Overview

June 4: Fly to LGA in NYC through Chicago, drove to New Jersey.
5th: Philadelphia, Brandywine Battlefield, met Emma, Valley Forge, stayed at her house
6th: Fort McHenry (MD), met Rodney, Annapolis, stayed with friends in Marlboro
7th: Navy Yard Museum (DC), thru DE, Monmouth Battlefield (NJ), met friends & stayed in Princeton
8th: NYC! Statue of Liberty, Times Square, USS Intrepid, Central Park, Broadway play, Empire State Building, hotel just over border in Connecticut
9th: drove thru CT, Sub museum at Groton, seaport village at Mystic, Newport (RI) with the Navy War College, Fort Adams & Brenton Point, hotel
10th: Falls River (MA) with Battleship Cove & Marine Museum, New Bedford for Whale Museum, hotel in Plymouth
11th: Mayflower replica, Plymouth Rock, Boston Public Garden, Freedom Trail
12th: USS Constitution & Navy Yard, Bunker Hill, Lexington Green, Concord Museum & Alcott House, Concord Bridge & Minuteman, USS Albacore (Portsmouth, NH), lobster dinner in York Harbor (ME), hotel in Dover (NH)
13th: Vermont Country Store, ferry across Lake Champlain, Fort Ticonderoga (NY), Lake George, hotel in Saratoga Springs
14th: Saratoga Battlefield, Washington's HQ in New Windsor, West Point, ruins of Fort Montgomery, hotel in Suffern (NY)
15th: fly home same route

Good grief! How wonderful and crazy was this trip! 11 states! 5 friends! so many things!

In My Own Bed

I'm flat on my back, listening to the rain outside. :)

I'm gonna write about today tomorrow... zzzzz

"Good night!" :)

...written the next day:

I got up *very* early (3am Pacific) at 6 am in order to pack everything, eat next door and leave by 7. Packing was fine, but next door didn't open til 7. So I took off at 6:30. GPS Lady told me I'd get to LaGuardia in 45 minutes. And that, of course, turned into an hour and a half (with only one wrong turn). It took quite a while to merge onto the I-95 George Washington bridge to go into Harlem. Thankfully, I was nowhere near downtown Manhattan, although the drivers were just as crazy.

My GPS plopped me right at the car rental place! Thank the Lord! And I had tons of time. I really didn't want to get there at the normal two hours before take-off, because that might have made me sweat bullets in traffic. Who knows what traffic is like at 10? I didn't want to know.

So I got there too early to check my bags. And I needed to switch things around so my suitcase wasn't over 50 lbs anymore. Southwest lets you fly *two* checked bags for free... something I discretely found out from the large placard in front of my face while I was juggling the last 6.5 lbs. at the scale. So my 27 lb. backpack could get checked too! This made everything simpler. And I thought I'd might as well weigh myself as I was there, so I found out I'm still the same since Rodney's house: 165. This is sorta good news, since it means I didn't gain anything, but I'm still one over my signing weight. Gosh, darn it! :) I'll just have to press on this week before I check in on Friday.

So after finding this out I went and had breakfast. :) Had a slice of turkey quiche and a salad and I sat down with my laptop and copied my 2,810 photos from the trip onto the mini-laptop in folders by days. By this time I could get rid of my bags and go through screening, so I did.

Got to my gate and had three hours to kill before boarding. So I opened up the first picture and went through all of them, rotating as I went. I finished Day 11 just as it was time for me to get in line! The flight to Chicago was quick... but I was able to see the Statue of Liberty from the air this time! Otherwise I read for a bit and then slept for a bit in an uneventful flight. We even got in a half-hour early.

I paused in the A concourse for a Battle of Midway display they had up (in Chicago-Midway airport), featuring a fighter plane hanging from the ceiling. And at the food court I looked longingly at everyone's plates, but only had a Greek salad.

We boarded not too long after I got to the gate on the B concourse. But we didn't leave the gate for two hours! There was a mess of severe storms coming through that grounded all flights. Rain gushed down my window on the plane for at least a half-hour. I think I slept for a little while, but it was pretty uncomfortable. I read in the airline magazine about a service dog that was helping a veteran with PTS... very neat story... and then dozed more. I soon had enough of trying to sleep so I got my laptop out yet again and started going through the days, picking out my favorites and copying them to five different folders by topic (general sights, navy stuff, revolution stuff, maritime stuff, and a separate folder for NYC). This will make it much easier for me to post and for everyone else to view if they can stomach it all. :) It'll be at least a thousand in total. Remember, it did take me over a week to see everything... and I have an admitted shutter-bug problem. I should seek counseling. :)

When I finished all this sorting and copying we were only under an hour away from Seattle. My hand was a little cramped from using the same keys for so long, but at least I utilized the time. As we neared in, diving into the puffy clouds, I wondered if Washington really was the most beautiful place in the nation, as I had seen so much beauty this week. But when we broke through, there was Mt. Rainier, solid with snow, jutting out between the clouds. After penetrating the last layer, I was treated to sunbeams sprinkling out over Puget Sound with an orange sunset behind the Olympics to the west. Sorry... No contest. :)

Mom called my phone as I was disembarking; they were waiting for me. :) My bags came out promptly as Meg and Jason met me there. Mom and Dad were in the car. And I was starving! They took me out to Santa Fe Mexican Grill (and I had grilled chicken and rice & beans... no cheese... no sour cream!) and it was excellent! They had had snacks and had waited the extra two hours for dinner just to celebrate my coming home with me! :)

I am home.

A Revolutionary Day

model of the American lines at Saratoga

After Saratoga and Panera Bread, I went east to find General Washington's headquarters during the last years, 1782 and 1783. He stayed there in New Windsor for nearly a year while the Treaty of Paris was being worked on. His army was just down the Hudson from him a bit. I couldn't tour the house because it's closed on Mondays, but just walking around the grounds was fun enough! And I had to press on. With my late start and my enjoying Saratoga so much, I missed seeing the museum at West Point. At least the visitor's center was still open, and they had some displays about cadet life and a little history about the academy. And I even got a patch! :)

Just south of West Point is the ruins of Fort Montgomery, another 1777 battle site. The Americans lost this one, but did escape with most of their force. The visitor center for this was closed, but the fun of this was in walking the grounds. They had lots of interesting signs and it was just like taking a walk in the woods. I saw a deer and a lizard along with an assortment of birds (including a cardinal) and lots of squirrels. And just down the road from here was Stony Point Battlefield, but even the grounds were closed there. Ah well.

It wasn't much longer before I arrived at my final hotel, here in Suffern, NY (about 30 mi north of NYC). I checked in first, dragged all my luggage in various bags to my room and then went and enjoyed "Friendly's" one more time (it's a neighbor to the hotel). I had another garden salad (this time with light peppercorn ranch) and a delicious bowl of clam chowder (which is what I went in there craving). By 8:20 I had waited long enough back in the room and went downstairs to the fitness center. I did a mile and a half in 14:50, 75 sit-ups and a few push-ups. :) Gosh, it felt good to run around and get tired after a day of sitting in the car. I then took a very relaxing shower and got my bags ready for the airline tomorrow. After I felt satisfied with the state of my luggage I talked with Meg and Mom for about 25 minutes. A full evening! But I'm feeling more relaxed and ready to go home and not quite as tired as I have for a while now.

What a perfect way to end the tour, with the culminating battle in the north and with Washington's Headquarters at the very end. I didn't plan it to be so perfect... it just happened.

More Than Mid-Way

Hello from Panera Bread in New Windsor, NY!

I just got off I-87 South after going over 80 miles from Saratoga. Although I didn't really do anything in Saratoga Springs this morning, I really enjoyed the hotel. It was a one-layer motel laid out like horse stables. Because this town is famous for its racetrack. As I was leaving, the GPS took me right past the track... and I saw a few horses working out, and a horse being given a bath and there were crosswalk guards for a horse that was being lead across the street. And a "Thoroughbred Crossing" sign! :) On the way to the battlefield I drove by Lake Saratoga and through lots of country with farms and pastures and fields of corn. It was so pretty!

The battlefield was wonderful to visit! There's a visitor's center (with a *great* film about the battle) in one corner of the park (behind the British lines) and a one-way road that winds its way across the battlefield with 10 points that you can stop at, get out and walk and view the sites and monuments. There's a cannon that was captured at the battle by Benedict Arnold with a blank inscription, due to his treason. And at stop #7 there is an untitled monument to him: a stone boot, since he was wounded there in his leg while rallying the field for a great American victory.

Ironically, my trip today will take me to West Point, which was the crux of his treason.

Have I mentioned before that I love Panera? Yum! Sierra Turkey sandwich, apple and free Internet!!!

End of An Era

This morning I'm getting a bit of a later start because I wanted to sleep!

Here begins my last day of visiting! Tomorrow is solely a travel day to be spent at La Guardia and on the plane.

I'm going to try and take it very easy. Besides Saratoga, we'll see what I see. All that matters is to sort of relax today as I drive a very long ways straight south.

See you tonight!

Another Day, Another Concord (NH, VT & NY)

Or... How Green Were My Mountains.

I didn't leave Dover until 9 am. I wanted to go at least a half-hour before that, but I decided to have breakfast. The hotel had one of those do-it-yourself waffle irons, so I had one of those.

And then I drove for three hours (including passing through Concord, NH). Winding through little towns, each with either a Civil War monument or a WWI monument. Lots of little houses and big green fields. I crossed railroads and drove by old railroad stations. On scenic Vermont highway 131 I followed a river for miles. After climbing up steep grades I had sweeping views of the Green Mountain National Forest, stretching on forever. I passed horse crossing signs, moose crossing signs and even turtle crossing signs. :)

Unfortunately, the address I got from the Internet for the Vermont Country Store was for their corporate offices near a regional airport in Clendenon, VT. You can't win them all I guess (I felt like an idiot). So instead of bustling of to the battlefields I went into a nearby shopping center and found a Denny's for lunch. I asked about the Country Store there and learned where a real one was located, just a half-hour south of there. So I gave up my chance to see Hubbardton and Mt. Independence (both having to do with the Saratoga campaign) to retrace some steps and experience the Store. I'm so glad I did! I spent about an hour there, looking at their wide variety of interesting stuff ranging from older fashioned clothes and night-ware to food and soaps and old fashioned toys for the kids. I bought some venison summer sausage, some real Vermont syrup, and a skirt and top that Betty would have been proud to wear. LOL! I couldn't help it! It was her kind of store!
So from there I again re-traced steps and headed off into some real mountains. What views! It took at least another hour to reach the ferry for New York and Fort Ticonderoga across Lake Champlain. The sun started to come out as I approached. It was an old fashioned cable ferry! Wow! What fun!
Fort Ticonderoga was within a mile from the ferry. I got there just under an hour from when they closed at 5pm. But it allowed me enough time to shop, walk the fort and examine all there displays in the stone buildings. I really wanted to get the reproduction European short infantry sword they had for sale, but I restrained myself. :)

From there I continued south (wow! I'm going south for the first time! - I've hit my highest northern point) along Lake George on an extremely beautiful roadway that twisted and turned through gorgeous trees and sweeping views of the lake. I deftly avoided hitting a darting chipmunk more than once... :) so cute!

So because I left so late and got turned around in Vermont I arrived at Fort William Henry (from the French and Indian War) just as it closed at 6pm. Darn! So I went for a walk around it as best I could, saw Lake George from the shore and went into a shop for a postcard, found a beautiful pocket knife and a book on the French and Indian War and then stopped at the nearby "Blacksmith's Steakhouse" for the most delicious French onion soup, salad bar and hot bread I've ever had. The sun was still up when I pulled into Saratoga Springs, but I was so worn out I just laid on my bed here and eventually killed that spider that had climbed up the wall three feet away from me. I didn't even get excited really... I was too tired. :)

North To Maine (and twice in NH)

See below for added text! (6/13/10)

The Coast of Maine

Charletown Navy Yard

Lexington and Bunker Hill










Museum with an original lamp from Christ Church... and Louisa May Alcott's House

Bridge in the rain










USS Albacore in NH;
Maine dining...

Yum!


Three states today! And three more tomorrow!

I've heard everywhere that you should always get to the USS Constitution early if you don't want to wait around. So I left my very fancy (it was the cheapest one!) hotel around 8:30 and arrived at the Navy Yard right at 9. I went and got some nice early morning pictures of the USS Cassin Young (before it was open... so there were no people on board) and of the Constitution and the Yard. By this time, the Constitution's Museum was open so I saw that before the ship itself opened at 10. They had great stuff in there, but they were very particular about not allowing photography. I encountered that more than once today...

So I was in the first group to go on board "Old Ironsides". Although most of the wood has been replaced, it still was thrilling to go. I talked with a couple sailors about how they got posted there. There was a guided tour below decks by another Sailor. He recreated the battle between the ship and the HMS Guerriere (he pronounced it "gary-air"), having us split up on the two sides below decks and shouting "boom" at each other. It was very fun... my side won the coin toss and we got to be the Constitution.

At that point I had seen the entire Navy Yard, so after taking a few more pics (Constitution picture above) I moved on because I had yet another tight schedule! :) On my way to the highway, I was driving up Breed's Hill, so I turned a corner and was able to drive past the Bunker Hill Monument.

It took more like an hour to get to Lexington from there, but unlike at the Navy Yard, parking there was very cheap... $0.50 an hour. I went to the visitor's center a got a couple post cards and a mini tin figure of the statue of Captain John Parker that stands on the Green. When I walked outside the center, suddenly it started to rain... and soon it was down-pouring. I was very thankful for my black water resistant coat and my ball cap that was soon dripping off the edges. So besides getting a shiver up my spine when setting my eyes on the statue and the Green, I found out why the Green is so green.

Across the street there was a historic tavern called "Buckman's". I went in for a brief refuge and thought about getting a ticket to tour, but I found myself more interested in lunch. I asked for a recommendation and they sent me down the street a block to a hole-in-the-wall cafe called Via Lago. It was part restaurant, part bar & part deli in actuality. I decided on a 1/4 lb of cous cous, a 1/4 lb of chicken pasta & a big slice of broccoli quiche from the deli... wow! it was delightful!

By the time I finished there the rain had let up a little. But I wasn't parked far away either. I kept driving on Lexington Road to Concord. My first destination was Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, where "Little Women" was set. They have over 80% original Alcott furnishings inside and strictly forbade any kind of touching or photographing. So although the later made me sad, I heartily enjoyed the hour or so long tour given by a very knowledgeable lady. They had a quick film they showed that had a person dressed up and being interviewed as Louisa herself. I particularly enjoyed the moment she confided something that Ralph Waldo Emerson told her once... he had said, "Louisa! Look at this!" after a moment she said she only saw a small cobweb. He replied ardently, "That is a fairy's handkerchief!" :)

It was very, very neat to look at May's (Amy's) drawings on her walls... and I really loved the owls she painted for Louisa. Also incredible was the original silk dress worn at a wedding that was laid out on one of the beds. I'm really enjoying seeing all the artifacts on this trip, and this house was just full of them!

Just a minute down the street was the Concord Museum. This was mostly devoted to Concord's history in general. But what drew me was their prize possession: one of the lanterns that was hung from the Old North Church for Paul Revere. Three of the sides of glass were missing, and there was white wax drippings inside it. But how incredibly cool. I so wanted to break the glass case it was in and touch it... or at least take a picture. Unfortunately, I could do neither. There was some sort of sensor device on the wall behind it. LOL

I didn't have time to dawdle there though. The Old North Bridge Visitor Center was going to close in just under an hour. So I went their directly. I got a patch and I finally caved in and bought a bright yellow "Don't Tread On Me" t-shirt with a coiled snake that I've seen EVERYWHERE at visitor's centers. They had a brass cannon (hold that thought) in one room and a plank from the original bridge across the hearth in the other, along with the typical diorama of the battle. Just as I got there they were starting the last showing of a film so I went in. It turned out to be an episode of "History Detectives" from PBS, dealing with a relative from the battle, wondering if a recently found brass cannon (that was being kept at the Charlestown Navy Yard - small world) had anything to do with family stories she's heard about her relative stealing or concealing a stolen brass cannon that caused the British to come to Concord and ignite the War. After talking with experts, they concluded that it must be one of the cannons. So that cannon in the other room that I had flippantly took a quick picture of was one of the direct causes of the "shot heard 'round the world". I went back for more afterwords!!!

I then headed out to complete my pilgrimage to the bridge. More tingly feelings... and wet corners of my eyes. Not too soon after that all of me was wet... Concord is very green as well. I took lots of pictures of "The Minuteman" and the bridge, talked with the park ranger standing by and then visited the dock at the boathouse of Nathanial Hawthorne's one-time house. I tell you, there are so many neat things on this trip! And I didn't mind the rain at all. I think it actually added to the experience. Pictures can sometimes be so much more interesting without glaring sun and with glistening surfaces instead.

It was way too late by this time for me to catch a tour to the USS Albacore in Portsmouth, NH, so I took my own sweet time in the rain at the bridge. When I finally did get on the road and going, I decided to stop off and take a look at the outside of the sub anyway. I'm glad I did! It's on land and wholly visible... and only a half-mile off the freeway! I walked all the way around it and then moved on. Next stop, Maine!

I was indeed impressed with Maine. Their welcome sign boasts "The way life should be", and I almost agree. My destination was very near the border in York Harbor. When I got through the small town roads and beach-town frivolities I sighted the Atlantic. I made my GPS lady very mad (or repetitive at least) as I turned down the beach front road. I parked at metered parking and took a fifteen minute walk out on the flat, hard sand. I got my fingers wet and looked at shells. The first I found was a clam, but for the first time for me, the clam was still inside the opened shells when I picked it up. Neat-o! I walked as long as I could and then jogged back to the car once I got up on the street again. From where I was I could see the lighthouse on the tiny peninsula that was my final northern destination on the coast. It was only a mile away... when I got there I decided to look at the lighthouse and the jagged rocks before going in for dinner. It was 7:30, so by the time I would be finished it would be quite dark.

The name of the place is "Fox's Lobster House" and it is literally right on the park with a perfect view of the ocean and lighthouse. And that's what they gave me. A corner table with both views. What were the damages? Blueberry lemonade, hot rolls, garden salad with raspberry dressing, a baked potato with sour cream and a fresh Maine lobster. It was worth every dollar! They even gave me a plastic bib! LOL! I couldn't help but think of the ad for the Herbie movie with Ken Barry... the one where the lady shrieks "He's your uncle?!" and then hits him in the face with her lobster. Oh, silliness! HERE IT IS!!! How I love YouTube!

Yes, it was wonderful and messy! Thank goodness they had illustrated instructions for how to get the meat out. My waitress did come back to make sure I could get it open okay... LOL "No, this is how you eat..." She was very nice, as was the entire evening.

I then had a forty-minute drive to Dover, New Hampshire, when I stayed at the Days Inn and chatted from the lobby (because their Wi-Fi had a range of about 10 feet).

Wonderful, wonderful day! Especially loved all the back-road highways. You get to feel the land and see where the people live. Freeways are so one-dimensional, although about twice as fast.

Plymouth & Boston

Again, not much driving today, but mostly visiting.

I woke up at 8am this morning and piled things away in the car. The Mayflower replica opened at 9am, so I thought I'd get there right on the button as I had Boston to fit in as well.

But this morning my stomach was complaining. It wasn't going to have any of this "breakfast is a waste of time" business. I had a granola bar while posting late last night, but that hadn't satisfied it. The last time I had eaten before that was the BLT at 5 pm. While pulling into the hotel last night I noticed a "Friendly's" just up the hill. So that's where I went. I had a typical Denny's dish... 2 eggs, 2 sausage & 2 pancakes. Except my stomach couldn't handle that much food all at once, after what I'm ashamed to say I've been doing to myself. I ended up not being able to finish the 2nd pancake. That has never happened to me before. So I decided today I would eat better. Don't know how much better I did, but nonetheless, I've felt pretty good. It's not that I'm worried about the Navy anymore... I'm really not. It's just that I'm driving myself so hard... not a whole lot of time... especially the NYC day. I guess I've had to recover from that in more ways than one. :)

Although it started raining pretty hard after I got to the hotel last night, this morning and all day long I've had bright sunshine and cool breezes. It's so nice! Especially since this was a city-walking day. I got to downtown Plymouth at 10:30. I did see Plymouth Rock after touring the ship, but the ship was the real reason for the visit. And I managed to just evade a group of shrieking children when I boarded. I thought the vessel very neat. In 1957, it was sailed across the Atlantic from England, just like its predecessor. And it didn't take very long to go over! :) I can't imagine being in that tiny little thing with over a hundred people for two months on the bounding waves! Yikes! It will make any Navy hardship look easy. :) After peeking at the Rock, I took off for Boston.

The drive was excellent... and I got to drive on the other end of I-90 (it starts in Seattle). Of course, since I am superior at translating my GPS directions, I got off on the wrong exit and was able to experience a little more of South Boston than I wanted. :) For a brief moment it felt like Manhattan again (but of course, this was for five minutes instead of forty-five).

Wow! I really like the Public Garden (aka the Duck Pond). At first I was intimidated by the acre of screaming children that were lined up to ride the swan boats, so I thought I'd just walk the circumference and give it up. On the way around I saw lots of baby ducklings and my whole trip to Boston was suddenly fulfilling. :) But by the time I got back to the line, I noticed that it was moving fast (and there was a group of quiet people... parents with one or two kids each, not a school group with forty-five). So I stood in line for a couple minutes and ended up with an entire bench to myself on the paddle boat. I arrived there a quarter of noon and didn't leave until at least 1:30. What a joy!

So while wearing my red "Got Freedom?" t-shirt, I set off on the Freedom Trail, starting in the Common and wandering through the city, following the path of red bricks on the sidewalks and red paint on the road. I skipped a couple things, but pretty much took it in. I really loved the museum at the Old State House (housing neat artifacts like muskets from the Massacre and the Battle of Bunker Hill, John Hancock's coat, tea from the Tea Party and on...) and also the talk given at the Old North Church (especially since I'm seeing Lexington and Concord tomorrow).

tea... and the Old State House

I ended my history tour at the church since I'm going to take in the USS Constitution the first thing in the morning. Not two blocks away from Paul Revere's house (which I also saw... very cool!) is a very highly acclaimed seafood place called "The Daily Catch". It's a family run business since 1973, serving fresh fish and seafood Italian style. This location of it (there are two others in Boston) is a little hole-in-the-wall place with a grand total of 4 tables in the same room with the stove and sink. And you have to pay cash! Oh, was it good! I tried Monkfish Marsalla, "simmered with mushrooms with wine butter sauce" and had a salad with some very zesty light dressing. I am now spoiled for life. :)

I'm not sure I knew there were Monkfish until I saw it on the menu... wow... it's kinda ugly :) Tastes much better than it looks!

While feeling completely satisfied, I easily strolled east to the waterfront and walked through Christopher Columbus park to the New England Aquarium. Unfortunately, it was a quarter to 5 by this point and they were about to shut down. The store was open still, so I strolled through that and found... clownfish flip-flops! LOL! What will they think of next? So I had been walking around Boston for five and a half hours... and I still was a ways away from the car at the garage under the Common. I sat down and watched a fountain for a while and then slowly sauntered back towards the car, unsure of what I wanted to do. I found a cool used book store in a basement across the square from the Old South Meeting House and bought a WWII Time-Life book for $1.06. By the time I reached the Common it was 6 pm. I decided to leave because I was tired. It was kinda sad because the sun was still shining, but I needed to get settled in to the hotel early tonight. And I did.

Massachusetts!

It turned out I fell asleep facing the wrong way on my king size bed. I woke up at 6 am, still on top of the covers with my head where my feet are supposed to go. I think I underestimated just how tired I was. So I righted myself and set the alarm for 7:30. At 7, I woke up again but drifted off. This happened a few times, even after the alarm. But by the time it turned 10:41, I realized I had better get out of bed if I was going to see anything today. :)

But I officially feel much better! And I love Rhode Island! I am rested!

My first stop today was only a half-hour away in Falls River. Battleship Cove was fantastic! Four ships and three boats... it was mind-boggling. Now I've been on battleships and destroyers and subs before, so the main attraction for me was the PT boats and the PT boat museum on the 2nd deck of the battle-wagon. If I had gone into much more detail I would have spent another two hours there, minimum. I did walk the decks of all three ships and go through the Russian missile corvette (since I obviously had not been on one of those before). They had a landing craft from WWII sitting just inside the entrance... and the PT boats were great! There was a wooden walkway next to the boats as they were under a canopy on land. Wooden boats like they are really can't be left in the water indefinitely. There was a neat video playing in the area between the two boats. I learned quite a bit about them. The only thing I really knew was about Kennedy's famous misadventure with the 109. I loved hearing about MacArthur's rescue/flight to Australia and how the boats were developed and used.

I was shocked though, as I went below on the battleship, when I saw how many models of ships and planes and tanks and whatnot they have there. There were several hundred at least. Wow.

As I was getting ready to go on to New Bedford at 2pm, I realized I had not eaten yet today and that there was a cute little cafe right there called the "Waterstreet Cafe". Oh, my gosh, was that good! I had the garden salad with lemon vinaigrette (new favorite dressing!) and a bowl of fish chowder with a side of flatbread. My taste buds went crazy with delight.

And across the street from the cafe was the Marine Museum, predominately dealing with ferry ships and ocean liners, including the Titanic. Lots of model ships (I'm seeing a lot of those these days) and relics from the ocean liners. Deja vu:

"Where are my friends?" LOL

By now it was around 3ish and I had yet to get out of Falls River :) So I headed out to New Bedford for a whaling experience. The Plan called for visiting the Whaling Museum and the Seaman's Bethel (the Whaleman's Chapel from Moby Dick) and it only took a quick half-hour to get there. I was a little worried though, because I knew the Bethel was closing sooner than anything else. So I went there right after parking the car in a very convenient garage and visiting the Visitor's Center on the same street.

Oh, this was nice. After taking a couple pictures I sat down on a pew and prayed for my upcoming adventure in the Navy and praised God for this trip and for everything in general. It was so lovely to pray in that place.

The Bethel was across the street from the Whaling Museum. Now I chose to take this trip when I did mostly because of today. Every second Thursday of each month, New Bedford has a party. Everything is free and open til 9pm and there is live music and lectures and whatever else. I thought this rather odd when I was looking at the hours for the museum online so long ago. When I walked in the doors around 4:30 (usually they would close at 5), the ladies at the front desk let me in for free since the free hours would begin at 5. This place was fabulous! They had three whale skeletons adorning the grand entry room. Then there was a staircase leading to all the exhibits. First room was a lot of facts. A right whale skeleton and whaling longboat with signs circling them, talking about the science of whales, but also who, how, when, where, and what about the history of whaling. I felt satisfied with just this room, but there was a lot more to go. Besides the small whaling vessel they are restoring, there were rooms and rooms and rooms of whaling art, whale bone art and displays of ships and artifacts from around the world. This was truly a world-class museum.

I took this opportunity to drop the things I had just bought off at my car in the garage down the street. When I returned, I explored a bit of the park to the north. There was a memorial park to the first black regiment in the Civil War (they had been recruited there). I was going to head a block north to see the whaler's monument, but suddenly I was intrigued by a man and a woman in a cafe playing the cornet and the guitar. I had a peek inside... they were a "Blues Duo", and they were alright. I thought I'd have a BLT while I sat an listened. It turned out it was an Internet Cafe as well... if I had only thought to drag my laptop with me...

But that didn't matter. After finishing, I went and saw the statue and then decided to go to the Art Museum. They had a temporary exhibit of "The Birds of John James Audubon" titled "Taking Flight" from the collection of the New Bedford Free Public Library across the street. And sure enough, since it was after 5, admittance was free for this as well! The entire first gallery was devoted to these life-size prints. My favorites were in the first enclave... the Wood Duck and the Ruffed Grouse. It was entrancing. I would have toured the rest of the museum too, but right about then there was going to be a performance at the Visitor's Center of the "Singing Whalemen of the Caribbean, the Barrouallie Whalers". But to start out, the New Bedford Sea Shanty Chorus would be singing as well. On my way down the street I was interrupted by a parade of Portuguese dancers that had their own mini orchestra playing behind them. It felt so free and wild and fun to be there! I'm so glad I made a point to come today!

The Chorus was so good that they nearly brought tears to my eyes... I bought their CD afterwords. The Whalermen were very Caribbean. They sang working songs that they would use when rowing or searching or catching or selling during the day. It was fun too. This ended up being a 30 minute concert in total and let out at 8 pm. I went for a quick walk down to the waterfront (just to see it) and then took off. I had planned on reading a chapter or two of Moby Dick there, but it started to sprinkle, so I packed up and headed north to Plymouth. I checked in about 9:30... but I stayed up way too late, doing all these posts after I used the hotel pool for a half hour and did push-ups and took a looooong shower. Good rest tonight!

Two in One: Connecticut & Rhode Island

The states are small out here!

Even though I went to sleep past three last night I managed to wake up before my alarm at 7:30 (I had set it for 8, knowing how far I wanted to get). I'm a little surprised at this. I am very worn out... As I think back, I can't even remember what my hotel room looked like. I think it was one king bed... but I'm not sure. I digress.

So I was out the door earlier than I had been planning on. I took a couple yogurts from the free continental breakfast and mixed some granola with them that I had brought along from home. My first stop in Connecticut was sorta silly. And I feel a little bad since I missed Madison & 52nd yesterday. :) It's a little park jutting out into Long Island Sound... Sherwood Island. It's a lovely sandy beach park. There were lots of geese waddling around, and I even waited for a couple of them to nervously cross the road. Usually there's an entrance fee ($15) but I asked kindly if I could just drive around and the Park Ranger said "sure" and waved me on. It made it feel special that I was there semi-illegally. LOL

I stopped to look at the beach and eat my yogurt, not even getting out of the car. So soon I was back on the "highlighted route" which led me to another pit stop: Fort Hale near New Haven. Unfortunately, all I found was Fort Hale State Park which only had baseball fields and a kiddie-park. There was a nice walking path through some trees and an open field. So I did do that and I did enjoy the birds and the calmness, compared to yesterday's madness.

After this I drove another hour to Groton, CT, which had the Submarine Force Museum and the USS Nautilus (the world's first nuclear sub) adjacent to the Navy base there. It's an official US Navy museum, so admittance was free. It was very simply laid out and easy to enjoy without spending too much time. There were a couple of Ensigns wandering around with a check-off sheet. They spoke of some assignment while they were talking with other Navy personnel. I really enjoyed the ship. They had manikins dressed up and at various stations so it didn't feel so static... it was easier to think about how it would feel to do it yourself. In the bookstore I saw an Ensign with a current US Navy Ship ID & fact card. I immediately got one for myself and one for my recruiting station. :)

Just a few minutes from Groton is Mystic, CT. Here is a maritime museum geared toward kids. Most of the stuff I skipped over, for that reason, and because I had a deadline. But they also have interesting displays for grown-ups too. A lot to do with shipbuilding. They even have a working shipyard, since they are restoring their crown jewel, the 1800's whaler Charles W. Morgan. Their website looks deceiving, since as it is the Morgan is stripped down, on land, without masts and getting lots of work. This was the main reason I wanted to go and it was still very cool to see and to walk on, but I wish they would have been a little more clear about what it looks like. I saw a few other ships while walking the waterfront and I had a lovely veggie humus wrap and potato chips from their "galley". A good time was had on the whole. I purchased a book about "Naval Miscellany"... lots of traditions and history and reasons for why some things are the way they are. And they had a patch, of course. I left at 1:30, making the rest of my plans seem to fit right into place.

From here I crossed the border into Rhode Island. The landscape was suddenly strikingly beautiful. There were thick forests on both sides of the wide, sloping highway with a bunch of clouds in formation overhead. I loved it. And soon I was directed off the main freeway onto little highways to get to Newport. I was stuck behind a truck and trailer for a while, but he soon turned off onto Purgatory Rd. LOL! I hope it wasn't too hard on him.

I was excited when I went over the first bridge into Jamestown (a small island), but when I realized I still had to go over the big looming bridge in the distance I got excited. This is the bridge on the State Quarter! Holy cow! much more exciting than any of the other huge spans I've been on so far. This took me to the Naval War College of Newport. There was an office all visitors had to check in at for a pass. Without my DEP card (delayed entry program), the lady wouldn't have given me one. Apparently they don't let non-DOD people on base. The museum was excellent! There's been a lot of history there, and they clearly went through all the phases: a torpedo testing and development center, a naval training center and the current war college. Very interesting.

My next stop was Fort Adams on the other side of Newport. The last tour was supposed to start at 4pm... and it was a half-hour til. I thought I was fine until I got to my car: some lecture must have just gotten out, because the street all the way down the hill, through the gate and to the highway was jam-packed with cars. I needn't have worried though; I made it to the fort with five minutes to spare. Except, they were closing early today because it had started to sprinkle. Grr. So I was not able to tour inside, but only peek through the iron gates. As the weather cleared (grr), I walked around outside by the water and had a good time in spite of it all. The massive walls give plenty of opportunity for good pics. While I was walking up to the other gate on the point of the park a massive explosion nearly knocked me off my feet. Laughter and cursing ensued from inside. Some folks were probably testing a blank cannon shot and had laid too large a charge. So except for the intermittent cannon fire, the place was as quiet as a church yard. I explored the beach a bit and put my hands in the Atlantic.

I would have gone out to eat then and there, but I was so close to Brenton Point (a suggestion from Linda - thank you!) that I just pressed on. I explored that beach as well after resting in my car and enjoying the view. Most folks must have been turned off by the gray sky and the misty rain, but to me, it was home. I loved it. And after climbing down to the rocks I took lots of pictures of matted seaweed and the flaky rocks and the tide pool. It was so lovely, even though I needed my water-proof coat.










I decided to check into my hotel next. It was a cheaper place right outside the city limit. As soon as I got everything inside I decided to walk up the street to IHOP for dinner; it was only 0.3 miles by my GPS. By this time it was about 6 o'clock and I was ready for a cheeseburger! So with a house salad instead of fries I enjoyed a thick, juicy burger with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo and ketchup. Oh! it was good! :) I had to walk in a little rain on my way back, but I didn't mind in the slightest. Upon getting back at 7, I changed into pajama pants and took an hour nap! I hadn't the will or the strength to write that super long story about NYC without a break. And my, did that feel good as well.

But I didn't go to sleep after that... it was Wednesday, so I called Mike for our regular chat. And that was very nice. And then I realized I still had to call home... good thing it was three hours earlier for them! :0

This has been a good start to recovering from yesterday.

New York City in One Day

Published the day after, for reasons you'll soon see. On June 8th:

If you had never been there before, what would you pick to see? This is what I ended up with:

1. Statue of Liberty: definitely the most important for me. It's what makes NYC great. The gateway to America for hundreds of thousands of people that has affected everyone in our country, no matter what ethnicity.

2. Times Square: Oh, would you look at Times Square! It's jaw dropping, day or night.

3. Central Park: it's huge, but it's so central to the city...

4. A Broadway play: you can see off-Broadway plays anywhere!

5. The Empire State Building: nothing can top this night-time vista. Nothing!

... and because I had time, I also threw in the USS Intrepid Museum before I saw The Pond in the park. And I was glad I did. It was a great museum. The ship had an outstanding record in WWII since it's commission in 1943 and in the '60's it assisted with picking up astronauts.

Although I again went to sleep pretty late due to writing and posting, I got up at 5:30 (ieee... in the morning) so I would give myself time to pack and drive the hour north to Liberty State Park. It was fast moving until I got off I-95. The big bridge I took had to reduce four or five lanes down to two. :) I didn't worry too much, because I was planning on getting there an hour before the scheduled 8 am departure for Ellis Island. I didn't quite make it an hour before since I arrived at 7:30, but it didn't really matter anyway. The ferry "Miss New Jersey" didn't leave until 8:30. So I walked around the historic railroad terminal for at least a half-hour. And it was pure joy! The day couldn't have been more perfect. Clear sunshine, a few puffy white clouds and temps in the 70's without any humidity. I drank in the morning light and studied the Manhattan skyline. And looming over Ellis Island, I could see the Lady... and I was thrilled.

There were only a few of us on the very first ferry. I think only a dozen or so. So we all sat up on top on the blue wooden benches and waited expectantly. I watched the darting sparrows as we sat waiting to depart. The ferries first drop off at Ellis Island and then continue on to Liberty Island. So I got off at Ellis. I'm very glad I took the time to look this over. As I wandered the museum galleries, I was entranced looking at all the old photos of people, especially girls my age, and thought about what it must have been like. What incredible guts to do what they did! My favorite exhibit there was a wall of pictures of faces from one angle that changed into an American flag if you walked across the room in front of it. Neat idea! I bought the postcard! :) For brunch I bought a yogurt cup with lots of whole raspberries and blueberries. It was exactly what I wanted!

By the time I finished it, the ferry for Liberty Island had just finished unloading a passel of people that looked like they had filled all three decks! Goodness! It was 10:30 and folks were just starting! I'm very glad I got the early tour. It was very exciting (pardon the phrase) to see the statue so close. (for those of you interested, it didn't really matter which side of the ferry you were on - all the seats were good on top!) Once disembarked, I checked in immediately for my trip to the crown. It was imperative that I ordered tickets as early as I did... they only allow a few over 400 people a day to climb to the top. This is wonderful, because it makes it much less crowded up there :) I think they said it was 351 steps... including going up the pedestal. I took the steps in the pedestal two at a time, so I was already warm when I started the hot part... over a hundred steps in a double-layered (one going up, one for coming down), and therefore tiny-spaced staircase in a metal enclosure in the unabating sunshine. For a bit there, especially near the top, I was pulling myself up by the handrails! :)

Nothing can beat the top! Gracious! It's tall! And I could see everywhere! I especially enjoyed looking up at the uplifted arm and see the spikes from her head. On the right hand windows you can just catch a glimpse of the tablet. It was so neat! And on the way down I noticed the inside of the face... for some reason I didn't catch it when going up... maybe it was the panting.

I stopped at the top of the pedestal for a walk around the circumference. Most people just do this part. And it is rather high up by itself! What I loved was being able to see just a bit of the statue peering over the edge above. Made for some great pictures. (on that note, how will I ever be able to decide which to post? lol). Once back at the ground, I had a bit of trouble retrieving my fishy bag from the locker I was required to rent (not too bad, just a dollar for two hours... except it was a nuisance). Mine had a small problem: the door wouldn't open. When the guy got the manager there, she tried a couple times and then confirmed that it didn't work. They had to drop a cord with a hook and physically wrench it open. At least that worked!

I had a bit of time before the next ferry back to New Jersey arrived. There was next to nothing of a line waiting for it, unlike the Manhattan Battery Park line (which was very long), so I decided to walk around the statue at the water level. I just barely made it back in time for the ferry (I think they had it coming roughly every half-hour to forty minutes). So that was incredibly good timing, and I didn't have to wait a bit! I think it was right around 1:30 pm when we landed.

Since the day was a little full, I jogged the half-mile or so back to my car, once we had landed. My plan called me to drive back south to near the Newark Airport in order to park my car where it could be kept late (very late) at night and let me not have to drive in Manhattan again. It took me a while to find the shuttle service I found so easily on the Internet... I took at least three wrong turns trying to find it (with GPS) and where their company (park2go) is a well ordered lot in Seattle, it's a bit haphazard in New Jersey. They had hand-written signs for their gravel parking lot... and I was rather surprised. They gave me good service though and everything did work according to plan. They shuttled me to the airport where I quickly caught the AirTrain. I hadn't realized that I would have to make a transfer to a real train outside the airport that would take me to Penn Station at the Madison Square Garden in NY. But I just rolled with it and there were lots of people working there to answer questions.

As I arrived, I kept careful track of where I was going so I could find my way back. And as I bounded up the stairs with the advertisement for a VERY large hamburger up to street level... suddenly I was in a throng. And it was thrilling! Light from the huge advertisements glared everywhere... it was hard not to stare in every direction. I suddenly decided, given the congested traffic, that it would take much less time to walk to the Intrepid than it would to get a taxi. And I'm so glad I did anyway. Besides saving a boat-load of money, I walked along Seventh Street and suddenly found myself in Times Square. If I was thrilled at that first street, than I don't know what I was then. I think I just stood still and gaped. A pigeon landed right in front of me and looked up at me. I naturally took his picture... and laughed. It was so fun to just be there. People everywhere... even in the street. People walking blindly across crosswalks only to be jolted into reality by a honking taxi. My favorite thing was hearing all the different languages. I have no idea how many, but they sounded Middle Eastern or Eastern European. And there were many others. So fun! So many different kinds of people. They were loud and fast or slow or silent... all moving along together in one big stream. I think I blended in very well. I did what I did in China... just followed along.

In all of my wanderings this day I never did get a taxi. I think I must have walked over forty blocks... probably sixty. By the time I got to the play at 6:15 my feet were aching. Although I saved money (and time) in not getting a taxi, I had to forgo the pleasure of saying "I'm going to Madison and 52nd"... like I had planned... so I didn't go there. I had seen the intersection on Google Street View, and it looked rather generic anyway. Well, you can't win them all. :)

I zig-zagged my way north and east to Central Park, turning whichever way had a walk signal. The Pond was incredibly relaxing; especially after all that honking and shouting. As soon as I set eyes on it I raised my camera for a shot that I think is the best from all I took in the park...

I sat down soon and ate the salad I bought at the cafe at the Intrepid museum. I wanted to enjoy it where I wanted to relax anyway. Much more interesting than four dull walls in a cafe. After circling the Pond and watching all the ducks and geese and sparrows and fish and turtles (at 5:40ish) I left and walked west along the base of the park (59th street) and then turned down Broadway until I got to 48th, where A Little Night Music was playing. And I arrived pretty much right when they were opening the doors.

The theater seemed taller, rather than longer. I was in the nose bleeds in the front row. At first I was pretty disappointed because I couldn't sit back in my seat and see the stage very well. The bar (hand rail) for safety would be right in the way of the actor's faces. But as the play began, it didn't really matter. It held my attention. Although wary at the beginning because of all the indiscretions going on, I fell in love with it by the end (which is what all plays should do... take you by surprise and knock you off your feet). It was silly and beautiful and everything you want in a good drama with real life hilarity. And I admit, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury were not the only reasons I selected this play. In 2007, Amanda Naughton played in this at the South Coast Rep, not 50 miles away from me while I was in Pasadena for a Husky-UCLA game. I was beside myself when I learned she was there and I was not. :) So I imagined her in the role I knew she had. :) I gave Angela a standing ovation. She was wonderful, as always.

I was worried for a moment that I had no coat with me. I was getting cold, sitting there in the theater for so long. It must have been at least 10 pm when it got out. I thought, "oh dear... I have to buy a New York sweatshirt". But I needn't have worried. When I stepped outside I felt warm air to greet me. Just the kind you like too. Not hot, not cold; not at all. So I walked down Broadway some more into Times Square again. It was unreal how strangely lighted the streets were. And people seemed happier and more boisterous than they had been at 4 pm... I wonder why... :)

Again I zig-zagged, but this time south and east. It was really easy to become familiar with how the streets worked and I barely used maps at all. It helped though that all my points of interest were easy to spot. This one was the tallest in the city. My ears popped at least three times heading up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. That night it was lit up blue and purple. I adored the view... 360 degrees of lights practically everywhere you look. I instantly picked out the Statue of Liberty in the harbor... a tiny dot. This was the moment where I most regretted being alone. Everybody else was with somebody else... but at least I had seen "An Affair to Remember" before I got there. It made it very special. And they were playing that (and selling that) in the gift shop. LOL

So I left around 11:30ish. And I easily made my way back to Madison Square Garden and Penn Station without any trouble. I felt silly for worrying about walking the streets at night. I felt perfectly safe and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I think I have seen too many movies. In fact, I loved NYC... I was sad to leave.

Someone helped me find my train... and it was waiting for me when I got there. I boarded at 11:45 and got back to Newark a little after midnight. Unfortunately, my cell phone ran out of batteries today, so I had to keep on asking people for the time all day long. That was easy though, because there were so many people. So when I had to phone for the shuttle, I used a PAY PHONE! LOL!!! I thought, "Gee, I hope I can figure out how to use this..." Luckily, it was an 800 number, so it was free anyway.

The part that took so long was my drive to Connecticut. It was supposed to take just around an hour... except for all that traffic. :) You'd think, oh, 1 am... no problem. Except that's when they do construction and shut down all lanes except 1. :) So I got to the hotel around 2:15 and I got very scared. I couldn't see anybody at the desk and the doors were locked. And my cell phone was dead so I couldn't call... But then I thought to bang on the glass (gently, of course) and suddenly, a head popped up. And all was well. And I was asleep by 3. What a day! It felt like two.

Jp

Oh, Say I Saw...

... some of the same things.

But I started out by going to DC to visit the US Navy Museum at the Washington Navy Yard. It was a little confusing, along the same lines as Annapolis. The GPS told me to drive through a barricaded fence. I think the Navy would have frowned on that!

The museum was pretty good... but they didn't have the same level of original pieces. The most impressive, however was the stern or bow of a gunboat from Benedict Arnold's battle of Valcour Island near Fort Ticonderoga, in 1777 (I think. I'm going off of memory here). Anyway, that was very impressive. It was a good museum. They did have quite a bit of different stuff from Annapolis's collection so it wasn't deja vu or anything. And they did have an impressive group of cannons and anchors outside. I think what I need is a break from Navy museums... We'll see if I end up going to the Intrepid tomorrow or not. I may just want to sit down in Central Park. Maybe I say this because I'm finally pretty darn tired tonight! :)

Getting out of DC going the right direction took quite a while. I somehow ended up in a lower class neighborhood which was quite a shocking difference from the suits and ties I saw across the river. When I was speeding through Baltimore again (on a different freeway) I caught a glimpse to my left of a flag full out in the breeze... it was the large banner! So like Francis Scott Key, I saw what I wasn't expecting. It was a delight, although brief as it was :)

I got off the freeway in Delaware this time trying to stop by a historic site there... just to say I've been *to* Delaware, not just through it. A monument to the first Swedish settlement of Fort Christina is on the outskirts of Wilmington, but when I got there it was closed for "repairs". It's only a statue on a grass lawn... what were they repairing? Oh well. I did get out of my car so it counts as a visit.

The next leg of the trip was also two hours... this time for the Battlefield at Monmouth, in New Jersey. Today has been so beautiful, and not muggy for the first time. I arrived right when the visitor center was closing, but the guide let me look around for a second anyway. He was very nice, and even explained what the building on the far hill away from us was. It was a sixteenth century house that was right near the actual fighting. The valley was so peaceful. I sat under a tree enjoying the perfect weather and I wrote a letter to a friend. I wished I could go on sitting there all evening, but I had more friends to meet!

I thought I'd swing by the Princeton Battlefield on my way to their house, but the road was closed so I had to pass by. On the detour route, I saw the edge of the University campus and the very picturesque "Princeton Station". That's the lovely thing about taking whatever comes... sometimes it's more beautiful or interesting than otherwise. I forgot to mention on Saturday that my route on US 1 took me right by the Franklin Mint. It was unexpected for sure!

I know Andrew and Denise from the University of Washington campus Christian group I went to. Andrew is here going for his doctorate in mathematics, I believe, and Denise has an office job at the University as well. They welcomed me with a fabulous chicken and broccoli casserole dinner with a fresh fruit dish as well. Yum! And they also took me on a walking tour of the campus which included a building that housed a session of the Continental Congress in 1783.

I think I need to get to bed though... it's after 11:30 now and I must get up earlier than normal for New York, New York! :)

Jp

Oh Say, Can You See Maryland!

I did start off from New Jersey today though. After realizing that we needed to get up early-ish, Emma and I had to quit a lovely chat at an early (lol) 2 am! We woke up between 7:30-8 am. I don't remember a thing from my sleep; her couch was very comfortable. And when we got up, Emma graciously prepared us both the fluffiest, tastiest whole-wheat pancakes I've ever had and then slathered them with *real* maple syrup! And a piping hot mug of green tea was the perfect accompaniment. Emma saw me off at exactly 9:00. It was a lovely visit!

After traffic like yesterday's, I had no idea what to expect on my way to Baltimore. But I need not have given it a second thought. I-95 was wide open most of the way, and the only time it wasn't was when people were tail-gating each other because some poor guy up front was *only* going five miles over the speed limit. LOL! It was a breeze! Wow, the bridge going into Delaware was took my breath away! So high! I couldn't stop saying "wow". And this picture does not give it nearly enough justice:

When I saw Fort McHenry in 2005, they didn't have the large flag up because they were painting the flagpole, and I was sorely disappointed. I settled for buying the postcard. So today I visited again with high hopes. I was very confused at the exit however. The sign said go right, the GPS said go left... and so I went right. But it's a good thing I had the GPS, because as I remembered, there were no more signs telling you where to turn. Last time we drove around and around until we accidentally stumbled on the Fort. After the turn, it was only a few short turns and I was there. *Unfortunately*, there were storms predicted for today, (and rather sadly, a park employee had been recently killed) so I arrived and found the *small* flag at half-mast. The small flag isn't even a quarter the size of the real thing. Maybe I should call ahead next time. :) The fort is great to visit, but the point that makes this a "historic shrine" is the banner. Drat! I did buy a t-shirt though, and a 15 star and 15 strip lapel flag pin. You can't find those at the drug store!


I wanted to spend as much time with Rodney as I could, so I passed on getting a ticket and going inside, even though I could hear a fife and drum corps playing. The drive to his house from there only took a half-hour, and again, it was free sailing. I got there right at noon!

I pulled my car into his garage and we immediately took off for Annapolis and the museum at the Naval Academy. GPS directions are funny things when someone is familiar with the territory :) A little too helpful, maybe. But we arrived at the Academy just fine. I loved having the time in the car just to talk and enjoy the conversation. I've chatted with Rodney for nearly two years now (June 14th) and I haven't seen him since then!

We had to park outside the Academy grounds, but there was a slot open for parallel parking rather near. We walked down the main thoroughfare, Maryland Ave., and didn't see the sign for the museum until we passed it. Goodness, I loved it! They suggested starting on the second floor where they had a short movie about the Academy, it's history and the museum's. Then the rest of the "deck" was full of large models of ships, mostly from France and England. These were built along with the original ship they modeled in order to show buyers where the work was at. And they also had a large collection of model ships made by prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars out of bones they had leftover from their meals. Incredible detail!

Back on the first floor, it was a walk through US Naval history, artifact by artifact, supplemented with a few words and pictures. They had really neat stuff, like a pieces of the CSS Virgina (former USS Merrimack), Admiral Dewey's coat and cover (that was really neat, since I toured his flagship yesterday), and the first US flag to ever reach Japan with Com. Matthew Perry in 1853 that was also flown on the USS Missouri in 1945. Oh, and speaking of flags, they have Oliver Hazard Perry's original 1813 "Don't Give Up The Ship" flag, immortalizing Captain Lawrence's dying words. I just read about that action as I was flying into New York City. They had innumerable swords and photos and whatever else, including the actual helm of one vessel. It was a lot to take in all at once.

After spending a little over two hours there, we navigated our way back out of the tiny, red-brick streets to the freeway. We talked a lot about the military and our various experiences with it on the way to the Olive Garden for a fabulous lunch/dinner (at 4pm!). We shared a "Tour of Italy"... chicken, lasagna and fettuccine... mmm! I haven't had pasta for a while, and this was very good.


Back at Rodney's place, he gave me the grand tour. And then we watched the bit of JBL in "Big Bird Gets Lost" that Meg had found for me at Half-Price. I had thought to bring it because Rodney shared with me two episodes of the short-lived TV show "Hometown", which were rather good. JBL had a very large part, especially in the second episode, and he was as animated and wonderful as ever, even though his character was rather different to what I'm used to seeing him do. But is that surprising to anyone? Of course not. :)

Oh, and after another very good conversation, we went upstairs to check on my weight (it was heavy on my mind) and I found out that I'm at the very place I need to be! I think all that running and walking and stopping and going in the Philly heat and traffic did wonders! I'm looking forward to losing some more! :)

This was much too short of a visit! I shall return... sometime! :)

Tonight I'm staying with friends a little closer to DC in Marlboro, MD. And they have been very welcoming. But now I think it is time for me to sleep.

Jp

Return to Pennsylvania

It's been nearly five years ago, the last time I was in this state. I visited Gettysburg for one day with my parents after the anniversary of the battle, the second week of July, 2005. In recognition of that trip I wore my Gettysburg t-shirt I had bought there as a strolled (or aggressively hiked) Chestnut Street between Penn's Landing and Independence Hall.

I arrived quite early in the morning, around 8 o'clock. Nothing was open yet, so this is when I did stroll along the waterfront. There was convenient parking at a hotel nearby, so I used this and took many pictures of the warships in the beautiful morning light. It was starting to get warm, but nothing like it was at noon-time with a glaring sun directly overhead! Very glad to get the landscape shots when I did!

I climbed the steps and crossed the bridge that sent me over I-95 to the historic district. I was in awe. Here were ancient streets (by Seattle's standards) that our heroes of old actually trod! I stumbled across the City Tavern almost immediately and noted its location as that's where I wanted to eat lunch. I kept walking and took a turn down a street to see what the giant marble structure was that I saw... and it turned out to be the "First Bank of the United States"... and it was impressive!!! I walked behind the building (timidly, because I didn't know if that was allowed) and stumbled into a lovely park that led to the Carpenter's Hall where the First Continental Congress met. Wow! From there I found Independence Hall and waited up until two minutes before my 9AM tour when I realized I had forgotten to go to the visitor's center to pick up the actual ticket! So I ran in the already blazing heat and clearing skies down the block to the center where the man graciously gave me a 9:15 ticket. :)










I loved seeing Washington's Chair! Wow! The tour guide's talk was pretty good. It was a little laborious to listen to, but he did a descent job. He generalized the importance of the constitution a little too much for me. But what an incredible thing to see for the first time. I don't care how many pictures I've seen... it is so impressive to see it in person.

After the Hall I saw the Bell. It was relatively easy to get good pictures of it. Most people stood on the ends of the room, trying for impressive shots with the Hall in the background through the window. The sides of it were wide open. By the time I got through there, it was around 10:20, and I headed back down to the waterfront for the Sea Port Museum. I liked this very much, especially all the model ships! I also found a couple of my favorite recruiting posters in a quarter size (11x14?) at the shop. I dropped these off at the car before continuing back up to the City Tavern for lunch, promptly when they opened at 11:30. I was the third person seated! I had duck and pork sausage on cabbage and a country garden salad with a raspberry vinaigrette that was a favorite with Martha Washington, they say. It was quite tasty! The employees were dressed up in period clothes and the food was served on pewter plates and the water in pewter goblets. Very fun! and very good!

Then I went back to the landing (whew! lots of walking!) and toured the Olympia. I'm so very glad I could see it still! The top of the ship was open, so I was able to see the entire thing. From there I rushed back to my car where I got in (and got a little messed up with my GPS) and then headed for a quick stop at the Brandywine Battlefield. I saw the Washington's Headquarters building and was able to stop in at the Visitor's Center for a patch. Finally! There were *none* in Philadelphia. I also bought a tiny little Liberty Bell key chain that actually rings! So cute! But by that time I was going to be a bit late picking up Emma, so I flew down US 1 as fast as I could... which was not very fast! The traffic today has been terror-ific. :)

Getting to 30th Street Station was scary! I nearly hit a bus that merged into my lane and I had to go rather fast next to rows and rows of parked cars while getting back into Philly from the west. And it took Emma and I a while before we could meet... it's so confusing, but thank goodness we both had cells and soon were safely on our way to Valley Forge together. Unfortunately, our route both back and forth from the park was on I-75, which had a tendency to crawl every now and then. But the scenery was gorgeous. Rivers, trees, old stone bridges, fields and such. And it was *wonderful* to finally meet Emma! ("Hi Emma!" - she's here with me as we both are chatting online now from her house).

I somehow took a wrong turn before getting into the park and ended up going in from the back gate, I think. So driving around the park was pretty wild. All I had was a generic address for the GPS, and the lady kept yelling at me to do one thing or another (and I wasn't sure if she knew what she was doing) so I muted her. Gosh, I loved the park! It reminded me very much of Gettysburg. Sweeping grassland between thick woods, bright green with summer growth. And there were deer frolicking everywhere. There were some small ones, I think, and a buck with very short horns, but it was hard to tell, watching them in the tall grass. And the monument to "Mad" Anthony Wayne very much reminded me of the one of Lee on the Confederate side (the Virginia monument), but I thought this one much grander.










(Anthony at VF, and the typewriter at the train station there)

They are restoring the platform of the Valley Forge train station, so we nearly missed seeing the displays there because we thought it was closed. We first saw some scattered features along a trail, and then a feature on the history of the forging that went on there and then saw Washington's Headquarters at the Potts House. I was *very* impressed to be in the same building that *he* had stayed in. But goodness! it was hot! We turned up the AC to the third degree and had a drink when we got back to the car. The traffic going back on 75 was a little worse than it was coming. And once back to Philadelphia, I again made a wrong turn, but we ended up going where Emma wanted to be anyway. We stopped at Arby's for dinner and had a nice little chat together.

Emma lives right next to a VFW post, so besides the gorgeous park situated on the river with tall trees and big turtles, there is also an artillery piece just across the parking lot outside her front walkway. :) Once inside, she introduced me to her large, fluffy family :) Her place is so cozy! It's in an attic... but a fully outfitted attic! So the ceiling makes a sort of A shape and makes the place very secret and friendly feeling. For entertainment, we watched "That's Entertainment" and I was thoroughly entertained! Lots of musical stuff that I was unfamiliar with, however familiar I was with the names.

What a wonderful day! And there are so many left still! Whew!
(And here is Emma's post.)

Jp

Emma's River