November 10th, 2009
While we were standing on the Virginia shores, Lucy was swimming peacefully on the Potomac River, unaware she had just crossed state lines into Maryland. Don’t worry, she was only a stone’s throw away from us. That’s the strange history behind Virginia’s border with Maryland. (Some more historical information if you’re interested.) Basically, Maryland owns the Potomac River and the boundary between the two states runs right along the Virginia shoreline (technically, the low water mark of the river).
We came across a boundary marker nearby. (We were at Jones Point, near Old Town, Alexandria.) The first photo below shows the marker with the Potomac River in the background. The second photo zooms in on the face of the marker, showing an arrow pointing towards the river, stating the Virginia-Maryland boundary is 42 feet away, which puts it right at the shoreline.
Doesn’t seem fair, does it? Hey Maryland, we want our river back!
August 28th, 2009
On my recent train trip, for the first time, I sat in the cafe car and people-watched. All kinds of folks coming and going, sitting a bit eating overpriced snacks or taking them back to their undersized seats. Having set up housekeeping next to the window in my booth, I wrapped up in a sweater, wishing I had worn socks with my holey Crocs and cradled a hot cup of coffee between my palms…mmm. Headphones pretty much render one invisible as a target for conversation, so I was safe. Ironically, the conductor seated a blind man across from me, but as it turned out, he was more interested in eating than talking. So, with CSN&Y wafting through my ear buds…Old man sittin’ by the side of the road…I looked across the way and noticed this man.
He was definitely the most interesting looking person on the train. A little out of place amongst the iPods and Izods and yes, in this economy, even the Izods are taking the train. Dressed in a cotton caftan and looking rather exotic—I didn’t intend to stereotype, but apparently did—I imagined that he might be from a foreign land and that his shawl and crocheted cap were of homespun wool. Well, I was a little disheartened to see plastic sequins sewn into his beanie, and when he spoke, he sounded as if he could have been from any one of the small towns in which the train stopped. Still, he was the most interesting looking person on the train, and it was funny to see that another crocheted cap happened to join him.
The highlight of the trip out of town, I’m afraid.
And by the way, Strangers on a Train is an excellent Hitchcock flick, although I may have lost credibility in the movie department when I pushed Spencer’s Mountain. I know, sappy.
August 17th, 2009
Just wanted to let you all know that I’ll be away for a week starting this Wednesday and will have no internet access…again. *argh* Please come by, though, and amble about if you’d like. Lucy will be here and some photos will be posted (no surprise there) and there’s the new playlist featuring some Woodstock tunes. Comment away, if you’d like…I love your comments, and I’ll get back to you when I return, if not before.
However…I have a brief respite, so I will ninja-blog and post a stupid pic of myself while biding my time.
May 8th, 2009
Just one of my peeves that I jotted down while on the train the other day. To be fair, I’m known to yak too loudly every now and then, but, W tactfully quiets me. So from Wednesday…
It’s 3:30 p.m. and we’ve just stopped in Staunton, Virginia, a few hours southwest of D.C.—pronounced Stanton by southerners and some others. We’re moving slowly through Virginia farmland and it’s raining out there. And everything is green, really green. Very peaceful. But I’ve had to go under the cover of headphones, cranking up Jefferson Airplane, trying to drown out the constant chatter of the two in front of me. Boarding in Charlottesville, I suspect they’re UVA students. Wah-hoo-wah. Anyway, his voice is too loud and is distracting. I think he’s disturbing others around him, as well, as they’re staring at him, and it’s not interesting stuff.
The song, My Best Friend (an excellent song, I have to add…a little reminiscent of The Byrds), is over and the music has stopped, but my headphones are still on and I can still hear him…a sky that turns red scares him… his seat partner speaks more softly but she supplies audible heh-heh’s to almost everything he says. He says he has a fear of heights…she says she doesn’t. Oh no, now I can hear her. The music resumes…Blues From An Airplane.
I think Grace and Company can keep me sane until he falls asleep…that is, if he falls asleep.
Oh, and she’s a hummer.
April 2nd, 2009
I originally started this post with only the photo in mind, for obvious reasons! The bright splash of springtime green in otherwise bleak surroundings…
Why? What were you thinking?
Anyway, I quickly realized that this was a good opportunity to push another kind of green. Seeing how spring has sprung and tourists are descending on the District of Columbia, like nobody’s business, I thought it would be a good idea to let them in on one of the coolest ways to get around the city. Not only will they be saving the air and fossil fuels, but their journey around the city truly will be the reward.
I can tell you from experience that it’s no fun trying to get around Washington, D.C., much less during the tourist season. Between trying to get from point A to point B and finding a parking space in the same zip code, it can be a nightmare. But there’s an excellent solution for all you sightseers, as well as locals. National Pedicabs, shown here, takes advantage of a similar mode of transportation that has been popular in other countries for years. National Pedicabs claims that their pedal-powered cabs are quicker than walking, more earth-friendly than other forms of public transportation and a lot more fun for customers. And the neatest thing, is that National Pedicabs doesn’t use set rates, but uses a “pay as you please” system—you pay what you feel your ride is worth! This is stated on their website, but you should probably call to confirm that this policy is still in place. So, if you’re planning a visit, check them out. There’s no downside!
Did I mention that this is another one of my drive-by photo ops? From a complete stop at a red light, of course…
January 15th, 2009
If you’d like a little background on what’s going on here, see the original road trip post. Otherwise, just enjoy the photos!
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO
This was the view from our hotel room. As you can see, the rising sun’s reflection off of the arch was very nice…blinding, but nice…wake up! That’s a piece of the Historic Old Courthouse in the lower left-hand corner…
This is the view looking up from the base of the arch. Amazing and dizzying… Do you see the faintly darker line along both sides of the narrowest part of the arch (click to enlarge)? These are the windows for viewing, from the inside, of course…heh…
Okay, we’re now inside the arch, at its base. The doors on the right side of the staircase are to compartments that seat five. There are eight compartments each on both the north and south trams that run up and down both sides of the arch. This area is actually located underneath the arch along with the Museum of Westward Expansion. It’s a whole other world down there!…
I don’t remember exactly, but it seems that there was a problem on the return trip and we had to walk down a short distance. I could be wrong. W didn’t remember any problems but I can’t imagine that this is the usual way to disembark! This gives you a glimpse of how the inside of the arch looks, minus the two guys, of course…
This is the view looking down from the arch toward the east and the city of St. Louis (is that trash lying on the lawn?) awful…
This is the view looking down from the arch toward the west and the Gateway Arch Riverfront on the Mississippi River…
This is a view of the Historic Old Courthouse and the city of St. Louis…
Here’s another view of the city showing the Historic Old Courthouse and the old Busch Memorial Stadium. To the stadium’s right is the new stadium that was in the works and was finished in 2006. Our hotel was located to the right of the old one…
This is the view looking west at the Mississippi River and the earthscape…
Another view of the Mississippi River and another earthscape…
This was part of the pre-game festivities for the Cardinals-Astros baseball game…
This was taken pre-game outside Busch Memorial Stadium, October 19, 2005. On this night the Cardinals lost in the NLCS to the Houston Astros 4-2. It was the last game played in the old stadium. No, we didn’t go to the game although we did try to find tickets…anyway, W’s a Yankees fan and me? I just loved all the lights and hubbub—had no idea what was going on baseball-wise…
This is the view from our hotel room of the Historic Old Courthouse at night…
The arch at sunset…
The arch at night. We had a hard time getting a good night shot. Actually, we never did get a good night shot!…
This is the view of the arch, I believe, through an alley in the Laclede’s District of St. Louis…
October 18, 2005
So, we left eastern Kentucky around noon on October 18 and for six and a half hours drove straight on I-64 through Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, and the southern tips of both Indiana and Illinois. We arrived at the Pavilion Hotel on South Broadway in St. Louis, that is located along the Illinois-Missouri border.
Since we planned to visit only the most popular sites during our five weeks on the road and would be in St. Louis for only a few nights, sightseeing was restricted to the Gateway Arch and surrounding area. We missed out on alot of sightseeing in the city, but we did spend a lot of time in the Museum of Westward Expansion that was educational and interesting.
W and I aren’t sticklers where time is concerned, so our method of booking reservations may not be for everyone. Realizing that even the cheesiest motel could cost $50 or more, we chose to book reservations on the fly, usually only a day or two ahead. Depending on how long we planned on staying in each city, at night we would troll Priceline on the laptop for accommodations at our next stop. This worked well and on average we probably paid around $40 per night, a lot of times for three-star hotels. If you’re not familiar with Priceline but like to save money, check them out. It’s definitely worth it!
If you are planning this sort of trip and intend to see a lot of national parks, you might want to purchase a national parks pass. The pass is good for a year from the time of purchase and will save you a lot of money. There’s a link below.
These restaurants were within walking distance of the arch:
Caleco’s: unmemorable pizza…it’s been awhile, so the food could have improved since then
Hannigan’s Restaurant and Pub: good sandwiches and brew…located at Laclede’s Landing, a popular nightspot
Charlie Gitto’s: excellent pasta dishes…I know it was only lasagna, but it was memorable!
Other interesting links:
The National Park Service
Gateway Arch
Gateway Arch Fact Sheet
National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass
St. Louis nightlife
Next stop…Kansas, uh, actually Denver, Colorado…
October 15th, 2008
The following is the first in a series of posts that highlights our five-week road trip across the U.S.
It was exactly three years ago today that W and I embarked on a five-week cross-country road trip. Although we had casually discussed this sort of vacation for years, it took some major happenings in our lives to make us ”just do it.”
First was the passing of our beloved golden retriever, Emma, in June of that year. This influenced our decision not because we could now travel more freely, but because we were so crushed by her loss that we hoped the journey would be a welcome distraction, something to lessen our sadness. Since I was laid off from work six months prior to Emma’s passing and had not yet returned to work and W was between jobs, we decided to give it a go and get on the road by autumn—we would venture from Northern Virginia to the California coast in our 1997 Toyota 4Runner that had already logged close to 161,000 miles. Yikes.
For the remainder of the summer I poured over maps and trolled the internet for interesting routes, must-see landmarks and popular restaurants. I started gathering everything I could think of that we might possibly need—water, flashlight, batteries, first-aid kit, paper towels and a lot of other stuff that came back home, untouched (rule #1: don’t overpack). We made arrangements with a friend to come by and water plants, pick up mail and make sure that all was well. Lastly, with crossed fingers we made a trip to the mechanic who told us that our SUV should make the trip fine. As we could not bear to leave Emma home alone while we began a journey that she would have loved, we placed the beautiful wooden box that held her ashes in a cotton pouch and packed her with our things. Crazy dog owners? Maybe, but that’s how we are. On October 15 we set off from Northern Virginia.
Although my notes on the trip are sparse and our plans kind of haphazard, we did get some photos, and I can still offer a glimpse of what it’s like to drive cross-country. So buckle up!
October 15, 2005
We didn’t consider this the “official” start of our trip, as we visit my family in eastern Kentucky often. The drive from Virginia is about 8 hours, so we decided to spend a few days there then continue west toward St. Louis. Though I didn’t document the time with family, I have posted photos of my mom’s horse, Lady, and beautiful Emma.
Next stop, St. Louis, Missouri…
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