take another 35-40 minutes. We decided to pass since we really wanted to get as far east as possible. It was at this point that Olga discovered we were now in the Eastern time zone and we had just lost an hour - so we hit the road.  It was a long day of driving and we only made it to Ashland, KY - fairly close to the KY-WV border.  Rooms were pretty well booked but found a room at the second hotel we tried.  Due to a room issue (that was resolved), we ended up being comped for the room - woo hoo!

Drive Day 9

We left Ashland, KY about 10:30 am planning to get as far into Virginia as we could.  Turns out that wasn't a problem and our drive time was only about 6 hours for the day - with stops.  The drive across West Virginia was uneventful, but the scenery was pretty.  We stopped at a center off the highway called Tamarack - it's a shopping center featuring products made by WV artists.  Very interesting and worth the stop.

While crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains inVirginia, we stopped at a scenic overlook to take in the breathtaking valley views.

From there we headed toward Williamsburg, VA when we decided that we should stop to see Monticello since it was on our route.  We got there at 4:00 pm - plenty of time for a tour - but they closed early today for a private function.  The guard gave us 1/2 price coupons and we'll go tomorrow morning.  From there, we headed to Ash Lawn-Highland which was the home of James Monroe, our 5th US President.  Our docent was very knowledge and made the tour very interesting.  Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take photos inside the house which is too bad as there were many wonderful furnishings and paintings.

Then we went to the Jefferson Winery down the road - wines are pretty good and we each bought some.  The man who was pouring recommended that we go to the Historic Downtown area for dinner.  We did and had an enjoyable dinner outside at an Italian cafe.  We were also treated a little entertainment by the Albermarle Morris Men who were doing a Morris dance which dates back to the 1300s in England. 

Tomorrow, we go to Monticello and Williamsburg (depending on the weather).  Then we head to my cousin Janet's house in Fredericksburg.  Stay tuned and check out today's photos.....