Beyond D.C.

This will be my last entry on the “dirt yacht blog”. The weather is changing and it is time to go back to the boat. So, here it is…the rest of the story.

We intended to visit Philadelphia and Boston but by the time we left Washington DC we were pretty much history’d out. Besides…we still had a long way to go to get home and the urge to move along was getting pretty strong.

Dinner with Guy & Karen

A stop in Massachusetts was our chance to get together for dinner & visiting with Guy & Karen, the couple who married us in the South Pacific 4 years ago. It was great to see them again.

Salem Witch Museum

It hardly seemed right to skip Salem since we were so close, so we didn’t. It is a quaint (though somewhat spooky) little town with much history. The Info Center presented a film about the witch trials and dispelled a few myths. For example, only 20 people were put to death as witches and none were burned at the stake. All but one were hanged (which leaves you just as dead, of course) and that one, a man, was crushed to death with large rocks. Ewww. 

Salem Bookstore

While wandering through the town, we discovered an unusually eclectic used bookstore. Since bookstores are our passion, we had to go inside. The books were stacked floor to ceiling with narrow passageways between them, rather like something out of a Harry Potter movie. The proprietor was pretty adept at locating what you were looking for…and…extricating books from the middle without the whole mess smothering you but it was still a little disconcerting. Chris was happy to find a couple more of the J.A. Jance series he was looking for.

Ammonoosuc River, NH

From Massachusetts we went north to Lisbon, New Hampshire where the weather was quite warm and humid. The RV Park was right on the Ammonoosuc River (try pronouncing that after a couple wines) and was really beautiful. 

 

May snow in NH

The next day a storm moved in bringing torrential rain and the next thing we knew it was snowing! This was in late May!

Note the ship stuck on an island just above the falls!

View from the U.S. side - Horseshoe Falls

Next stop was Niagara Falls. What can you say about something this huge? The beauty and power of that much water is beyond words - gorgeous and frightening at the same time. I bought a book about the people who have gone over the falls and was surprised to learn that the first one (in 1901) was a woman - Annie Edson Taylor who was a schoolteacher. And…she survived. 

Canadian view. Note the sign warning people not to climb over the fence. Duh!

Maid of the Mist going into the mist!

The view from the Canadian side is better but both are pretty amazing. We really wanted to ride on the Maid of the Mist into the maelstrom at the bottom of the falls, but both of us were fighting head colds and the thought of being in wind and water didn’t have much appeal.

Beautiful downtown Cleveland.

From Niagara we moved on to Cleveland, OH to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I would never have guessed that Cleveland was such a beautiful, modern city. 

 

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, lake side

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, side view

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, front

The R&R Hall of Fame is the frosting on the cake. It is a gorgeous building of glass, angles & curves and it sits right on the edge of Lake Erie. 

Elvis' Continental

Janis Joplin's Porsche

Artist's rendition of "The Wall"

We spent an entire day wandering through the museum, oohing and aahing over the memorabilia, singing along with the music and re-living our youth. 

Entrance to the Rolling Stones' exhibit

Their new Rolling Stones exhibit had opened just days before we arrived and that was pretty interesting. What a trip to re-live those years…and realize that those guys are now SEVENTY and still performing. It really puts you in touch with how old YOU are as well! This turned out to be one of the best days of the whole trip.

Char & I, 45 years later!

Our next stop was Flint, Michigan where my childhood friend, Char, lives. We lived next door to each other during Jr. Hi and Hi School and had not seen each other in 45 years! So many things have happened since then. We had a wonderful visit and tears were shed when it was time for Chris & I to leave.

S.S. Badger

In order to make up a little time and avoid driving the RV through Chicago we decided to take the ferry across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin. This is no ordinary ferry! It looks more like a cross between an ocean liner and a freighter. The staff loads and unloads all the vehicles and passengers are not allowed to ride in their cars. There are numerous places to sit both inside & out, as well as dining areas, lounges, a movie theater and a gift shop. On the day we crossed, the water was flat and the weather was beautiful but since it is just miles and miles of fresh water there isn’t much to see. No whales or dolphins and few birds. It was a very expensive trip (especially with a motorhome) but saved us a lot of driving.

Badlands

We hustled through Wisconsin and across South Dakota until we reached the Badlands. Having never been here, the stark beauty of the Badlands – which sit just on the edge of the Grasslands – blew me away. 

The name, Badlands, conjures up a mental picture of all manner of misery but it is not like that at all. While I suspect it would be pretty inhospitable in the dead of winter or the middle of summer, we were there in June and it was drop dead gorgeous. Hills and valleys showing off the striations of millions of years of erosion from wind and water for as far as the eye can see.

 

Mt. Rushmore

We made day trips from this location to visit Mt. Rushmore, the Crazy Horse memorial and just generally experience some of the beautiful scenery. Much of this area is National Park and there are no fences so everywhere we went we were on the lookout for critters on the loose…and we saw plenty. 

For Darwin contestants!

Why did the buffalo cross the road? Because he could!

Buffalo were everywhere. 

"Wild" Burro

“Wild” Burros are so used to people feeding them that they walk right up to the cars and allow themselves to be petted. 

 

Cute but dangerous!

Prairie Dogs were everywhere but, cute as they are, there are numerous warnings to give them a wide berth. It seems the fleas they have carry Bubonic Plague. Not something you want to take home from a vacation.

From here it was just a couple more days travel (with one quick stop to visit friends in Montana) to home. 

Ahhhh....back in the NW!

I was a little sad for the journey to come to an end but, all in all, the American Bucket List Tour was a complete success. We saw many of the places we’d always wanted to visit but we missed a lot, too. The decision has already been made to do it again in a few years. 

 

We made it onto the cover of the Rolling Stone!

There is still plenty of country to see.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled blog: http://travelswithfaith.blogspot.com.

Washington D.C.

At the top of the Newseum

Well…grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine and settle in. This is another long one!

Chris at the Navy Memorial.

Washington DC is an amazing, awe inspiring, thought provoking, surprising, beautiful place. There was so much on our “to do” list that it was doubtful we could check everything off in two short weeks but we were definitely up for the challenge.

Potomac River from the top of the Kennedy Center.

The RV Park we chose in College Grove, MD was the perfect choice for a “base”. Not only is it a lovely facility, but the staff really know their way around and seem to delight in being helpful. Every afternoon Barbara hosts a gathering in the community room to disseminate information on the area. She explains the transportation options, highlights to visit, what things will cost, etc. She also has tickets for tours, the subway, etc. so you don’t even have to leave the park to get started.

One of the Metro stations.

The optimal transportation system in the DC area is the subway (which, by the way, seriously puts to shame the way people in the NW get around). Since I am fairly claustrophobic I was pretty nervous (actually, bordering on terrified) the first time we got on the train. What a surprise! Not only was I able to ride the subway (Metro) without panic attacks but it is so easy to get around on that I learned to love it. Between the subway, the busses, the shuttles and the pedestrian & bicycle friendly streets, I’m surprised that anyone would choose to drive a car.

Sculpture of John F. Kennedy

Kennedy Center Foyer

President's lounge

One of our first trips into the City was to take a tour of the Kennedy Center. Docents lead tours about every 10 minutes and they have plenty of fascinating tidbits to impart about the building as well as the ability to show guests the private lounges for the elite, as well as the President’s lounge. In addition to the free tours, the Kennedy Center presents free concerts every day at 6:00. Had we been staying closer to town we might have gone to listen to one but most days we were pretty worn down by then and already back at the coach with a glass of wine.

One morning I decided to see what events were taking place at the Kennedy Center and discovered that we would be in town for the Spring Gala. Of course I immediately bought tickets. Next problem was that that we don’t travel with dressy clothes so shopping had to take place. I bought the proverbial “little black dress” and a pair of sexy heels and Chris was resplendent in his slacks, sport coat and TIE. Still, we thought we were pretty underdressed until the couple in the seats next to us arrived. Turns out he was a doctor from Arkansas but they were dressed like they had just come in off the back 40. The evening’s entertainment was the musical, My Fair Lady. The cast included several Tony winners and featured Cloris Leachman as Professor Higgins’ mother. The actors had flown in from engagements around the world and had only had 2 days to rehearse so they were often carrying their scripts. Given the caliber of talent, we rarely noticed when they were reading or flubbed a line. It was a magical evening.   

Memorial to Iwo Jima.

D.C. is THE memorial capital and everywhere we went we saw statues and artwork commemorating the original movers and shakers as well as the men and women who participated in the wars that shaped our country. 

Memorial to the Nurses in Vietnam.

Part of the Korean War Memorial.

From the understated WWI Memorial to the elaborate Korean War Memorial to the moving Vietnam War Memorial 

Part of the FDR Memorial.

Another area of the FDR Memorial.

More of FDR Memorial.

to the beautiful, thought provoking Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, each has its own “feel”. 

"Fuzzy" Washington Monument.

While we were visiting, the Washington Monument was encased in scaffolding as they are repairing damage from the 2011 earthquake, so it always seemed to look a bit “fuzzy”.  

Museums are another huge attraction. 

The Smithsonian "Castle" (Information Office)

The Smithsonian is comprised of 19 museums and galleries plus the national zoo (which are all free). In addition, numerous other museums and galleries are waiting to be investigated as well. 

Ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz movie.

Lincoln's watch & death mask.

We made a valiant effort but, given the size and detail in each, not to mention our inability to walk/stand for more than 8 hours without our legs complaining, we only managed to explore a few. 

Fountain in the Sculpture Garden.

Chris & niece, Alisha.

One of the nicest parts of the Smithsonian is the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden which is actually a beautiful park with fountains, a restaurant and a number of interesting pieces of art. We joined Chris’ niece, Alisha, there for lunch one day and then we meandered through the Portrait Gallery as well.  

Newseum

The Newseum, one of our favorite places, is funded by the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to "free press, free speech and free spirit for all people". There is an admission charge but it was well worth the charge. As you approach the entrance, you pass 50 permanent cases that display the front page of a prominent newspaper from each state. At the time we were there, the big story was the tornado that flattened Moore, Oklahoma. It was interesting to see the front pages of papers from several southern states (Texas among them) featuring sports. I guess it’s all about priorities. 

Chris with a section of the Berlin Wall.

Guard Tower from the Berlin Wall.

Once inside, you can’t miss the big hunk of the Berlin Wall and one of the guard towers from same. It is, to say the least, impressive. This museum is laid out beautifully as you begin your tour at the very top of the building with a panoramic view of Washington DC. We learned pretty quickly that going from the top down is infinitely easier than from the bottom up when you are exploring a multi-story museum – and they are ALL multi-story. The exhibits in this building trace the history of news, from the earliest print to the current use of social media and the emphasis is on the First Amendment, and in particular Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press. Some exhibits are striking such as the antenna from the top of the World Trade Center and the laptop that belonged to Daniel Pearl (the journalist who was kidnapped and murdered by Al-Qaeda). Some, like the history of political cartoons, are entertaining. The gallery of Pulitzer Prize winning Photographs is amazing. In addition to the permanent exhibits, there are also limited engagements. During our visit a featured display told the story of John F. Kennedy’s election, presidency and assassination. It brought back a lot of memories.

Holocaust Museum & Memorial.

The Holocaust Museum/Memorial is one of the most moving of all. Upon entering, each person is given a “passport” with a photo and story of someone who was a victim. Some survived. Some didn’t. Then you enter an elevator that looks like the inside of a railway car and are taken to the top floor to begin your experience. Everywhere the mood was subdued and quiet. It is difficult to put into words the feelings I experienced as I learned about the horrible things that took place. Two of the most moving areas were the room filled with shoes from the victims and the three story hallway that was filled from floor to ceiling with photographs of the men, women and children who were killed. It is absolutely overwhelming.

White House South Lawn

The closest we were able to get to the White House was outside the fence at the south lawn. I had HOPED that we could arrange a get together with Barack and Michelle for a couple brewskies but, thanks to sequestration (Grumble! Grumble!) all W.H. tours were cancelled. In lieu of Beer & Brats Night with the Obamas, we opted for coffee with our State Senator, Patty Murray. 

She is gracious and interesting and it was a pleasure to hear the important committees she is working on. She provided us with passes to sit in the galleries of the House and the Senate but, alas, on the day we toured the Capitol neither was in session. In the case of the House, that seems to be pretty much a constant these days.  

Capitol Building.

Beautiful!

Frescoes under the dome.

A trip to Washington D.C. would not be complete without a tour of the Capitol. Tours are given to groups of about 25 and each group wears headsets that are tuned to the frequency of their guide. The building is cavernous and has zero sound buffering so without the headsets you would hear nothing but the echoing of hundreds of voices. At one time the Representatives did their business in one of the large rooms and I cannot imagine what that would have been like! We learned a lot about the construction of the building, the statues and artwork inside and the meanings of the different frescoes.

Swarms of kids at the Lincoln Memorial.

My biggest complaint about visiting D.C. was our timing. We wanted to be there to see the Cherry Blossoms in bloom but, due to late snowfall in the NE, we delayed and missed that. Unfortunately, by waiting for better weather we subjected ourselves to an unexpected irritation. Kids! During the time we were in the city, there were millions of kids from around the country who were on end-of-the-year school trips so everywhere we went, there they were. Now, mind you, I like kids well enough, but this inundation was a major pain in the backside. I’m sure their parents thought they were sending them off for some wonderful learning experience but that was clearly not what was going on. Everywhere we went, they were chasing each other, yelling, playing with their electronic devices, trying to impress the boys (or girls), and paying little or no attention to the history surrounding them…and creating a huge nuisance for the rest of us who were truly interested in experiencing all there was to see and do. I thought I was the only curmudgeon until we got to the Capitol building and, when asked, ALL the people in our group opted to wait longer for our tour rather than be grouped with any of the kids.

No pictures allowed of money making so here's a view from the top of the Newseum. Note the great bicycle lanes in the middle of the road.

One of the last buildings we toured was the Department of Engraving. I thought it would be pretty boring but Chris really wanted to go, so we went. As it turned out, this is a pretty interesting place. This is where they print the money!! The tour wasn’t long but we learned a lot about the way money is designed and printed and it was pretty interesting to get a gander at a 5’ tall stack of SHEETS of $20 bills. In the gift shop one could purchase shredded money, uncut sheets and framed money that had flaws and, thus, was not circulated (this stuff was pretty expensive). After browsing for a bit, Chris & I decided to purchase coffee cups imprinted with $100,000 and $100 bills respectively. Chris has higher expectations than I do.

It was a fun filled two weeks!