Shippensburg, PA
From Indianapolis to Shippensburg is about a nine-hour drive, so we got an early start from Indianapolis, ,and arrived, as usual, in time for happy hour. My brother, Ed; wife, Mary; and son, Scott moved here about two years ago from Springfield, VA to be closer to Mary’s family and to return to the area where they both grew up. They have a nice house in a quiet neighborhood and have enjoyed converting a large sunroom into a home theater, with multi-level seating, a huge screen and even a popcorn machine.
Ed is my younger brother, by eight years, (he’s the youngest of five) and we grew up in Greencastle, PA (about 20 miles south of Shippensburg. Mary grew up in Chambersburg (just 10 miles north of Greencastle) and they lived for several years in Los Angeles before moving to Virginia. Scott just finished his first year of college and is interested in theater, particularly backstage sound and lighting. Scott cooked a nice shrimp stir-fry dinner for us and we spent the rest of the evening talking about family and catching up on each of our lives.
This area hasn’t changed much since I moved away in the early sixties and I particularly like the unique foods that are available in this part of the country. On our way out of town we stopped at an Amish market and I purchased several of my favorite foods: sticky buns, shoo-fly pie, farmer cheese, Gibble’s chips, and dried chipped beef for making creamed chipped beef (better known as s.o.s.). Since we’re continuing to travel, I took these things to share with our friends, Bob and Fiona, at our next stop in upstate New York.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
It was a short drive from Columbus and we arrived in time for happy hour and a nice dinner with my cousin Pat, her husband John, and my aunt, Ginny. It’s been four years since I saw them when we drove cross country for our move to San Diego. Pat is my only cousin and the daughter of my father’s brother, George.
Ginny, George and Pat lived in Hagerstown, MD when I was growing up about ten miles away in Greencastle, PA. We didn’t spend a lot of time together but in the last few years we’ve gotten to know each other better through email messages. We spent a lot of time this visit reminiscing about what we remember (or have forgotten) about family members, and trying to piece together bits and pieces about our ancestry. Aunt Ginny turned 90 this past February and contributed some information about what she remembers about those years. Pat & John’s daughter Margaret, lives next door with her husband, Andy, and son and younger daughter. Their older daughter, Katie, and husband have a two-month-old daughter, Megan, who they brought over for me to hold and ooh and aah over. What a little cutie she is. So now there are five generations of women in that family - Ginny, Pat, Margaret, Katie and Megan. Pat & John’s son, Darren, (who owns Polaris Grill) lives with his family in Columbus.
The next day, we went on a nice tour of downtown Indianapolis and spent the afternoon touring the Indiana State (19th state in the Union) Museum, including a delicious lunch at the tea room which is an elegant recreation of the old L. S. Ayres department store tea room that operated from 1905 to 1990. I had to try their specialty, the Chicken Velvet Soup which was fantastic. The museum has exhibits depicting the Ice Age to the 21st century - from the days of the mastodon to the days of the Indianapolis Colts. The exterior is made of rough cut native Indiana limestone. Next to the canal, eight brass whistles on a steam clock mark each quarter hour with a selection from "Back Home Again in Indiana." We enjoyed learning about the history of Indiana, it’s part in the space race and some very interesting art exhibits.
It was a short drive from Columbus and we arrived in time for happy hour and a nice dinner with my cousin Pat, her husband John, and my aunt, Ginny. It’s been four years since I saw them when we drove cross country for our move to San Diego. Pat is my only cousin and the daughter of my father’s brother, George.
Ginny, George and Pat lived in Hagerstown, MD when I was growing up about ten miles away in Greencastle, PA. We didn’t spend a lot of time together but in the last few years we’ve gotten to know each other better through email messages. We spent a lot of time this visit reminiscing about what we remember (or have forgotten) about family members, and trying to piece together bits and pieces about our ancestry. Aunt Ginny turned 90 this past February and contributed some information about what she remembers about those years. Pat & John’s daughter Margaret, lives next door with her husband, Andy, and son and younger daughter. Their older daughter, Katie, and husband have a two-month-old daughter, Megan, who they brought over for me to hold and ooh and aah over. What a little cutie she is. So now there are five generations of women in that family - Ginny, Pat, Margaret, Katie and Megan. Pat & John’s son, Darren, (who owns Polaris Grill) lives with his family in Columbus.
The next day, we went on a nice tour of downtown Indianapolis and spent the afternoon touring the Indiana State (19th state in the Union) Museum, including a delicious lunch at the tea room which is an elegant recreation of the old L. S. Ayres department store tea room that operated from 1905 to 1990. I had to try their specialty, the Chicken Velvet Soup which was fantastic. The museum has exhibits depicting the Ice Age to the 21st century - from the days of the mastodon to the days of the Indianapolis Colts. The exterior is made of rough cut native Indiana limestone. Next to the canal, eight brass whistles on a steam clock mark each quarter hour with a selection from "Back Home Again in Indiana." We enjoyed learning about the history of Indiana, it’s part in the space race and some very interesting art exhibits.
Pat is a very good cook and had planned our meals in advance so that we could spend time visiting and a minimum amount of time in the kitchen. Pat and I expressed regret that we hadn’t been in touch enough over the past years and hope that we’ll now continue to spend time together when our travels and schedules allow. In the meantime, email will be a great way to communicate.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
We left Annapolis and headed west to visit family in Columbus. Since we last visited, several years ago, two more families have located here. Our sister-in-law, who we stayed with, moved a year and a half ago when she lost her home in New Orleans to Hurricane Katrina. She got out the day before the hurricane hit and made the decision not to return to a city that will be under construction for the next ten years or more. She’s now happily settled in a very nice townhouse on a pretty street, convenient to shopping, church, restaurants, etc. Her friend, Phil, has also relocated here (he from Colorado) where he could no longer live due to the altitude and is enjoying it as well.
Other family in Columbus include our niece Vicki, husband Steve, son Chris and wife Chelsea, and son Tim (who is home after two tours of duty in Iraq). Also here is niece Karen, husband Jose and their two children Jacob and Mara. The day before we arrived, another niece, Linda, husband Rick and son Eric arrived from New Orleans and moved into their home in Columbus. They were also displaced by Hurricane Katrina and tried to remain in New Orleans but realized it’s no place to raise a teenager. They still have no parks or organized sports for the kids and not even a bowling alley or movie theater. The schools have suffered and have a shortage of teachers and it’s difficult to have a consistent medical doctor. Barbara’s son Todd and his family are still living in the New Orleans area but their home was not in the area that was flooded.
Our first night in Columbus, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Polaris Grill which is owned by Darren Greene who is my cousin’s son (I believe that’s my first cousin once removed?) He found time to come by our table for a chat and also sent over a fabulous desert "sampler" which we thoroughly enjoyed.
The next day Barbara and Phil gave us a great tour of the city. We particularly enjoyed an area called German Village where Tim just bought a house. That afternoon we went to Vicky and Steve’s for a Memorial Day picnic in their yard, (with all the traditional picnic foods: burgers, brats, potato salad, corn, fruit and three desserts!) and we loved catching up with what everyone has been doing. We don’t see each other often but when we do, we never run out of things to talk about.
Next stop - Indianapolis.
We left Annapolis and headed west to visit family in Columbus. Since we last visited, several years ago, two more families have located here. Our sister-in-law, who we stayed with, moved a year and a half ago when she lost her home in New Orleans to Hurricane Katrina. She got out the day before the hurricane hit and made the decision not to return to a city that will be under construction for the next ten years or more. She’s now happily settled in a very nice townhouse on a pretty street, convenient to shopping, church, restaurants, etc. Her friend, Phil, has also relocated here (he from Colorado) where he could no longer live due to the altitude and is enjoying it as well.
Other family in Columbus include our niece Vicki, husband Steve, son Chris and wife Chelsea, and son Tim (who is home after two tours of duty in Iraq). Also here is niece Karen, husband Jose and their two children Jacob and Mara. The day before we arrived, another niece, Linda, husband Rick and son Eric arrived from New Orleans and moved into their home in Columbus. They were also displaced by Hurricane Katrina and tried to remain in New Orleans but realized it’s no place to raise a teenager. They still have no parks or organized sports for the kids and not even a bowling alley or movie theater. The schools have suffered and have a shortage of teachers and it’s difficult to have a consistent medical doctor. Barbara’s son Todd and his family are still living in the New Orleans area but their home was not in the area that was flooded.
Our first night in Columbus, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Polaris Grill which is owned by Darren Greene who is my cousin’s son (I believe that’s my first cousin once removed?) He found time to come by our table for a chat and also sent over a fabulous desert "sampler" which we thoroughly enjoyed.
The next day Barbara and Phil gave us a great tour of the city. We particularly enjoyed an area called German Village where Tim just bought a house. That afternoon we went to Vicky and Steve’s for a Memorial Day picnic in their yard, (with all the traditional picnic foods: burgers, brats, potato salad, corn, fruit and three desserts!) and we loved catching up with what everyone has been doing. We don’t see each other often but when we do, we never run out of things to talk about.
Next stop - Indianapolis.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Charming Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
Our stay in Annapolis has been one celebration after another. What a fun capital city this is.
Our arrival on Mother’s Day, began our two weeks of celebrating. A gift had arrived from Julie, and Doug took me out for a nice dinner at Maria’s, one of our favorite restaurants here.
Well, we’ve lucked out again with our accommodations. We’re staying in a wonderful old colonial home right in the heart of downtown Annapolis which means we can walk to restaurants, church, theater, art galleries and shops. This charming old home was gutted and completely renovated and decorated just the way I would have done it. It’s going to be tough leaving here, we’ve become so comfortable. The owners, Genevieve and Bill, live on the top floor and we’ve become fast friends. We have so much in common - they’ve been live-aboard boaters, love traveling to Europe, are artists (they own Annapolis Pottery) and enjoy fine food and wine. When we get together, we never run out of things to talk about. They’re coming for dinner this evening for "our last night ashore."
It didn’t take us long to settle in here and we’ve enjoyed visiting our many favorite restaurants and watering holes: McGarvey’s Pub, Maria’s Italian, Harry Browne’s, Carols Creek Café, Chick & Ruth’s Deli,and some new ones - Ying Yankee and Severn River Inn. There’s also a wonderful book store/coffee shop at Harbor Circle and a nice little breakfast spot near the Academy grounds.
On Wednesday, the 16th, I celebrated my birthday and was shocked and surprised when Julie showed up! She flew in from Phoenix so that we could celebrate our birthdays together (hers is the 17th) and stayed until Saturday. We have a habit of staying up until about 3:00 a.m.the first night we’re together and this time we said "We’re not staying up until 3:00 tonight." Well, we didn’t. We stayed up until 4:00. We did sleep in a bit the next morning and had a relaxing day of shopping. On Friday, Julie’s friend (bridesmaid), Karen, drove over from D.C. and we went out for a feast of hard-shelled crabs at Buddy’s Crabs & Ribs. It was the best birthday surprise I’ve ever had.
We attended a nice service at St. Mary's Episcopal Church and enjoyed a wonderful champagne brunch at Harry Browne's restaurant on Church Circle. Later that afternoon we stopped by Aurora Gallery for a wine reception and show featuring the work of seriographer Jeanne Norton Hammett who very graciously talked us through the process of silkscreen, screenprint and serigraph. We would like to have purchased a piece of hers but at this time we don't have a wall to hang anything on. It's a challenge being nomadic.
Seeing all the boats here in the harbor and out on the Bay brings back many wonderful memories of our boating years. We talked to a boat broker but never quite went so far as to look at any boats to buy. It is sometimes tempting.
We spent one day last week being tourists in D.C. The morning was devoted to the West Wing of the National Gallery of Art and we concentrated on works by European artists Rembrandt, Bellini, Raphael, Jan van Eyck, Rubens and my favorite, Vermeer. I particularly love the painting of the Girl with the Flute. Karen met us at lunch time and gave us a wonderful tour of the area with an eye towards the best places to live based on safety, access to metro line, shops, etc. The International Spy Museum more than took care of the rest of the day. It’s a new museum and very well done. It’s a hands-on tour of the "invisible profession" that has shaped history and continues to impact world events every day. It houses the world’s largest collection of espionage artifacts, weapons, disguises and surveillance and portrays spying from biblical times to the present. It was absolutely fascinating! We stayed three hours and could have easily stayed another hour, but wanted to have an early dinner and get our car out of the lot before it closed at 7:00.
Our stay here happened to coincide with Commissioning Week at the Naval Academy so there are lots of people in town and lots of celebrations going on. Thursday, the Blue Angels put on a fabulous air show, which we watched from the Academy grounds. It’s certainly convenient that we chose to stay downtown because driving and parking this week is all but impossible. Our "landlords" Genevieve & Bill, asked if we’d like to get together for dinner Thursday and said they’d arrange for us to eat somewhere we hadn’t yet been. We met at their house for a drink at 6:00 and learned that dinner would be at their place. The next thing we knew it was after midnight and we were still talking. What fun.
Last evening we enjoyed Doug’s birthday gift to me - two tickets to a production of "Godspell" at the outdoor Annapolis Little Theater. What a great cast - young, talented and very enthusiastic. After the show, we walked to O’Brien’s for a nightcap but were met with a very smoky, loud atmosphere and walked back out. The manager caught up with us on the street and suggested we might like "The Treaty of Paris," a small bar at the Maryland Inn so we made our way there and it was perfect. The bartender, Peanut, took great care of us and it wasn’t long until we’d met everyone at the bar. Allison, from Vero Beach, FL and her brother Peter involved us in their discussion relative to his recent (within minutes) announcement that he was getting married on Tuesday. Allison is strictly opposed to the marriage for a variety of reasons and everyone at the bar, including Peanut had an opportunity to provide advice. The next thing we knew it was 1:00 a.m. (I don’t know what happens with time here). We all exchanged cards and promised to be friends forever and keep in touch. We certainly are meeting interesting people on our travels.
The weather, approaching Memorial Day, is absolutely gorgeous. Warm and sunny - not yet hot and humid. Tomorrow we’re off to Columbus, Ohio (to visit family), then Indianapolis (more family), then Pennsylvania (yet more family) and finally Upstate New York (friends and family), before heading over to the Berkshires where we’ll stay at a B&B and visit with friends, Richard & Pauline.
Stay tuned and we’ll take you along.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Wild and wonderful Outer Banks
The Outer Banks
After Florida visits to family (niece Cathy, husband Tony and two-year-old Emily in Tampa), our long-time friend, Beverly in New Smyrna Beach, and boating friends Sue & Dick Stark in Merritt Island, we made an overnight stop in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and reached Duck, North Carolina on the 29th of April.
Early May is an ideal time to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Another favorite is September - both being slightly "off season" when the weather is beautiful but there are few tourists. The natural beauty of this 130-mile stretch of islands and landscape of natural sand dunes is what draws most people here. You can visit the site where, more than 100 years ago, the Wright Brothers flew their plane over the sand at a place called Kill Devil Hills, and even take a flight of your own across the dunes at the only hang gliding school in the country at Jockey’s Ridge. We climbed the large dune and the view from the top of the ridge is spectacular - to the east, the waves of the Atlantic break upon the beaches and to the west, the dune line slopes gradually to the open waters of Roanoke Sound. Orville and Wilbur discovered that "The image from the top is like from some other world - nothing but sand and wind and sun - no trees, no grass - just a hilly desert". The only change is that now the dune is covered in grass and a type of cactus groundcover to stop erosion. This is a great place for kite flying and you see all shapes and sizes, as there’s a constant breeze. .
Each part of the Outer Banks has its own beauty, wildlife and history. Artists have always been drawn to the Outer Banks and inspired by the natural beauty and there work can be found in the many galleries located here. The northernmost beaches, north of Kitty Hawk and Southern Shores (including where we’re staying in Duck) were the final frontier of the northern islands to be tamed and much of it remains unspoiled. There are beautiful secluded (this time of year) beaches and protected soundside land. There are also now country clubs, huge mansions, restaurants and shops; where it was not long ago very sparsely populated. The big growth began when the road was paved from Kittly Hawk north to Corolla. Prior to that you had to drive on the beach to get to these areas. We drove through Corolla, as far north as the road goes, and you can only continue on by driving on the beach with a four-wheel drive vehicle. The land actually connects with Virginia but it’s not legal to drive across the border as it is a Virginia State Park. One of the most famous attractions, at the most northern end of the islands, are the wild horses that have run free on the beaches for more than 400 years. They are decendents of Spanish mustangs and are protected in a refuge north of Corolla where you can take an off-road excursion to see them.
Along the soundside of the Outer Banks shoreline, a wide variety of marsh grasses and vegetation protect various types of waterfowl. I’ve heard you can also see deer, raccoon, fox and possum or their tracks in the early-morning sand but, not being a morning person, I’ll probably miss that experience.
I try to imagine how this area must have looked when my parents spent their honeymoon here in 1930. There were just two hotels and a sprinkling of beach cottages. My first visit was in 1965 when I brought my parents here to revisit the area for the first time in thirty five years and they were amazed at the growth. They wouldn’t recognize it at all if they saw it today - especially during the height of the summer season.
Not every visitor to the Outer Banks was lured by sun, surf and beaches. Some were victims of pirates, wreckers and privateers; others were washed ashore when nor’easters and hurricanes broke their vessels on the shoals. For over four hundred years, the waters off the Outer Banks have been among the most dangerous in the world - so many ships and lives have been lost, these waters are known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic." Except for the lighthouses, all has been wiped out by hurricanes, tides, salvaging and looting. There’s a great museum that covers the history of the Outer Banks’s - exploration, transportation and commerce.
We’re enjoying our beach-front cottage here overlooking the Atlantic and falling asleep to the sound of the surf. The weather has been mixed - starting with temperatures in the 80's during the day and 70's at night and a few days later plunging to the 60's with high winds and seas, and ending with temperatures again in the 80's which allowed for a few more beach days before we leave. We love it all! We particularly enjoy the local seafood markets and preparing soft-shell crabs (as long as they clean them and "cut their faces off"), fresh shrimp and wonderful lump crab meat for homemade crab cakes.
During the first week of our visit here, we drove over to Hertford, a small town near Edenton (not a big city either) to visit our long-time friends Margi & Phil Wynn who live in a community called Albermarle Plantation. Margi and I have been friends since the early 60s when we were members of Beta Sigma Phi sorority. She’s a wonderful artist and I took my first art classes from her when we both lived in Northern Virginia. They took us on a tour of the area and their daughter, Jennifer, joined us for lunch in historic Edenton which was once the capital of colonial North Carolina. It was great being with them again.
Edenton was a major shipping port until the early 1800s when the Dismal Swamp Canal diverted commerce north to Norfolk, Virginia. Now it’s a quaint, beautifully restored small town with beautiful old homes on tree-lined streets. We had planned to take the trolley tour around town but unfortunately the trolley driver was not working, due to a death in the family, and they had no backup driver. Back at their place, we took a pontoon boat ride around the waterway where they live. The next day, they came back with us and we stopped in Manteo to visit the Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island, where we saw gorgeous azaleas, rhododendron, tulips, roses, impatiens and many more too numerous and unknown to mention.
The first Europeans to arrive at Roanoke Island were members of Sir Walter Raleigh’s expeditions of the late1500s when it was inhabited by Algonquian Indians. This is where Virginia Dare was born (the first white person born in the colonies) just a few months after her parents (members of "the lost colony") arrived here from London. I just finished reading a fascinating book entitled "Roanoke - Solving the mystery of the Lost Colony" by Lee Miller, who resurrects the events leading up to the disappearance of a group of colonists who came here in 1587.
I have been inspired by the sea, sand and flowers of this area and it’s reflected in the scarves I’ve been painting. We’ve had a couple of cool, cloudy days that are not suited for being on the beach, so we spend our time painting and reading and just enjoying the quiet beauty of this spot.
One of our last evenings here is spent with our friend, Sara Tyler, who moved here full-time and built a charming house in Southern Shores, seven years ago. We met at her house for cocktails and, in addition to meeting her two dogs Lady and Harry, we met her neighbors Carolyn and Chuck who live in northern Virginia but also own the house across the street from Sara. Chuck is retired Army and is now retiring from a DOD job at the Pentagon. Carolyn has a degree in Fine Arts from Cororan and shows her work at several galleries in Virginia and Maryland. We had a lot in common to talk about and I hope to see some of her paintings while we’re up that way. We went on to a nice dinner at the Black Pelican and by the end of the evening had exchanged phone numbers and email address and promised to keep in touch. It’s amazing how many wonderful people we’re meeting along the way this year.
After Florida visits to family (niece Cathy, husband Tony and two-year-old Emily in Tampa), our long-time friend, Beverly in New Smyrna Beach, and boating friends Sue & Dick Stark in Merritt Island, we made an overnight stop in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and reached Duck, North Carolina on the 29th of April.
Early May is an ideal time to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Another favorite is September - both being slightly "off season" when the weather is beautiful but there are few tourists. The natural beauty of this 130-mile stretch of islands and landscape of natural sand dunes is what draws most people here. You can visit the site where, more than 100 years ago, the Wright Brothers flew their plane over the sand at a place called Kill Devil Hills, and even take a flight of your own across the dunes at the only hang gliding school in the country at Jockey’s Ridge. We climbed the large dune and the view from the top of the ridge is spectacular - to the east, the waves of the Atlantic break upon the beaches and to the west, the dune line slopes gradually to the open waters of Roanoke Sound. Orville and Wilbur discovered that "The image from the top is like from some other world - nothing but sand and wind and sun - no trees, no grass - just a hilly desert". The only change is that now the dune is covered in grass and a type of cactus groundcover to stop erosion. This is a great place for kite flying and you see all shapes and sizes, as there’s a constant breeze. .
Each part of the Outer Banks has its own beauty, wildlife and history. Artists have always been drawn to the Outer Banks and inspired by the natural beauty and there work can be found in the many galleries located here. The northernmost beaches, north of Kitty Hawk and Southern Shores (including where we’re staying in Duck) were the final frontier of the northern islands to be tamed and much of it remains unspoiled. There are beautiful secluded (this time of year) beaches and protected soundside land. There are also now country clubs, huge mansions, restaurants and shops; where it was not long ago very sparsely populated. The big growth began when the road was paved from Kittly Hawk north to Corolla. Prior to that you had to drive on the beach to get to these areas. We drove through Corolla, as far north as the road goes, and you can only continue on by driving on the beach with a four-wheel drive vehicle. The land actually connects with Virginia but it’s not legal to drive across the border as it is a Virginia State Park. One of the most famous attractions, at the most northern end of the islands, are the wild horses that have run free on the beaches for more than 400 years. They are decendents of Spanish mustangs and are protected in a refuge north of Corolla where you can take an off-road excursion to see them.
Along the soundside of the Outer Banks shoreline, a wide variety of marsh grasses and vegetation protect various types of waterfowl. I’ve heard you can also see deer, raccoon, fox and possum or their tracks in the early-morning sand but, not being a morning person, I’ll probably miss that experience.
I try to imagine how this area must have looked when my parents spent their honeymoon here in 1930. There were just two hotels and a sprinkling of beach cottages. My first visit was in 1965 when I brought my parents here to revisit the area for the first time in thirty five years and they were amazed at the growth. They wouldn’t recognize it at all if they saw it today - especially during the height of the summer season.
Not every visitor to the Outer Banks was lured by sun, surf and beaches. Some were victims of pirates, wreckers and privateers; others were washed ashore when nor’easters and hurricanes broke their vessels on the shoals. For over four hundred years, the waters off the Outer Banks have been among the most dangerous in the world - so many ships and lives have been lost, these waters are known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic." Except for the lighthouses, all has been wiped out by hurricanes, tides, salvaging and looting. There’s a great museum that covers the history of the Outer Banks’s - exploration, transportation and commerce.
We’re enjoying our beach-front cottage here overlooking the Atlantic and falling asleep to the sound of the surf. The weather has been mixed - starting with temperatures in the 80's during the day and 70's at night and a few days later plunging to the 60's with high winds and seas, and ending with temperatures again in the 80's which allowed for a few more beach days before we leave. We love it all! We particularly enjoy the local seafood markets and preparing soft-shell crabs (as long as they clean them and "cut their faces off"), fresh shrimp and wonderful lump crab meat for homemade crab cakes.
During the first week of our visit here, we drove over to Hertford, a small town near Edenton (not a big city either) to visit our long-time friends Margi & Phil Wynn who live in a community called Albermarle Plantation. Margi and I have been friends since the early 60s when we were members of Beta Sigma Phi sorority. She’s a wonderful artist and I took my first art classes from her when we both lived in Northern Virginia. They took us on a tour of the area and their daughter, Jennifer, joined us for lunch in historic Edenton which was once the capital of colonial North Carolina. It was great being with them again.
Edenton was a major shipping port until the early 1800s when the Dismal Swamp Canal diverted commerce north to Norfolk, Virginia. Now it’s a quaint, beautifully restored small town with beautiful old homes on tree-lined streets. We had planned to take the trolley tour around town but unfortunately the trolley driver was not working, due to a death in the family, and they had no backup driver. Back at their place, we took a pontoon boat ride around the waterway where they live. The next day, they came back with us and we stopped in Manteo to visit the Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island, where we saw gorgeous azaleas, rhododendron, tulips, roses, impatiens and many more too numerous and unknown to mention.
The first Europeans to arrive at Roanoke Island were members of Sir Walter Raleigh’s expeditions of the late1500s when it was inhabited by Algonquian Indians. This is where Virginia Dare was born (the first white person born in the colonies) just a few months after her parents (members of "the lost colony") arrived here from London. I just finished reading a fascinating book entitled "Roanoke - Solving the mystery of the Lost Colony" by Lee Miller, who resurrects the events leading up to the disappearance of a group of colonists who came here in 1587.
I have been inspired by the sea, sand and flowers of this area and it’s reflected in the scarves I’ve been painting. We’ve had a couple of cool, cloudy days that are not suited for being on the beach, so we spend our time painting and reading and just enjoying the quiet beauty of this spot.
One of our last evenings here is spent with our friend, Sara Tyler, who moved here full-time and built a charming house in Southern Shores, seven years ago. We met at her house for cocktails and, in addition to meeting her two dogs Lady and Harry, we met her neighbors Carolyn and Chuck who live in northern Virginia but also own the house across the street from Sara. Chuck is retired Army and is now retiring from a DOD job at the Pentagon. Carolyn has a degree in Fine Arts from Cororan and shows her work at several galleries in Virginia and Maryland. We had a lot in common to talk about and I hope to see some of her paintings while we’re up that way. We went on to a nice dinner at the Black Pelican and by the end of the evening had exchanged phone numbers and email address and promised to keep in touch. It’s amazing how many wonderful people we’re meeting along the way this year.
Monday, April 23, 2007
A Week In The Bahamas
We arrived at Marsh Harbor at 10 AM (just a one-hour flight from Ft.Lauderdale) and were not surprised to find the tiny little airport terminal had not changed at all from our visit five years ago. That visit, in 2002, was the first time we had flown into Marsh Harbor - having always arrived on our own boat. We spent a week on that visit scouting it out as a destination for my 60th birthday party celebration to be held the following year. For those of you not in attendance, I'll just say that it was the best birthday celebration ever! We had 45 friends and family staying in cottages and on boats and we partied all week.
But, back to our arrival this time. After quickly clearing Customs, claiming our luggage, and going thru immigration, we immediately caught a cab at 10:20 and made our way (there's no speeding in the islands) to catch the 10:30 Hope Town Ferry with a very relaxed two minutes to spare - for our 20 minute ride to Hope Town. There are no cars on Hope Town (and no airport) so the only way to arrive is by ferry and they're so accommodating to locals and tourists alike - more so than we could have immagined which we learned a few days later.
The feery captain called the Turtle Hill office that manages the cottages we had reserved so they would know to meet us at the dock and take us to our cottage.
This trip was initiated by Doug's daughter, Dawn, and originally was intended to be a "girls week" but there was additional space so Doug was invited to join us. (He was nicknamed "Daddy-O" by all the girls) There are nine of us, in two villas, with a pool between us and a bar/restaurant at the beach end. We're steps from the beach and can hear the roar of the surf and enjoy a wonderful sea breeze. There's an incredibly beautiful powdery, white sand beach with gentle waves and crystal clear turquoise water which is a perfect 75 degrees this time of year. We've been very fortunate to have warm sunny days with just a few showers at night.
We were the first to arrive, followed two hours later by our niece, Vicki, from Columbus, Ohio and her friend, Lynn. They informed us that their two friends, Cynthia and Heather, were still at the airport waiting for their luggage. We also learned that Dawn and her two friends Nancy and Tanya were also waiting for luggage and had gone off grocery shopping until the next flight came in. They finally gave up on the luggage and caught the ferry to Hope Town to start relaxing in this tropical paradise. Without going into all the grueling details, the luggage arrived in Marsh Harbor and was sent over to Hope Town Monday afternoon (I'm not sure why they didn't need to go back to the airport to clear their luggage thru customs, but we just accepted the way of the islands). Now the girls could start wearing their array of swimsuits and cute outfits, shoes and jewelry they had spent so much time choosing to bring. We were all relieved and happy to now fully relax and enjoy the week together.
It's a short walk into town but our villas also came with two golf carts which are fun to drive aroound the island.
No cars, or even golf carts, are allowed downtown so we park at the edge of town and walk to shops and restaurants. There are two grocery stores - "the Blue Store" and "Vernon's Grocery," which has daily fresh-baked bread and the best pies - we've tried the coconut custard and the key lime. There are four gift/boutiques, an ice cream shop, two restaurants (downtown), a post office, tiny fire department, small museum, two churches, two fish markets, and a liquor store. That's about it. For anything else, you take the ferry to Marsh Harbor. There's a hotel, Hope Town Harbor Lodge, near the "downtown" area and a few more restaurants a short golf cart ride south.
We tend to go out to eat half the time and eat in half. The first night, Doug and I served a Bahamian dinner of cracked conch, boiled red potatoes and salad, with coconut pie for dessert. In the island tradition,we've been consuming a variety of rum drinks at the bars and creatively prepared at home.
One of the highlights of the week was an all-day boat trip of snorkeling at Sandy Key, (a wonderful coral reef with lots of very colorful tropical fish) and a visit to Little Harbor. We visited a foundry where Pete Johnson and his trained artsists create beautiful bronze sculptures using the lost art of wax molds and sand casting. We lunched at Pete's Pub - a very rustic and colorful outdoor "restaurant" literally on the beach, and had time to explore the beautiful beach areas. On the boat trip back, we anchored in a shallow area with a white sand bottom where we could dive down and pick up sand dollars and sea biscuits from the bottom. There were also star fish (whicih are alive and cannot be taken) and we saw a nurse shark swimming nearby. It was a great day!
For a little bit of history: Hope Town is a quaint New England style 18th century village with pastel colored cottages dotting the eastern shore, reminiscent of colonial times. On the opposite side of the boat-filled harbor is the famous 120-foot tall candy-striped lighthouse which is a favorite subject of artists and photographers. The 101 step climb is worth the effort to enjoy a breathtaking view of Elbow Cay's sheltered harbor and the nearby Parrot Cays. The lighthouse was built in 1862 and is still operated by a kerosene light that slashes every 15 seconds. You can only get to the lighthouse by boat but the ferry captain will drop you off and pick you up an hour later.
There are just two streets in Hope Town,Front Street and Back Street, and no traffic lights. The speed limit is just 30 mph and no one seems to be in a hurry.
The museum is named for Wyannie Malone, a loyalist who arrived from Charleston, S.C. in 1785 with her four children. At that time sponging was one of the major exports from the Bahamas. Now the major crop here is tourism. A recent line of products, containing veem, is becoming quite popular. The seeds were brought here from India and the trees grow well in this climate. I bought some of the shampoo and body wash and it's quite nice.
Two of the women in our group - code names "Cyn" and "Boob" went snorkeling off the beach adjacent to the Hope Town Harbor Lodge where we were told there was a nice reef with lots of fish. They swam out to the reef and saw three or four baracuda. They weren't too startled because they were told there was a school of them out there. Well, Cyn was in the lead with Boob right behind, feeling a little nervous, when they saw a wall of hundreds of baracuda. Now they were all around them and much larger than they had expected - plus a very large mamma cuda was lurking just above them keep ing a watch on "the kids." Boob became scared and turned and started swimming as fast as she could to shore. But, halfway there she realixed she'd left Cyn behind. She looked back to see that Cyn had turned into a little motor boat of churning arms and legs swimming as fast as she could to get out of there. they arrived safely at shore and went back the next day and had a different experience but their original story was much better.
All in all, it was a very good trip. We all ended up with nicknames which originated from various stories and revelations. I'll list them here but won't attribute them to any one in particular: Flo, Ho, Pot, Quack, Wicky, Ticky, Cyn (or Sin), O and Boob. There was talk of having a reunion somewhere next year. We'll see.
It was good to spend a week, as Jimmy Buttet says, "wastin' away again in Margaritaville".
But, back to our arrival this time. After quickly clearing Customs, claiming our luggage, and going thru immigration, we immediately caught a cab at 10:20 and made our way (there's no speeding in the islands) to catch the 10:30 Hope Town Ferry with a very relaxed two minutes to spare - for our 20 minute ride to Hope Town. There are no cars on Hope Town (and no airport) so the only way to arrive is by ferry and they're so accommodating to locals and tourists alike - more so than we could have immagined which we learned a few days later.
The feery captain called the Turtle Hill office that manages the cottages we had reserved so they would know to meet us at the dock and take us to our cottage.
This trip was initiated by Doug's daughter, Dawn, and originally was intended to be a "girls week" but there was additional space so Doug was invited to join us. (He was nicknamed "Daddy-O" by all the girls) There are nine of us, in two villas, with a pool between us and a bar/restaurant at the beach end. We're steps from the beach and can hear the roar of the surf and enjoy a wonderful sea breeze. There's an incredibly beautiful powdery, white sand beach with gentle waves and crystal clear turquoise water which is a perfect 75 degrees this time of year. We've been very fortunate to have warm sunny days with just a few showers at night.
We were the first to arrive, followed two hours later by our niece, Vicki, from Columbus, Ohio and her friend, Lynn. They informed us that their two friends, Cynthia and Heather, were still at the airport waiting for their luggage. We also learned that Dawn and her two friends Nancy and Tanya were also waiting for luggage and had gone off grocery shopping until the next flight came in. They finally gave up on the luggage and caught the ferry to Hope Town to start relaxing in this tropical paradise. Without going into all the grueling details, the luggage arrived in Marsh Harbor and was sent over to Hope Town Monday afternoon (I'm not sure why they didn't need to go back to the airport to clear their luggage thru customs, but we just accepted the way of the islands). Now the girls could start wearing their array of swimsuits and cute outfits, shoes and jewelry they had spent so much time choosing to bring. We were all relieved and happy to now fully relax and enjoy the week together.
It's a short walk into town but our villas also came with two golf carts which are fun to drive aroound the island.
No cars, or even golf carts, are allowed downtown so we park at the edge of town and walk to shops and restaurants. There are two grocery stores - "the Blue Store" and "Vernon's Grocery," which has daily fresh-baked bread and the best pies - we've tried the coconut custard and the key lime. There are four gift/boutiques, an ice cream shop, two restaurants (downtown), a post office, tiny fire department, small museum, two churches, two fish markets, and a liquor store. That's about it. For anything else, you take the ferry to Marsh Harbor. There's a hotel, Hope Town Harbor Lodge, near the "downtown" area and a few more restaurants a short golf cart ride south.
We tend to go out to eat half the time and eat in half. The first night, Doug and I served a Bahamian dinner of cracked conch, boiled red potatoes and salad, with coconut pie for dessert. In the island tradition,we've been consuming a variety of rum drinks at the bars and creatively prepared at home.
One of the highlights of the week was an all-day boat trip of snorkeling at Sandy Key, (a wonderful coral reef with lots of very colorful tropical fish) and a visit to Little Harbor. We visited a foundry where Pete Johnson and his trained artsists create beautiful bronze sculptures using the lost art of wax molds and sand casting. We lunched at Pete's Pub - a very rustic and colorful outdoor "restaurant" literally on the beach, and had time to explore the beautiful beach areas. On the boat trip back, we anchored in a shallow area with a white sand bottom where we could dive down and pick up sand dollars and sea biscuits from the bottom. There were also star fish (whicih are alive and cannot be taken) and we saw a nurse shark swimming nearby. It was a great day!
For a little bit of history: Hope Town is a quaint New England style 18th century village with pastel colored cottages dotting the eastern shore, reminiscent of colonial times. On the opposite side of the boat-filled harbor is the famous 120-foot tall candy-striped lighthouse which is a favorite subject of artists and photographers. The 101 step climb is worth the effort to enjoy a breathtaking view of Elbow Cay's sheltered harbor and the nearby Parrot Cays. The lighthouse was built in 1862 and is still operated by a kerosene light that slashes every 15 seconds. You can only get to the lighthouse by boat but the ferry captain will drop you off and pick you up an hour later.
There are just two streets in Hope Town,Front Street and Back Street, and no traffic lights. The speed limit is just 30 mph and no one seems to be in a hurry.
The museum is named for Wyannie Malone, a loyalist who arrived from Charleston, S.C. in 1785 with her four children. At that time sponging was one of the major exports from the Bahamas. Now the major crop here is tourism. A recent line of products, containing veem, is becoming quite popular. The seeds were brought here from India and the trees grow well in this climate. I bought some of the shampoo and body wash and it's quite nice.
Two of the women in our group - code names "Cyn" and "Boob" went snorkeling off the beach adjacent to the Hope Town Harbor Lodge where we were told there was a nice reef with lots of fish. They swam out to the reef and saw three or four baracuda. They weren't too startled because they were told there was a school of them out there. Well, Cyn was in the lead with Boob right behind, feeling a little nervous, when they saw a wall of hundreds of baracuda. Now they were all around them and much larger than they had expected - plus a very large mamma cuda was lurking just above them keep ing a watch on "the kids." Boob became scared and turned and started swimming as fast as she could to shore. But, halfway there she realixed she'd left Cyn behind. She looked back to see that Cyn had turned into a little motor boat of churning arms and legs swimming as fast as she could to get out of there. they arrived safely at shore and went back the next day and had a different experience but their original story was much better.
All in all, it was a very good trip. We all ended up with nicknames which originated from various stories and revelations. I'll list them here but won't attribute them to any one in particular: Flo, Ho, Pot, Quack, Wicky, Ticky, Cyn (or Sin), O and Boob. There was talk of having a reunion somewhere next year. We'll see.
It was good to spend a week, as Jimmy Buttet says, "wastin' away again in Margaritaville".
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Arriving in warm, sunny florida
We're finishing up a delightful 10 day stay in downtown Sarasota, Florida. We were fortunate fo find a small boutique hotel whith lots of urban charm. Hotel Ranola is the only hotel in the heart of downtown Sarasota. Originally built in 1926 as an apartment/hotel, it offered snowbirds an escape from harsh Northern winters. Ranola has now been revived (by a delightful young couple - Kim and Robert) and it's just what we were looking for. We booked it for ten days which would allow us time to check out the area as a possible place for our next move - after our year of travel. The outside of the building has an old look to it until you notice that the window treatments are each a different color. Inside, it's been lovingly restored to its original look and decorated in a true retro style, but with all the modern conveniences (flat screen TV, cable, wi-fi connections, i-pod receiver with adaptors and hookup, etc) The accommodations are non-smoking and feature luxury linens and pluish pillow top mattresses. It's the perfect plece for nightly or extended stays. All rooms include a sitting area, private bath and walk-in closet. There's also a full kitchen with stove, microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, cookware and utilities; and, there's a roof-top garden for reading or watching the sunset. We've enjoyed walking to many of the fine restaurants, art galleries and theater (we attended a Nana Maskouri concert at the Van Wezel theater); plus small cafes that are in convenient walking distance. Typical of Florida this time of year, we've had warm sunny days, cool sunny days, rainy days (when a front passed thru) and low and high humidity. Just the way we remember Florida when we lived here .
Easter was spent attending the Venice Presbyterian Church, followed by dinner with fourteen friends, and the rest of the afternoon, spent playing Trivial Pursuit.
We've checked out the real estate market here and discovered some very nice bay view condos in the city that are within our established price range, and have all the ammenities we've come to expect. Sarasota is still on our list of possible places to live when we finish our year of travel. We'll see. We still have lots of places to visit and lots of time to decide.
So, now we're off to the Bahamas (Hope Town in the Abacos) for a week of laid-back sun in the fun. This will be our first time to return since celebrating my big birthday there in 2003 and we're looking forward to a real beach and snorkeling fix. We're allso looking forward to the conch salad and cracked conch served with Bahamian peas & Rice, cole slaw and macaroni & cheese. The best! especially with a Bahama Mamma drink on the side.
There will be ten of us sharing two villas and we're looking forward to meet Dawn's friends that she's invited.
We'll see if I still have what it takes to stay in the water snorkeling for hours and possibly spear a fish for dinner. Perhaps we'll at least find some conch to clean and cook for dinner. As Jimmy Buffet would say, we'll be "wastin away again in Margaritaville."
No worries, mon.
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