We'll Cross that Bridge....................

We left DC with the goal of adding Delaware to our state map on our way to the Outer Banks. This route required us to cross two very big toll bridges but since we would be spending a free night at Wally World we decided to go for it.

The first bridge was the William Preston Lane Jr. Bay Bridge which crosses Chesapeake Bay just east of Annapolis to the Eastern Shore and the Delmarva Peninsula. This 4.35 mile bridge rises 186 feet above the water. It was originally just a single span with two way traffic, but a second bridge was added to separate east and west bound traffic. Nanc tells me there is quite a view from the top but I was real focused on the road.

To add Delaware we stayed at the Seabrook Wally World that was just 100 miles from DC. Since we arrived so early we disconnected the car and drove to Rehobeth Beach. We had a nice stroll on the boardwalk and enjoyed the warm ocean air.

The next morning we crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. This 23 mile engineering marvel crosses the water where the Atlantic Ocean meets Chesapeake Bay and connects the Delmarva Peninsula with Southeastern Virginia. We crossed it many years ago when there was only one bridge with two way traffic and we were glad to see the newer southbound bridge was wider than the original. It was wide enough that I actually got to enjoy the view as we literally drove across the ocean.

There are four man made islands where the road goes into the two tunnels that were required so there would be no limit on the height of the Navy ships sailing from the base in Norfolk. The tunnels have two way traffic and going through them was just a little intense.

We weren't yet done with the bridges as we had to cross the three mile Wright Memorial Bridge to get to the Outer Banks from the North Carolina mainland. This is another bridge that was once a single two way traffic span but now consists of two bridges. It was a real piece of cake after the previous two.

And finally one last bridge to get us on to Hatteras Island. The Hebert C. Bonner bridge is a 2.5 mile span that crosses Oregon Inlet between the Atlantic Ocean and Pimlico Sound. It has been through several hurricanes and in 1990 a dredge hit it and knocked a section down, isolating everyone on the island until ferry service could be brought in. This bridge is due for replacement because erosion is constantly changing the shoreline. It has two way traffic.

The last part of the trip is down highway 12 on Hatteras Island. Here the road is so close to the Atlantic that it is often covered in water and sand. There are some spots where the island is so narrow that you could hit a nine iron into the ocean on one side and into the sound on the other. That is why we love this place, it is so isolated that you won't find a Wally World or, for that matter, many other chains. We arrived at the Sands of Time Campground to find they were having a fish fry that evening so we joined in and got to meet a few other residents.

To our Pacific coast readers it may be surprising that you can actually go into the Atlantic even in October and not freeze your ### off. The water was fine, the fishing was great, but the catching left a lot to be desired. We are looking forward to a month of just kicking back at the beach and hoping the catching gets better.

Historic Big Washington -- Part II

One of the greatest things about DC is the beautiful architecture of the monuments and governments buildings. Unlike other big cities the skyline of the city is dominated by the US Capitol and the Washington Monument. The National Mall (open space not a shopping center the 7th graders expected) which runs from the capitol to the Lincoln Memorial (about 2 miles) is the site of several major monuments and 10 of the Smithsonian Museums. We revisited several monuments but did not have the time to explore museums except to see the original Star Spangled Banner that has recently been refurbished.

Without a doubt, for me, the most personal monument is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial known as The Wall. It has the names of the 58,195 service personnel killed in Vietnam. While I did not go to Vietnam during my two years in the Army, I knew several people whose names are on the wall. When it was built many people did not like this "black slash in the ground" so the statue of the three soldiers on the left was added. Later the nurses statue was added to honor the eight women whose names are on the wall. Over time it has become one of the most popular stops in DC. Taking a rubbing (right) of a friend's or relative's name is a common practice here. We did have several students over the years who found their relative's names on the wall. Another practice here is for people to leave personal mementos. We allowed our seventh graders to read anything that was openly displayed but warned them that it could be a letter to a grandparent some child had never met or a note to a buddy someone had served with. On this visit someone had left a Purple Heart and just seeing it was very emotional for me. All these items are collected daily and archived by the park service. Many are displayed in The Price of Freedom: Americans at War exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

At the top are the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the World War II Memorial. These are both very impressive monuments to honor those who served in those wars. The WWII memorial has a wall of 4048 stars each representing 100 Americans who died in that war. In addition to the statues of the soldiers on patrol at the Korean memorial there is a wall of scenes from that war and the words "Freedom is Not Free." Seeing the war memorials in DC really brings that point home. Pictured at the bottom is the Lincoln Memorial and the view from the Lincoln of the Washington Monument and the capitol. The Lincoln has 57 steps, one for each year of his life, and 36 columns, one for each state at the time of his presidency. The statue is very impressive and worth the climb. The trip to the top of the Washington Monument offers a spectacular view of the surrounding area. We did not do it this time. Notice the two colors of stone on the obelisk. The construction was stopped during the Civil War and when it resumed the same stone was not available. It has come to symbolize the split of the war and the joining together of the nation when peace came.

These are the buildings of the three branches of the government. Top are the Supreme Court and the US Capitol and bottom is the White House. The flag is the the Star Spangled Banner that flew over Fort McHenry when Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that became the national anthem. The flag has recently been restored and is on display at the National Museum of American History.

We went to the new Capitol Visitor Center and toured the capitol even though we had done this many times before. Center is looking up at the inside of the dome. The statues are Stephen Foster of Pennsylvania who invented the steamboat, Lincoln and Freedom. Freedom is on the top of the dome and at 19 1/2 feet is the tallest statue in the city as no one should be higher then freedom. Top right is the original Senate chamber that later served as the Supreme Court until their building was built in 1935. Bottom are two of the eight paintings in the rotunda. The visitor center has a display of how the building changed as the nation grew and the workings of Congress. The capitol is a very worthwhile visit.

Above left is the National Archives which has on display the original Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (below left). Seeing these original documents and realizing you are looking at the signatures of the Founders has always been exciting to me. This is a must see. Below right is the Library of Congress and the Gutenberg Bible (top right), one of many rare books that can be found here.

These are pictures of the interior of the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. This is the first time in my many visits to the city that I have been inside either building. Top center is a statue of John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice, who lead the ruling that gave the court the power to overturn unconstitutional laws. Bottom right is a model of the justices' chamber. We got there too late to get in line to hear oral arguments in the actual chamber. Something to do on the next visit. The rest of the pictures are the Library of Congress. This has to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. They had a display of much of the original library containing the books of Thomas Jefferson. It was a thrill knowing that the books you were seeing had been held and read by Jefferson. We also viewed two special exhibits. One on Ira and George Gershwin which included one of their pianos and several scores of their wonderful music and other memorabilia. The other exhibit was on Bob Hope and his many years of involvement with the USO.

These are the things we saw in our four days in the city. There are many other places that should be on every ones list such as the National Cathedral, Arlington National Cemetery and more of the Smithsonian museums. Everyone should put our nation's capital on their bucket list. It is truly a wonderful place.

Historic Big Washington

After delaying a day to wait for the rain to pass we moved to Greenbelt Park, a National Park Service campground near the DC Metro in Greenbelt, Maryland. This park is a great deal at $8.00 a day with my Senior Pass. The Metro parking is free on the weekends and only $4.25 during the week and the Metro fares are very reasonable if you travel during the off-peak times. I have been to DC about fifty times starting with our honeymoon 41 years ago and we both love the place. We always find something new to see and this time was no different. We had originally planned to stay four days but ended up staying six because there is so much to do.

On our first day we got together with Nanc's sister Michelle and her husband Keith. We enjoyed an afternoon at National Harbor where we had a meal overlooking the Potomac and then went to their house to see their pictures of this summer's trip to Italy. Once again getting to spend time with family is one of the best things about this lifestyle.
Top left is the Hotel Harrington where I stayed many times when we brought the seventh grade to DC. Top center are several old building facades that have been saved as part of a new building. This style of construction really gives the city an old time feel. Top right is Ford's Theatre where Lincoln was shot. Bottom left is the 1940's carousal that is run by the Smithsonian. Center is the Smithsonian Castle where the visitors information center is located. This museum complex is one reason DC can be such an inexpensive city to visit as all sixteen facilities in DC are free. Bottom right is the Awakening, a great sculpture at National Harbor.

Museums we visited.

Top are the East and West Buildings of the National Gallery of Art where we saw The Chester Dale Collection of late nineteenth and early twentieth century French Art. We also saw the work of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, a fourteenth century artist who produced portraits composed of heads made from plants and animals. Another exhibit was the work of Edvard Munch of The Scream fame. Bottom left is the National Portrait Gallery that had a Norman Rockwell exhibit and the permanent America's Presidents gallery. Bottom right is the Newseum with the First Amendment on a 74- foot tall tablet at the entrance. The museum is dedicated to the importance of the media to make sure the First Amendment is adhered to by the government. This was the only place we visited that charged admission, but we loved it so much we had to go back the next day to finish our tour.

A few of the exhibits at the Newseum which includes a 9/11 Gallery, Berlin Wall Gallery, Journalist Memorial, News Chopper, Pulitzer Prize Photos, Covering Katrina and an old printing press with the Declaration of Independence. There is also an Ethics Center, Interactive Newsroom, TV Studios (where ABC's This Week is aired), World Press, the Five Freedoms and News History. There are exhibits of famous journalists and I loved the quote of Tim Russert, "I don't believe you can make tough decisions if you can't answer tough questions." Some of these people who are worried about "gotcha" questions should take this into consideration. Exhibits covered everything from newspapers to TV to the newest Internet and blogger media.

Some of the art from the museums we visited.

This is just a small glimpse of the things we saw in city's museums. More to follow in the next entry. Below is a video of a visual arts project that is part of the walkway in the National Gallery.

Historic Little Washington

We often meet people on the road who know where Washington is located because it is right at the intersection of I-70 & I-79. Once in a while when we tell people where we are from the say, oh, Little Washington and then we know they are familiar with the area. That "little" is so Washington, PA is not confused with Washington DC. While it may not be as important as "big" Washington, there are many historical things in the area that are worth a visit. The town and county have places of interest that date back thousands of years. When we were here a couple years ago I did a blog entry about the Meadowcroft Rockshelter, the oldest site of human inhabitants in North America. I also did a blog on the nearby Pennsylvania Trolley Museum that has a great collection of old trolley cars. 2010 was the bicentennial for the city and here are a few more places that would be worth a visit if you are passing through the area.

This 1788 house was the home of David Bradford, a leader of the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion. The rebellion was a protest by local farmers against a tax on whiskey that was easier to transport across the Allegheny Mountains to the markets on the East coast than the corn they grew. This was the first test of the power of the new government to collect taxes. The statue by local artist Alan Cottrill depicts the rebels who attacked federal officials in response to the tax. The house and statue are on South Main Street.

Another important building is the 1812 home of Dr. John Lemoyne (right) whose son Francis was a famous abolitionist and the builder of the first crematory in the US (left). Since Washington was very close to Virginia before West Virginia was formed during the Civil War this home was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. The home is on Maiden Street, Route 40, and the crematory is at the top of the hill on South Main Street.
Three miles west of the city is the "S" Bridge that was part of the original National Road, today's Route 40. Also known as the Cumberland Road, it was the first federal highway project. Construction began in 1805 in Cumberland, Maryland and reached Wheeling, Virginia by 1818. The white sign posts with the mileage to local and distant towns are found all along the road. It never did make it to Jefferson City, Missouri as planned because money ran out by the time it reached Vandalia, Illinois. This structure is one of several original stone bridges you will see if you get off the Interstate and travel beautiful and historic Route 40.

This is Old Main, an 1834 building on the campus of Washington and Jefferson College. The school dates back to 1787 and is the oldest college west of the Allegheny Mountains.

This is a statue of Perry Como who was a barber in nearby Canonsburg before he hit the big time. Canonsburg is also the home of Bobby Vinton and the Four Coins.

Another interesting stop is the Breezy Heights Tavern in West Middletown. This restaurant is in a building that is right out of the 1930's Big Bands era. The dining room was the old dance floor and this menagerie of wild animals fills the stage. This is a great little place to eat and enjoy the ballroom that, except for the animals, is still decorated as it was in the 30's.

We had another great lunch with the retirees and helped the September birthday people celebrate. That is one happy crew (Tom, Sandy, John, Lena & Paul) waiting to cut into that cake. This group knows how to enjoy retirement as they get together once a week to share food and fun and never talk about school.

On our last night in WashPA we went to the Back Porch in Speers to celebrate Tom's birthday. This is a great restaurant that is in one of the oldest buildings in Western Pennsylvania. If you go there ask for a table in the Side Door the little bistro in the basement.

We have had a great time catching up with friends and family here, but as October approaches it is time to start heading south to warmer weather. We were planning to depart for Washington, DC this morning, but we decided to wait one more day to miss the heavy rain they are having east of the Allegheny Mountains. After DC we are going to spend a month on the Outer Banks in Avon, NC and then head to Florida for a couple of months.

Along the Road

Here are a couple of things we saw along the road while traveling to and from the Escapade in Goshen. We stopped at Longaberger Baskets near Dresden, Ohio so Nanc could purchase some basket accessories. I call this place "basket hell" because if you want to go to hell in a hand basket you can find that basket right here. We were last here ten years ago and, like many other places around the country, you can tell the poor economy is having a negative effect on business. Even on a Saturday morning there were only about five buses in a parking lot built to hold forty. That was good as it left plenty of room to park the rig.

Even the Longaberger headquarters building in Newark, Ohio is a basket.

Nanc among the fall decor in a basket that is big enough to go to hell in:)
This is a jig that is used to make a basket. They have a program where you can make your own Basket. Nanc did that on our last visit.

A LARGE apple basket at the Longaberger Homestead. The world's largest basket is in downtown Dresden, but I was all shopped out at that point and stayed in the rig while Nanc perused the shops.

This is a 1982 Checker we saw fueling up at the Flying J. 1982 was the last year they were manufactured. The owner told us the company let everyone who owned a Checker know they were going out of business and if they wanted one, it would be their last chance to order a new one. While most Checkers were used as taxis, this one was privately own and was never a cab. I was surprised to hear it ran on propane.

50th Escapade

We drove to Goshen Indiana for the 50th Escapade, a large RV rally that is geared to fulltimers, and is put on by the Escapees RV Club. This is our third Escapade and they do become more about seeing friends and less about going to seminars, though we did attend a few informative sessions. Of the RVing groups we belong to we have gotten the most service from Escapees, starting with Boot Camp in 2007 our first year on the road. We have also stayed in several of their RV parks in the south and out west.

We parked by our good friends Richard & Valerie Frayer whom we have met up with several times on the road after first meeting them at RV Boot Camp here in Goshen in 2007. A couple of weeks ago we received an email from their daughter Marissa, who lives in Sweden, asking us if we would be part of an international conspiracy to deliver gifts from their three girls for their 40th anniversary. Of course we jumped at the chance to be part of this surprise and had two packages delivered to us at the rally. One gift was a fruit basket and the other was a very heavy bucket of gems that were buried in sand so they had to do a little prospecting to find the rocks. They were like a couple of kids as they searched for the precious gems. We are looking forward to seeing how Val will use them in the beautiful jewelery she makes.
The opening ceremony of the Escapade. Nearly 1600 were in attendance. These events give us a chance to catch up with our RVing friends. We saw Mike & Loretta, Jeff & Pat, Lanny & Lois and others whom we have met along the way. It is a great little community of like minded people who understand the lifestyle and don't think we are crazy for living in a house on wheels.

We had a happy hour potluck with members of the class of 07. Here is Nanc, Richard, Melissa & Larry Beahm, Dave & Kathy (hidden) Bennett, Marty and Valerie. We have met all of these people on the road at other stops. Melissa & Larry are entertainers who travel the country putting on shows at RV rallies and parks as the group One More Time. Sorry I did not get a pic of Bob & Mollie Pinner, 07 mates who will be the coordinators for next year's Escapade in Gillette, Wyoming.

One thing that makes the Escapade work is people volunteering. At the last Escapade we did morning coffee and this year we worked security at the gate making sure only registered participants came into the fairgrounds. Volunteering also lets us meet more people.

Aerial pic of the 800 rigs at the rally. Ours is the one with the white roof. Actually we are the first rig in the second row in the infield of the track. That is me waving.

We did attend a few seminars including a very informative session on purchasing a kayak. Nanc loved the fit of this one. We did sessions on RV renovation, electric systems, digital cameras and traveling to Alaska. We also spent some money on a few things we needed to fix and update. The Escapade is always a great fun time to meet friends and learn more about everything RVing.

Family, Friends, Food and Fun

No, we have not fallen off the edge of the Earth. We have been in WashPA for two weeks and most of the stay has been filled with meeting and eating with friends and family. Most of our doctors' appointments were taken care of in the spring so this visit was all about family, friends, food and fun. We supported many of our favorite local restaurants and generally just relaxed.

Our first night back we had dinner with Rick & Denise and Marlene & John Antonetti. Marlene and John both celebrated birthdays in August and after a great meal we went to Rick's & Denise's for cake and ice cream. John did not want anyone to know it was his &)th birthday but I could not resist.
The Western PA weather was perfect for convertibles and Jack & Marylou took advantage and visited us to show off this great classic Mustang.

We also did a couple of the retired teachers luncheons. This one was extra special as it was our old working colleagues first day back in the classroom.

WOW, another convertible! Diane picked up Nanc for a "girl's" day out cruising around in this beauty.

This is Dave Hammond's Steeler room. The Black & Gold decor is really popular here.

GO STEELERS!!!

On Labor Day we had a picnic at Tim's & Di's with many friends.

Bottom left; Mike & Judy Campsey, Tom Ridge, and Jim.

Center; Doc

Bottom right; Sherri Sharp and Diane Jones, dressed as twins.

Top left; Tim Jones the grill master.

Top right; Jack Underwood, Georgie Goff-Ridge, Nanc, Gail Ciallelli and Marylou Underwood.

It was a grand time with much food. Some of us enjoyed a dip in their pool. Mike & Judy shared there pictures and stories about their summer trip to Alaska. Seeing and hearing about it really makes it a must do for us.