All posts by Iwillfigureitout

I am a traveler, a writer, and a seeker of truth and beauty. Author of THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF NOT LIVING FULLY (Available on Amazon) Based in Austin, Texas

Canada, Travel

Ottawa, Ontario ~ July 16 – 19, 2014

January 30, 2015 Iwillfigureitout 2 Comments

Unlike Montreal’s busy city pace where we were compelled to keep up with the energy the city was exuding – the opposite was true for Ottawa. Ottawa’s easy pace and laid-back feel seemed to give us permission to slow down and rest. I very much welcomed this and think it is probably why Ottawa was my favorite of the three eastern Canadian cities we visited.

The duplex we rented was half of a beautiful Victorian house in the Hintonburg/Wellington Village neighborhood just west of downtown Ottawa, and a short walk to markets and loads of restaurants on Wellington Street.

It also provided us with easy access to the Ottawa River Parkway – a bicycle path that follows the southern bank of the river.

It was a quick, safe and scenic route to downtown and Parliament Hill.

Parliament Hill

Ottawa is Canada’s government center – it is the Washington, D.C. of Canada, and Parliament Hill is the city’s regal focal point.

Four gothic revival buildings, complete with gargoyles and grotesques, sit on the Ottawa River surrounded by beautiful grounds. We strolled through the grounds stopping at various statues and monuments honoring Canada’s history.

Grotesque on Central Parliament Building

We also enjoyed Parliament Hill in the evening after learning of a sound and light show that takes place nightly during summer months. We joined hundreds of others for an amazing light show.

The main parliament building seemed to come alive through projected images. It danced in sync with a mix of orchestra and techno music that was blasting out of a wall of speakers and amplifiers set up on the vast lawn. At one point the building’s windows appeared to stick out into another dimension apart from the rest of the building – then another window would pop out while the other would move back into place – and then more and more would pop in and out as if the windows were trumpet keys blowing out the beat of the music. It was magical!

The light show then went on to tell Canada’s history through large mural-like images projected onto the entire central building. Scenes included the stories of the “First Nation,” French explorers, fighting back invading Americans during the War of 1812, and Canada’s alliance with the U.S. in current conflicts. The show culminated with even larger images of Canadian icons blasting rapidly to the beat of music.

This finale was followed by an explosion of applause and Canadian pride – even from us Texans!

Three months later we would hear of the terrorist attack and shooting death of a Canadian soldier at one the monuments we had visited. We hope that the violence and fear of the lone zealot has not affected Parliament Hill, as our memories of visiting this area are of a peaceful, diverse, welcoming and safe environment. We would gladly return without hesitation.

Canadian Museum of History

The Canadian Museum of History is located just north of downtown Ottawa and across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec.

Totems in the grand hall -- note the hull-like ceiling and oars columns between the windows — Totems in the grand hall — note the hull-like ceiling and oars columns between the windows

We enjoyed their collection of Northern Pacific totems, but were most impressed by the building itself. The museum’s architecture very appropriately reflects the art and culture of Canada’s first nation people.

To simply walk around the building and its grounds is a great experience in itself. It was not surprising to find that the architect, Douglas Cardinal, is Blackfoot. He was also an architect for the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. and is a University of Texas at Austin graduate.

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica

From the history museum we walked across the Alexandra Bridge back into Ontario to explore the arts area by foot. We discovered that the gorgeous silver twin steeples that we could see from the north river bank was another Catholic basilica [see Montreal].

With our new fascination in these special Catholic churches, we just had to check it out. The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica was smaller and more humble than Montreal’s basilica, but certainly did not lack in beauty. The sanctuary had a deep blue ceiling that appeared to be sparkling with stars, and it had a more peaceful and sacred feel to it than Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica – probably due to the absence non-stop guided tours and tourists with cameras.

National Gallery of Canada

The basilica is located across the street from Canada’s National Gallery – a previously planned “must see” since we’d missed Montreal’s Museum of Fine Art. A giant spider sculpture that sits on the gallery’s grounds greeted us on our walk and conjured up comparisons to the creatures in War of the Worlds that scooped up people into holding sacs underneath their bellies.

Inside, the gallery has a wonderful collection of indigenous art, many masters and contemporary works.

Van Gogh Still Life - Bowl with Zinnias and Other Flowers — Van Gogh Still Life – Bowl with Zinnias and Other Flowers

Intricate carvings of animals in caribou antler

Rideau Canal

The Rideau Canal intersects Ottawa between downtown and Parliament Hill. It connects the Ottawa and Rideau rivers, and has been in continuous operation since 1832, making it North America’s oldest operating canal.

It was built following the War of 1812 to open an alternative supply route from Montreal, Quebec to Kingston, Ontario in case the pesky Americans decided to invade Canada again.

Each time we were in the area of the canal we couldn’t help becoming captivated with the slow process of moving boats through the hand operated locks. The 21^st century crafts were dependent upon 19^th century engineering – a very entertaining juxtaposition of time and technology.

The water levels are raised and lowered allowing passage of the boats through the hand operated locks

Sparks Street

We happened upon Sparks Street while trying to locate the source of a reverberating salsa beat after emerging from a public parking garage near Parliament Hill. Four blocks of Sparks Street are permanently closed to car traffic and lined with sidewalk cafes and boutiques.

There was literally dancing in the streets and all were invited to join in the fun! Intimidated by the salsa skills we were witnessing, we opted to just watch. L’Ange Café sat directly adjacent to the “dance floor” and allowed us to continue enjoying the music and dancing while sipping cappuccinos and sharing a crème brulee.

Shakespeare in the Park

I picked up a pamphlet promoting a local Shakespearean group, A Company of Fools, at a coffee house across the street from where we were staying. A quick Google search revealed that their next performance was on our last evening in Ottawa at a nearby park. The “fools” version of As You Like It was funny, entertaining and downright delightful.

I simply loved Ottawa. I loved its pace, its people, its culture and fun spirit! I’m hopeful to return there someday.

It's a good thing Ottawa still had phone booths since we had no cell service! — It’s a good thing Ottawa still had phone booths since we had no cell service!

Picasso - Woman in Hat with Flowers — Picasso – Woman in Hat with Flowers

Canada, Chihuly, Travel

Montreal, Quebec ~ July 13 – 16, 2014

January 27, 2015 Iwillfigureitout 2 Comments

Neither Trey nor I had stepped foot outside of the United States until Sunday, July 13, 2014. We acknowledge that Canada can barely be classified as international travel, but that is how it worked out for us – plus, we accept the fact that Canada is a good baby step to acquainting ourselves with foreign travel prior to our planned travel across the Atlantic in the spring.

Verizon Wireless knew exactly when we crossed the border and started blasting our phones with texts on the limits of our plan, data service costs, and the fact that we no longer had mobile service. Regardless, we managed to successfully navigate the kilometers to our Airbnb apartment situated between the Quartier des Spectacles and Quartier Latin areas of Montreal. A great location to walk or bike to everything we wanted to see in Montreal!

We unloaded quickly as we were anxious to check out a nearby festival we noticed on our trip into the city. We walked just a few short blocks south and then east and came upon barricaded streets, rows upon rows of tents, and loads of people of all sorts.

Art and Performance Festivals in Quartier des Spectacles

Most like us, spectators, but many that would put Austin’s weirdness to shame – like the little person, a male, wearing nothing but a white cowboy hat, matching boots and a cloth diaper!

We soon realized he and the others were performance artists. We were enchanted watching a pair of what appeared to be large air conditioner ducts dancing to techno.

Then there were the deadpanned faced robot dancers. And these guys…

It was a fantastic welcome to Montreal which made us feel comfortable and at home despite the fact that everyone was talking French.

Without cell phones to guide us to restaurants and unable to confidently read menus we were completely reliant on intuition to find a place to eat. We were hungry, but not feeling too adventurous, so selected what appeared to be a chain that had a name we could read – Baton Rouge. It was similar to the U.S.’s TGIF chain in food quality and ambiance, but we were able to refuel and watch Germany beat Argentina in extra time to win the FIFA World Cup.

Mount Royal

Feeling refreshed the next morning we hopped on our bikes and peddled our way toward Mount Royal. A hill located in the center of relatively flat Montreal and just west of downtown. It rises roughly 740 feet above the city and is visible from many parts of the city — the entire city is visible from atop Mount Royal!

A city park, as well as nature and recreation areas encompass the hill. It also makes for a beautiful and challenging bike ride. The foot and bike only path is an old carriage road that winds around the hill for about 4 miles ascending at a steady grade to the summit.

It was only from the top of Mount Royal that we could truly appreciate the beauty of Montreal.

It is an obvious must see for visitors, but it was also an obvious favorite of the locals as well.

A chalet at Mt. Royal's summit hosts community events and is a gathering place for locals — A chalet at Mt. Royal’s summit hosts community events and is a gathering place for locals

Having gained some confidence with our ability to communicate with the locals we ventured to find a neighborhood lunch spot near Mount Royal and wound up at Café Santropol – mostly vegetarian and very funky. Perfect!

Jean-Talon Market

Next, it was off to Jean-Talon market, which we had been told is the best of the city’s several outdoor farmers markets. Had we researched previously, we would have found that it was the further of three in our area and the main route required a harrowing bike ride on a heavily traveled street. Once we safely arrived though, we very much enjoyed the market’s energy, colors and freshness.

The indoor and outdoor market takes up two square blocks and is surrounded by eateries. It is well worth a visit even to just browse among the fresh food and flowers. Even though we were on bikes, we couldn’t resist buying a few fresh vegetables which Trey stir fried us up for dinner the next evening.

Trey's yummy stir-fry — Trey’s yummy stir-fry

We found an indirect but safer route back to our apartment cutting through neighborhoods and for a portion, an actual bike path.

Quartier Latin

Too tired at that point to cook, we opted to walk several blocks north to Rue Saint-Denis – a lively street lined with restaurants, street musicians, hungry tourists and more than a handful of homeless 20-somethings. Without a particular craving we strolled several blocks before our indecisiveness was overcome by our hunger and we settled on a Mexican food restaurant.

Mexican food in Quebec? I know, but it had been over 6 weeks since we’d left Austin and our two Tex-mex meals a week habit. Plus, the sign on the restaurants entrance advertised the best margarita’s Montreal. Sold!

The walk back to our apartment at dusk provided us with the most disturbing image we had experienced to date on our travels. I can now say that it was the most disturbing image of our North American travel period. An older than the average Rue Saint-Denis homeless man followed us for a couple of blocks talking sporadically and incoherently. As we neared an open green space I noticed a young woman with light brown hair sitting on the lawn to our left with her backpack contents spread about her. She had some type of makeshift tourniquet tied around her right upper arm and a syringe in her left hand – she was shooting up.

This site also caught the attention of the homeless man who promptly turned away from us and made a beeline to this young lady. I wanted to intervene and tell her that she didn’t have to live like that. But very much feeling my own vulnerability in that moment, I instead opted to continue walking with Trey toward our apartment. The well-being of this young lady and our reaction to the scene still haunt me today.

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal

Our last full day in Montreal was just that – a full day. We walked again through the festivals of the Quartier des Spectacles on our way to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal — the first of four basilicas we ended up visiting in North America.

We’re not Catholic, nor particularly religious. We were simply drawn to Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica’s grand gothic architecture; however, it was the opulent interior that left us awestruck and wanting to learn more about what exactly sets basilicas apart from other Catholic cathedrals and churches.

The designation of a church as a basilica can only be made by the Pope and it generally is due to the cathedral’s level of historical or artistic significance, and/or its importance or role in the local community.

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal's Pipe Organ — Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal’s Pipe Organ

Montreal’s basilica did not seem to be lacking of any such credentials. The massive organ has an impressive 7,000 pipes and four keyboards, and the alter showpiece was a whopping 20-ton bronze sculpture.

We were two of about 30 that paid $5 to take one of two guided tours that are offered daily every 30 minutes — The 190 year old gothic revival cathedral was bustling, beautiful and bodacious. My new belief that perhaps the Catholic Church believed there was a direct correlation to the level of grandiose-ness and Godliness would gladly be adjusted later in our trip.

Old Montreal

It is a short walk from the Basilica to Rue Saint Paul — a street in an upscale residential, shopping, art and dining area that includes several blocks closed off to cars.

It is located in “old Montreal” which had been surrounded by a wall in the 1700’s and sits along the Saint Lawrence River. I was sorry that we did not allow ourselves more time to explore and absorb the old city. It provided our first experience of what I imagine some European cities will be like – narrow cobble stone streets lined with quaint Victorian buildings full of unique shops and engaging people.

After arriving too late at the Montreal Science Museum to secure entrance, we started the mile and half trek back to our apartment enjoying the scenes and scents in China Town along the way.

We were happy to give our sore feet a break when we came upon a spirited pick-up soccer match – very competitive and entertaining.

This 7v7 pick up game was serious business

We left Montreal enriched with the experience and people we encountered there, and with a few regrets – again, would have loved to have had more time in “old Montreal,” and will assure that time is allowed on our next visit to tour the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Chihuly outside of the Montreal Museum of Art

They're everywhere! — They’re everywhere!

Camping, State Park, Travel

Adirondacks and Lake Placid, New York ~ July 10 – July 13, 2014

December 25, 2014 Iwillfigureitout 1 Comment

Adirondacks Park, Northeastern New York State

Adirondacks Park is large — 6 million acres, in fact, and although it is a designated protected area by the State of New York, it is not a state administered park. Instead, the hundreds of campgrounds scattered across the park are individually run either privately or by various public entities. The park’s lack of having a central authority and website made researching where we wanted to camp within the 6 million acres challenging. Not that there’s a lack of information on the internet; there is tons of information across numerous websites that we found a bit overwhelming.

We knew we wanted a semi-secluded lakeside campsite close to hiking trails. After many hours of research spread over several weeks, we settled on Little Sand Point located in the south-central part of the park. Its website included a couple of picturesque lake photos and one of a campsite. The description of the campground included the words “serenity”, “nestled” and “secluded.”

To get there, we chose a 150 mile driving route from Plattsburgh, New York that entered the park from the north and took us directly through the middle of the park, along several lakes and through numerous small towns — we were surprised at how rustic and isolated some of the communities seemed. Although the road was a bit rough for having bicycles on the back, it was a lovely drive. It is easy to imagine the area as a giant beautiful bouquet of color in the fall.

We arrived at the Little Sand Point campground about 5 p.m. to find that campsites were about 100 feet off of the main highway and that our site was located directly below where the campground’s dirt road turned around. There were car tracks where someone had missed turning that led directly to where we were to pitch our tent! Although our site was directly on beautiful Lake Piseco, it was also located next to a house with a barking dog and an upset baby. The campground was mostly vacant so we walked through other sites looking for a better option. We found no site with a level tent area, decent fire pit, nor any that were “serene” or “nestled.”

After about 45 minutes of weighing our best options and trying to be positive about this campground, we climbed back into the Escape Mobile and headed north. Our plan was to stay in Lake Placid unless we found a lodge or cottages along the route where we felt we’d be comfortable.

Lake Placid, New York

We arrived in Lake Placid about 9:00 p.m. with no place to stay. Trey cruised Main Street a couple of times looking for vacancy signs while I searched from my phone. Out of frustration, we pulled off of Main into a parking lot and connected a laptop to our mobile Wi-Fi. Initial results for the few name brand hotels were well over budget, and, I suspect due to the late hour, calls we made to locally owned lodges were not answered.

Just as I began to worry about our situation, I was startled by a sudden knocking and the appearance of a disheveled man at my passenger side window. A better look at his face revealed that there was no need to worry and I rolled down the window. In a British accent he asked us if we needed help. I explained that we were just looking for a place to stay. Turns out, the parking lot was for a lodge, Wildwood on the Lake, and was owned by the family of the gentleman’s wife – he handled maintenance and supervised the cleaning staff. He had just stepped outside to make sure something was locked when he spotted us.

He stated that he had a couple of rooms available, that he would ask his wife to reopen the office, and that they’d give us good deal. This is just one example of several on our North America travels where the solution found us – when and wherever we had a significant need, the universe quickly responded.

We were most grateful, and ended up spending three restful nights on the bank of beautiful Lake Placid. The inn was rustic, quiet and clean, and its stretch of shoreline more than provided the peaceful lakeside experience we had sought.

View of Lake Placid from the back of WIldwood Lodge

Lake Placid’s Main Street is the city’s business and tourist center and runs along the west bank of Mirror Lake – not Lake Placid.

Although Lake Placid is nearby, it is the much smaller Mirror Lake that is the hub for water related recreation, lakeside dining and accommodations.

Trey had no luck with the fish in Mirror Lake

We enjoyed strolling and window shopping along Main Street. This charming city is a mix of early 20^th century buildings at its center, bookended by expansions resulting from the 1980’s Winter Olympics economic boost.

Both the 1936 and 1980 Olympic Centers sit at the south end of Main along with the outdoor skating area where Eric Heiden won five gold medals for the U.S.

The original 1936 center is now a museum commemorating both the games.

Original Olympic Center, Lake Placid, NY

The village now hosts an annual Iron Man competition. This was the cause for our difficulty in finding accommodations. Athletes were beginning to arrive to acclimate and train for the July 27^th race.

Recreation

Trey heading out to fish on Lake Placid - caught a small bass — Trey heading out to fish on Lake Placid – caught a small bass

One afternoon we rented a canoe and slowly paddled around the perimeter of the Mirror Lake — two swim lanes had been set up in the middle of the lake for the Iron Man competition and several swimmers were using them.

When we completed our circle the sun was low in the sky and the other watercraft and swimmers were heading to shore. We instead headed to the middle point of the lake to get check out the swim lanes. Soon after, we found that we were alone on the lake – it was entirely ours. A gift.

As stated in the “About” page of this blog, Trey and I both were responsible for the care of our ailing parents. Over a period of 10 years from April of 2001 to August of 2011, we did our best to ensure they were safe, well cared for, and maintained the best quality of life possible despite their various diseases. The latter part of this period was particularly stressful. A frequent fantasy of mine was to row a canoe out to the middle of a calm, empty lake and simply lie down in the canoe, look at the sky, and in that moment be responsible for nothing.

Trey snapped this one of me enjoying the serenity of Mirror Lake

I have learned when one receives a gift, it should be embraced and appreciated fully. So, I laid down in the canoe, and simply admired the sky, feeling so very grateful for the peace that I now enjoy.

As for Lake Placid, we also experienced it via the Peninsula Nature Trails that wind through a landmass on the southern part of the lake. The trails provide a wonderful natural retreat within walking distance of the city.

Lake Placid's Peninsula Trail — Lake Placid’s Peninsula Trail

The trails’ access point is not well marked – it is simply an unmarked road that appears to be a driveway and is located between the Comfort Inn and Howard Johnson’s restaurant.

The Village of Lake Placid is a bit off the beaten path, particularly for us Texans, but it was a wonderful refuge and allowed us to experience the beauty of the Adirondacks.

Food

My favorite Lake Placid meal was enjoyed at Milano North. It was well out of our budget but at least we were satisfied that we received what we paid for. Milano North provided a comfortable, but upscale setting and, for me, the best formal fish dish experienced on our trip.

Baarramundi with Coconut Rice, Milano North, Lake Placid, NY

Trey preferred the spaghetti and meatballs at Jimmy’s 21, which offers an affordable and quality dining experience on Mirror Lake.

The Breakfast Club is a popular breakfast spot and we found that the food was well worth the wait we encountered on both of our visits — yes, it was good and reasonable enough to merit a return trip.

Golf, Travel

New England ~ July 8 – 10

December 1, 2014 Iwillfigureitout 2 Comments

Jackson, New Hampshire

Our first evening in New England was spent in the village of Jackson, New Hampshire. We chose Jackson solely for its close proximity to Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the White Mountains and all of New England. However, Jackson also provided us with an idyllic small town New England experience.

We stayed in the middle of town at the Historic Wildcat Inn & Tavern – a very well maintained old ski lodge that includes a long wooden bar, great restaurant and beautiful courtyard. The inn is family run and reservations are handled by phone and logged in a large hotel register.

We arrived well before sunset allowing time for a leisurely stroll around the quiet village after settling into our room.

Following a path along the Ellis River, we came across a golf course and decided to return via the cart path since it was in the evening and appeared that no one was playing between us and the club house.

We found the club house to be open and Trey was glad he could inquire about green fees and club rentals. The gentleman closing up set Trey up with a great deal, an early morning tee-time, and also gave him a handful of good condition golf balls from those found around the course.

Jackson seemed to mostly consist of lodges, inns and beds & breakfasts. The village did not have many restaurant options and other businesses seemed to close with the sun, making our decision for dinner an easy one. Luckily, we had inquired about dinner options early enough that we were able to make reservations at our inn’s restaurant – they require reservations for meal planning purposes. Plus, we pleasantly discovered that their great food makes them a popular choice for locals.

We couldn't resist trying the locals' favorite French Onion Soup — We couldn’t resist trying the locals’ favorite French Onion Soup

We rose early the next morning and enjoyed breakfast together at Sarah’s Yesterday Restaurant before Trey headed to play golf at the Wentworth Golf Club.

After soaking up some sun and reading in the inn’s courtyard, I decided to catch up on laundry. The nearest Laundromat was ten miles away in Conway, but was a nice drive and timing was perfect for me to wash, dry and fold and get back to Jackson just in time to meet Trey for lunch at the club house.

After checking out of the Wildcat Inn we backtracked eleven miles to the Mt. Washington Auto Road – an 8-mile road that slowly winds up Mt. Washington to its 6,288 foot summit.

Mt. Washington's Auto Road — Mt. Washington’s Auto Road

The auto road has always been privately owned and the fee to access it is not cheap at $28 per vehicle/driver, and an additional $8 for each passenger. The road was completed in the 1850’s, so obviously was not always referred to as an “auto-road.”

At the base we were instructed to keep our car in second gear and warned of the potential for high cross winds.

We knew of the dangerous winds as that is the primary draw to the mountain — the highest recorded earth surface wind gust was measured on the summit of Mt. Washington at 231 mph in the 1930’s. This fact had me a bit apprehensive, particularly when we ascended above the tree line and the road went from tree-lined pavement to a mix of dirt and gravel with steep drop-offs.

View of the Mt. Washington Auto from mile post 7

The ominous clouds to the west only added to my nervousness.

However, once we arrived safely at the summit, my heart rate returned to normal and I truly enjoyed the majestic panoramas surrounding us.

Panoramic view above Tuckerman's Ridge, Mt. Washington, NH — Panoramic view above Tuckerman’s Ridge, Mt. Washington, NH

A weather research center continues to operate at the summit, along with an observatory and museum. We also found a restored hotel and a cog railway at the summit that was completed in 1869 to provide travelers quicker access to the summit before the invention of automobiles.

We left beautiful New Hampshire wishing we had scheduled more time there, but at the same time were anxious to experience Vermont.

Inside Jackson's covered bridge — Inside Jackson’s covered bridge

Grand Isle, Vermont

We crossed the bridge onto Grand Isle in time to witness an amazing sunset; the result of a dissipating thunderstorm that we were glad to miss.

The Adam’s Landing bed & breakfast we had reserved sat directly on the western shore of Lake Champlain facing New York state.

After settling in, we headed for the only late dinner option on the island. I think that the veggie pizza we shared at McKee’s Island Pub & Pizza was the best pizza of our travels. Although, I have to also recognize that we were particularly hungry, and we didn’t really eat a lot of pizza during our six months on the road. It was delicious, nonetheless.

We were very grateful to be served a homemade breakfast the next morning, complete with pancakes and Vermont maple syrup. It provided great fuel for exploring the islands via one of its many bike routes.

Lake Champlain is 125 miles long and its linked islands provide biking enthusiasts a great route for riding the lake’s entire length from Quebec, Canada to Essex County, New York. We chose a manageable 12 mile loop that kept us on the northern end of Grand Isle, cut through the state park and took us along both the western and eastern shorelines.

It was a beautiful, cool, but sunny morning – perfect for taking time for bird watching and enjoying the scenic farmland and views of Lake Champlain.

It was then time to say good-bye to our lovely hosts and take off for the Adirondacks.

Adam's Landing, Grand Isle, VT — Adam’s Landing, Grand Isle, VT

The ferry crossing at Gordan’s Landing was a short drive away and we were able to drive immediately onto the ferry crossing Lake Champlain for Plattsburgh, New York.

This was our first ferry experience and we entertained, or perhaps annoyed, the other passengers with our excitement and wonder.

Camping, National Parks, Travel

Acadia National Park, Maine ~ July 4-8

Video October 21, 2014 Iwillfigureitout 4 Comments

Trey and I had heard from multiple sources that Acadia National Park was one of the most beautiful national parks in the country, so it was one of the first destinations that came up in discussions as the possibility of our travels began to evolve.

We arrived from Boston at the park’s Seawall Campground in the early evening, just as a line of rain that was preceding Hurricane Arthur caught up with us. Seawall is a popular walk-in campground located in the southwestern part of the park. I was glad we had made reservations as the campground was completely full despite the weather.

It was our second camping experience, and the second time we pitched the tent in rain. By sunset, the rain had strengthened and there was nothing else to do but crawl into the tent and call it a day. We were awoken three hours later – Arthur, now a tropical storm, had officially arrived. Gratefully, our campsite was in a bit of a valley and well shielded by tall pines.

Maine’s early sunrise took both Trey and I by surprise. I guess if we’d thought about it, we should have expected sunrise by 5 a.m. or so, but no, we were not prepared for Maine’s 4:00 a.m. sunrises.

We left camp about 7:00 a.m. to head into town for breakfast and to stock up on camping supplies. That was when we realized Arthur’s true fury – we ran into a large fallen pine tree on the foot path leading to the camp parking lot along with dozens of downed branches. We encountered the same scenes driving through Southwest Harbor.

The island where Acadia National Park is located, Mount Desert Island, is mostly divided in half down the middle by the Somes Sound, which leads into the Atlantic Ocean — the island looks a bit like a pair of lungs. As there are no bridges that cross the sound, we had to detour about an hour around the left, or west, lobe of the island in order to leave it because a large fallen oak tree had completely cut off access to the main road. The drive to Ellsworth for groceries and supplies was another hour, so this simple task ended up taking up most of our day. It was fine though because not much of anything else could have been accomplished on the dark grey, windy, rainy day.

When we finally returned to camp, the rain had turned into a drizzle and the remaining daylight allowed us to explore the campground and its surrounding trails. We headed to the seawall and watched some brave surfers taking advantage of the high waves.

We walked out onto the rocks and admired the beauty of the northeastern coast line – the sight, we had longed to experience, did not disappoint.

Sunday morning’s beautiful blue sky and bright shining sun was a much welcomed sight and gave us renewed excitement and energy for exploring Acadia.

Southwest Harbor near Seawall Campground

We first backtracked past our campsite to check out a light house that we had noticed on the island detour from the previous day. Bass Harbor Head Light is the official name, so I guess does not merit being called a “light house” due to its small size.

We were excited nonetheless, as it was the first such light structure we had both experienced up close, and we thought it looked very stately and noble looking out over Bass Harbor where it has guided vessels since 1858.

Carriage Roads

With bikes in tow, we then headed to the eastern lobe of the island where 45 miles of roads accessible only by foot, bicycle or horse were constructed from 1913 through 1940 through the philanthropic effort of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

The numerous interconnecting roads wind around lakes, through valleys and near coastlines of eastern Acadia.

Trey leading the way on one of Acadia's carriage roads — Trey leading the way on one of Acadia’s carriage roads

We selected a 13-mile route that would take us up to the northern coast of the island, loop southward crossing our starting point and then completing a figure 8 by looping further south around Eagle Lake.

Duck Brook Bridge, North Carriage Road, Acadia

It was a perfectly beautiful day and the roads led us to gorgeous vistas of the Maine coast, along raging creeks, across impressive stone bridges, and up and down the hills surrounding Eagle Lake.

The Bee Hive

In May, prior to our travels, Trey had to have some minor oral surgery and when he told his surgeon of our plans, the surgeon told Trey of two “must do’s” – the first was to hike the Bee Hive trail in Acadia National Park, and the other was to drive up to the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. He’d warned Trey that it was a strenuous hike and required climbing up rails that had been embedded into the rocks, but he also stated that the views were well worth it.

So we again headed to the east lobe of the park, this time taking Park Loop Road, a scenic one-way route along the eastern shoreline that loops around the south shore, then northward through the middle of the park.

The Bee Hive trail head is on the eastern shore above Sand Beach. The hiking trail immediately headed upwards over rocks and through pines, and at times it was difficult to know if we were still on the trail due to all the rock.

View of Sand Beach from the Bee Hive Trail

After about a quarter of a mile however, the path narrowed and trail markers started pointing us upwards…and up…and up.

A particularly narrow pathway that towered over a rocky cliff had me shaking a bit, but we had gone far enough at that point that there was no turning back as people were coming up behind us and there’s only enough room for one person to pass on the hand and foot rails.

The vistas of the eastern coast line and of Bar Harbor, Maine were amazing, and I felt quiet accomplished once we safely reached the summit, which is only a mere 520 feet above sea level.

Glad to have made it to the Bee Hive summit!

After catching our breath and a quick snack, we continued on a much easier trail that led down to a small lake. Bowl Lake looked much like the glacier lakes found in the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado.

We followed the path around about a quarter of the lake, and then headed around the base of Bee Hive “mountain” and back to Sand Beach.

Cadillac Mountain

Following our hike, we continued driving around Park Loop Road stopping occasionally to take in the views of the Atlantic Ocean.

The road provides the only car access (there are several hiking trails) to Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak in Acadia at 1,530 feet.

There is a paved path at the summit that provides panoramic views of the park and coastlines.

The summit’s geography of rolling pink granite reminded us immediately of the Texas Hill Country (see feature photo at the top of this post).

View from Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park

We ended the day, our last in the beautiful State of Maine, with a lovely Italian dinner in Bar Harbor. A quaint, but touristy, city on the northeastern shore of Mount Desert Island.

Food

The town of Southwest Harbor has several good eating options. We particularly enjoyed Little Notch Pizzeria, which has a menu that extends well beyond pizza, and for breakfast, the omelets at Eat-a-Pita are amazing.

Ben & BIlls Chocolate Emporium in Bar Harbor has a huge selection of homemade ice cream that includes unique flavors such as margarita, coconut macadamia & KGB (Kahlua, Grand Marnier & Bailey’s with fudge swirl). We also loved their homemade dark chocolate clusters.

Best Ice Cream in Maine, Bar Harbor, Maine

We had high expectations for Acadia National Park based on everything we had heard, and we both agree that those expectations were exceeded. Acadia has definitely been a highlight of our travels, and comes up consistently when we’re asked such questions.

Massachusetts, Travel

Boston, Massachusetts ~ July 1-4

September 2, 2014 Iwillfigureitout 4 Comments

We had tuned into the USA’s World Cup second round game against Belgium on the drive to Boston and arrived at our quaint little Airbnb cottage in Cambridge just as the first half ended tied 0-0. We quickly unloaded the “Escape Mobile” and headed two blocks to Massachusetts Avenue to find a bar and watch the second half of the game. We ran into an Irish pub immediately, but were turned away because it was at maximum occupancy. No problem, just a block away we found The Middle East bar and its proprietors did not seem concerned with such bureaucratic codes. Trey and I inched through the doorway and found sitting space with adequate view of the television on the end of an elevated platform that may have served as a stage at one time. We cheered, chanted “U-S-A,” moaned, and drank beer with the lively young crowd. Great fun, but a sad ending to a great match and a great World Cup run for the U.S.

After finishing our beers, we walked to Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox play the Chicago cubs. We’d booked several baseball games along our journey to see some of the different stadiums, and legendary Fenway was definitely a must see!

Fenway Park - Boston Red Sox lost to the Chicago Cubs 2-1 — Boston Red Sox lost to the Chicago Cubs 2-1

The Red Sox didn’t win, but it was great to see the stadium, and to watch the dedicated fans.

The following morning we had a fabulous brunch at Café Luna on Massachusetts Avenue – very fresh food, unique combinations and overall delicious!

Veggie Omelet from Cafe Luna (Swiped from their website because we keep forgetting to take pictures before we eat!)

After stuffing ourselves, we decided it best to use the remaining day to rest as Trey was fighting a cold, and we both needed some travel recovery time.

The best part of our Boston visit came on Thursday, when we met up with family who had arrived late the prior evening for vacation.

We met at a subway stop and then rode together to the Boston Commons, the first public park in the U.S. and the first stop on Boston’s Freedom Trail – a self-guided walk that winds through the heart of Boston and by historical landmarks relevant to the American Revolution.

Heading out on Boston's Freedom Trail — Heading out on Boston’s Freedom Trail

A few highlights from our walk were the site of the Boston Massacre…

the Old State House where the seeds of freedom took root through public assemblies and passionate speeches…

the beautiful Park Street Church…

Park Street Church taken from the Boston Commons

and the Granary Burying Ground where John Hancock and two other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried: Samuel Adams and Robert Paine.

It was the second hottest day we’d experienced on our travels at that point and fortunately, to date. We came to our senses after cooling off over a beer in a small Irish pub and decided take a tour bus to visit the remaining landmarks on the trail.

Our visit to the USS Constitution was well worth the stop and walk in the heat. It is a beautiful ship and in amazing condition. Although it was commissioned after the American Revolution, it was used to battle the British in the war of 1812.

Having never lost any of its 45 battles, it is the oldest actively commissioned U.S. naval warship.

We only saw the steeple of the North Church (where Paul Revere instructed two lanterns be hung to communicate that British troops were traveling by boat via the Charles River), but you can see it from many vantage points around Boston.

It is easy to see why the revolutionaries chose to use it for such an important task and I think it could be utilized the same way today.

The tour back to the Boston Commons area took us by the original “Cheers” bar – probably the least historical place to visit in Boston, but we couldn’t help ourselves.

We were all grateful to our nephew who located a highly yelp-rated restaurant for us to re-fuel within walking distance of our final stop. We had a wonderful time at the Paramount Restaurant on Beacon Street sharing our experiences, and enjoying each others’ company and a great meal.

We headed to the banks of the Charles River following dinner, as city officials had announced that the famed Boston Pops 4th of July symphony and fireworks show would take place an evening early due to the expectation that Hurricane Arthur would blow into Boston on the 4^th. However, it had already been a long day, we found out that the fireworks were not to start until 10:30 p.m., and then my nephew was stung by a bee – we took the later as a sign that it was time to go.

After saying our good-byes, we boarded the subway and headed back to Cambridge. Although we were in an amazing setting, it was the fact that we were spending time with loved ones that made our last day in Boston such a special day.

It turned out that fate was actually on our side because just as we arrived at the cottage, the skies opened up with thunder, lightning and pouring rain – a sign that Hurricane Arthur was nearing. We were very grateful in that moment that we were no longer with the thousands of others standing on the banks of the Charles River.

As with every place we have been, we had hardly scratched the surface of places to see and things to do in Boston, but it was time hit the road to Maine and Acadia National Park.

Travel

New York, New York ~ June 26-July 1

August 11, 2014 Iwillfigureitout 5 Comments

We headed into New York City about 8pm following a quick drive through Asbury Park, New Jersey, the small boardwalk city where Bruce Springsteen got his start.

Asbury Park is also the subject of Springsteen’s City in Ruins written in 2000, but included on The Rising album, which primarily consists of songs inspired by and written after 911. Although there were still a few remnants of the rundown, somewhat scary, boardwalk town that I had visited with my sister in early 1981, it was very evident that a successful revitalization effort had been underway for some time.

There were people strolling the shops in town, cycling and jogging along the paved path that bordered the beach, and I was thrilled to see the line-up on the marquee of The Stone Pony – would have loved to have seen a show!

We knew driving the “Escape Mobile” into the heart of NYC would be tricky, but with me navigating and Trey’s driving skills, which I realize now have a purpose, we easily traveled into the midtown east section of Manhattan.

An open parking space in front of the apartment building made for easy, quick unloading. We’d researched parking options in advance and decided to go with the cheapest, but less convenient, option of parking at LaGuardia Airport. So, after unloading, we drove to The Parking Spot adjacent to the airport, and with an internet coupon secured parking for $17 a day.

There just so happened to be a Metropolitan Transportation Authority courtesy desk as we entered the airport, so we received clear instructions as to which bus to take to the nearest subway stop and we both purchased 7-day unlimited MTA passes. Easy breezy! As, we soon discovered, is the New York City subway system – as long as you have a MTA pass and a smart phone you can easily get anywhere in the city.

Our apartment was tiny, but we loved it the experience of what it would be like to be young and living in New York. Plus, its great location in the 53^rd & Lexington area was walking distance to a lot of what we wanted to see and on the major subway lines.

Fueling up @ Morning Star Cafe for a full first day of exploring

We awoke to our first full day rested and filled of excitement to explore New York City together. After a hearty breakfast at a nearby diner, we continued on foot to the East River where we stumbled upon the house where Irving Berlin spent the last 40 years of his life.

We then headed south to the United Nations complex only to find it blocked off with construction fencing due to extensive renovations, but were able to catch a few glimpses.

Next, it was over to Grand Central Station to view its beautiful interior and domed blue celestial ceiling. Our daughter later told us that there is one tile that had been left untouched when the roof was last cleaned to show how dirty it had gotten.

She also told us of the domed corridors that were specifically and acoustically designed to allow two people to converse from opposite corners. This was just too intriguing so we had to try it out on a later subway stop there.

We then headed to the Empire State Building with the intention of just photographing it, but quickly decided to go ahead and pay the $29 to take the elevators to the viewing deck.

The area leading to the first elevator is a museum designed around the path where tourists wait in line. Once you’ve bought your ticket, you’re handed an audio device that guides you through the exhibits as you wait. The audio guide and exhibits were perfect to keep you entertained while waiting, and provided the fascinating history of the building from conception, construction and conservation. Trey found it quite amazing how quickly it was built in the middle of the great depression, and how they used a mobile assembly line moving rail lines on each floor as they built upward.

We were also lucky to visit the viewing deck on a beautiful, clear day, so the 360 vistas were amazing.

The Empire State Building was well worth the effort and provided us a unique perspective of the city.

Following a quick satisfaction of Trey’s Chipotle addiction, we headed once again into the depths of the subway system for a ride downtown to the World Trade Center site. Lovely tribute. The cascading fountains built on the footprints of each tower descend from every direction into a reflecting pool.

Unlike the Empire State Building, the line to visit the 911 Memorial Museum was extending well outside its entrance, so we did not visit the museum, and instead strolled the grounds looking for the “survivor tree.”

The sole surviving tree discovered during the recovery effort was rescued and nursed back to health by the New York City Parks Department and replanted on the 911 memorial grounds in 2010.

Following the ride back to midtown, a shower and a snack, we presented ourselves once again to the streets of NYC all polished up nicely for the evening and headed to the theater district for Phantom of the Opera.

We emerged from the subway to find the theater district so packed with people that some, including us, were forced into the street making the outside lanes of traffic impassable. Horns blowing, people talking and yelling, street musicians playing, sirens wailing – it was total, beautiful chaos as we slowly edged our way through the people gauntlet to the Majestic Theatre.

We loved the production of Phantom of the Opera, and discussing it while also watching the vast array of characters on the walk back up to midtown. Knowing we’d not be able to go to sleep, we walked past our apartment to a lively Italian restaurant/piano bar for dessert. We relived the day over tiramisu and sing-alongs, not believing how much we had done in a day and how long we had lasted – it was 1 a.m.

Central Park Bike Ride

Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, Central Park

We ventured out on our bicycles to explore Central Park – riding through the streets was a bit of a scary experience and not something that I became comfortable with throughout our stay.

However, Central Park has a great 6.5-mile bike path that circles the park. It was a great way to enjoy the natural beauty of the park and all it has to offer. What a tremendous resource for the people of New York, and they do seem to appreciate it fully.

We returned to Central Park later in the week to experience it by foot and explore sections where our bikes were not allowed.

John Lennon Memorial @ Strawberry Fields, Central Park

We also had fun admiring the beautiful apartment homes along Central Park West.

Brooklyn Heights

We’d made plans to meet our daughter and her boyfriend for brunch at a popular Polish restaurant in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. Lindsey had traveled to New York following her work commitments in Washington D.C., and John was in the city for a photography seminar. Teresa’s was fabulous, and it was fine that we stuffed ourselves because its located very near the promenade walk along where the Hudson and East Rivers meet.

The promenade sits above Interstate loop 278 and offers great views of Battery City, the Brooklyn Bridge, and a Civil War era fort. We loved the unique reuse projects of the old piers that line Brooklyn’s shoreline – where once stood a dilapidated pier, there were now soccer games taking place!

Having lived there for several years, John shared his knowledge of the history of the neighborhood as we strolled the streets in awe of the beautiful row houses’ architecture.

Watching kids soccer game in Brooklyn Heights

Architectural Boat Tour

The 30^th was Trey’s birthday and we chose to celebrate with a special tour of New York City. The tour we chose circled the island aboard the gorgeous boat, The Manhattan, and was led by a member of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

It was a great way to learn how the city evolved, along with some interesting tidbits unique to New York architecture and on specific buildings and bridges.

The views from both the Hudson and East Rivers were spectacular! We all thought the 3-hour cruise, which included hors d’ oeuvres and drinks, was well worth the time and money.

View of midtown & United Nations Building from The Manhattan

Lindsey had met us at our apartment and rode with us to the Chelsea Piers for the tour. Too caught up in looking for breakfast, we walked past the infamous Chelsea hotel without realizing it. But once we did, we took note to make sure to look for it on the return walk to the subway. I liked the feel of the Chelsea neighborhood, and was surprised to see a lot of families there.

Famous artist haven Hotel Chelsea — Famous artist haven, Hotel Chelsea

I imagine that it has changed significantly since its storied days of the 1970’s rock scene.

Museum of Natural History

The Museum of Natural History was Trey’s museum of choice for his birthday. We arrived in the late afternoon so were not able to make all the exhibits, but did enjoy quick tours of the mammals, ocean life exhibits, native art and artifacts, and a 3-D film Mysteries of the Unseen World.

It was evident that a return trip would be necessary, because we thoroughly enjoyed what we did see, which only scratched the surface of what the museum offers.

Trey selected a nearby Italian restaurant for dinner to round off his day. It was a great ending to his birthday and our last night in New York!

Getting to share the day with our daughter made the day even more special!

Travel

Atlantic City ~ June 23-26

July 29, 2014 Iwillfigureitout 1 Comment

I had been to Atlantic City once before, but have no recollection of the city from that time. I was 12 and traveling with family friends and we headed straight to the beach.

Life Guard's Boat @ Atlantic City Beach — Life Guard’s Boat @ Atlantic City Beach

I didn’t really have a strong desire to visit Atlantic City again; however, Trey saw our visit to the Jersey Shore as an opportunity to play black jack and check out the casinos. He enjoys Las Vegas casinos, so I was fine with basing our Jersey stay in Atlantic City, as he has made numerous such concessions for me on our travels.

We used points to stay at a downtown hotel adjoining the city’s convention center that had hosted Miss America Pageants since the pageant’s inception, but apparently not in a decade or so.

Phyllis George's dress from Miss America Pageant in 1971 — Phyllis George’s dress from Miss America Pageant in 1971

Throughout the hotel’s lobby and restaurant were exhibits of the evening gowns worn by past Miss Americas. Photos from the pageants were displayed all along the outside walls of the convention center. It was a bit like stepping back in time, except the exhibits dated only up to the year 2000, so it was more like the hotel and convention center were stuck in time, still basking in the glory of days long passed.

Most of the casinos we explored had large sections of gambling tables closed and few people in the areas that were open. It was very evident that the city is no longer the east coast’s premier gambling city. Trey and I assumed that new competition from surrounding states is a large factor. An NPR story we happen to catch a couple of weeks after our visit confirmed this assumption. We also later came across a headline that reported the Miss America pageant is returning to Atlantic City this September.

The area between our hotel and the beach was taken up by an outdoor Tanger Outlet Mall that looked relatively new, but few shoppers were taking advantage of the bargains. I came to the conclusion that Atlantic City should re-brand itself and invest in a serious PR campaign.

The city has miles of great shoreline and great shopping; with some investment and change of focus, it could become the east coast’s new premier family destination.

Trey spent twice as much time in Atlantic City than I, so is happily contributing to this post…

Our original plans were to go to Atlantic City and tour the coast, driving up and down the coast line to Avalon, Ventnor City, Cape May, and other small towns, but the best laid plans sometimes fall through. We left DC and headed to Baltimore where Mart flew to Austin the following morning for follow-up appointments for her ankle (see Wichita Mountains), and my job was to head to Atlantic City and get settled in.

View of Atlantic City from our hotel room

Despite missing my navigator, I arrived at our Atlantic City hotel fine around 4 p.m. Being a card player, I was excited to head down to the boardwalk and check out the casinos. I cut through town for the Showboat Casino. A prudent person would have headed straight toward the ocean and then worked their way up and down the boardwalk. Despite my off the beaten path route, I got there — live and learn.

The boardwalk was great. The casinos, well, I will say, so so. I stopped in the Showboat, the Taj Mahal, the Resorts (Margaritaville), Bally’s, and Caesars. The action wasn’t anything like Las Vegas. After several hours, I walked the boardwalk watching people.

Upon leaving Caesars for the Sheraton, I middle-aged man on a BMX bike intentionally tried to run into me. This sent him flying in front of a car, missing it by inches. It wasn’t even a minute later, and he had run into a woman, lightly injuring her. Not sure if he was a pic-pocket or what, he scooted off quickly, looking back the whole time as cars and people were stopping to check on the woman. All I can say is beware!

The following day I played cards a little more at Tropicana and Caesars before heading to the Philadelphia airport to pick-up Mart. I happened to find a replacement bicycle for the one stolen in Washington, D.C., at a bike shop near the University of Pennsylvania. Keswick Cycle staff quickly put it together for me and I was able to quickly swing by and pick it up on my way to the airport.

That evening we walked to the boardwalk and happened upon a light and music show. It was not as good as the downtown Las Vegas light show, but still interesting.

The next morning we headed to the beach for a swim and people watching. Some may recall the 1980’s movie Working Girl. Well, we had fun watching a guy that could have been Alex Baldwin’s character from that movie – stereotypical jersey shore male. He had the accent, was on the phone with a cigarette in his mouth the entire time, including while his girlfriend rubbed sunscreen over his face. He even came back from getting into the water with his cigarette still lit even though he was completely soaked. I’m not sure how he managed that, but we had a nice laugh.

Mart and I got in the water for a while. We had a young teenager following us with his bogey board, especially when we waded out in the ocean. We thought it strange, but then realized he didn’t want to be by himself out in the waves. I guess we were the shark bait.

We had a great day, and that night walked the boardwalk again and I gambled a little. Overall, Atlantic City was okay, but I don’t think I would choose to visit it again.

Fishing, Travel

Washington, D.C. & Chesapeake Bay ~ June 17-23

July 12, 2014 Iwillfigureitout 2 Comments

We traveled from Asheville, North Carolina to Washington D.C. via Charlottesville, Virginia, specifically to stop in on friend of my parents from when I was a child and she a young woman going to college in Wichita Falls. We had a wonderful evening catching up and she was kind enough to indulge me with stories of her time with my parents.

We arrived in D.C. the next day in time for rush hour, but not too late to enjoy a simple evening visiting with my sister who hosted us for the week. Her and her husband’s apartment is very conveniently located to the Smithsonian museums and national monuments, so on our first full day, we opted to use our bicycles instead of dealing with traffic and parking.

Early Congressional meeting area when the capitol would get to hot — Early Congressional meeting area when the capitol would get too hot

After a quick ride through the Capitol grounds, we headed to the National Botanical Garden, but did not stay there long as it was the hottest day of the year for D.C. and botanical gardens aren’t the best places to cool off.

Patriotic bloom in the National Botanical garden

The next stop was a short ride to the National Gallery of Art. We locked our bikes on the rack located near the entrance to the west gallery, which houses the older more traditional pieces, planning to spend an hour and a half there before grabbing some lunch and moving onto the contemporary galleries in the east building.

New Acquisition - Vincent van Gogh, Green Wheat Fields, Auvers, 1890 — New Acquisition – Vincent van Gogh, Green Wheat Fields, Auvers, 1890

The beauty of the art took over us immediately and we completely lost ourselves in the worlds and times of Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir and Pissarro.

Only da Vinci in the U.S. - Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci 1474-1478 — Only da Vinci in the U.S. – Leonardo da Vinci’s Ginevra de’ Benci 1474-1478

Three hours later, the hunger pangs in our stomachs demanded our attention back to the present, so we headed out of the museum with the intention to find a nearby diner or deli. Those plans quickly changed when we arrived at the bike rack to find only one bike – there was no trace of Trey’s. We got the attention of a security guard standing nearby who escorted us back into the museum to file a report.

On the upside, we did get to walk through the gallery’s basement on our way to the security office and see the large art crates being unloaded in the receiving area. Plus, the evening ended well with our first of many planned ballpark stops…

Nationals Park - Nationals vs Astros, June 18th — Nationals Park – Nationals vs Astros, June 18th

at least it ended well for the Nationals who beat Trey’s Astros 6-5. (It was a rough day for Trey.)

National Museum of the Marine Corps

The old and the new -- two veterans in foreground with groups of young Marines on both sides — The old and the new — two veterans in foreground with groups of young Marines on both sides

My sister had previously visited the Marine Corp museum and relayed her positive experience. She knew we would enjoy it, especially the exhibit related to drill instructors. Our father, who enlisted in the Marine Corp when he was 17 and was a veteran of World War II and Korea, had been a drill instructor and rose to the rank of Master Sergeant.

The museum provides a comprehensive history of all major battles, and the stories of the evolution of the Corp from its beginning in 1775 to present day. It was a great complement to our visit to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

World War II National Monument with the Washington Monument

United State Holocaust Museum

On the day we toured the United State Holocaust Museum we were lucky to catch a lecture by one of the museum’s archivists regarding the ongoing coordinated efforts to research and return artwork looted by the Nazi’s during WWII, beginning with the works rescued by the international group of volunteers known as the “Monuments Men.” The biggest challenge facing this effort was not the lack of record keeping by the Nazi’s, it was, and still is, the fact that those records were scattered among 18 different countries in the chaos immediately following Germany’s fall. More recently, the verification of the authenticity of records has become more difficult due to advance forgery techniques.

White House West Wing

Outside of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building

The highlight of our time in D.C. came on the last evening in the city. Our daughter, Lindsey, flew in from Austin for business and, along with my sister’s son and daughter-in-law, joined us for the evening. Following a fabulous dinner at the Bombay Club, my nephew led us on a tour of the White House’s west wing. The tour included peeks into the Oval Office, the Roosevelt Room where the President meets with cabinet members, and the Navy Mess where cabinet members, senior officials and commissioned officers eat lunch.

The familiar press room is the only indoor area where photos are allowed, and is much smaller than it appears to be on television.

Greenleaf on the Magothy

We ended the week at my sister’s and brother-in-law’s house near the Chesapeake Bay. Their dock and beach area are perfect for bird watching and all possible water recreation activities.

Trey and Lindsey headed directly to check out the dock and in only a few minutes Trey was set up to fish. Unlike the fish in North Carolina, the Maryland fish were very cooperative – Trey caught 28 small bass and one keeper-sized catfish. He released each fish immediately, but as the smile on his face indicates, he had a fabulous time!

Lindsey happily and peacefully snoozed through all the excitement.

My brother-in-law arrived from California early on our last morning at Greenleaf, and despite only a couple of hours of sleep, he was up for kayaking with Trey and Lindsey…

and later, for a ride out into the rougher, and much busier, waters of the Chesapeake.

It was a lovely day, but the afternoon sun soon began bearing down on us and caused us to turn back to shore early.

Greenleaf is an incredibly special place to visit, and I can tell it will be a wonderful gathering place for my sister’s family for generations to come.

Fishing, Golf, Travel

Asheville, North Carolina ~ June 9-16

July 3, 2014 Iwillfigureitout 3 Comments

With Austin’s zealous housing market, surging population and current questionable water supply, we realize that it may not be feasible for us to be able to return to the city we love and have called home for the last 26 years.

We’d heard good things of Asheville for some time, so scheduled an entire week there in order to be able to thoroughly check the area out and get a feel for the city as a potential place to settle once we decide to do so.

Blue Ridge Parkway crossing the road to where we stayed

We quickly found out from locals that we are not the only couple considering Asheville as a future place to settle. The rumor is that President Obama has bought property and plans to move his family there upon leaving office. While newspaper reports state that the White House is denying such a purchase, the people of Asheville continue to think otherwise.

Asheville is definitely laid back, slower paced than Austin, and lacks the traffic issues.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, particularly the easy access to the seemingly infinite options of outdoor activities.

Just outside of Asheville

We stayed just outside of the city in an “eco” cottage located just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Country living for the week was a welcomed change after staying in the city centers of New Orleans and Atlanta. We awoke with the sun each morning and to the sounds of chickadees, woodpeckers and goats.

Baby Goat - Asheville — Baby Goat – Asheville

The easy pace of Asheville took hold of us immediately as our first full day was spent strolling through artists working studios in the city’s River Arts Districts and enjoying the funky culture and food of West Asheville, which was reminiscent of that of Austin’s South Congress 10-15 years ago.

However, the bulk of our time was spent enjoying the gorgeous landscapes, winding mountain roads, and some of the numerous hiking trails, rivers and lakes that surround Asheville.

Chimney Rock State Park

Located about 25 miles southeast of Asheville, this is a beautifully maintained state park that offers tremendous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We trekked the 491 steps to the top of the park’s namesake rock, followed by a short hike to Hickory Nut Falls.

The falls is featured in the movie, The Last of the Mohicans, which we have yet to see.

Lake Lure, NC

Just beyond Chimney Rock lies Lake Lure, a quaint to upscale community in a narrow valley on a southern inlet of the mountain lake of the same name.

We took time to walk the footpath along the waterfront, where we watched boats loaded with tourists head out to and in from the main part of the lake, chatted with locals fishing, and admired the lakefront houses.

Nantahala Gorge

The Nantahala offers some of the best rafting in the area and normally we would have partaken in such activity, but being less than three weeks since breaking my ankle, we instead opted to enjoy the river by train.

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad departs from Bryson City, North Carolina, which is 68 miles west of Asheville.

We arrived in the city early with the intention of eating breakfast before catching the train. Yelp offered reviews of several restaurants, but we choose the Everett Street Diner because of the local police cars and five Harley Davidsons that were parked outside its entrance. Outside of New Orleans, it offered the best breakfast we’d had to date, and it was certainly the best price.

The 4 hour round trip train ride wound through narrow passages, crossing the Appalachian Trail and Lake Fontana (which is a dull murky green color due to the copper deposits at its bottom), and along the Nantahala River.

The river’s most challenging rapids are along the Nantahala Outdoor Center where the 2013 U.S. Olympic kayak freestyle team trained.

We also found it interesting that the water flows along this section of the Nantahala are slowed to a trickle each evening by an upstream dam.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park ~ Deep Creek

Trey spotted a national park sign as we were leaving Bryson City and decided to follow it. Stumbling across the Deep Creek area of the park was a great addition to what was already a full day.

Deep Creek Section of Smoky Mountain Nat'l Park — Deep Creek Section of Smoky Mountain Nat’l Park

We followed two of the three trailheads accessible from the parking lot and leading to separate waterfalls.

Deep Creek, Smoky Mountains National Park — Deep Creek, Smoky Mountains National
Park

We also loved watching the tubers navigate through the creek’s rocks and currents and found ourselves wishing that we had our bicycles to further explore the parks paved pathways. We did end up returning to the park with our bikes later in the week.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Upon finally leaving the Bryson City area, we decided to loop 10 miles out of our way to check out Cherokee, North Carolina, despite plans to visit it the coming weekend. It is the headquarters of the Eastern Band of Cherokees – the band of Cherokees that broke with the Cherokee Nation prior to removal (The Trail of Tears).

We simply drove through the city and made mental notes of places we wanted to visit on our return. I had recalled that Cherokee was the western end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the 469 limited access national park road that cuts through and along the top of the Blue Ridge range of the Appalachian Mountains from eastern North Carolina to northwestern Virginia.

Since a quick check on Google maps showed that returning to Asheville via the Blue Ridge Parkway would add only 16 miles to our trip, we decided to do such that and add to the day’s adventures.

Light rain started falling as we entered the parkway at milepost 469, and fell off and on at varying strengths throughout the three hour drive limiting the vistas, but not to the extent that we were not completely impressed and in awe of the surrounding beauty. However, the clouds that sat at higher elevations kept our eyes keenly focused on the only thing visible – the road’s stripes keeping us in our lane.

Despite the occasional nervousness of the drive we foraged through bypassing several opportunities to escape to the lower elevations of state and interstate highways, arriving safely back in Asheville as the sun set.

Fishing and Drawing on the French Broad River

The French Broad winds through and around Asheville and is dotted with “river parks” designated as fishing, swimming, and water craft areas. Trey tried out his casting skills at two such parks but the fish were not biting those days. I took advantage of the scenery and good weather to do some sketching – something I very much enjoyed in my much younger, and less scheduled, days.

Sketch of he Blue Ridge Parkway over the French Broad River

Voices of the Cherokee Festival

We returned to Cherokee, North Carolina for the Eastern Band’s annual festival celebrating their heritage, stories, art and culture. We particularly enjoyed a story about the examples we set for our children in the way we care for aging parents, probably because it “hit close to home” for both of us.

Similar to Austin’s painted guitar sculptures, Cherokee has bears – (Sequoyah)

The story of why there is an Eastern Band of Cherokee is told at the museum and it describes how, after initially and legally avoiding the forced march west, the band persevered through continued removal efforts through various legal means and also by simply hiding in caves among the Smoky Mountains.

Food & Father’s Day

Like everywhere we’ve traveled and will visit, the Asheville area is not short of amazing local fare. The Everett Street diner was relegated to second best breakfast since New Orleans on Father’s Day when, at the recommendation of a friend, we brunched at the Stoney Knob Café in Weaverville.

Our delightful server at Stoney Knob, Emily, elaborated on President Obama’s plans — she had heard that not only is he moving to Asheville, but that he also plans to follow his passion for craft beer by opening a brewery.

Mountain Trout, Genny's, Chimney Rock, NC — Mountain Trout, Genny’s, Chimney Rock, NC

We also enjoyed Tupelo Honey Café in Hendersonville, a streamside lunch at Genny’s Family Restaurant in Chimney Rock Village, and paninis and cherry pie at the West End Bakery in West Asheville.

Trey took some time on his own to play golf on Father’s day at a municipal course close to where we were staying. He reported that the course is well laid out and a fun course with a challenging back 9, but he was particularly impressed with the price – a total of $64 for the green fee, clubs, a cart, 5 balls, a bag of tees, and a golf glove.

We thoroughly enjoyed our week in the Asheville area and left it with the feeling that it is a community that offers everything we think we’ll be seeking after our travels, with one notable exception — family.

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