After figuring out the Metro Rail system and buying tickets for one of the hop-on-hop-off tour buses, we were able to see quite a few attractions. We toured Arlington National Cemetery and saw John, Ted and Bobby Kennedy's' graves. Witnessed the changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown, awesome! As well as touring the Arlington House. We saw 5 of the Smithsonian Museums, but there are a total of 19 so we really didn't make much of a dent. Visited the Air & Space Museum...Spirit of St. Louis, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gardens, American Indian Museum (newest), National Portrait Gallery and Natural History Museum....I had to to see the Hope Diamond. Although most of the museums are fairly close to each other, there is still a lot of walking and they are huge! It would take a month to really do each one justice. Toured Fords Theatre (where Lincoln was shot), the Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and the Capital Building. Took a city bus tour and saw the Cardinals lose to the Washington Nationals. We had a list of many other places we wanted to see but even with the Metro and tourmobiles, it takes a long time to get to where you want to go. You have to drive around and around and around the Metro parking garage to find a spot. And even the tour buses get caught up in all of the traffic. Depending on time of day, the Metro is so crowded you sometimes have to stand. Although Ron was able to always get a seat...his knee brace and cane get him a lot of sympathy and the other riders are quite courteous. It never failed, if we needed to go up at the Metro rail the up escalator was out of order if we needed to go down the down was out. Poor, poor, pitiful Ron was really hurting by the end of the day.
Took over 250 pictures, but as our recent visits to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown Settlement, Yorktowne Victory Center, Yorketowne Battlefield and the Glass House.....you just have to see them yourself.
It's been an enjoyable trip through history.
After our travels through OH, PA and IN. all on the turnpike and $65.00 later in toll fees, we are currently in Elkhart Indiana referenced to be the "RV capital of the World" but we are only here for the weekend. We will have to come back to this area at another time to see the RV Museum, Amish communities etc. We are headed to Rockford IL for a job that should take us about 2 weeks.
Hope all is well!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
OH SAY CAN YOU SEE.....a visitors center?
Mr. Obama's office.
This may be the extent of our sightseeing.
You couldn’t pay me enough to work in D.C. The drivers are crazy; the pedestrians all harbor secret death wishes, neither of which knows that red normally means STOP! We mistakenly drove into D.C. yesterday to try to get the feel of the land and information to plan the rest of our trip.
We like to stop at visitor centers to pick up brochures and ask questions. Did you know visitor centers, even in a city that claims tourism is a major revenue producing industry, close down, move a lot and forget to tell any of their city employees where they are located? Five hours and 5 stops later we finally found the D.C. visitor center. By this time I was so frustrated that the young man behind the counter left to get reinforcement from his manager - Mo. I actually took a deep breath before going in and thought I was very nice….considering how my morning was going. We walked out of there with 3 renditions of the metro system, an armful of brochures and Mo's phone number who told us "if you have any questions while your here, just call me." I'm sure he thought we just got off the farm!
They tell me people in D.C. actually own cars. Why? There is no place and I mean no place to park it. So they have this nice metro system. I dreamt of blue lines crossing yellow lines crossing orange lines! My first thought when I woke up this morning was do I really want to go into the city to sightsee some of our countries most beloved sights? And my second thought was thank the Lord we live on wheels.
We were able with the help of a nice Metrorail employee to figure out how to get our fare cards/smartcard for the system. She asked if we were Obama fans....ummm….tough question considering where we are….well it turns out if you use a certain machine you can get a fare card with his picture on it. Well I’ve got to say…that made my day!
The Cardinals are in town!! One of our hopes while we travel was to see the Cardinals in every major stadium. After being so proud of myself for finding box seats for $35.00 instead of the normal $55.00, a screen pops up and asks you if you want to reserve a parking spot. YES….that would be great. Then the price pops up…$50.00….huh are you kidding me? I could not bring myself to pay over 40% more than the ticket to park for 3.5 hours. My first clue should have been when the lady at the first visitor centers’ comment when we asked how to get to the Nationals stadium was…”oh my that’s not easy”. So much from a goodwill ambassador of the city. She obviously is not a baseball fan; she had to call her husband to get the route. You first have to park at a commuter lot that fills up by 6:00 am and doesn’t begin to clear out until 6:00 pm. If you actually do find someplace to park your car, you then get on the blue route, transfer to the yellow route, transfer to the green route then walk over .5 mile to the stadium. Then we’ll have to find our way back ….wish us luck. Now I know why the Nationals are in last place in their division…fans can’t find or have the energy to attend any games to lend support. I will forever be more appreciative of Busch Stadium, where there is parking, more reasonable costs, and a system that can get 50,000+ fans in and out safely in a reasonable time frame.
Friends, Tom & Sue, use to live in Maryland and Tom worked with the Secret Service. When we got in I texted them for some tips on unusual places to see, where to eat etc. Toms first tip was “don’t go!” Now I know why. However, they did give us some good ideas of what to visit and information to get us started on traversing the town.
When we got back to the coach I had to decompress and what better way then with a nice, cold Bud…..I would have to join AA if I lived here too long.
The only way to visit D.C. is to fly in, shuttle to a downtown hotel close to all of the attractions and become best buddies with the concierge as soon as you arrive.
I should have known a little black cloud was following us here. The campground we are in is expensive (remember I’m from the Midwest) at $52.00 a night and that’s after I had to call them on their Good Sams discount they advertise but didn’t want to offer. The layout is hilly and they have logs lining the already narrow roads and tight turns. Well…in order to not hit a parked coach we had to hug the right side and got a log caught up under our coach. We should have unhooked the car when we first got in but they insisted it would be easy to pull in with the tow. This campground actually has an escort to your site because the roads and sites are not marked, but she is on foot and not helpful with the maneuvering like other campgrounds are. The log ripped a hole underneath and now we have insulation etc. hanging down. I thought duct tape solved all the problems of the world…but it will not stick.
Any of our RV buddies out there, or anyone, if you have any ideas on how to make a temporary fix, let us know.
Well it’s time to start our trip into D.C. :(
Hope all is well
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
WHERE DID THE MONTH OF MAY GO?
After leaving Red Bay, AL we stopped for a few days in Athens, AL to visit with friends Chuck and Carol. Ron and Chuck got a couple of rounds of golf in, while Carol and I shopped. We arrived in Savannah, GA after a one night stay at a Walmart. We loved Savannah...so much that if we wanted to settle down in the east, we would choose Savannah. We took a city tour, a ghost tour, visited the City Market (a lively arts and entertainment district), ate lunch at Paula Dean's restaurant (Lady & Sons), spent a day at River Street (3 blocks of shops, restaurants & bars) played one round of golf and saw a great variety show at the Savannah Theatre.
For Ron's birthday we dined at "The Olde Pink House" built in 1771. It is a National Landmark and was built for James Habersham Jr., a wealthy planter who held many secret meetings there which helped to secure the independence of the 13 colonies from England. The name comes from the soft native brick which bled through the plastered walls and mysteriously changed the color from white to Jamaican Pink. The building at one time was the first bank of Georgia and housed the monies of all the colonists. Still in operation today the massive cast-iron vaults with dungeon like doors are used as wine cellars. It once housed military generals and was established as the headquarters during the war. After many other establishments, in 1992 the house became a restaurant with 11 dining rooms graced with beautiful antique furnishings. The atmosphere is very quaint & quiet, the food is exceptional as was the service.
When Savannah was founded in 1773, it was laid out in a town grid dotted with small squares designed to deter invaders. Today, even after the turmoil of the Revolution and Civil war, the design remains intact, with the squares now serving as scenic parks filled with statues and fountains.
One of the many squares.
Hugh oak trees graced with Spanish moss. Which really isn't moss but is an epiphyte which absorbs nutrients (especially calcium) and water from the air and rainfall.
You can smell the sweet aroma of gardenia's has you stroll the square.
Chippewa Square where Forest Gump sitting on the park bench was filmed.
Savannah is home to SCAD - the Savannah College of Arts and Design - with over 9,000 students. What a perfect spot with all of the city's' history and architectural uniqueness.
Such details
Downspouts
Turn of the century houses. Still beautifully restored.
Ornate fencing around homes facing many of the squares in the historic district.
This fence has portraits of poets such as Keats, Byron etc. In it's hay day
owners seemed to compete with the ornate designs of the iron-clad fences.
We attended Mass at St. John the Baptist Cathedral. The congregation of St. John the Baptist formed in the late eighteenth century when French immigrants fleeing revolutions in France & Haiti found refuge in Savannah.
Beautiful altar
Front of the Church.
Ornate steeple. The streets are so narrow I couldn't get a full
picture. Of course, maybe it would help if I would remember to
bring my wide angle lens with me.
During our visit we took a 9 pm Ghost Tour of a haunted house (supposedly) as well as the Pirate House, now a restaurant. The Pirate House was originally a bar, where pirates as infamous as Blackbeard socialized while in the area. Their secondary reason for using this location was to shanghai locals by using a 1/2 mile long tunnel carved under the bar leading to the river and their boats. Ron found this site and scenario fascinating.
We spent several hours touring the national landmark Fort Pulaski. In 1829 construction began on the fort, taking 18 years to complete, $1 million and 25,000,000 bricks. The walls were 15 feet thick with a 7 foot deep, 48 foot wide moat with the only entrance over a drawbridge. The fort was defended by 385 officers and men under the command of Charles H. Olmstead. There were a total of 48 guns of various size and type mounted around the full circumference of the fort. While Union soldiers prepared their placements under cover of dark, the Confederates rested easy, believing their position to be unbeatable.
What the Southern Soldiers didn't know was that Capt. Quincy A. Gillmore was about to unveil a new weapon which would change the face of warfare - the rifled cannon. Unlike conventional smooth-bored cannons, these guns contained spiraled (rifled) grooves which gave the projectile greater range, accuracy and penetration. Their effective range was 8453 yards, far exceeding the existing artillery. The 10 new experimental cannons, erected in secret by the North, were able to breach the walls of the fort within the first 30 hours of the bombardment. Rather than risk the death of his entire garrison, Olmstead chose to surrender. With the overtaking of this state of the art structure, forts of this style were never built again
Cannon fires 32# round ball.
Inside of the fort
Markings from cannon shots.
Greenwood planks positioned to deflect incoming shells from the enemy.
Also, channels were dug in the parade yard so that if any shells got
through they would roll away from the troops.
Original Confederate Flag flies at Fort Pulaski.
Did I mention we really enjoyed Savannah?
We left a few things we still would like to do for another visit.
Hope all is well.
For Ron's birthday we dined at "The Olde Pink House" built in 1771. It is a National Landmark and was built for James Habersham Jr., a wealthy planter who held many secret meetings there which helped to secure the independence of the 13 colonies from England. The name comes from the soft native brick which bled through the plastered walls and mysteriously changed the color from white to Jamaican Pink. The building at one time was the first bank of Georgia and housed the monies of all the colonists. Still in operation today the massive cast-iron vaults with dungeon like doors are used as wine cellars. It once housed military generals and was established as the headquarters during the war. After many other establishments, in 1992 the house became a restaurant with 11 dining rooms graced with beautiful antique furnishings. The atmosphere is very quaint & quiet, the food is exceptional as was the service.
When Savannah was founded in 1773, it was laid out in a town grid dotted with small squares designed to deter invaders. Today, even after the turmoil of the Revolution and Civil war, the design remains intact, with the squares now serving as scenic parks filled with statues and fountains.
One of the many squares.
Hugh oak trees graced with Spanish moss. Which really isn't moss but is an epiphyte which absorbs nutrients (especially calcium) and water from the air and rainfall.
You can smell the sweet aroma of gardenia's has you stroll the square.
Chippewa Square where Forest Gump sitting on the park bench was filmed.
Savannah is home to SCAD - the Savannah College of Arts and Design - with over 9,000 students. What a perfect spot with all of the city's' history and architectural uniqueness.
Such details
Downspouts
Turn of the century houses. Still beautifully restored.
Ornate fencing around homes facing many of the squares in the historic district.
This fence has portraits of poets such as Keats, Byron etc. In it's hay day
owners seemed to compete with the ornate designs of the iron-clad fences.
We attended Mass at St. John the Baptist Cathedral. The congregation of St. John the Baptist formed in the late eighteenth century when French immigrants fleeing revolutions in France & Haiti found refuge in Savannah.
Beautiful altar
Front of the Church.
Ornate steeple. The streets are so narrow I couldn't get a full
picture. Of course, maybe it would help if I would remember to
bring my wide angle lens with me.
During our visit we took a 9 pm Ghost Tour of a haunted house (supposedly) as well as the Pirate House, now a restaurant. The Pirate House was originally a bar, where pirates as infamous as Blackbeard socialized while in the area. Their secondary reason for using this location was to shanghai locals by using a 1/2 mile long tunnel carved under the bar leading to the river and their boats. Ron found this site and scenario fascinating.
We spent several hours touring the national landmark Fort Pulaski. In 1829 construction began on the fort, taking 18 years to complete, $1 million and 25,000,000 bricks. The walls were 15 feet thick with a 7 foot deep, 48 foot wide moat with the only entrance over a drawbridge. The fort was defended by 385 officers and men under the command of Charles H. Olmstead. There were a total of 48 guns of various size and type mounted around the full circumference of the fort. While Union soldiers prepared their placements under cover of dark, the Confederates rested easy, believing their position to be unbeatable.
What the Southern Soldiers didn't know was that Capt. Quincy A. Gillmore was about to unveil a new weapon which would change the face of warfare - the rifled cannon. Unlike conventional smooth-bored cannons, these guns contained spiraled (rifled) grooves which gave the projectile greater range, accuracy and penetration. Their effective range was 8453 yards, far exceeding the existing artillery. The 10 new experimental cannons, erected in secret by the North, were able to breach the walls of the fort within the first 30 hours of the bombardment. Rather than risk the death of his entire garrison, Olmstead chose to surrender. With the overtaking of this state of the art structure, forts of this style were never built again
Cannon fires 32# round ball.
Inside of the fort
Markings from cannon shots.
Greenwood planks positioned to deflect incoming shells from the enemy.
Also, channels were dug in the parade yard so that if any shells got
through they would roll away from the troops.
Original Confederate Flag flies at Fort Pulaski.
Did I mention we really enjoyed Savannah?
We left a few things we still would like to do for another visit.
Hope all is well.
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