Today went well for me in terms of 'beating the rush'. I was up early, as usual, and had an easy drive from last night's motel location of Wilmington, Delaware to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. It was a bit confusing following the many signs to get there, but fortunately I didn't miss any turns and wound up in the visitor's parking lot with no difficulty. I think I remember taking I295, then I95, then I276, and US202 and US422 and PA23 and I don't know what else.
I had to remind myself, that earlier on this trip I had a nasty spell of rain, drizzle, mist and fog. But today was a beautiful, sunny day. Getting to Valley Forge around 7:00AM, it was well before they open the visitor's center, but they do make park maps available outside the center, and that enabled me to begin a self-guided tour of the park.
The park was full of joggers and bikers this morning. The bike and jogging paths, bridal paths for horse back riding and just a wide open park make it a natural for these people to come and use the facilities. There must have been hundreds of these people exercising early this morning. Me? I followed the 'encampment tour' signs and went from sign to sign, parking lot to parking lot.
Valley Forge is the site where George Washington and his Continental Army camped during the bitter, cold winter of 1777-78 while providing protection to the greater Philadelphia area. The troops had to make do with virtually no support or comfort, building their own huts to shelter themselves against the weather. There are may replicas of these huts scattered throughout the park.
Considering how early I was at the park, I had no 'competition' for the one way driving lanes, the pull off parking spots, and walking to any of the numbered viewing sites indicated by the park map. In addition to the replicas of huts, I visited the stone house used by Washington as his headquarters. Also, nearby, I spotted a covered bridge and stopped to photograph it along with all my shots of the valley.
The valley itself is a beautiful piece of property. On this sunny, pleasant June day in 1997, I had to try to imagine the bitter cold winter that Washington and his men must have had in 1977-78. There are a number of woods in the park and that must have provided some shelter, but much of the land is open. Before leaving the park, I also viewed the Washinton Memorial Chapel.
I stopped for a full breakfast after Valley Forge, read the Sunday paper and then proceeded into downtown Philadelphia. Not only did I miss the crowds of people I'm sure came later to Valley Forge, I felt I was having an advantage of seeing downtown Philadelphia on a non-business day. I have been to this city before on business and I know how crowded it can be, Monday through Friday.
I parked on Market Street which enabled me to see and photograph the ornate City Hall. From there, I went to view the Liberty Bell, and as might be expected, I had to wait in line for my turn to see and touch the bell. They batch about 100 people at a time, give an interesting talk about the bell, and then let people photograph and touch the bell. As much a photographer as I may be, I didn't think the photo opportunity was managed very well. Can you imagine 100 people all trying to get themselves in front of the bell while other family members take their picture? A bit of chaos, but I took pictures of the Liberty Bell in any case.
Independence Hall is nearby, so I went to see it and take more photographs. Consistent with my prior comments, much of colonial America can't be photographed easily because of parked cars and such. Today, there were city trucks double parked trying to unload and erect some kind of temporary stands. Oh, well, I took pictures anyway. I entered the hall, but it is undergoing restoration, so it wasn't much to look at, and the ranger giving his informational talk had a tough time with nothing in the hall to absorb the sound of his talk.
I visited Carpenter's Hall and the New Hall, both of which are just down the street from Independence Hall. The New Hall is a relatively small building which was the Pentagon of its day. Carpenter's Hall was often used for meetings dealing with the independence of our country.
I saw the Second Bank of the U.S., which amused me because so many banks in the states are the 'first-something bank'. I went over to see the Besty Ross House, and also the street called Elfreth's Alley along which are dozens of homes dating back to the early 1700s. I enjoyed seeing that part of Philadelphia.
I stopped to visit Franklin Court, which was Benjamin Franklin's home until he died at age 84 in 1790. I also went to the Christ Church graveyard (burial site) where Franklin is buried. I saw a number of other notable things while in the city, such as Liberty Place, the highest building in the city.
My visits to Valley Forge and then to downtown Philadelphia consumed my day, so I went in search of my motel for the night. I originally tried to get a room in the Valley Forge area but they are booked through the July 4th holiday. I can only assume that there are major Independence Day events scheduled which will draw people to fill up the hotels and motels. Oh, well, I'm touring in New Jersey tomorrow anyway.
I did find one of those eastern diners I was talking about yesterday. I don't see how they do it. I had soup, salad, a huge entree, more veggies than I could finish, dessert and coffee and it only cost me $13.00. That meal could easily go for twice the price.
Tomorrow I'm going in search of the dollar that Washington reportedly threw across the Delaware, and then I'll visit Princeton and then Edison, to see the Thomas A. Edison National Historical Site.
I have now discovered where the dollar went that George Washington reportedly threw across the Delaware River. It landed in Atlantic City, 60 miles away! Atlantic City was not in my original plan but I said "what the heck!" Being from Nevada, I feel some kind of obligation to check out all these newer gambling locations. I stopped at the casinos along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and won a few bucks there. Today, I came away with $160 of Atlantic City's money.
Last night, I reconsidered my planned itinerary and felt I would come up with a light day, so after consulting the AAA tour books, the National Geographic books, my various atlas books and so on, I decided that a 120 mile round trip to Atlantic City would not be that bad, and who knows, maybe today was my lucky day. It was!
Tank was easy to get moving this morning. He has no relatives here in the east, and the CD player was loaded up with LeAnn Rimes, the weather was cool and he was happy. He doesn't need much.
So, off we went by 6:30AM and I was gambling at 7:30AM at the Showboat Hotel and Casino. I checked out a number of the boardwalk casinos, and in my exhaustive study, the Showboat ranks number one in terms of payback to the customer. I didn't like the Donald Trump places, or Caesar's or Bally.
The boardwalk is a main attraction in Atlantic City and it is very well maintained (and patrolled, both by police car and police on bicycles). There must be a dozen big casinos there. A casino has to have at least 500 guest rooms to get a license to operate. I saw the 'old' convention center where many Miss America pagents have been held, and I also saw the new center which is being built to attract still more convention business.
I took a stroll on the beach, watched the life guards get their life boats ready for the day, and took many pictures of the entire scene. I thought the beaches at the Gulf Shores were much better maintained (Mississippi).
The boardwalk was full of people strolling, jogging, riding bicycles or just sitting around watching other people. A bit later, the push carriages came on the scene, where a 'driver' will push two or three people around on a bicycle chair.
The boardwalk certainly has its Las Vegas-like glitter and glamour, but I had read where Atlantic City still has a stagnant slum area where no change has occurred. It was assumed that when gambling was approved, the entire city would benefit. I saw neighborhoods close by that look like they were decaying faster than any gambling money was being directed to them.
Parking was free at the casinos, but I thought food prices were higher than casinos charge in the Reno/Sparks area where I'm from. The casinos are huge, so there's no doubt that they after the big time and big money.
I used the Atlantic City Expressway to get there and back. It cost $2.50 but it made the trip go by quickly. I consumed the entire morning, getting there and back, plus a couple of hours there. It was fun and I'm glad to say, I've seen the boardwalk and all that comes with it.
Once I assumed my planned itinerary, my first destination was Trenton, New Jersey. I wanted to see the state capitol and check to see if the governor was in, he wasn't, so I left my card (only 22 more states in the rest of my itinerary).
I continued on to a place called Washinton Crossing, which is a name shared by both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It's about ten miles northwest of Trenton on the Delaware River. I first went to the NJ side, which has a very nice park but not much at the river's edge, compared to Pennsylvania. George Washington and his men crossed the Delaware here on Christmas night in 1776 to attack the British and then return to Pennsylvania.
I'm sure many have heard the story about Washington throwing a silver dollar across the Delaware River. It's about 100 yards there, so if he did make it across, he would have been a good pro football prospect. I crossed the bridge on a very, very narrow metal bridge, by the way, and whereas I could walk around the colonial houses on the south shore, the visitor's center was not open (Monday!).
I visited a tiny little store on the Pennsylvania side which was in operation at the time of Washington's crossing and still is used as a 'real' store today. The gal who runs the place was a fountain of information for me.
Driving to Atlantic City wasn't bad, but boy traffic was certainly heavy on this Monday in the densely populated areas. I was reminded that I have seen little traffic in the west and most of the midwest but beginning in Atlanta and coming north to Washinton, DC and now the Philadelphia and New Jersey areas, boy there are a lot of people and traffic! I'll be anxious to get back to Sparks where the total population of Nevada I think is three million, and Sparks is but 33,000.
I had lunch at Washington's Crossing and that was delightful. 80 degrees, a nice breeze, a patio table right on the river, and good food and drink. It gave me an opportunity to watch hikers, bikers and people in general, enjoying life.
New Jersey, in the metropolitan areas is very crowded, noisy, over populated, life is too fast and the centuries of growth have left pretty much a hodge-podge to look at today. But, you get into the rural areas, and New Jersey is like another state. Many fine homes, estates and even mansions.
The only criticism I would have of the rural areas is that most small towns just have two lane roads and with more and more people moving to these areas, it gets congested, as I saw today.
In the afternoon, I drove north to Princeton, New Jersey, toured the town and in particular toured the campus. What a place! I don't know what the real estate value is for the University, but my guess is in the billions. Not millions, but billions! Wow, what a place!
Most buildings on campus are large, stone structures. I saw Roman, Greek and Gothic architecture, and almost nothing you would consider modern. The maintenance cost for this place must be enormous. I hear that student tution for just one year is 20-30K, which doesn't surprise me. If mom and dad have the cash, this is the place to come to. It has a fine reputation as a university, to be sure.
The town of Princeton was crowded and congested on this Monday. I wonder what it is like when school is in session. There was some activity on campus, but like other schools I have visited, it looks like maintenance time, where the most common activity on campus was some kind of repair.
Being in central New Jersey, I used a lot of county roads and did so coming north for my final leg to locate my motel for the evening. It seem to 'take forever', passing through bottlenecks like Somerset and Highland Falls, New Jersey, each with the two lane streets and more traffic than they could handle. Add to that, my Motel6 mini-map left a lot to be desired in terms of giving directions.
But, I'm settled for now and tomorrow it's off to see the Statue of Liberty, and if all goes according to plan, I'll even drive into Manhatten for a bit before ending the day north of New York City. We'll see how it goes.
"Why would anyone want to drive into Manhattan?" Good question, Tank, but I did it anyway! Who says my travelling companion has a head full of jelly beans? But first, I spent the entire morning getting to the top of the Statue of Liberty, something I have always wanted to do.
I have been to the Statue of Liberty once before and because of a very long and slow line of tourists waiting to climb to the crown on top of the statue, on that occasion, I just walked around the base. Today, I was determined to make it to the top.
I stayed at a motel in central New Jersey last night, which put me in a good position for the drive into the Jersey City area, and the Liberty Park, from which one takes a ferry to get out to the island on which the Statue of Liberty is located.
I had difficulty finding the motel last night because of Motel6's poor directions in their directory, so I made sure I had better directions to get out of the Piscataway area and headed to Jersey City. Well, it started off okay, but then as I looked for my turn onto Interstate 78 all the signs were covered. Not a good omen!
But, I hung in there and after some construction, I picked up a temporary sign telling me how to get on I78. My next problem is finding the extension to the New Jersey turnpike, which is a toll road extension to I78. All very confusing. But again, I made some good choices and finally got on the right road, headed for Liberty Park. I purposely got up early and left the motel early, just in case I had difficulty finding my way. But, I found my way okay, and as a result, I now had time to kill waiting for the first ferry boat to the island.
Other people gathered, all of us hoping to be out to the island before the day's crowd of tourists built up. We lost a little bit of 'position' when the ferry from Manhattan beat ours to the dock at the island. A boat load of people literally ran to the statue to queue up for the stairs leading to the top of the statue. I got to the statue at 10:00AM and it took exactly one hour before I made it to the top and then walked back to the bottom
The Statue of Liberty is a facinating object. It had some restoration work done in 1976 and it looks great today. Before getting to the Statue, my ferry boat stopped at Ellis Island, which I decided not to tour. Most people stayed on the ferry boat, destined for the Statue of Liberty like me.
The line of people going up inside the statue climb 375 stairs, but not very quickly. The space up inside the crown of the statue is about four feet by ten feet, and if people ahead of you stay for just a matter of minutes, the queue really backs up. But slowly, we all climbed the stairs. It didn't place much demand on your heart and lungs, but if someone was very tall (say over 6'6") or obese, that person would have difficulty with the limited amount of space the narrow stairwell affords you. At the very top, the stairwell is a very, very tight spiral.
And speaking of the spiral, as I got near the top of the statue, I was studying the inside of the statue's 'skin' and also looking for the stair that would take people back down. Initially, I could not see the down stairs, nor figure out how people were getting down. Dummy me! The down stairs spiral was interwoven with the up stairs, so they were climbing just under or over us.
After my climb to the top and back down, I stopped for something to eat in the island's cafeteria. The guy who waited on me was very nice, which some would say is quite unusual for New Yorkers (or New Jerseyites). Quite often easterners are quite brusk but this guy spoke kindly, made suggestions for my lunch and made sure I had all the I wanted or needed.
But, as I ate, I wondered how many people, grasping the handrail going up and then down the inner stairs of the statue, perhaps didn't wash their hands, and then had a 'tasty' lunch? Not me. I made sure I washed my hands. Some yo-yo came into the men's room with his son and told him to put his hands in 'the soap'. The kid did it but question it. Actually, it was sand in a cigarette disposal tub. Who says father knows best?
The ferry boat ride out to the island and then back was delightful. The weather continues to be cool (for July), sunny and the breeze on the water was refreshing. I took lots of pictures going and returning from the island, and of course in and around the Statue of Liberty.
I hesitated driving into Manhattan, but I finally decided that I planned to do it and I should do it. I have driven in Manhattan before so I know what it's like. Add to that, I have spent a lot of time visiting the city on business and I know the craziness this town has.
I took the Holland Tunnel from New Jersey, into the city, and that went okay. My main interests were the Empire State Building, 42nd Street (Times Square) and the IBM Building on the corner of 56th and Madison Avenue. I can truthfully say I took pictures of each of these attractions. As crowded as 33rd and Fifth Avenue were, my pictures of the Empire State Building were out the sun roof of my Ford Explorer while I waited in very tight, stalled traffic.
My pictures of Times Square were really just me 'cruising' the main streets such as 42nd Street. No offense meant, but there are 'all sorts' of people on the streets of New York, and my video camera has captured some of that for my family and friends to see when I get home. Likewise, as I went around the block (of the IBM Building), I simply pulled off to one side and again shot pictures out of my car. Not works of art, but it 'captures the moment'.
I got out of Manhattan by using the West Side Drive, then the George Washington Bridge, and finally the Palisades Parkway. Thank goodness that I am familiar with the New York area, have maps of everything, and knew in advance where I wanted to go. I would really pity someone who didn't have that knowledge.
For two nights in a row, I have had difficulty finding my evening's motel. The mini-map for tonight was simply wrong, wrong, wrong. I pointed it out to the clerk at the desk and he didn't seem to care. Chezzzz!
Well, tomorrow I'll be headed up the Hudson River to other areas that I have previously spent time in, and I must say I'm glad to be clear of the high population areas. I still have Boston to get through, but other big cities in the midwest don't bother me because I grew up there and I very familiar with driving out there.
So, tomorrow, it's up a lazy river......(the Hudson).
Today was a mixed day for me. Some good, some not so good. Nothing disasterous, but not everything was pleasant. I began the day early, first by retracing my path to the New York state line such that I could take one of my 'entry' pictures. When I entered the state yesterday on the Palisades Parkway, there was absolutely no place to pull off for a picture. So, this morning, since I was going to use highway 9W to go north, I first went south a couple of miles, took the picture and then began my touring day.
Taking highway 9W caused me to go right by the IBM 'education center' in Palisades, New York. I want to say education center but the sign on the highway says 'Executive Conference Center'. A bit of people politics, but I guess words make a difference. I noticed also when I drove up to the front entrance, IBM even provides valet parking for arriving 'students' (Well, pardon me....).
Leaving New York City and travelling out of the city in most any direction, there are 'parkways' all around. Parkways are usually limited access roads and landscaped above the average highway. For years, people living in the city have looked forward to their weekend or summer holidays to 'get out of the city'.
Just north of New York City, you have the picturesque Hudson River and the terrain on both sides of the river. A bit further up the river and to the west are the Catskill Mountains. Yes, real mountains. If you have not been to this part of the country, you have to realize that there are some pretty good sized 'rocks' around here. The Catskills have a history of 'summer camps' and 'summer theater'. That, of course, assumes you and/or your family could afford those kinds of outings. Many could not, so it was Coney Island for them.
I purposely chose highway 9W today, to stay off the Interstate or the parkways. 9W is 'not' a parkway. It shows the good, the bad, the ugly. There are a lot of fine homes, mansions and estates along 9W, but you also go through a lot of small towns that really show their age and the lack of modernization. I'm sure local economies have a lot to do with it too.
The weather reports said rain would be moving in and it has been trying to do just that all day. It was not a good day for photography because of the gray clouds that hung there in the morning and the afternoon. But, what can I do, so I took my normal bunch of video and photos. It has been drizzling most of the late afternoon, so I curtailed my touring until tomorrow (in hopes that it will be a bit clearer).
Before getting to West Point and the U.S. Military Academy (USMA), I first stopped at the Bear Mountain Bridge. I don't know how long or how tall it is (compared to the Royal Gorge in Colorado or the New River Bridge in West Virginia) but it is an impressive bridge across the Hudson River.
I arrived at West Point before the Visitor's Center opened, so I killed time with the USA Today crossword, took some pictures in the immediate area, and finally 9:00AM rolled around. If they had put out maps of the campus, I really would not have needed their help. But, in any case, off I went.
I stopped at their football field, took some pictures, and watched some very young girls practice cheerleading (6-10 year olds). I visited several of the chapels on campus. The oldest one is not very impressive but the newer Protestant chapel is the the grandest and it's the one you would see in most photographs, sitting high up on a hill over the parade grounds.
I went to the parade grounds, took pictures, and recalled when I led my regiment at Great Lakes back in 1953. Not quite the same, but sort of. Nearby is Trophy Point, which offers a very good overlook of the Hundson River. Needless to say, I took more pictures. The cadets are not in session, so like VMI and the USNA, it was easy for visitors like me to tour the campus.
Continuing north, I went to a town called New Paltz, to view six stone houses built in the 1692-1717 time period. Seeing a very old house, preserved, is exciting to me. The town really cares for these houses, because I'm sure they're a tourist draw (it got me there).
It was then a short distance to a tiny town called High Falls, where I lived for six months when I first joined IBM. I rented the upstairs two bedroom apartment of a two family home. Back then, it was me, my wife Shirley, my daughter LeeAnn and my son, Mark. The house looks as good today as it did then. Things have grown up around the place and the lawn looks much better than it did then. I can't say much for High Falls, which hasn't improved (or decayed).
The town of Kingston was certainly a disappointment for me. Maybe depressing is a better word. When IBM was a major employer in town, things seemed to be booming. Now, with IBM gone, the town looks to be in sad shape. I don't know what else contributes to the town's economy. It looks like a hodge-podge today, with things, and buildings just trying to survive.
In my second year with IBM, I came back to Kingston for more training, and I lived in a one room apartment right in town. That building looks sad too. I stopped at the Chamber of Commerce to get visitors information and learned that the area in which I used to live is called the 'stockade' because in colonial years, it really was a stockade. I didn't know that.
Just down the street, the Senate House was open for tours today. Kingston was New York's first state capitol. I asked if the governor was in, he wasn't, so I left my card. The Senate House is a small, stone building, about the size of most three bedroom homes these days. State government came small back then.
I went down to the area called Roundout, where various boats are on the creek there, which then feeds into the Hudson River. There was some sign of a good economy, with new(er) townhomes, businesses that looked like they were doing okay and places to eat and drink. The Maritime Museum didn't impress me and the Trolley Museum was (in my opinion) a junk yard, full of old trolley cars, some of which may be beyond restoring.
I drove out to the northeast side of town where the IBM plant used to be. I have always had fond memories, thinking of the first day I walked into that building, but those memories were a bit shocked today when I saw the state of the property and the surrounding area. Maybe I should have stayed away and let my memory serve me.
By mid-afternoon, the drizzle started and I didn't think I wanted to cross the Hudson to see if anything was going on over at the Rhinebeck Aerodrome. I'll try that tomorrow morning. I used my time doing my laundry instead.
Somehow I knew it might happen and sure enough, it happened this morning. I was greeted with flat tire on my Ford Explorer, so I spent the first few hours of the day taking care of that. Fortunately, for me, there was a little air in the tire, so I drove across the highway to add air to make the car driveable and then went to the Firestone dealer in Kingston. Obviously, I was his first customer of the day and he took care of me promptly. I appreciated that.
Tank and I then took off for the east side of the Hudson River, intending to visit the Rhinebeck Aerodrome. I took that opportunity to first take a ride around Red Hook and Rhinebeck before going to the air field. It is really interesting to see those two small towns show their pride and their local ecomony and actually have a better appearance than the larger city across the river, Kingston. One house in Rhinebeck, in particular, is a very fine Victorian house which has been very well maintained. What a pleasure to look at things like that.
The Rhinebeck Aerodrome is located in a most unlikely place, on a back road which is winding, hilly and very densely forested. But there in the middle of all of that is an air strip, probably not more than a few hundred yards (!) at which World War I vintage aircraft are stored and occasionally fly. The aerodrome and its 'museum' ordinarily does not open until later in the morning but once again, the curator was kind to this guy from Nevada and let me have the run of the place. I looked around, took my pictures and paid my admission. A great place to visit.
Just south of the aerodrome is Hyde Park, New York where a number of old mansions and estates are located. The one that I was interested in seeing was Springwood, the birthplace and final resting place for Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was not as I would have expected it to be. Instead of something grand and opulent, it really is a pretty simple house/home. I enjoyed touring FDR's presidential library and museum more than the home. FDR's library was the first presidential library created and now each president since has established a library for their papers and mememtos. FDR's library is not as impressive as the Truman Library, but it is impressive none the less.
Before leaving New York state, I stopped at Poughkeepsie to take some pictures and video of the IBM main plant, and Building 005, the IBM Education Center. I have been to Poughkeepsie a number of times during my 40 year career and spent time in each of those facilities.
My day was already into the afternoon, so I had to decide on what more I could fit into the afternoon. Before getting to my day's destination of Hartford, Connecticut, I first stopped in Bristol to tour the Carousel Museum. It was interesting, but not as impressive as I would have imagined. To begin with, it really was just a display museum for the horses used on carousels.
There was quite a bit of information regarding the cost of carousel horses (the ones on display ranged from $7-10K), the background of the carver who made a particular horse, and then some history about the horse if it had been installed and used. The museum had no actual carousel.
At Hartford, I stopped in the downtown area, and guess what? There, I found a working carousel, with children having a gay old time. I visited the state capitol, and the old state house, asking if the governor was in, he wasn't, so I left my card (no, I won't run out of cards). I also viewed and took pictures of the Soldiers and Sailors' Monument, which is a prominent arch in the downtown area.
By now, my afternoon was almost over, so I had to decide on what more I could do. I wanted to see the Trolley Museum north of Hartford, but I think I'll put that off until tomorrow or later. I did visit the New England Air Museum which is located at the Hartford Airport. Since I have toured multiple aircraft museums on this trip, I can't help but 'rank' them. This one gets a B+ because the Naval Air Museum, the Air Force's Armament Museum and Mobile's Battleship Memorial Park are still my favorites. I do give Hartford's museum a "+" because they do have a good collection of early 1900 civil aircraft, more than the other museums.
So, in spite of the flat tire, drizzle and inclement weather today, Tank and I made the most of it. Tank received some email asking what music we've been listening to, and he was quick to tell people that in Memphis we bought the Elvis Presley gold and platinum recordings, so he's been one happy armadillo.
I have to tell you another Tank story. He asked if IBM donated their plant facilities during WWII for the manufacture of tanks. I don't know where he gets these questions, but he did come close. IBM did convert some its manufacturing facilities for wartime production of things like machine guns.
Well, tomorrow is Independence Day and we'll be in eastern Connecticut and then Rhode Island. We'll keep you posted.
The sun rose this morning and filled the sky. It was a beautiful day, all day. That's a good way to spend the fourth of July! I left Hartford, Connecticut early this morning, and using the blue highways, tried to see a bit more of the state. I have been to the state a number of times before, seeing fall color and touring the countryside around Hartford before or after meetings there.
As I say, I 'tried' to see more of the state, but it's a tough thing to do. I picked on West Virginia for all its trees, but I think it's a tie with Connecticut. I now call the state 'a washboard of trees'. The washboard part means that Connecticut is just chock full of hills, one after another after another. And, they're full of trees.
Not only do the trees create what I call the 'tunnel of trees', preventing the motorist from seeing much of the surrounding terrain, but in addition, Connecticut, like Atlanta, DC and other areas, there are a number of man-made concrete or wooden walls (literally) to create a sound barrier between the road and nearby dwellings.
So, what did I see in southeastern Connecticut this morning? Not much really. But when I crossed into Rhode Island and over the Newport Bridge, there were all kinds of things to see. I have spent time in Newport while in the US Navy and on a couple of occasions with IBM. It was good to be back.
It was a sunny, clear day, and like the expression, "you can see forever". That is, unless you live in or near Fishkill, New York. I forgot to mention yesterday that IBM made the headlines in the Poughkeepsie Journal. "IBM is number one!" Number one in emissions, that is. The chip industry uses a lot of chemicals and where they go after serving their manufacturing purpose is a major concern. Well, even though IBM is under US government standards, the emissions are the highest among chip manufacturers in the US. Not a good statistic.
I was reminded of another thing I should have mentioned yesterday. Today, while driving around Newport's 9.5 mile Ocean Drive, admiring the many, fine mansions, it occurred to me that the public has considerable access to the ocean around here. And yesterday, the same comment can be made about public access to the Hudson River, on both the east and west sides. Good deal!
Seeing all the water, sailboats, and such today, must have put Tank into a 'salty' mood, because while we were listening to the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club on our new CD purchased at Annapolis, he asked if the Navy would consider making an armadillo its mascot. "Why?", I asked. To which he replied, "Because armadillos are battleship gray in color." Cheeeezzzz!
Connecticut and Rhode Island, and all of New England, for that matter, have many homes with similar architecture. When you say 'colonial' that doesn't really mean too much. But there is a term called 'salt box' house and that does suggest a particular design. I'm sure you've seen pictures of salt box homes, because their design is about as simple as you can get. A pretty basic rectangular box with a gabled roof. That's it. And there are thousands of them around here.
I arrived into Newport using the Newport Bridge and highway 138. The view of the sea was gorgeous. I went over to Goat Island and where I have attended business meetings, took pictures of the lighthouse and the bridge, and also of large sailboats in full sail. With the salt air and an ocean breeze, it was a delightful morning.
After my roundhouse tour of Newport, I went for a specific tour of the Breakers, Cornelius Vanderbilt II's mansion he had built in the 1893-95 timeframe. No one knows how much it cost to build the mansion and when asked about duplicating it today, the answer seems to be that it can't be done.
The mansion has over 100,000 square feet of living space, plus a children's cottage and the extensive lawn and gardens. Talk about opulence, there is nothing missing here.
I went over the the Naval Base in Newport to revisit a place where I spent time on several occasions during my Navy days. It is still a training base primarily, but the emphasis has changed to Surface Warfare, instead of the computer, electronics and fire fighting classes I took there. The base has changed so much, I hardly recognized it.
My destination for the evening was Providence, so it made sense to see a bit of the city. I have never been in town for business or any other purpose, so this was all new to me. I first toured the area along Benefit Street which has hundreds of houses which are original colonial buildings. It's very interesting to imagine how life must have been been in the 1700s, let's say.
I located the site of the Old State House and then went to the new Capitol, asked if the governor was in, he wasnt', so I left my card (I'm keeping track......). Before I left the city, I took a brief drive through the university and college district which is in the downtown area. Providence looks like it's doing okay.
Tomorrow, I'm off to the Boston area to spend a few days. I have always liked visiting Boston, on business or for pleasure. It's been a long time since I walked the Freedom Trail, so I want to do that again, and there are some sights I have never seen, and those are on my agenda.
Today was about as full a day as I could make it. New England may be complaining about a lack of rainfall this spring and summer, but the brilliant sunshine that was with me all day was a pleasure for my touring.
Up early, as usual, I had an easy drive from Providence, Rhode Island to Boston, Massachusetts. I did not have the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on my original itinerary but since I drove right by the place, I thought 'why not'. I was there before they opened but that gave me a good photo opportunity this sunny morning.
The JFK Library is on the University of Massachusetts property, sitting right on a point of land that juts out into the bay. I got good pictures of the building, the waterfront, and even a shot of JFK's sailboat. Once inside the building, I was able to photograph the very large lattice and glass structure which makes up the main atrium of the building. I looked at my video already and it came out quite good.
The JFK Library is different than the Truman or FDR Libraries, and I guess I like the Truman Library best. The JFK Library had a lot of video tape presentations on various aspects of his presidency but not the personal intimacy of the other libraries.
If you have ever been to Boston, you know that the downtown area is 'not' very well laid out by modern standards, but then this town goes back hundreds of years. I drove around and around trying to find a multi-story parking garage for the safety of my Explorer and its contents (rather than one of those, on-street-lots). I found one, but that cost me $21.00 for the day. Not very tourist-friendly, in that respect.
Once parked, I began my jam-packed visit to the city. High on my list of things to see and do was the Computer Museum. I worked with the SAGE computer when I started my IBM career back in 1957 and someone said that the museum had parts from it on display. Well, maybe at one time, but not now.
The museum is a fantastic place and very much oriented to the public, both those who are familiar with computers and those who are not. I thought the museum was very well done. They have a lot of 'hands on' things to do and experience. I sat down at one PC and entered a personal experience with computers, and added it to their visitor collection of personal stories.
Many of the displays are educational, showing you what makes a computer work, how it does its thing, how it's made, and so on. For some of the displays, you get to keep your output, which I think 'turns on' a lot of visitors. I would recommend the museum as a place to visit.
Right next door, so to speak, is the site of the Boston Tea Party. They have a replica of the original ship and a small museum to explain the what and the why about the tea party. I took photos of the ship but chose not to go into the small museum. I can read all about the stamp tax and such at home.
I came prepared with multiple maps of Boston, so I didn't have much difficulty finding my way around town. They refer to Boston as the walking town, and boy is that true. There is lots to see and do, but it's spread out all over the place. Because of my starting with the computer museum, the first historical site on my list of attractions was the Old State House and the site of the Boston Massacre.
Nearby, I then visit Faneuil Hall and Marketplace. My most recent previous visit there was to conduct one of my seminars, upstairs in (of all places) the Boston Comedy Club. That's a story unto itself. There was a huge crowd at the marketplace, and the Quincy Market next door. Boston is really celebrating independence-related things this week, so I got to see a Ben Franklin look-alike, listen to a continental fife and drum corp, and watch British soldiers parade.
I followed the Freedom Trail and found my way over to Paul Revere's house. I have been on the Freedom Trail before, but that was quite some time ago. It was fun to do it all again. I took pictures of the Paul Revere statue and visited the nearby Old North Church.
It was long walk to the north side of Boston, to see the USS Constitution, but it was worth it. Me and hundreds of other people lined up for our turn to go aboard 'Old Ironsides'. While at the Navy Yard, I also boarded a WWII destroyer which is also open to the public. I really like things of the sea, I guess.
I then took the long walk back into the central city, to find the new State House (capitol building) and call on the governor. He wasn't in, so I left my card! (Have you heard this before?). The state is redoing the gold-leaf dome, so my photos will simply show what it looks like at the moment.
Being on Beacon Street, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to walk down to the Bull and Finch, a bar and restaurant on which the Cheers TV show was based. I waited in line with others and before too long I was having the first of several beers. I met some interesting folks from Charleston, South Carolina and talked about touring and such.
I concluded my busy 'walking day' by crossing over the Boston Common, which is a large public green in the center of town. There had to be several thousand people out there today, doing one thing or another. Once in my car, I left Boston and drove to the south side of town and my evening's rest.
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