Off to somewhere: a hybrid road trip

Planning done, plane tickets bought, car reserved, bags packed, SLR sensor cleaned, online checkin completed, ....

Linda, Kris (Linda's son) and I catch a red-eye tonight. I'd tell you where we're going, but that would make the "Where In..." posts WAY too easy, so I'll be posting where we've been, as things progress.

First two days we will be staying with friends: I'm unsure as to their internet situation, so I may not be able to post again until Friday.

This trip will entail some road work this week, then after Labor Day we'll be squatting at a different friend's place and taking day trips from that location.

Sean (my son) will be joining us at that point (he's taking the same red-eye we are, just one week later).

Hope to keep you amused over the next 18 days.

We're leaving Harley in charge:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/Harley.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

Have a nice trip and thanks for getting out there so we can add to the inventory of new images for the puzzle game!

Mark

Here's what things looked like shortly after we landed....

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-77?1252713235

After collecting our bags and rental car, the first stop, only a few minutes away, was an outlet of Linda's favorite grocery story:

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-78?1252713497

Where did we fly into last week?

What is this a hybridized version of the Where in North America is this?

mark

Posting both here and "where", will fill in the trip details here after someone gets it on the "where" thread or too much time elapses or you tell me I've gotten way too "creative".....

This is the web, which defies linear thinking -- so this seems reasonable to me.

...Not any more helpful though,,,

Mark

Off on vacation!

Roland (our housesitter) came by to take over the home front, and drove the three of us and assorted luggage to Concord BART. A train change at MacArthur went off without a hitch, as did the connection to the AirBART bus to Oakland airport. Nobody in the checkin line, and we were sitting down at a table in the Terminal 1 Chili's having dinner only two hours after leaving home. An auspicious start.

Didn't get a lot of sleep on the flight, thanks on part to a couple of chatterboxes in the seats ahead of us who didn't seem to understand that some people actually want to SLEEP on late night flights. Ah well, never that good at sleeping on a plane anyway.

The first shot is from one of the buses that transports you from the gates to baggage claim at Dulles. It's of the terminal tower; but neither my condition nor the environment helped the technical aspects of this shot.

These buses are like nothing I've ever seen. They're the only way to get from the gates to the terminal building, and aside from driving you there, they squat.

You board at concourse height at the front of the bus.
They shut the doors.
The bus then squats down to runway height, backs away from the gate, and drives off to the terminal (it was during the drive I took that shot).
At the terminal, it parks, rises up to concourse height again, and you debark.

The second shot is Wegmans... Linda's favorite market. Also known for their on-premise bakery and ready-to-eat food.

Linda had filled my head with tales of Wegman's apple fritters... alas, this Wegman's appeared to be too upscale for such pedestrian fare, so I had to settle for a caramel sticky bun for breakfast.

Next... off to (but that would be telling)

We headed out from Wegman's, after a few hours we reached the home of Linda's friend Dode and her husband Don. The town they live in is a small but old town, with a small liberal arts college: less than an hour away is a larger town with a major university... but more on that later.

After some of us (me) took a nap, we all went to dinner. I ordered what they told me was regional fare: an open-face cheeseburger covered with cole slaw, french fries and onion rings. Dode's green salad also came covered with french fries. (Clue 1)

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-79?1252862652
Photo: Don Casey

We could hear freight trains passing by as they ran along the riverside tracks (most roads, streams and railroad tracks run parallel to each other here); I thought it ironic to see all the diesel smoke coming from the engines, considering the local product being carried by these trains (Clue 2).

After two days puttering around with D&D, we headed out again. First stop was that larger town, where we had lunch with a former neighbor of Linda and Kris; Laura. On the way, we stopped on a ridge-top to enjoy the view; the town and university are to the right of the picture (Clue 3):

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-86?1252863057
Photo: Don Casey

Here's Linda, Kris and Laura in front of a main gate of the University (Clue 4):

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-89?1252863299
Photo: Don Casey

Here's where we ate, right across from the gate and a local hangout (Clue 5):
http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-88?1252863376
Photo: Don Casey

After somebody identifies this location over on the "Where in..." board, I'll fill in the details.

EDITORIAL NOTE: I'm traveling without my photo editing software, so these shots won't have tone, sharpness, contrast, etc. correction done until I get home. Come back in late September for improved version.

Dode and Don live in Huntingdon PA, on the Juniata River in the Allegheny mountains; home to Juniata College.

Here's two shots of downtown Huntingdon:

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-82?1253022839
Photo: Don Casey

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-83?1253022901
Photo: Don Casey

Just up the way (30 miles or so) is State College, home to Penn State University (currently ranked just above Cal in the football polls).

Side note: we're quite fond of college towns; the combination of the energy of the students with the usual combination of interesting places to eat and cultural options is great.

Moving on:

The irony I saw in the diesel smoke from the trains comes from the fact that they were hauling coal; the former source of motive power for the railroads.

My burger was named "The Pittsburger" (west of town); they tell me it's a PA thing putting fries on top of things, including open-face burgers, salads, you name it. We saw this again in State College.

Our journey took us into farmland:

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-99?1253023175
Photo: Don Casey

A slower paced kind of place, and this area is slower than most.

A common theme in farming areas is a central market town, with a central market:

Outside:
http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-91?1253023273
Photo: Don Casey

Inside:
http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-95?1253023332
Photo: Don Casey

Another nice thing about farming areas is the fresh and interesting food options. We stumbled into a small cafe in one town that focused on chocolate. While this is not typical of the area, the food was great. We had hot (or in my case cold) chocolate, Linda had a mole' based chile that was spectacular, Kris had a peanut butter/banana/chocolate panini sandwich, and I opted to have dessert for breakfast, chocolate crepes with fresh strawberries and mascarpone cheese. Did I mention we're foodies?

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-97?1253023537

Photo: Don Casey

The woman who owns the cafe (and holds the title Chief Chocolate Officer) helped Linda find a genuine fabric store; a place where the locals rather than tourists go to buy their fabric. One thing the locals are noted for is a particular form of fabric work, and Linda was thrilled to buy where the locals buy.

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...100?1253023579
Photo: Don Casey

We also visited a former religious colony in the area; a sect formed in the 1730s that died out. This building was the women's domitory and worship hall:

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...101?1253024217
Photo: Don Casey

I'll tell you where we were, once someone else figures it out.

Cool report Don !

I am enjoying the "Magical mystery tour" along with the pictures !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CalOldBlue

Dode and Don live in Huntingdon PA, ............

---

Only a couple of miles from where I am reading this thread. Great country, been roaming around here for a few days.

Lifey's enjoying your trip

Dave and Lifey; thanks for the kind words.

Seems folk are stuck on the current puzzle, here's another clue:

This area is also known for covered bridges. There's a sad little tale surrounding the taking of the first shot here. I had to walk through some mowed weeds (shin-high) to get to where I could take this shot... in walking back to the car I stepped in a foot-deep hole, twisted my ankle pretty bad.

I'm OK now (about two weeks after the event), but I've had to hobble around for a fortnight.

The bad bridge:
http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...106?1253197254
Photo: Don Casey

A happier (and more scenic bridge):
http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...107?1253197351
Photo: Don Casey

They would have to be the bridges around Bedford, where I was only a couple of weeks ago. That 2nd photo is much like one I took. Don't know off the top of my head the names off all the little places around there.

After leaving State College, we drove off to Lancaster, in the heart of Amish country. That evening we left the boys in the hotel (seems we wore them out) and Linda and I went into town.

We were there on "First Friday"; a night they keep many stores, museums, and art galleries open late. This gave us a great opportunity to do some evening touristing.

We HAD to his the Quilt/Fabric museum, Linda being a quilter and all. It's in a former bank building:

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-90?1253286040
Photo: Don Casey

We also had time to visit the Heritage Museum, where on the third floor was a delightful printing shop exhibit staffed by some delightful volunteers:

http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-93?1253286145
Photo: Don Casey

I have to admit, while I'm not sure what I expected Lancaster to be, but whatever that expectation was, it wasn't a busy semi-city. Interesting enough, but not very Amish. For that, we hit the countryside as noted earlier above.

Downtown Lancaster at dusk:
http://www.takeyourparents.com/user_...-94?1253286250
Photo: Don Casey

While we saw very few Amish (we weren't particularly seeking them out), we saw quite a few Mennonites. These are both Anabaptist sects within the larger branch of Protestantism; with roots in the area now known as Germany. The Amish eschew much of modern technology, but somewhat selectively. Electricity is permitted in the context of work, but not home or leisure. Mennonites on the other hand are less restrictive. Both dress in ways that set them apart from both the tourist hordes, and the locals who are not adherents. Most obvious are bonnets (typically made of a white mesh fabric) and ankle length dresses for the women.

The fabric store, as were several other retail establishments we went to, appeared to be staffed by Mennonite women.

I believe the rest of these will be "straight" posts... no more puzzles here. Of course, I may change my mind.

Anyway, after the ankle incident, and a stop for medical supplies at a local mega-mart, we took off for Philly (yes, in this case I let Linda drive).

We met Laura (from Penn State) and her friend for dinner at Marakesh, a Morroccan restaurant right off South Street.

South Street at Passyunk
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/SouthStreet.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

South Street is a collection of shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and lots of lots of people. We were there on Labor Day weekend (Saturday), and it was hopping!

We got there early, so we strolled (or limped, in my case) the street, window shopping. Actually, Kris bought a hat in a hattery, and I spotted a cigar store that would come into play in a few days. Dinner was spectacular if not cheap; something like 7 pre-determined courses served family-style. No forks here, fingers and hunks of pita bread. You do get a lap towel to help cleanse your pinkeys from time to time. Oh yeah, belly dancer too!

After dinner, we hot-footed it back to the hotel so I could watch the Cal Bears in their first football game of the season. Fortunately they were playing Maryland, local enough to Philly that it was covered. Unfortunately it was an 8pm start on the West Coast, so I was up until 2am. They won so it's all good.

The next day, my ankle was so bad we all decided I should stay off it and ice it... so Kris and Linda headed off to the Philadelphia Art Museum. For you "Rocky Fans", this place has the steps he runs up. For you John Singer Sargent fans (as Linda is), there are a handful of nice Sargents on display (they tell me).

http://donandlindacasey.com/images/PhillyArtMuseum.jpg
Photo: Kris Tapper

Linda and Kris swung through Reading Terminal Market (more on this later), close by our hotel, and picked up dinner... cheesesteak sandwiches and moon pies. Beer from the front desk finished the repast.

ONLY for those of you who are NOT squeamish, this photo link shows you how colorful a human foot can become.

Note: I'm fine right now, and in fact other than the one day, it didn't impact what we were able to do and see... much.

So how do you see a city when you have a bum wheel?

Doubledecker sightseeing bus
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...ubledecker.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

We picked it up at Reading Terminal Market, and rode the last two-thirds of the loop, seeing quite a bit of Philly. When it got to the starting point of the loop (near Independence Hall), we were told we needed to board another bus to continue the loop. We took this opportunity to grab lunch, and asked the guide for a recommendation for cheesesteaks in the area. He suggested Sonny's, three block down Market, so off we strode to Sonny's Famous Steaks.

Three cheesesteaks (wit wiz, onions, peppers), one order of cheese fries, one order of onion rings, and three sodas later (and very happy), we headed back up Market towards the Independence Hall area. (Suggestion: order the extra wiz, they were a little light and that probably cost them a higher spot in our ranking.)

On the way back we popped into Franklin Court,
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...urtOutside.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

which is the area where Ben Franklin lived and worked. His house has long since been torn down, but there is an interesting (underground) museum on the property (accessed through the archway in the shot above), a printing shop (middle of the shot, and the skeleton of his house recreated in steel beams:

http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...nklinCourt.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

We hopped back on the bus, rode it to where we got on and beyond to a stop where we could get off and visit the Franklin Institute. This is a science museum, funded in part with money from Ben's estate. It sits next to a traffic circle with an interesting fountain, and views to the Art Museum one way, and City Hall the other.

Fountain:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/PhillyFountain.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

Art Museum:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...omFountain.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

City Hall:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...omFountain.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

The special exhibit at the museum included Renaissance instruments... quite frankly after you've seen 2 dozen bronze astrolabes you've seen them all, but the highlight was one of the two existing telescopes used by Galileo. It looked like nothing more than a length of plumbing, and I wasn't allowed to photograph inside that exhibit, but it was neat to be that close to one of the scientific instruments Galileo used to turn the world upside down.

So we waved goodbye to the statue of Ben in the rotunda, boarded the bus and rode it back to our hotel. Dinner was at an Italian chain restaurant; decent and filling. Anybody who's visited my Flat Stanley Blog knows I can't resist night photography, so I managed to limp outside the hotel long enough to take a shot of City Hall. An amazing (and HUGE) building (pretty much fills an entire city block):

http://donandlindacasey.com/images/PhillyCityHall.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

And so to bed. Tomorrow, we spend a few hours more in the city of brotherly love, then move on.

Very nice captures -- I like that night one the best!

Mark

That is a wonderful night shot !

I think you done the right thing in resting that ankle up for a while, it looked pretty nasty.

You should have seen the top of the foot. For whatever reason, the discoloration extended to the toes, all the way to the nail bed. I know, too much information.

Best packing decision this trip: bringing a pair of Keen sandals as a second pair of casual footwear; let me bandage up and still get into a pair of shoes. Between the swelling and the Ace bandage I couldn't fit into my dress shoes OR my sneakers.

I'm pleased the shots seemed to work; I couldn't use a tripod, so I ended up cranking the speed up and holding the camera against a light pole to steady it. Removed some noise in post-processing. I do like some of the Salzburg shots in my blog better (night shots tend to be at the end of each blog entry; clicking on a photo opens up a larger version in a new window), but there's still visible noise artifacts in the dark areas I need to go back and work on some more.

Thanks and stay tuned for more entries (although no more night work; due to squatting in the 'burbs I didn't make it into D.C. (coming up shortly) to shoot the monuments at night).

Thankfully, since one of Linda's best friends lives in Rockville, MD, there WILL be other trips to D.C. in our future.

We made sure we were all packed and negotiated a late checkout, then headed for breakfast over at Reading Terminal Market.

http://donandlindacasey.com/images/PhillyRTM1.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

The interior of this former railroad station has been coverted to a series of food stalls, and we had our pick of several interesting options.

http://donandlindacasey.com/images/PhillyRTM2.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

I lined up to get latte's, while Linda and Kris negotiated the food portion. We then headed for the central portion of the market, which is set up with tables so folk can consume their purchases on the spot

http://donandlindacasey.com/images/PhillyRTM3.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

Suitably fortified, we headed down to the Independence Hall area, where we had pre-reserved tickets for the tour. You can just show up and get tickets free, but we were on a tight schedule and wanted to ensure we could get in without needing to wait, so the modest processing fee ($1.50/ticket) was worth the peace of mind knowing we wouldn't have to wait hours and hours. (We used this facility again later on this trip; coming up in a few posts).

As it turns out, when we arrived early to pick up the tickets we were able to get tickets for an earlier tour (still out the processing fee though), and when we showed up at the spot the tour starts, they squeezed us into the tour ahead of the one we had tickets for! Ah, the joys of touring on a weekday after Labor Day! (This was Tuesday). No crowds, no fuss... heaven.

Here's the two major sights:

First: the room in Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were both debated and signed...

http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...igningRoom.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

Second: the Liberty Bell (with Independence Hall in the background)
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...ibertyBell.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

This last sight does not require a ticket; all you have to do is pass through security and wait for the crowd to thin. In our case; no crowd!

From here we moved down to Fourth and South, where we'd been the first night we arrived. Here we split for a bit: Linda down Fourth to Fabric Row (more on that in a bit), Kris and I to wander South Street in the daylight. Here's what some of it looks like after the crowds go away... the modern brick building on the corner is the hat shop where Kris got his hat, around that corner is the cigar shop; my current target.

http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...outhStreet.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

Now armed with demon weed, we walked to the end of South, where there's an overlook allowing one to see both New Jerseys across the river: the state, and the battleship (moored directly opposite South Street). After taking in the view, we headed back to Fourth Street to hook up with Linda.

The first several blocks of Fourth Street south of South is known as Fabric Row; there are numerous textile outlets along this stretch, and Linda wanted to hit as many as she could. She ended up picking up a lot less fabric than she did in Amish country (thankfully).

http://donandlindacasey.com/images/PhillyFabricRow.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

From here we headed west to Ninth Street, then turned down it to walk to and through the Italian Market area (lots of great food outlets), to the intersection of Ninth and Passyunk; the Mecca of Cheese Steak Sandwiches.

Facing each other across this intersection are two of the major purveyors of Philadelphia steak sandwiches: Geno's and Pat's:

Pat's as seen from Geno's / Geno's as seen from Pat's
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...sFromGenos.jpg http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...osFromPats.jpg
Photos: Don Casey

And, of course, the Holy Grail itself:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/P...heeseSteak.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

Final ballots having been tabulated; we had consensus: Geno's was our prefered sandwich. Not that we'd turn down any of the other three, and there are several famed sandwich joints we still haven't gotten to yet. I'm just going to add this quest to my existing quest: seeking the perfect Mai Tai.

Anyway, lunch now well under control, we returned to the hotel, collected car and baggage and headed off for our next stop. And yes, at this point Linda is still driving.

Note to husbands: when driving with The Wife in strange locations, it really doesn't matter who is The Pilot and who is The Navigator... Discouraging Words are certain to be heard in either situation.

I selected the "scenic" (i.e. non-freeway) route out of The City of Brotherly Love; so after crossing the Schuykill River and sliding past Drexel University and U of Penn staring at each other across the street, we made our way to Baltimore Avenue/Baltimore Pike/US13 heading west to a link-up with US1.

An interesting and eclectic set of neighborhoods; some nice

View from Navigator's seat: Baltimore Pike:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/PhillyOutskirts.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

some others resulting in Hard Stares at stop lights from Pilot's seat directed at the humble Navigator, as we were in places deemed to be unacceptable by Pilot.

Emerging finally into the countryside unscarred (physically if not emotionally), Baltimore Pike finally merged with US1 on the far side of Media (which, as far as we could tell from within the confines of the Kia, looked like a really cute little town).

We stopped for gas, and I reclaimed the role of Driver; not to relinquish for the remainder of this trip.

Being the Northern California wine snobs we are, we HAD to stop at Chaddsford Winery, in Chadds Ford where US1 crosses the Brandywine. We sampled some delightful wine, and bought a few bottles to take to our soon-to-be hostess.

Chaddsford Winery:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/ChaddsfordWinery.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

A bit further down the Pike we visited Longwood Gardens, a 1,000+ acre preserve created by Pierre DuPont (yes, of THOSE DuPonts). We only had a couple hours, but that was enough to get a nice overview of the place. Here's a few shots:

Linda being eaten by a topiary chicken:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/Longwood1.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

Water garden from terrace:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/LongwoodGardens.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

Lily pond outside of the Conservatory:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/MysteryLilyPond.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

Inside the Conservatory:
http://donandlindacasey.com/images/L...nservatory.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

From here, it was a straight shot down to Karen's in Rockville; marred only by a polite discussion between Pilot and Navigator (in their new role reversal) whether the logical route out I70 from Baltimore to the intersection of Georgia Pike would be taken (Pilot), or the madly insane option of continuing to the Beltway, navigating around it to I270 then up to MD28 was the way to go (Navigator).

Navigator pulled rank; and we eventually pulled into Rockville; Karen's home and our home for the remainder of the trip.

Avoid the Beltway at all cost
Avoid the Beltway at all cost
Avoid the Beltway at all cost

And, if that method fails, take any route other than the Beltway.

Yeah, I've gotta go with the Pilot on this one. Sorry, Linda.

Foy

... and to shorten my sentence once she reads this part of the thread:

It was past commute hour, midweek (the Tuesday after Labor Day).

Linda has been to the area a number of times, and was concerned that the Georgia Pike, being a surface artery with stop lights, etc., might be more clogged than the Beltway.

I still think it would have been quicker my way, but as we DIDN'T hit any Beltway backups we'll never know.

Coming up: DC and surrounds.

......I tend to suffer a form of "RoadTripper claustrophobia" which causes me to always need have an alternative route available. I despise the feeling of being stuck in a back-up with no ready way to bushwhack around it.

I must admit it: I'd never make it in a large urban area. Heavy traffic drives me completely batty.

Foy

My fault; I haven't had time to edit photos, so I've held off posting for a bit.

I'll try to get something real done this weekend; for now, where we left our tale....

Got to Karen's place in Rockville and settled in for a 10-day stay. Karen's job was nuts, so she could only take one day off to spend with us while we were there and that wasn't going to be for a few days (more on that day later).

Early early the next morning, Linda and I got up to go pick up my son Sean at IAD, who arrived on the same red-eye we had taken a week earlier. We all took the rest of the day off.

Next morning, suitably refreshed we headed for the Metro and The Museum of American History.

A necessary pilgrimage for Linda each time she's in town is to see Julia Child's Cambridge kitchen, lovingly restored in the museum. If you saw the film "Julie and Julia", you'll recognize this:

http://donandlindacasey.com/images/MysteryKitchen.jpg
Photo: Don Casey

In the movie, the shot is taken from the doorway to the left.

After lunch in the cafe downstairs, and poking around a large part of the museum (seeing things ranging from Kermit the Frog to the remains of the flag that flew over Fort McHenry and inspired F.S. Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner", we headed back to the Metro and Rockville.

Time for a scotch and an icebag (the latter for my foot).