This is mid-morning in one of the meadows of Weir’s Farm. The fields are crisscrossed with solid stone walls. There are flowers and grasses and trees that create intimate spaces to just look and breathe in the place.
Lovely Light /
Like the Roosevelt room, a wonderful place to read and listen to music. Maybe we are missing something. This is the Weir farm main room. The whole place is atmospheric - peace, tranquil and sense awakening. Easy to see why it attracted painters and other artists.
Travel Diary 8 /
Day Eight
A mixed day. We left the ocean front intending to see both New Bedford Historical Site and then Cape Cod National Seashore. Was not to be. First we had an issue with the trailer that we needed someone to look at and make an adjustment and the someone was located in Brockton -not in either location. But we dropped the trailer and headed back to New Bedford. Next, the forecast was for partial sunshine and about 75 degrees. The actual was 63 and rain. I was dressed well for the former. We did see the few open buildings at New Bedford but skipped the Whaling Museum, we had been there two or three times in the past. Enjoyed the Bethel, a seaman’s chapel and a walk in the rain on the busy wharf where they unload scallops and fish. Lots of boats. Talked to Steve who was prepping skate for lobster bait and a mechanic who worked on the heavy fishing machinery located on each vessel. We picked up the repaired trailer and went to a state park near Hingham. Very nice park. Ate and then went to a shop for internet to catch up a bit. Tomorrow, Cape Cod - and better weather we hope.
Cadillac’s Correct Viewpoint!
East, who can believe these folks. We were close enough to taste the maple syrup wafting on the breeze from Vermont and ended up along the ocean in southeast Massachusetts. Who goes east to get to Maine when you are already a mere amble to Vermont. I despair of ever seeing my cousins - not to mention ex-girlfriends. And to top off the misadventures today we spent half the time talking about whales. Worthless sea creatures who have no antlers, no hooves, an actual hole in the head and can’t play the harmonica. Well we can’t get more east, and south is the water, so North tomorrow, I think even these guides can figure that one out.
Steve getting the bait ready.
Travel Diary Seven /
Off to Connecticut. And RI and MA. We left early-ish for Weir Farm about a 60 mile drive that would take a while because of the narrow back roads. It was interesting pulling the Oliver up and around these narrow, hilly roads, rock lined lanes. Weir Farm is a National Park Service site, our 203rd! What a gorgeous place. Made even nicer by friendly and helpful rangers, Tom and Amanda in particular. It is interesting when you pull into a stone fence lined parking lot slightly wider than your trailer and find out there is only one way in and out. Thanks for your help. The farm is a gem. Stunning stone walls, red buildings, neat 18th century house, two studios and trails over the 150 or so acres. They also have an artist in residence program, go Addie! Loved this place. Then off to Roger Williams site in Providence RI. A 4.5 acre park in downtown, unit 204. Not sure how the determination is made as to what gets NPS designation. Maybe politics? No, of course not. Nice ranger at the park really knew a lot about Williams. Lunch and dinner in the trailer and settled for the night at a state park on the ocean in MA.
Cadillac’s Correct Viewpoint!
Finally we are moving and just when I think we are going to make progress we stop at, you guessed it, another house. Don’t tell my guides but this one was not too bad, nice fields and ponds. Reminds me of the Days of Ancient when we ruled this part of the world. Then commuters moved in - who can stand that. Anyway this house belonged to an artist and, of course, that being one of my outstanding qualities, I was delighted when the ranger practically begged my to put my name in for a slot in the Artist in Residence program. Modern Moose art is my forte it will be great. Oh, and guess where we ate for dinner, NO WHERE. I leave them alone and they go to the CIA - I travel and it is peanut butter. Drat. We must be in Maine by late morning tomorrow, I am confident.
Moosetastic Pond at Weir Farm
Doing Good Over Tea /
Mrs. Roosevelt was a tireless worker for causes she was passionate about and shrewd enough to accomplish things most could not. This is her preferred living space, a home created in an old factory on the property where she could live in the splendor of an amazing mansion on the Hudson. In this room on the two chairs barely seen behind the sofa, having tea, you could in 1960 see Mrs. R and JFK meeting for several hours as he sought her endorsement for the presidency, he needed her blessing. She withheld it until he agreed to champion civil rights. Because she won, America won.
“If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” Romans 12:8 NLT
Vanderbilt Lawn /
That massive house is seen from halfway across the front lawn. Really. Excess. Scores of rooms that no one would want to live in, damp, musty and huge. Most of it designed to impress guests as to the wealth one has. They did not even decorate but gave an allowance to the architect who brought back “stuff” from Europe. Not family heirlooms, not family photos or paintings, nothing personal, just old, expensive, “look what I have’ stuff. So sad.
Travel Diary Six /
Day Six
The rain from Florence has arrived. It began last night and is still raining this morning so we are glad we did the grounds at Vanderbilt Mansion yesterday. We began the morning at a neat old fashioned bakery called El Deliziosa (invented the chocolate chip cannoli) It is located in a tiny spot almost under the old railroad bridge across the Hudson. Anyway, the more they kept bringing out freshly made goodies from the back room bakery the more we lost focus. Settled on some mini pastry, cookies, biscotti and CJH’s cannoli. Then off to a tour at the Vanderbilt Mansion in heavy rain. I simply do not understand how people lived in those dark places when they could live anywhere. With his money really anywhere. Then off to the CIA, the Culinary Institute of America, for another amazing lunch, this time at the Tavern. We finished our short day with a tour of the school led by a student and she was informative and enthused.
Cadillac’s Correct Viewpoint!
So, I asked how far we would get today and found out we were going no where again. And seeing more moldy old houses. So I decided to stay here, get a nap and work on notes to my family that are missing me, I’m sure. Then I find out they ate at the CIA and a pastry shop. THAT was not part of the briefing this morning. So, I am going to bed and hope for a better outcome tomorrow.
Travel Diary Five /
We were able to leave the trailer at the campground and head north toward the tiny village of Kinderhook to Lindenwald, home of Martin Van Buren, our 8th president. You might know that if you recall your memorization of the presidents. Of course the list was a lot shorter when I learned them. The Federal style house had an added tower with inside stairs used by servants and Pres. Van Buren’s grandchildren who spent summers at the farm. The grounds are still actively farmed. The 200 plus acre farm was on the Albany to NYC Old Post Road - a very small unpaved portion is still extant in front of the house. Influential political guests often stopped by. The ranger, Ed, gave us an excellent tour. It was only Cindy and me, so a private tour. He made an obscure president from an era we know little about relevant and interesting. Yay, Ed. We also toured the grounds of the Vanderbilt mansion in Hyde Park (inside tomorrow as it is scheduled to rain) and Mrs. Roosevelt’s home, Val-Kill. Another excellent tour. Dinner at the Eveready Diner and then home.
Cindy and I split an excellent piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie from Love Apple Orchard near Kinderhook.
Cadillac’s Correct Viewpoint!
The day started with such promise, we headed North. Then as I could sense the Vermont Hills in the distance, we stopped. Not for a good reason, to visit a “president’s” home. Right like there was ever a president named Van Buren. And I could not even go in as the magnificent antlers I sport were deemed too large. A bright spot is that we stopped and had a doughnut and ice cream for lunch. Of course, we had to share. Then we were off again to yet more houses. I’ll not bore you. The worst part is that we ended up where we started. How did that happen? Will I ever get to see my cousins?
The Italian garden at the Vanderbilt Mansion.
MVB /
No, not most valuable biker. This was the home of our eighth president. Those are his initials, got it yet? He founded the Democrat party. Martin Van Buren was an interesting man and the tour of his home was extremely well done.
Travel Diary Four /
We attended church today at Collective in Frederick for their first anniversary service. The service included stories of people who now are part of Collective, and the excitement of the 300 people there was really fun to be a part of on Sunday morning. Great experience.
We then made excellent time traveling toward Scranton so we stopped at Steamtown, a NP museum in a roundhouse devoted to the era of steam train travel. It was full of huge locomotives and descriptions of how they work. We especially liked the car dedicated to the U S mail service. A quick stop with our trailer in tow at an overlook along a winding road to see a portion of the Upper Delaware Scenic River proved to be more exciting than we expected as we hit upon the local hangout for hot import cars and motorcycles. They were running fast, as in VERY, up and down the very narrow highway along the cliff overlooks. Taking a photo was a bit dicey. But we did. We then ended up Sunday night at the KOA near New Paltz, NY we had planned to stay in on Monday and Tuesday. Dinner was scrambled eggs and at 8:15 tasted wonderful.
Cadillac’s Correct Viewpoint!
Even I will admit to a very good time at the church service this morning, primarily because they had divine (ahem) cupcakes after the service, in three delicious varieties. They were homemade by Tabi and her crew. I, of course, tried all of them because making choices is not something I like. And it was nearly the first decent food I have had this entire trip. The service was also good but would have been even better with a large horn section! Also, we finally started moving north again. We had an unnecessary stop at some dead train station but finally I can feel a change in the air as we entered NY. Much closer to family.
Travel Diary Three /
Day Three
Travel distance, 14 miles! We are staying overnight at the Grace Community Church in Frederick. Today is a workday. I am working on my presentation for a conference that happens in Tennessee right after we return from this trip. CJH is working on books but slowly as the internet in SC where our bookkeeping program is hosted is very slow. Not surprisingly. We are in a nice coffee shop called the Baltimore Coffee & Tea. Really nice with amazing selection of both coffee and tea and free re-fills. Not sure what will happen for dinner but I guess it will not be too much as we are eating a great sandwich and salad here at the coffee shop.
Another Viewpoint!
What is wrong with my guides for this trip? We barely moved at all today. Maine is still as far away as it was yesterday. So, we did arrive at a decent place for dinner last night after an interminable trip through yet another battlefield. However, we ordered the special. The “special” was not a filet and, of course, that is the bare minimum order for proper steak. I’m traveling with Philistines. The single bright spot so far is that I finally have WiFi and a decent latte today.
Exhausted /
So what’s one more bad pun among friends? This locomotive was just returned to the roundhouse for the night and the smoke was still rising from the cooling process. You could feel the heat radiating from six feet away. Steamtown is a must visit for those who love trains, machinery or just a neat part of history.
Quiet Street /
Don’t want a lot of crowds, try a rainy day in mid-September, at least it worked for us. A nice street scene in Harpers Ferry WV (National Historic Park). They now charge $10 to get on a bus to arrive here. Free with a “You Are Really Old” pass. Musty buildings in need of a bit of care.
Travel Diary Two /
Day Two
We have a bonus day in the trip today. Since we are at a campground and have the trailer parked, we chose to go to visit two National Parks that we have seen but both of them long before a camera, Harpers Ferry and Antietam. They are only about 20 miles apart. Harpers Ferry is a beautiful spot and has much more history than John Brown’s Raid but that event does dominate. The weather was very dark grey and rainy; it added to the musty atmosphere of many of the old stone buildings. We thought the place needed a bit of life in the shops and exhibits. Antietam was the site of the bloodiest single day battle in America’s history until June 6, 1944. The same grey day at Harpers Ferry was actually interesting at Antietam because we visited three days from the 156th anniversary of the battle which was also reported as taking place in mist, heavy atmosphere, rain, and fog. Not ideal for photography.
Another Viewpoint!
I am so bored. Cannons! I have seen cannons in 75 states. I don’t need to see another cannon but we did. Where is the buffet? Where is the lido deck? What is a lido deck? And I cannot believe they almost sent that airhead, Christmas Moose in my place. She hates to travel, does not know the difference between a Napoleon and a fruit tart and has no relatives in Maine. North Pole Moose are barely even moose. We tolerate their abhorrent eating habits but travel with her, unthinkable. I hope we find a nice place for dinner tonight.
Travel Diary - One /
Day One
(Reminder, we are working with a couple of days delay to try and be consistent with posting because we do not always have internet access.)
Left Raleigh two days early to get ahead of Florence - and while it made preparations hectic I think it was a good decision. It was driven in part by our intention to be at the first anniversary of Collective, a church our organization planted in Frederick, Maryland. Trip up I-85 and I-95 was unusually easy, not much traffic and no delays the entire trip. Shocking! We had no specific destination in mind other than north but the lack of traffic kept us going until we arrived a few miles from Frederick at Little Bennett Regional Park just of I-270. CJH located this place using Campendium a great app for finding camp sites. The site is a bit pricey but very nice. You can read about it in “Camping” section. We were surprised to be just a few miles from where our wedding reception was held. Still going!
For several years, we have traveled with a small stuffed moose that our youngest granddaughter purchased in Maine. It is a bit of a game now that she is older but we all participate. Leaving early prompted Cindy to send a note telling EB to pack Cadillac’s suitcase but she was not home so her parents and sister found a different moose and brought it to our house. EB’s Dad showed up a couple hours later with Cadillac and his suitcase full of snacks and camera with the news that Dancer, the substitute moose, was not a good traveler and Cadillac was really counting on seeing his relatives in Maine.
Another Viewpoint!
I am NOT a “small stuffed” moose. Perhaps a bit petite for my species but quite in the range of moosedom. And there is no way I can be stuffed on this trip. EB did not send my spending money so I have to rely on “frugal Dave” one of my guides on this trip so no chance to ever be stuffed. My palate has been finely tuned and I am not munching grasses in the marsh when there are fine steaks and organic carrots. So far this trip is a disappointment. Can you believe we had to drive 50 miles out of our way to see if, IF, the inn where my guides had their wedding reception was still there. Remarkably it was (rebuilt eight times I guess.) We are barely into Maryland and I expected to already be nearer Maine and I have not had WIFI at all. I think I will eat a few of my suitcase snacks.
Glen /
A picture of the definition, a secluded narrow valley. This shows the smallest of Mr. Rockefeller’s bridges deep in Acadia National Park. It was quite a long hike to this spot a three or four years ago. We are headed back to Acadia in a couple of weeks and look forward to finding more new spots to enjoy.
Hoping for Blue Skies Next Week /
Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park
Missed being posted on the 14th. Oops.
Not Switzerland /
I don’t even know if this is what Switzerland even looks like except in my mind. This is the lodge at Many Glacier in Glacier National Park. We actually stayed here, our only night not in the Rialta a few years ago traveling in the northern Rockies. It was an interesting place built years ago by the Northern Pacific Railroad to enhance their business by bring tourists to the wonders of Glacier. A distant relative, Tomar Jacob Hileman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._J._Hileman) who was well-known for his Native American photos was hired to shoot photos of Glacier to entice folks to the region.
Adjustments Needed /
I asked rhetorically the other day, what does the hurricane mean for the trip. The answer is now a bit more clear. We are leaving early Thursday morning instead of Saturday to stay ahead of the storm. We still plan to be in Frederick MD on Saturday and Sunday but not sure where we will be the next two nights. We may or may not stay in the trailer, depends if we find an open hotel or a safe spot for the trailer. If the current expectations hold, NOVA and the area of MD where we are traveling ought to be lightly affected. But no one really knows.
So, it has been hectic here, work later in the day and then packing and house preparation at night. Lots to do before we can leave but we are close to a manageable level. If all goes well or close to well we should be north of the major issues by Friday if we leave about the time this posts on Thursday AM.
We are doing what we can to secure the house, we are low and have lots of drains around the house. So that is a concern. I am creating some dams to move water to where I would prefer it goes. Very grateful to have family nearby that does not mind checking on things and picking up after the storm. I hope we do not have to return but that is a possibility to park the trailer somewhere are drive back.
So, we completed the packing of the trailer with everything except fridge food, cameras, computers, and medicines. Truck is 90% done as of this morning, Wednesday, about 6:45.
Another change is we will be doing our daily trip diary a bit earlier. So, the first post will be either Monday or Tuesday instead of Wednesday. We intend to post with a three-day delay because often we will not have WI-FI and we would like to be consistent. So when we post Monday, for example, that would cover the trip on Friday (and Thursday). I am sure we will miss a couple of days.
Please be cautious where you might be, storms are often worse than they seem and everything is so saturated that it will not take much to topple more than a few trees. Blessings.
Seconds Before Dawn Breaks /
Lancaster Pennsylvania farms just north of Bird in Hand.
