These Last Weeks of Summer

Travel was sporadic this summer.  Some of that was attributable to heavy travel this spring, some to conflicting schedules with friends, some to an awesome lineup of summer concert and some because of plain financing. I still have not found that money tree.  Honestly, I needed a break after the hectic spring and big trips to Mexico, Nevada and California. 
Things are about to change...




Path of Totality

A year ago, we started talking about the upcoming solar eclipse.  And a year ago I started looking at options.  This was no time to dilly-dally.  Rooms a year in advance in Wyoming were sold out in the path of totality.  After trying everything in Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon, we decided to head to Music City - Nashville.  I have not been in over 10 years and John has never visited.  We jumped on a great room rate at the Sheraton 4 Points and decided to make it a mini-trip.

Well, the eclipse is less than 2 weeks away.  We have a huge road trip planned.  My trip schedule is packed with things I missed my first time to the city, and can't miss things for John.  We booked a ghost pub tour, a dinner cruise on the river, and plan to visit the area national park site, Stone River,  for the big event.  We will hop on and off the trolley to hit big city sites, and drive around to see The Hermitage, Belle Meade and the zoo.  I am super excited to visit the Parthenon again - I swear one day I will see the original in Greece. A few tours of caught my eye at historic homes, museums and historic music halls; I am hoping to catch the screen printing tour at the Ryman.  After the eclipse at the park, if we can hit the road quickly, I think we can squeeze in a tour at Jim Beam after the eclipse in Lynchburg since Stone River National Battlefield is already a half hour south of the city.  It will be a busy three days... and then I have to rush back because I have tickets to another concert the evening after the event.... no, I never do things simply.

Before I get too ahead of myself, we have to make it through this upcoming weekend.  We have some fun planned in Hershey Pennsylvania.  We are going bang our heads to Guns & Roses (hopefully Axel shows up).  Of course the weather is predicted to be nasty - sever storms!   That always makes an outdoor concert fun!  We are playing the amusement park by ear.  I haven't been inside the park since I was in junior high; I have fond memories of riding rollercoasters and the Rotor (a great spinning machine that suck you to the walls).  I hope we can get some quality time in the park and reclaim some of our youth.

I have several more trips in the works ... this is just August after all.  I have plenty of time to talk about my trip plans for the fall and winter! I don't want to get ahead of myself and not enjoy the moment.

 

 

History, High School and Victorian Bathhouses



On the hiking trail in
Hot Springs National Park

Did you know that this year marked the centennial of the National Park Service?  Do you know how many national parks there are?[i]  How about total elements in the Park Service?[ii]  I do, and I am on a mission.  If you have read any of my musings, you know that I LOVE getting outside and enjoying these bits of natural treasure.  I wanted to make sure I celebrated the Park’s Birthday by visiting a few new places… I wanted to up my park number a bit.    At the same time, my boyfriend wanted to join me on one of my park visits.  He was new to this type of trip-quest.  He wanted to see what I saw and enjoy the beauty and the history, yet he is not a hiker.  (Heck, I have not got out enough the last few years).  So looking over the list of parks, I decided the perfect spot was Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. 

I have been to Arkansas only one time before, and it was a side trip off a trip in Texas.  On that Arkansas visit, I focused on the southwest quadrant of the state – visiting Hope (Clinton’s birthplace) and the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro.   I wasn’t that far from Hot Springs the first time, but I just ran out of time.   That heat while in the park, in June, was awful and wiped me out.  But I also was gobsmacked, Arkansas was beautiful.  It was nothing like I pictured in my head as a flat dead brown land– instead I saw beautiful waterways, rolling hills and plenty of green.  So a special trip to Hot Springs in late autumn sounded like a good plan.



To get there, we flew to into Little Rock.  For a three day trip, I planned to spend 1 full day in the capital city and a day and a half in the resort town.  We had a plan, and we needed one if we were going to fit all of it in.  I fully admit that I have in intense pace when I am power touring, and that is not for everyone.  I have gone easy on prior trips with my partner, but he was warned that we had a mission.  So, from the moment we stepped off the plane until the moment we got back to the airport, we were cooking.  It was funny (for me).  I think he is still tired from the experience!

Walls of plates at the Flying Saucer

Our first stop, once we got off the plane, was the Flying Saucer for a late meal and relaxation.  This place came highly recommended from some plane seat neighbors, who told me it was an eclectic “must- see” locale that was casual, open late and in a great area of the city that we could not miss.  So, we headed straight to the UFO pub for some grub.  Immediately upon entering, you notice that the walls are lined with plates – those cheesy decorative plates.  And they are from all over the place.  We were seated in front of a HUGE big screen television showing the game, and I could not stop scanning the walls looking at all the places the plates illustrated.   Mixed in, and on the ceiling, were color ringed plates with names – and this was where their “wall of fame” was enshrined.  The Flying Saucer is known in Little Rock for its beer list - Over 200 kinds.  And if you register, and finish the list (NOT in one setting, but many), you are immortalized on a plate.  So, as we chowed down on loaded tots and an arugula and prosciutto pizza, I read crazy plate sayings.  This place is a trip.  And it has spunk – it was that perfect casual meal in a place with character. 

Junction Bridge

After food and drinks, we headed to the waterfront to walk over Junction Bridge, mosey down some pathways and settle our food.  We were lucky it was a gorgeous evening.   For once (in a blue moon) the weather cooperated with me and the sky was clear.  So we were able to walk across the river to take in our first real views on downtown Little Rock.   Thanks to historical preservationists and green space planners, efforts to keep bridges over the River standing and make them pedestrian accessible, have been a huge hit. This area was one spot everyone told us to visit when hearing about our weekend adventure in Arkansas.  The three bridges over the Arkansas River are one of the most iconic views in the city.  Postcards are littered with these views...Especially at night when their colors play on the waters.  Wandering the pathways to look at the sculpture art by the river was another story.  We did not see much outside of the pavilion and one of the main things I left on the table in Little Rock was finding the “Little Rock” that the city was named for… it was down that path somewhere. 

Little Rock Skyline
from the Clinton Library

The next day began our power tour of Little Rock.  We needed clockwork precision to make this all work.  I wanted to fit in 3 museums, a park, a distillery and a damn bridge before we headed to Hot Springs that evening.  I am a bit ambitious, I admit. 

Art Deco in abundance at
Little Rock Central

To meet our goals, we made sure we were at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site the moment it opened.  You can’t come to Little Rock without seeing this bit of civil rights history.  We arrived before it opened and I was able to beg our way into the first tour of the day. (Note for future visitors, make a reservation)  The fantastic ranger walked us through the history of the Little Rock Nine – beyond anything we learned in our few paragraphs in a school text book.  Sitting in the visitor center, we spoke as a group discussing the doctrine of “separate but equal” and what it meant here; uncovering nasty truths of

This HS remains state of the art

how city and state leaders conspired to ensure that students would not integrate even after the Brown vs Board of Education ruling (ruling that separate was not equal), and then hearing the accounts of everything these children and their families endured just so they could attend the best public high school in the city.  Did you know that city leaders actually shut school down for a year?  No, neither did I.  They fail to mention that in the textbooks.  And just when you thought the city had reached a low, we walked through the Little Rock 10 (yep, it started as 10)’s walk to school.  The experience was enough to make you cry, feel disgusted  and be fighting mad at the same time.  You can’t visit this place without being inspired by the bravery of these students.  I am in awe – pure awe.  It touched me deeply. 

We Swear We Had That Trip Planned BEFORE The Election

Best Friends on an Adventure

My best friend and I planned a trip to Canada for her birthday.  She lives outside of Seattle, and after several visits to see her, we explored Seattle to death.  So, we ventured to Olympic National Park one year.  Last December we visited Vancouver Canada.  This year, the plan was Victoria, the capital of British Columbia.  When we planned it, we did not consciously make the decision to plan around the election, nor did we know how it was going to turn out... so imagine 2 vocal Hillary supporters now headed to Canada the weekend after the election.  It was comical.  It was sad.  And it was a good break for the craziness going on at home.




Honestly, I did not know much about Victoria before this trip.  I did not know it was the capital of British Columbia.  I did not know that it was heavily British influenced.  And I did not know that it was so small.  I was able to guess about its greenery and weather from our trip to Vancouver.  Locals swear it does not rain as much there as it does in Vancouver, but the weather report said it would be dreary.  We were also told to plan for a fancy city, that with its European influence, that we had to dress the part.  So, packing for this trip was a nightmare.  We looked like we were moving in!






My bestie did all of the planning this time around.  I can't tell you how amazing that felt - normally I am the planner. But she looked into everything and made all the arrangements.  I got to relax for the ride and just enjoy.  She is not just a planner but a serious regional blogger.  She runs a successful site - WhatsUpNW.com - that highlights things to do and see in the Pacific Northwest.  And with this, her first trip to Victoria, she reached out her feelers and got us incredible access to some fun things to do.  So, heading in, we had arrangements for museums and food.  Our whole trip will be reviewed on that site, in detail... seriously, check it out! 

Olympic Mountains from the
Straits of Juan de Luca



Harbor and Parliament



So our trip began with a 2 hour road trip to the land of Twilight fame - Port Angeles.  How can anyone plugged into pop culture not think of that series when in that region, yet alone a place that plays a specific part in the lore... so, I warned my friend to watch out for sparkly vampires and giant werewolves as we drove along the edges of Olympic National Park to get to our ferry.  Alas, the sun was never out to test strangers with a sparkle view, but we did pass several locations for the local Native American reservation along the way. [I should make a note that I am not a huge fan of this series but while on a road trip, stuck in bridge traffic, it passes the time.]   The town itself is a gateway area - filled with souvenir shops, restaurants, pubs, motels and other necessities around a ferry line and outside a park.  We didn't have much time to wander, but we found a quaint place for something warm to drink, and to buy another warm hat (it was freezing that day).  Once on the boat, it was smooth sailing on the Straits of Juan de Luca to Victoria.  The light drizzle and low hanging clouds made from some gorgeous scenery as we pulled away from the States. 

Fountain in front of Parliament

Once we docked in Victoria, our AirBNB host picked us up, drove us to her condo while giving us a quick overview of the city streets.  We stayed on the fringe of OldTown/Downtown in an adorable condo, that was perfect for our weekend. It allowed us to dump our bags and hit the streets.  We headed directly to the iconic harbor (yes, where we just came from). 



Veterans' Memorial



The City lights up the waterfront so that it looks like something out of a Disney Park.  It is simply stunning and obviously the heart of downtown.  The main tourist street - Government Street branches off from the harbor; harbor cruises and whale watching tours dock there, the major city sites are within a few blocks.  It is a hub.  And like a moth to a flame, we headed right to it, to stare at the pretty lights all around the area and explore the grounds.  We found Veteran's Memorial surrounded by flowers for Remembrance Day - both of us saps, we teared up at the beautiful words on the plaque  "To Our Glorious Dead - "They died the noblest death a man may die, fighting for god, and right and liberty, and such a death is immortality" listing the World Wars, Korea, and Afghanistan.  We took pictures by the Native Canadian totem pole and worked our way through the crowd staring into the lit fountain.  The whole area was packed with people trying to get that postcard worthy shot of iconic Victoria. 

Canada's First Capital - Kinsgton

After our quick tour of Ottawa, the Canadian Capital, we headed to Kingston, the first Capital of Canada (named so in 1841).  It's a small, quaint city on the water, and the water remains important to the city's identity - it is the gateway to 1000 Isles National Park.

One of the first things you notice about Kingston once you get into its heart is that City Hall looks like a state house.  There is good reason for that. Due to a fire that burnt the city to the ground in the mid-1800's, city leaders called for the city to be reconstructed using non-flammable materials - namely, limestone.  City Hall's design was a large completion for a stately look.  Canada moved it's capital to Ottawa before the new building could ever be used as the state house (until the fire on Parliament Hill resulted in a temporary move back to Kingston). 

Today, City Hall is one of finest 19th century buildings in Canada and a nationally designated heritage site. Kingston, itself, is nicknamed "Limestone City" since the rebuild resulted in a central business district filled with grand heritage limestone architecture. 

There were plenty of grand buildings to take in since Kingston is also named the Education City; home to 3 major universities, including the first diploma granting University, Queens University and the Royal Military College.  We took several loops around town in the Hop On/Hop Off trolley, as we toured, giving us good looks at the schools, the city and its notable architecture.  We even got off at Queens to tour the Geology Museum and its impressive collection of minerals located in the halls of one of the campus buildings, and the student art museum.  I think I drove my friend crazy talking about the connection between my alma mater and this school, but I just could not help it... Rutgers University was originally Queens College, and was one of the first colleges in the colonies.  It is older than the country itself.  And here we were, walking around Queens University, that boosted a similar story of being founded before Canada itself.  I did leave with one question about the campus though... what did the clocktower's clock have no hands?  No one could tell us! 

On our tour of Kingston, we stopped by Bellevue House, National Historic Site, the home of Canada's first Prime Minister (and Kingston's famous son) Sir John Alexander MacDonald.  Here we watched a historical introduction and then were granted access to the visitor center, the gardens and the home.  We learned that Sir John moved here thinking the air would be good for his very sick wife, whom on many occasions could not gather energy to leave her bed on the first floor (she had consumption). And then we learned that they had had children in the home.  Hmmmm.... that raised our brows.  We had more fun with the costumed guides were scattered throughout all shaking their butter containers - apparently that is easier then churning it and it only takes several thousand rattles of cream to whip it into a spread... these girls were sure to have amazing shoulders and bi/triceps at the end of the summer.  They let us try some home whipped butter on a cracker in the kitchen. Yum.  Thanks ladies.  And if that was not old school enough, we tried our hands at hand dipping candles in the basement.  I have not tested this skill  since I visited Waterloo Village in NJ, and I must be rusty because our candles came out looking phallic and pathetic.  This was a time consuming procedure - dip in wax and then then in water using twine.  I don't remember that in Waterloo... maybe NJ knew a trick. We left the dipping to the kids and continued on our Kingston tour.

Easily the highlight of the trip to Kingston was the sunset boat tour through 1000 Islands National Park.  This was an incredibly fun and beautiful evening with my friend as we wined and dined aboard this vessel sailing up the Lawrence river from it's mouth in Lake Ontario.  The food was a pleasant surprise - they make it on the boat.  I was ready for rubbery steak and chicken, but we were instead greeted with a menu of choices including seafood, pork, steak, chicken and a veggie dish.  And because we know how to maximize our experiences - we ordered 2 different meals and shared tastes.   Likewise with the desserts... that carrot cake cheesecake needed to be tested afterall!

The boat ride included entertainment, as in a crazy musician that "morphed" into any artist he needed to be.  Armed with outfits, wigs and dolls, he kept us laughing.  And because I don't shy away from zaniness, he picked on me, as the only one on the boat from the United States.  It had become a theme of "what is up with Trump"... and you have to laugh because there is no other way around it.  The night only grew more grand as golden hour hit and we were treated to stunning views inside and outside the boat.  The crew gave us time between courses to top side and soak it all in.  My friend and I marveled at the homes built on the tiny islands; the only way in and out would be a boat.  Now, my non-Canadian butt might enjoy this in the summer months, but I know what happens a few months from now... it gets COLD.  And not just DC cold... nope, Canadian cold.  And living on the water, in a home, surrounded by ice just does not sound that amazing.  So, sure, you could make that a summer retreat... where you have to travel by boat to get to your home island... but me, I like the looks of the area without the homes.  Just the small islands dotting the landscape.  To limit the numbers of homes taking over the islands not protected by park status (only 40:1750), there are requirements for the island - including at least one tree.  So, a tree needs to live on it so you can cut it down to build a home?  I didn't get it... but I did appreciate the scenery.  And if you have Canadian anti-freeze in your blood, it makes plenty of sense to want to live there.  It was beautiful!

Before we left the beauty of Kingston, we did one more round on the trolley and headed past the Royal Military College to Fort Henry National Historic Site.  Here we got to experience 1860's British military life at the fort and take in the sweeping views of the city.  Our tour guide walked us through the structure, showcases the dichotomy between officers and the enlisted lower ranks.  From dining experiences, to housing, family accommodations to responsibilities, these guides, in full dress and in character talked of life at the fort.  While it was never used in battle, it was fully operational.  They needed to protect themselves from those pesky colonists to the south.  In fact, I heard a lot about the war of 1812, and how they beat back the invaders... I learned more Canadian history in my one week trip through its capital cities then I ever have before.  It was educational.  It was beautiful.  AND I am going to do it again.  It's a big country and someone has to see it!

 

 

 

 

 

Touring Southern Ontario - Ottawa

Mid-July I finally made the trip to the Canadian Capital - Ottawa.  Really, this trip was one of the first stops on my new travel goal - to see Canada.  Until recently, I have not seen much of our neighbor to the north.  Until last year, I had really only seen the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and visited Reversing Falls in St John.  Mom swears I was in Montreal as baby, but we don't have pictures of that, so my trip last year is all I have as memories.  And then, last winter my best friend and I did an incredibly wet and fun trip to Vancouver.  So, this trip through South Ontario was going to be the longest stretch of time I had ever spent in Canada. 

The trip began rough, with the most inexcusable mess my United that I have seen in many years.  From DC, it would take me about 9 to 9 1/2 hours to drive to Ottawa... well, flying made the trip an exhausting 11 1/2 hours.  No, you did not read that wrong.  It took longer to fly.  We were delayed.  We sat on the tarmac.  We ran out of fuel on the tarmac.  We boarded just to sit.  It was "fun".  My the time I finally made it to Ottawa, I had missed a whole day of touring.  Why do I bother to book the first flights of the morning anymore? It doesn't make a difference.  I seriously will consider driving next time.

Oh Canada

By the time I was picked up at the airport it was dinner time.  My Blockhead Canadian friend picked me up and we headed into the city, checked in for the night and headed to dinner on Sparks Street.  It's worth noting that Sparks Street in Ottawa is not in recognition of Nicholas Sparks the romance author, but for Nicholas Sparks - one of the City Fathers of Ottawa who cut a path through the woods that would eventually become Sparks Street.  That makes more sense.  




After a casual meal at a pub, we headed to the first "ohh/ahh" moment of the trip when the rain stopped for Ottawa's Lights program.  Projected on Parliament Hill,

Canadian History 101 was presented live in technicolor.  Transitions between story segments lit the building up like something out of Disney's "Small World."  It was grand.  And the crowd was filled with Canadian pride.  So at the conclusion, when the large crowd sang "Oh Canada" to the Hill lit up like the flag, all I could sing was the first line.  For the life of me, I can't remember the lines... I must learn a few of them if I am going to keep visiting.

Eternal Flame

The following day, we squeezed

a few key sites on my "must see list" in before the storms were to (again) hit.  We walked through the Parliament Hill complex looking at the accessible statues (construction had taken over - something a DC person understands well).  We did not have enough time to tour the Peace Tower or the legislative building, but I know what is on my list for the return.  Instead, we soaked up the sun, the views and compared the roofs - shined cooper vs oxidized cooper.  (We both agreed that the green looked much better).  We were excited to quickly find the famed statue of the Famous Five - Bronze statues of the Famous Five (women) wonderfully titled Women are Persons!  The night before, I was curious about our hotel room with a photo of a tea cup; my crack-detective friend quickly uncovered its origin in this statue, which happened to be on my list anyway.  Of course we were going to find it... and it didn't take long, just look for the crowds.  Not only is this formation the most famous on the grounds, but with so much of the area closed for construction, the traffic through the Five was constant - they are indeed a popular stop.  (Pictured on the left - a suffragist reminding everyone that Women are People)


We left the Hill and headed towards the Art Museum.  You could see it from the Hill, its glass Atrium gleaming in the Sun as you looked over the river.  So we walked... and it was a good thing we did, otherwise I would have missed our perfectly timed pass with the locks doing their thing.  And can we just say how insanely gothic and beautiful the Fairmont Chateau Laurier is?  Wow, that hotel was something else - it fit perfectly into the Parliament Hill area.  I would have just stared at details of the hotel if it were not for the action at the locks... they are manually operated.  The whole thing takes the cooperation of the boaters whom must constantly push their boats away from the walls, and the people hand cranking the gates open after each area fills up.  This is not a short process.  Do not be in a rush if you plan to take a boat through or even watch. 

Once the boats were through, we walked along the Chateau and straight towards the giant spider...  Moman is one of the most iconic sites in the city.  She stands guard over the art museum.  And its collection needs protecting because this is one grand museum.  Not only is the building beautiful, but the inside sight lines are a visual wonder.  The glass atrium give you beautiful views of the river and the Hill; it gives you a feeling of being outside while being cool in the summer (thank you!!!) and warm in the winter.  We were lucky to get there for a special exhibit on a portrait master that is too often overlooked by history due in no small part to her gender - You might recognize her for the work she did with Marie Antoinette, but you had no idea who painted it... well, in my opinion, this most notable painting was nothing compared to some of her other portraits.  She painted women in non traditional ways - in odd poses, with books, sheet music - rarely was the person just posing; the pictures told you something about them. AND to add a bit of flavor to the exhibit, they had a wardrobe where some people could try on these clothes themselves.  It was one of the most unique ways I have seen classical art become interactive!