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Bridge Family Historical River Road Travel

Canada’s Eastern Provinces

Kelsey at Niagara
Ironic that here I chose a picture taken on the U.S. side of Niagara Falls but Kelsey’s exuberance outshines the dreary day. She started energized and positive and throughout 12 days and more than 3,000 miles she remained a great travel partner! Go Kelsey!!!

Road trips with Kelsey are starting to become a tradition. Our first outing was down the east coast to Charleston. Our second trip was along Route 66 <fix> from Chicago to Santa Monica. She’s proven to have what it takes to flourish on this kind of trip so why not keep it going?! Heck, soon she’ll be able to share in the driving so we can do even more.

Wanting to ensure she has a good time, I take her over territory I’m already familiar with. Just recently I had been along the Maine coast <fix>and up to Prince Edward Isle, <fix> two years ago I drove across Canada, and three years ago I’d visited Niagara Falls. I proposed weaving these together into one massive loop and she agreed. The route of our trip is mapped below. We started in D.C. and went clockwise around the circuit.

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Historical Museum Travel

Lincoln Exhibition

Lincoln D.C. Exhibit
In this year of celebrating Lincoln’s 200th birthday EVERYONE seems to be having a party. Our Library of Congress which sits behind the Capitol Building was no exception.

OK, it’s official … I’m on a Lincoln kick! Thru a highly improbable series of web clicks I ended up on YouTube watching a video about a Lincoln exhibit at the Library of Congress that was ending in two days.

I got right on it!

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Bridge Cave Family Historical Museum River Road Technology Travel

Mammoth Cave Loop

New River Bridge
The to and the from of any road trip can be every bit as rewarding as the primary destinations. That was certainly true of this trip through West Virginia and Kentucky!

I won’t mince words. I love my daughters. My older daughter Courtney is a student at the University of Virginia which could be along the way of this road trip if I wanted it to be so I stopped both ways and each time Courtney graced me with some attention. She can make a father’s heart soar!

 

At UVA with CourtneyOn my way west, as I entered West Virginia I drove by a National Park Service sign. These always catch my attention because they’re without exception wonderful places to visit. “Cool” I thought “I need a little break from driving so I’ll check it out.” I’d never heard of the mis-named New River but it’s one of the oldest rivers on the continent with the deepest gorges in the east. The bridge pictured above spans the New River gorge and is the longest arch bridge in the world. How great! Seeing it wasn’t even on my list!

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Historical Museum Road Travel

Lincoln’s 200th Birthday

Shaking Lincoln's Hand
200 years after his birth this great American still took the time to shake my hand. What a guy!

My interest in President Lincoln started by accident.

Kelsey and I were driving down historic Route 66 in Illinois when Beth for the 20th time suggested we stop in Springfield and visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “Why in the world would we want to do that?” we wondered but assuming it was good advice we sought it out. Wow! What a fantastic show! It did the job of educating me a bit on Lincoln but more importantly it kindled a desire to learn more about the man.

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Historical Museum Travel

National Museum of the Marine Corp

Marine Corp Museum
As I analyzed this building I saw allusions to one of the Marine’s great moments in WWII, the marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima. Do you see it too?

This blog post of the National Museum of the Marine Corps has nothing to do with the traditions of the Marine Corp or its history as portrayed at the museum. This visit was simply an exercise in shooting shapes and playing with depth of field. With that in mind …

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Historical Museum Travel

Glen Echo Park

Glen Echo Park
For eighty years this was Washington’s premier amusement park till racial strains from the late 1960s caused it to fail. Now, 40 years later it’s refurbished, it’s painted, and it’s ready for action coms spring!

There’s not a lot of action here in the dead of winter at this come-back-from-the-brink amusement park. Founded in 1891, this facility changed many times and in many ways. Now it’s owned by the National Park Service and operated by Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture. This national park now hosts art, history, and environmental programs thru the year … when it’s not too cold. Even in mid-January you can see its charm below.

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Historical Museum Road Train Travel

Baltimore Museums

B&O Railroad in Baltimore
Looks like a horse drawn coach but it’s a very early passenger car from the dawn of steam locomotion. Fascinating to see a legacy of the old be used in the new transport ... a distinct character of transition.

Today’s winter weather promised to be unseasonably sunny and 60 degrees so at 7:30AM I headed out the door for Baltimore. Only an hour away, I’ve given Baltimore almost no attention over the years but after consulting AAA.com I found an abundance of interesting sites to visit. Today I hit Fort McHenry, the Baltimore Museum of Industry, and the B&O Railroad Museum.

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Animal Historical Museum Road Travel

Delmarva Loop

Misty of Chincoteague
Everyone to whom I wrote to about my visiting Chincoteague asked about Misty. Well here she is on Assateague Island where she lives till The Spring Swim during which the herds are chased from one island to the other.

A busy, busy couple of days! Intended as a pleasant two-day drive to acquaint myself with the Delmarva peninsula (Delmarva = Delaware, Maryland,Virginia) it turned into a very substantive trip. The original plan was to head to Jamestown, drive north to Chincoteague, and return home via Baltimore. Simple, right? No. As is so often the case, the closer you look, the more there is to do. 

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Historical Road Travel

Addressing Gettysburg

Gettysburg Cemetery
More people died in the battle of Gettysburg than any other battle in the Civil War. This field of dead was also the turning point for the Union Army ... winning the war started here in Gettysburg.

I had a 10 hour challenge: leave home, take in as much of Gettysburg as I could, and be home in time for dinner. Crazy goal but there you have it. The good news is that I succeeded and it was a great, albeit cold, day.

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Historical Travel

Manassas Sandwich

Shotgun Shack
Shotgun blasts through corrugated sheet metal leave the pattern you see. This is what results when you mix hunters and a deserted cabin in the middle of nowhere. Beware! Don’t loiter!

The acme of the day was the Manassas National Battlefield Park where the Civil War’s first land battle was fought. Before and after this I went hiking, hence “Manassas Sandwich”. From sunrise to sunset I was busy-busy but the weather will soon turn cold and I had to take advantage of this beautiful day.

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