...and into the Keys for Christmas

     We've been doing a little bit of traveling and visiting since my last blog, which makes it difficult to keep up.  But today is a rest day, so I'll see if I can't get something on paper.

Alabama

     After Tennessee we worked our way south to try and find some warmer weather, and to re-visit Teddy & Maryanne and some of their family. We were down earlier this year, probably Feb. or March, as we worked our way out of Florida heading for San Diego.  It's always a treat to visit them, and this trip was no exception.  Teddy and Maryanne are always gracious hosts and welcome us into their home.  Sparkles, their dog, was even glad to see us, and after a few minutes, settled down enough for us to relax and visit.

They treated us to a trip up to view some extravagant Christmas decorations over in Calloway Gardens in Georgia, which included a trolley ride through the park.  Christmas songs were playing and soon their grand-kids were joining in.  They looked frozen by the time we finished, but some hot chocolate soon warmed everyone up.

The following day we headed over to Ft Benning and a tour of the National Infantry Foundation, which is truly a must see for anyone visiting the area.  It provides a comprehensive history on the U.S. Army Infantry back to the Revolutionary War and up to the war in Afghanistan.  There is plenty to see, and it's going to require a return visit.  The Army recruits getting ready to graduate from boot-camp walking around the museum with their families, reminded us of the terrific sacrifices made by these people.

Gainesville

     After saying our goodbye's in Alabama, we continued south for Gainesville, Fl. and a visit with some of my "peeps".  There's a clan of Doody's located in Florida, and it's always a treat to stop and visit.  And of course it was extra special this year to be present to celebrate Aunt Anita's 89th birthday.  And it became perfectly clear how our MaryAnne developed her wacky celebrations.  Our MAE likes to celebrate her birthday for weeks at a time, and we found ourselves singing Happy Birthday to Aunt Anita for 3 days!

Then we were invited to help put up the Christmas tree and set the Christmas table.  All the good china was brought out and Debbie was in charge of ironing the table linen.

The project was tackled with great enthusiasm from all involved, and soon everything was ready including Andrea Bocelli blasting out Christmas carols on the CD player.  As I've said before, it's just like going home when we visit Gainesville, and this year was something special.  Cousin Johnny has moved over to St Augustine and has installed a 50 amp plug for me, should I get over that way.  Now if I can figure out how to get my MH which is 12' 10" high, under his tree which is 12" 8" high, Debbie and I will be over for a visit.  Thanks to Patricia and Bob for putting up with us, and all their help.  Still waiting for the gate code from Cousin Timmy!?!

Key Largo 

      On Tuesday we started our push for Key Largo and The Point of View RV Resort in Key Largo, Fl.  As we came south past Ft. Lauderdale, I noticed Debbie removing her polar fleece.  I guess I finally was able to get her warmed up.  As we pushed through Homestead and onto the Keys Highway, the sunshine coming through the front windshield finally forced me to turn on the A/C. Hard to believe it took me 46 days to get far enough south to require A/C!
     The POV RV Resort is located at about MM 102 on the Keys Highway, just below Key Largo. The sites are all covered with small stones which prevents everyone from walking around barefoot, but gives the sites a nice clean appearance.

The sites are all separated by shrubbery giving everyone just a little privacy.  The waterfront has a small swimming area, but most everyone congregates around the pool.  On Thursday, MAE flew in from Syracuse and we picked her up in Ft. Lauderdale.  Followed I-95 north from Homestead and it dumped us right into beautiful downtown Miami.  Nice to say we've been there, but once is enough. MAE thinks the fun and sun in the Florida Keys beats the hell out of winter in Syracuse, even if she's running with her "peeps"!  Now if we can figure out a way to get Ben and Joanne and Jamo over for a visit.  They are working out in San Diego away from both their families, and it would be nice for everyone to be together for Christmas.
     So far, daytime is spent at the pool working on the tan.

Seems like MAE got in the habit of walking around her office in Syracuse singing, " All I Want for Christmas is a Real Good Tan" by Kenny Chesney, and some of the staff there now "hate" her.  So I guess she's going to have to do something really special to get back in everyone's good graces when she gets back to work.

       I sent a note up to Mr. Grogan at the Albany Office saying that this looked like Santa's sleigh, and he called me a jerk!  Some people are so sensitive!

Sundown every evening finds us down at the waterfront enjoying some spectacular sunsets.

   
Tomorrow we're heading 100 miles further south into Key West for Christmas at Blue Water Key.  Hope everyone's ready for Christmas....Santa is almost here!

Fall Creek Falls State Park/Jack Daniels & Cumberland Caverns

     On Friday 12/5/2014, we departed Nashville and headed for the Cumberland Plateau and Fall Creek Falls State Park.  This park is the largest in Tennessee and encompasses around 26,000 acres.  The park is pretty quiet this time of year, but during the summer months it is jammed pack full of tourists.  We planned on spending 4 days at the park, but we had planned plenty of activities to keep us busy if the weather is lousy.
     Friday night the rain started around 8:00 PM and continued throughout the night, and into the next day.  So after breakfast, we headed over to Lynchburg for a tour of the Jack Daniels Distillery.

 The tour is free, unless you want to take the tour that includes a tasting for $10.  Since we had a little drive to get home at the end of the day, we passed on the tasting.  The tour lasted about 1 hour, and we got quite a tour of the distillery. The distillery is located in Moore County which has been a dry county since Prohibition.  But the politicians allow Jack to sell bottles in their store on the property.  If you want to purchase it other than there, you'll have to drive a few miles down the road into the next county.   In the grotto behind me is where the special water used to brew Jack comes from.  It looked pretty clean....up to the point where we noticed some ducks swimming in the creek.  We all know what ducks do in the water don't we ????  Maybe that's what makes Jack taste so good!  At the end of the tour we passed by this Christmas Tree on our right.

They were going to have the official lighting later on that evening, but we didn't stick around to watch.  It was a fun day, and would recommend this stop if you're in the area.
     On Saturday, we had a special treat in store.  Last year when we passed through this area, we toured the Cumberland Caverns over near McMinnville, TN.  At that time we found out about their program called Bluegrass Underground.  What we discovered were music programs happening 330' underground in the cavern's Volcano Room.  We had seen that the Gibson Brothers from Chateaugay had played there last year, but we were unable to get any tickets.  While preparing for this trip, we found that Kenny Loggins would be performing with his band Blue Sky Riders.

 So we scored some tickets, and adjusted our trip to be here for the concert on Sunday.  And we weren't disappointed!  They put on a rocking program for nearly 2 hours, singing only 1 classic Kenny Loggins song.  There are 3 members in the band, and all 3 are prolific songwriters and performers in their own right.  It was pretty remarkable being 330' underground, at a concert.  But even more remarkable was the median age had to be on the positive side of 60! After checking out their website, we discovered that the age group they generally play to runs between 54 & 65.

Kenny's voice is still strong, and he generally seemed to be enjoying himself. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves, including the audience, as they played to several encores after their show.  This is an event that we would definitely recommend and you can find out more information about Bluegrass Underground by following the link above.
     Yesterday was cool but clear, and Debbie and I decided to tour around the park and see what it had to offer.  We walked over to see Fall Creek Falls which drops 256 ft.

The sign there claims it the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi, but I'm not quite sure that's true.  But I'll have to do a little fact checking on that.  We had a great picnic lunch, enjoying the crisp Fall day.  We passed a few deer enjoying themselves along the roadway, not really concerned that we were watching them. All we saw were does, but some park workers told me there's a nice 9 pointer with about a 2' rack running around.  Another fact that needs a little checking out??

We paused and watched a American Eagle catch a fish in the lake there.  He sat quite a while along the shoreline enjoying his catch before flying off.   After touring the park, we stretched out at our camp, made a nice campfire, poured a little whiskey over ice, and enjoyed our peaceful surroundings. It really has been our only chance for a campfire the entire trip, and we stayed out late as the fire died down.  Don't we look comfortable???
      Today we departed Tennessee and worked our way south into Alabama where we will meet up with our dear friends from our old California BP days, the Hamptons.  We had the fortunate opportunity to get to visit with nearly their entire family last year, which was a special treat, and we had to get together again this year on our way south.  So we are going to barge in, just a few weeks before Christmas, and hopefully not make a pain of ourselves.  It should be a good time.
       Debbie and I were looking at the weather report and noticed that another snow storm is headed for NY.  We really do feel so fortunate that we are able to escape that cold weather, and travel south for the winter.  We're hoping everyone has a great Christmas Season.

Touring around Nashville

      Sunday we departed Syracuse returning to pick up Big Red in College Park, MD.  MAE didn't seem too disappointed in us leaving.  As a matter of fact, as we pulled out, she was already sitting on a party bus heading for Buffalo and Bills football game!  She has made new friends in Syracuse and none of them like to spend too much time sitting around!
      Big Red survived our away time just fine, and Monday morning we headed across Virginia toward Nashville.  We traveled about 5 hours on Monday and spent the night at the Fort Chiswell RV Campground.  It's a nice RV park located right off of I-81, so it is quite convenient for over nighters like us.  And to make it even more inviting, there's a Pilot truck stop with a Denny's restaurant there also.  Tuesday morning found us filling our tank at the diesel pump, and our stomach at Denny's breakfast.  And you can't forget the 15% AARP discount now can we???  Continuing west on I-81 and I-40, by afternoon, we were nestled into the Two Rivers Campground about a mile from the Grand ole Opry.  We stayed there mainly because we were there back in May attending the FORBO Convention.  The sites have a crushed stone bed and are pretty much level, but the roads are not paved, and after a few days of rain, they were starting to get a little muddy.  This time of year there was no problem getting a 50 amp site, but I remember back in May, there were none available.  And right next door, there was a gigantic blinking Christmas light display.  It was quite impressive to sit and watch out our window, but it got even better after we found out there was music!  As we were pulling in, an Airstream trailer from Ontario pulled in across the way.   It wasn't long before I was over visiting our friendly neighbor to the north.  The following day he advised me that their was music accompanying the blinking lights, being broadcast on 101.5 on the FM dial.  Now we had a light show.......for free!  The price to drive through the blinking lights was $25, and cars were lining up at dusk to drive through.  People are amazing!

     On Wednesday we headed over to beautiful downtown Nashville to try and get a tour of the Ryman Auditorium.  The Ryman actually started out as the Union Gospel Tabernacle, built by Capt. Thomas Ryman, after attending a revival by famed evangelist Sam Jones.  Seven years and $100,000 later, in 1892, the Tabernacle was completed.  It was renamed Ryman Auditorium upon Capt. Ryman's death in 1904.   In 1943, the Grand Ole Opry arrived, remaining there until 1974.  After the Opry departed in 1974, there was talk of razing the building, but after a huge public outcry, the Ryman reopened in 1994 after a major renovation.  In 2001, the Ryman was named a National Historic Landmark.

Tuesday afternoon, during our tour, the seats were empty, but Tuesday night, the place was rockin' with Vince Gill and Amy Grant putting on their Christmas Special.  Score 1 for the "old guys" from Mooers.

     We toured around the streets of downtown and stopped in for a cool one in one of the numerous bars downtown.  Seems like that's all there was down there....except for the boot stores.  They were practically giving cowboy boots away....buy 1 - get 2 free!  But this was the best Debbie could come up with!

       Now, Friday was a special day.  Last year we discovered a country music duo on RFD-TV named Joey and Rory.  We both enjoyed their music and their once a week TV show from Pottsville, TN.  Part of the show is a cooking segment from Marcy-Jo's.  Now Marcy Jo is the sister-in-law of Joey, who is the female side of the duo.  Rory is the guy.......confused yet?  Anyway, last year we decided to visit Pottsville, TN and have lunch at Marcy-Jo's....and on Friday we headed down there. And Joey and her new baby, Indiana, were visiting the cafe when we got there.  Can you believe it! Being the bashful duo from Mooers, we didn't bother her, but it was pretty neat seeing her in person.

The food was great, even though the place looked like it was going to fall down at any minute.  If you didn't know it was there, you'd never stop, but there were several other couples like us who watch them every week on RFD-TV, and just wanted to go there.  
      On the way back, we ran across the Carnton Plantation commemorating the Battle of Franklin, TN.  Most people had never heard of the Battle of Franklin, but what took our eye was a plaque indicating a Confederate graveyard.  In our travels we had never seen one as the Confederates were considered traitors and were buried in mass graves at most battle sites up north.  We had an unusual tour guide named Austin who had his history down to a tee.  And he was very enthusiastic about telling us the story of the battle. I guess enthusiastic is being kind.....he was more like a nut.  But again, he knew his history.  (He is also a certified lifeguard.)  But I digress......

In November 1864, the Union and Confederate armies were both moving on Nashville.  If the Confederates got their first, they thought they would be able to secure a Southern Nation separate from the Union at the end of the war.  The Union could end the war and hold the country together by securing Nashville.   On November 30, 1864,  Federal forces positioned themselves on the southern edge of Franklin, a small community of 750 people.  At 4 PM, the Confederate Army launched a massive frontal assault on the Union forces.  The Confederate Army encountered massive canon fire as they tried to sweep across the fields near this plantation.  Five hours later, there were 2000 dead and 6500 wounded and 1000 missing.  This building became a field hospital for the Confederates and soon 4 Confederate Generals lay dead on the back porch.  Blood stains still soak the upstairs floors where the operating tables were located.

 In 1866, John McGavock, the owner of the property, donated 2 acres and created the Confederate Cemetery where 1481 men, killed in the Battle of Franklin were laid to rest.  All the property now belongs to the Battle of Franklin Trust and is supported completely by donations.
     Returning to Nashville, we drove through the current Grand Ole Opry grounds and enjoyed a beautiful Nativity scene on their front lawn.  All the statues are life sized and everywhere is bathed in white lights.  The massive white tree out front is surrounded by colorful light depicting poinsettias.  It was incredible to view, and I only wished I had taken some pictures that captured the scene.

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Thanksgiving with MaryAnne in Syracuse

     Do you believe what you're seeing to the left?  Seems like the goal of this journey across America was to eliminate this from our world! So we've been on the road for 28 days now, and we're sitting within 6 hours driving time from our home in upstate NY!  Somehow that doesn't seem right.
     Alright...Thanksgiving is the time of year to gather the family as best you can, and celebrate and be thankful for what life has given you.  Debbie and I have been blessed with 2 wonderful & successful kids, an incredible daughter-in-law, and of course Jamo, the PGD (precious grand dog).  We both know that we are extremely fortunate to be able to live as we live, and to travel. Visiting old friends and making new ones all across America is definitely an added bonus.  We hope all of our friends and family have a wonderful and blessed Christmas season.
     On Tuesday, Debbie and I departed Cherry Hill RV Park in D.C. after making arrangements to leave Big Red for a few days.  Everything is closed up, and the heat was left at 50.  We've been watching the weather, and all we've seen are cool temperatures and some rain, so he should be just fine.  While we were in D.C. last week, the temps dropped down into the 20's and we didn't have any issues with frozen pipes.  We definitely don't want that to happen.  Our 5 1/2 hour drive up to Syracuse took us about 7 hours, but that wasn't bad. Morning commuter traffic on I-95/495 around Washington slowed us down for the first 45 minutes, and then a tractor trailer accident backed traffic up a bit.  But other than that, it was clear sailing all the way into Syracuse.  As we drove up I-81 through Chambersburg and Carlisle, Debbie and I remembered the Thanksgiving dinners we shared with Ben, Joanne, and the Pearson  Family in 2011 & 2012.  Family is ultimately the goal, and hopefully in the future, everyone will be able to spend the holidays close to family and friends.  Fortunately we left on Tuesday, as Wednesday driving the I-95 corridor was treacherous at best with snow, sleet and rain stretching from Florida to Maine.  But we were nestled in comfortably in Syracuse, by the time the storm hit.  (This photo represents "nestled in"....not necessarily Syracuse!)

     We put the pressure right to MaryAnne with Thanksgiving at her apartment.  But I'm happy to report that she did a terrific job and had everything ready to go when we arrived.  Debbie and she had spoken about all the necessary preparations, and as Debbie went through the list, MAE had them all checked off.  The only thing I was worried about was the turkey, and Debbie reported that MAE had it defrosting in the fridge and it was ready to go.
     Thanksgiving morning arrived with about an inch of white powdery snow covering the ground.  Lots better than what Buffalo had been experiencing.  We were surprised to hear that Albany had received about 9.5 inches of snow.  Can't quite figure out how the storm missed Syracuse, but we'll take it.  We headed out early for MAE's as we knew that mimosa's were waiting for us.  We settled in, and the girls started studying the sales flyers in the day's newspaper.  I knew that this was going to be a long day.

 As I sat there enjoying football on TV, MAE was busily preparing the turkey and trimmings.  Soon, Mrs Doody was in the kitchen with her, although she claimed it was for moral support.  As I recall, they were trying to divide the recipe by 1/2 when I snapped this photo.  "Don't screw up the pumpkin pie" I exclaimed!  Actually there was no doubt in my mind that it would be perfect.

 Next came the turkey, and as it settled into the oven, everyone could relax for a few hours.  We got a phone call out to Ben in San Diego, and he reported temps in the 90's!  Way too hot for Thanksgiving Day.  Joanne had to go to work for 8 PM at Target, but they had been invited up to the Lanier's for turkey the day before. The Lanier's have been taking care of Ben since he was a baby in Pine Valley, and it was very thoughtful to invite them all up for dinner.  Even Jamo got to go.  Seems that Little Tommy has a dog too, and he and Jamo can work off a little energy out in the yard.  
      Right on schedule, MAE's first Thanksgiving dinner hit the table.  The menu included turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables, cranberry, rolls, and pumpkin pie for dessert.  MAE even remembered the Andes' Mints!  Perfect job!

I guess she was paying attention to her mother all these years!?!   She is settling right in down here in Syracuse.  I guess she's gonna do fine.  Her only downfall that I can see is she's a Dallas Cowboys fan.  Where did I go wrong???
     Now, as amazing as it may seem, Debbie has moved into Christmas mode here in Syracuse. There's nothing more important to her than opening presents on Christmas morning.  So she's brought along some of her wrapping paper (never throw paper away), and she's busy this morning getting gifts wrapped up for shipping all over the country.  I hope everyone who is reading this, gets to enjoy the Christmas Season half as much as Debbie does.

Sunday in D.C. and preparations for the holidays

   
      Well the nice weather has returned to D.C. and the temps are well into the 60's today.  It rained most of the night, which is the perfect time for it to rain. The windows and front door of Big Red are open and a nice breeze is blowing through.  I've got to backtrack a few days to get caught up, which translates to:  We are pounding the sites around DC and we're too tired when we get home!
     One thing we have discovered is you can't see everything DC has to offer in just a few short days.  We really should have spent more time in ALL the museums and sites we've visited, but we kept moving forward hoping to get a glimpse at everything and deciding what we wanted to visit on our next journey.  Everyone has an important story to tell, but visitors with limited time are forced to pick and choose.  Saturday was a beautiful day....still just a slight breeze,,,but very pleasant temperatures. Debbie and I have become real pro's at maneuvering through the various modes of transportation around D.C.  The other night, we arrived back at the bus terminal after exiting the metro, and met some people from the RV Park waiting for the bus nearly frozen to death.  They had been waiting for over 1 hour.  Just by chance, we had timed it so our wait with them was only about 15 minutes.  The following night, Debbie and I were waiting for the Metro in DC and remembered that our bus only runs every hour.  Debbie pulled out her trusty bus schedule, and we decided to wait in the nice warm Metro terminal in DC for about 20 more minutes and then catch our train.  When we arrived at our bus station, our wait was only about 10 minutes.  Of course this theory only works if the bus is on time.....which it was....so we looked like pro's.
     So Saturday, we had planned quite a full day.  I had touched base with Rep. Owens and had scored some tour tickets for the Capital Building for the 2:20 pm tour.  So first we headed to the Archives Museum located right on the Mall.  No pictures can be taken at the Archives, but the Declaration of Independence is on display along with thousands of other documents of American History.  It is definitely a place a visitor to D.C. needs to visit.  We managed to wander through only 1 floor of the museum and decided that we needed to keep moving.

 Exiting the museum, we turned right and headed down the Mall toward the WWII Memorial.  It was about a 15 minute walk to get there, but the sights along the way make it an enjoyable walk.  You have to pass by the Washington Monument, and from there the White House is visible.  At the other end of the Mall is the Lincoln Memorial, and probably half way in between is the WWII Memorial. The WWII Memorial is divided into the Atlantic & Pacific theater.  A pool with multiple fountains lays between them and each state is represented with a vertical tower and a large wreath at the top. The Memorial honors the 16 million who served, the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort at home.

    In the center of the Memorial is a wall containing 400 gold stars, commemorating the more than 400,000 who died.  We need to remember that more the 605,000 died during our Civil War.
     At the opposite end of the Mall, is the Capital Building, and Debbie and I had spent a little too much time at the memorial.  So we headed out at a pretty crisp pace, for the 1 mile walk back.  But we made it with a few minutes to spare, and luckily it wasn't a busy day at the Capital.  We worked our way through security and entered into the Visitor Center, newly constructed since 9/11.

They have a pretty good system, and once inside we got our passes and were able to sit down and just enjoy the surroundings.  There was a replica of the statue Freedom in the visitor center that matches the statue on the top of the dome.  It stands at about 19.5 ft and weighed more than originally anticipated, which forced the original architect to make a few changes in the construction of the dome to support the weight of  Freedom.  The interior of the Capital is full of magnificent paintings and statues depicting our nation's history, but unfortunately the tour guides move way too fast to let you see them.

 This was the only unfortunate part of the visit.  Our guide had her story down pat, but lacked any enthusiasm is telling it.  But don't let this deter you from taking the tour if you get the opportunity.  There's also an Exhibit Hall which is off of the Visitor Center, which has hundreds of photos of the Capital's construction and a video explaining the Legislative Branch of our gov't.  Again, unfortunately, you can't take any pictures which I really didn't understand.

   
 On Sunday we attended noon mass at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  The Basilica is the largest Roman Catholic Church in the United States and North America, and one of the ten largest churches in the world.  The website refers to it as "America's Catholic Church and it has been visited by Pope Benedict XVI, Saint John Paul II, and Blessed Mother Teresa.  It is truly magnificent and relatively modern structure, with its construction spanning the 19th, 20th, and now 21st centuries.  It contains over 70 chapels.  It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Patroness of the United States, and throughout her are statues and paintings of her.  We spent a few hours walking through the numerous chapels, and viewing the magnificent artwork.  The Basilica is open daily, and there is ample free parking for those coming to attend mass or just visit. There are free guided tours,dining area, and of course 2 gift shops.  If you can come to D.C. plan on spending a few hours visiting the Basilica.

 

       Today we are getting our lives cleaned up and packed up so we can head back to Syracuse for Thanksgiving with the Princess.  It's going to be interesting watching her fly around the kitchen putting a dinner together!!  On Sunday, we'll be heading back here to D.C. to pick up Big Red, and then we're off to Tennessee, Alabama, and finally some warm weather in Florida.  We'll be hitting Gainesville for Aunt Anita's 89th birthday, so we had better be on time.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Naval Academy and Washington

     The weather here in DC continues to be a little cool at night, but the days continue a slight warm up each day.  Nothing like the weather that the rest of the country has been experiencing.  Seems quite amazing that we're in the middle of November, and  most of the country has been experiencing multiple days of below freezing weather.  Debbie and I have been fortunate by staying on the fringe of this weird weather pattern, and now it seems that NY will be looking at weather up in the 60's the next few days.  Buffalo is still digging out of about 7' of snow the last few days, and even the National Guard has been deployed to help.  As long as it's nice while we're in Syracuse.  That's all I care about!
     Debbie and I continue to play tourist each day.  Yesterday we drove over to Annapolis and took a guided tour around the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy.  Of course our first stop was a visit over at their athletic facility.  And of course we went straight to a display of gold footballs signifying Navy victories over Army!  Now, I think Army has won the last 12 in a row, but as you can see, Navy won the 1st one back in 1890.

I'm sure we'd get the same tour if we visited West Point as both branches seem to take this rivalry pretty seriously.  We also passed by a bronze statue of the Navy mascot which has a plaque stating that Navy Midshipman allegedly stole the Ram from West Point prior to one of these early contests, and has remained the mascot of the Navy ever since.
     We also took a tour through the USNA Museum, which was truly a magnificent place. Amazingly, the Academy has encompassed the Midshipmen's curriculum into the museum and they are conducting classes and lectures among the exhibits.  The museum contains thousands of artifacts of Navy life, documenting the leaders and their service from its earliest days.  There are interactive displays and battle maps that document  the Navy's history during both war and peace.  There are numerous ship models from the 1600's and 1700's, which were made prior the actual building of the ships.  They are accurate down to the smallest details.  Just recently, they've discovered that the artisans actually left notes and signatures inside the models.  There is even an amazing display of ship models built by French prisoners of war using material in the prison yard including wood, straw, and bones from their beef rations.Some of the models took years to make.

      Last night, Debbie discovered that if we wanted to take a tour of the U.S. Capital, we needed to obtain a reservation.  I logged in to the Visitor Center, and unfortunately there were no openings until 12/1.  Well that wasn't going to work for us.  So I logged onto the website of our Representative Bill Owens, to see if he could help us.  Today when we got back, there was a nice email from his office with an attachment for 2 passes to tour the Capital tomorrow.
     Today we headed over to tour the Natural History Museum and the American History Museum. The Metro is a quick trip in from College Park.  The slow part was the bus ride getting to the Metro. But the bus actually enters the RV park to pick us up, so that's pretty convenient.  We stepped out onto the platform and made our way up to the sunlight and began our adventure.

The metro is very easy to figure out, and any visitor to DC will have little problem getting around.  The wind was a little bitter as we made our way around the Mall which had quite a renovation project ongoing.  The Capital Building with all its scaffolding was visible at one end of the Mall, and the Washington Monument was at the other.

The Natural History Museum was filled with just about any kind of animal you could imagine.  Even a life sized elephant welcomed visitors at the front door. There were some amazing photographs of wildlife from around the world in a separate display.  We tried to sit and enjoy the photos, but the place was full of school children raising Kane and running wildly throughout the place.  It just got to be a little overwhelming.  We're told that Monday is the quietest day to visit.  So we packed up and headed over to the American History Museum.  This museum is going to take some repeat visits to get through.  There's just so much to see.  Debbie was fascinated with the gowns worn by the First Ladies, and a display of some of their dinnerware.

 I myself was impressed with the living room furniture of Archie and Edith Bunker!  There was a nice display of the Gunboat Philadelphia which was discovered in the water off of Valcour Island in 1935.  The gunboat was sunk during the War of 1812.  The displays are too numerous to mention, so if you get a chance of visit DC, look the place over.  It is worth your while.
     Tomorrow we are returning to DC for a tour of the Capital Building and who knows what else.  The temperature should be up in the 60's, so we're looking forward to that.