On The Go With Gary and Jo

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

2012-02-01T19:56:00.001-08:00

Beautiful day to tour the desert Museum. We arrived when it opened at 8:30. We went to the Birds of Prey show and were able to see 5 different birds fly. Great show. Lots of walking. Many types of animals from deer to wolves.

We got to go through the hummingbird area and were able to see this one sitting on it’s nest.

snakes are also at the museum

Great-horned owl

Old Tucson Studios 2012

2012-02-01T19:39:00.001-08:00

We always love to go to Old Tucson Studios. This year was no exception. We were able to see 5 new shows including the can-can girls. I was chosen to be in one of the shows. My part was to hit a tambourine and shake my booty. My reward was a bottle of sarsaparilla. We enjoyed the comedy stunt show. The weather is really great here in Tucson.

pretty good singers.

This building was in the Glen Ford version of 3:10 to Yuma

China town

The Reno. Was used in movie Joe Kidd. Before it was used in the movies, it provided transportation for Pres. Grant and Roosevelt.

Part of the stunt comedy show.

shoot out from the Quick and the Dead

Tule Elk

2011-12-24T11:26:00.001-08:00

Los Banos, Ca has many wildlife preserves. One of the reserves has tule elk. We took our friend out to see them one day.

Monterey Bay Aquarium 2011

2011-12-24T11:16:00.001-08:00

Monterey Bay Aquarium is my favorite aquarium. If I still lived in Ca., I would have a membership and go every month. Our friend from Kansas arrived on Monday so Tuesday we made our yearly trip to the Aquarium and Fisherman’s wharf. We ate at the Fish Hopper and were very happy with our meal. Then we took a drive on the coast. Finished the day with some fried artichokes. Great stuff.

Custer State Park Buffalo Round-up 2011

2011-09-26T16:56:00.001-07:00

We ended our stay in Custer State Park by attending the annual Buffalo Round-Up. After talking to lots of park rangers, we decided to view the round-up from the south viewing area. We got up around 4 and got in line for the south viewing area at 5:38. They began parking at 6:20 and we were finally parked by 7. They had a pancake and sausage breakfast that we enjoyed. About 9:30 the cowboys began pushing the buffalo towards the corrals. Our viewing area allowed us to see the buffalo as they came across the top of the hill. There were some wild burros in the valley that had to run to get out of the way of the stampeding buffalo. The elk were watching from the top of a hill. The cowboys say that they drive the buffalo where the buffalo want to go. The buffalo did not go the way the cowboys wanted them to go at first, so the cowboys stopped pushing the buffalo for a few minutes, changed their locations, and began pushing the buffalo again. Once the buffalo were in the corrals, we were able to go down for a buffalo bar-b-que. Sure was good. At 1:00, they began to work about 150 buffalo through the shutes. There they would weigh, vaccinate, and, if it was a cow, check for pregnancy. (sure wouldn’t want that job) They would also separate the young ones born last year and brand them. They sell about 200 or so of the buffalo to various buyers. Great day.!!!!

wild burros running away

When the buffalo got to this area, they were very unhappy. They would move their heads up and down and side-ways trying to escape. The cowboy would reach out and touch the buffalo on the nose or head and they would calm down. He would then read the number off the tag so they would know what buffalo they were dealing with. As soon as his hand left the buffalo, the buffalo began moving it’s head wildly.

free at last

South Dakota Air & Space Museum

2011-09-22T21:22:00.001-07:00

This is a small air and space museum. Most of the planes are located outside. The museum is free, however, we took a tour of the minute man missile training sites at Ellsworth Air Force Base. That required payment. We really did enjoy the tour though. We though the museum was worth our time.

National Presidential Wax Museum, Keystone, SD

2011-09-21T19:22:00.001-07:00

This museum has wax figures of all the Presidents and other famous people. We were given an audio device where we entered the number that went with the exhibit. We learned lots of things about some of the presidents that we had not heard before.

George Washington, Martha, and Betsy Ross

Married while in the white house

Custer

Grant and Lee

George Bush

Mammoth Site, Hot Springs, SD

2011-09-21T19:06:00.001-07:00

Had a great day visiting the Mammoth Site. The site is enclosed and is an on-going dig site. They dig only 7 weeks a year and spend the rest of the year sifting through what they find. Many years ago a sink hole filled with water that had year round temps of 96. This meant that grass grew below the edge of the sink hole. Mammoths would try to get to the grass and fall into the sink hole. They could not get out and died. Eventually, the sink hole was covered with soil and the mammoths were buried. Mammoth bones were uncovered when a developer was having the ground bull dozed for a housing development. He recognized the importance of the discovery and sold the land so the Mammoth site could be preserved. So far, 59 mammoths have been discovered along with a short-faced bear.

whole mammoth

Badlands National Park 2011

2011-09-17T18:12:00.001-07:00

We spent 2 wonderful days touring Badlands National Park. We were able to see mountain sheep, buffalo, antelope, deer, rabbit, chipmunk, and prairie dogs. Such a beautiful national park.

Wounded Knee

2011-09-17T18:01:00.001-07:00

On Dec 29, 1890, the army attacked the indians at wounded knee. 300 Indians were killed while only 30 soldiers were killed. There are not any markers at the place where the attack took place. Now local Indians set up their stands and sell their craft. They also tell the story of the battle.

the soldiers set up a big gun on top of this hill to fire upon the Indians.

Indian chiefs killed in the battle were buried here.

Only bathroom available at Wounded knee. No door provided.

Pioneer Auto Museum, Murdo, SD

2011-09-15T18:14:00.001-07:00

Left Mitchell and headed towards the badlands. All along the side of the road were billboards advertising the Pioneer Auto Museum. Well, Gary and I, being lovers of auto museums, just couldn’t pass this one up. Great museum, lots of cars and other items. Our only problem was that it was cold (47), windy, and raining and the museum was not heated. The cars were in many buildings which allowed the wind to blow in.

the real General Lee

cute little car where people could scoot around town

car that belonged to Tom Mix

Harley that belonged to Elvis.

Corn Palace

2011-09-15T17:50:00.001-07:00

We arrived in Mitchell with enough time to visit the Corn Palace. Every year the outside of the palace is decorated with corn. The corn cobs are sliced in half and glued to the walls to make the different pictures. This usually costs $130,000 each year.

Spam Museum, Austin, Mn

2011-09-01T14:11:00.001-07:00

How many of you can remember eating spam? I can remember mom frying it. That was the best. When we first met, Gary made a spam pie for dinner one night. I did not realize that there are many flavors of spam or so many products that were made by Hormel. The museum was free. Didn’t take us very long to tour the museum. Lots of 2-3 minute films to watch. We enjoyed the one with the Hormel girls chorus and drum and bugle core. We went in the theater to watch the movie "Spam A Love Story" and Gary wanted to know where the popcorn was. I told him that they would serve spam not popcorn. After that comment a lady walked in with bacon flavored spam. Later she brought us cheese spam.

spam fed a lot of soldiers during the war.

Niagara Cave, Harmony, Minnesota

2011-08-30T13:20:00.001-07:00

Spent an hour touring Niagara Cave near Harmony, Minnesota. The cave was discovered when some farmer’s pigs fell into it. The pigs fell about 70’ and were still alive. So the farmer paid some young boys to go into the cave and retrieve the pigs. Later some cavers from Iowa explored the cave. The cave was opened in 1936 to the public. There is a 60’ waterfall in the cave. This cave does not have that much to offer. If you do not like tight or closed in places, this cave is not for you. We had to walk down 250 steps and back up again.

waterfall

saddle created by swirling water

Soo Locks

2011-08-15T18:52:00.001-07:00

Spent a couple of hours watching ships go through the locks. There is a nice platform for people to view the locks. There is also a visitor’s center with a couple of movies. There is a public announcement when a ship comes through telling size of ship. We got to see 1 of the 13 largest ships that come through the locks. All in all, a great day.

barge with a tug boat behind it.

took a long time for this large ship to enter and leave the locks.

1000’ long, 150’ wide, 73,000 tons. Gary was hoping that it would make it under the international bridge that goes into Canada

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

2011-08-14T12:52:00.001-07:00

Pictured Rocks got its name from the streaks of mineral stain that decorate the face of the rocks. In order to see them, we took a boat out of Munising, MI. The boat tour lasted 3 hours. Very enjoyable day and the rain held off until the end of the tour.

Shipwreck Museum, Whitefish Point, Mi

2011-08-14T12:31:00.001-07:00

Whitefish Point light house was celebrating it’s 150 birthday. Lots of activities going on, tours, walks, music by a civil war band, and a special fish fry. We enjoyed the short movie, the museum, the light house keepers house, and the music. Great day.

bell from the Edmond Fitzgerald

Tahquamenon and Munising Falls

2011-08-14T12:21:00.001-07:00

One of the tourist sites people talk about is Tahquamenon Falls. So, Gary and I went to check it out. Tahquamenon Falls has a lower and upper falls to visit. We walked to both falls.

lower falls

upper falls

Munising falls is just outside the town of Munising. This is part of the Pictured Rocks National lakeshore park. Short walk to the falls.

Colonial Michilimackinac

2011-08-10T12:39:00.001-07:00

Gary and I enjoy visiting the old forts. This fort was first occupied by the French, then the British. When the French thought heard that George Rogers Clark was capturing other French forts, they decided to move their fort to Mackinac Island. It took them 2 years to dismantle and rebuild the fort on Mackinac Island. What they were not able to move, they burned. The British came along and built a fort on the same location. The fort was a main part of the fur trade. Demonstrations include cannon firing, musket firing, a baggatiway game (Indian), and various staff members who cook and work in the gardens. We got to taste some wonderful pan fried biscuits with homemade butter. Great day.

cooking scalloped potatoes

wonderful biscuits with homemade butter

firing the cannon

Mackinac Island and Fort

2011-08-09T17:48:00.001-07:00

We caught the shuttle from our campground to the Shepler Ferry to Mackinac Island. We got on the 10:00 ferry which took us under the Mackinaw bridge. Then off to the Island. We bought the package that included the ferry, carriage tour, and Fort Mackinac Tour. Really great day.

view from the Arch stop

the arch

firing demonstration

Gary asked for tabasco sauce for his soup and got his own bottle

cool demo in the hospital comparing medicine of years past to today

Mackinac Butterflies

2011-08-09T17:32:00.001-07:00

Really do enjoy going into the butterfly houses. The one on Mackinac Island was pretty goo, although it was small. However, I did spend a lot of time there. Even got Gary to go in and look at the butterflies.

Henry Ford Museum

2011-08-08T15:45:00.001-07:00

Very good museum. Lots to see. Museum is divided into different sections, farm equipment, civil war, automobiles (this part was being worked on), guns, electricity, pewter, future, clocks, and more. The limos of various presidents are there, including the one Kennedy was riding in he was in Dallas. The Weinermobile was there as was the Quadracycle, the first invention of Henry Ford.

this was going to be a home that you could order and have built. Only 2 were completed. Lots of interesting things in this type of home. No wasted space.

Bus that Rosa Parks was riding on.

Henry Ford Village

2011-08-08T15:27:00.001-07:00

Lots of walking needed in order to see all the buildings. We decided to take the steam train ride around the village. Sure glad we did. We had a really good time. The village is made up of building moved from other locations. They even have an historic baseball game, the one that real men play, they do not use gloves. We got to watch a couple innings of the game.

Henry Ford’s childhood home. we got to walk through it.

Building where Henry Ford invented the quadricycle

baseball team waving to the train

Ford Rouge Factory Tour

2011-08-03T15:20:00.001-07:00

We really enjoyed this tour. We caught a bus from the Henry Ford Museum that took us to the Factory. We watched 2 movies, the first was on 3 screens, the second was on 7 screens, we got to sit in swivel chairs for that movie. The second movie tried to give you the feeling of being on a factory floor, complete with heat, water spray, smells and noise. Then we went up to the observation tower to look out over the plant. From there, we went on the tour. Loved the tour as you could spend all the time you wanted at each station. Gary was hoping to see them put the engines inside the F-150, but that wasn’t part of the tour. We were not allowed to take photos of the workers. At the end of the tour we got to see some of the models made by Ford. Great day.

This is the painting department. The fumes from the paint are somehow made into the energy that runs the plant.

the roof of this building is covered with 3 inches of dirt and planted with some kind of plant. This makes the building cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The sky lights make it possible for the workers to see during the day without having to use lighting in the plant. Of course, this does not apply on a cloudy day.

the plants used on top of the buildings.

Clyde once wrote Ford a note thanking him for making this model, as he used it in lots of his get-a-ways.

W.P.Chrysler Museum

2011-08-03T14:51:00.001-07:00

Wow, we really enjoyed looking at all the cars in this museum. It is very small, so didn’t take us too much time. They were having an exhibit of 70 years of jeep, so some of the cars we wanted to see where in storage. Didn’t cost us an arm or leg to see all the cars either.

This jeep is made from materials that are recyclable, so if you have a wreck, melt it down and build it again.

jeep used in movie Sahara

They took this out on the Salt Flats and clocked it at 300 mph

Niagara Falls From Canada

2011-07-27T18:19:00.001-07:00

If you come to Niagara Falls, NY, be sure to have your passport so you can cross to the Canadian side. Much better view of the falls. We had a wonderful day there. We stayed for the lighting of the falls which took place about 9:15 pm. Lots of things to do on the Canadian side.

Butterfly Conservatorium, Canada

2011-07-27T17:58:00.001-07:00

The butterfly conservatorium is 7 miles from the falls. We rode the people mover to get there. I had a great time, could have spent all day watching the butterflies. They were landing on my hat, my camera, and my fingers. Gary decided to have a yogurt while I was enjoying nature.

Daredevil Museum, Canada

2011-07-27T17:44:00.001-07:00

Many people have tried to go over Niagara Falls, most for their own reasons. The Daredevil museum has some of the items that those people used to risk their lives. Some lived, some did not.

a 63 year old school teacher was the first to go over the falls in a barrel. She lived. She hoped she would find fame and fortune. She found fame, but died penniless.

this guy made it over alive, but it took them too long to find him and he suffocated

not successful

This was the third time for Dave.

Erie Canal

2011-07-27T17:32:00.001-07:00

Okay, do the know the following tune to the following words? “I’ve got a mule and her name is Sal, fifteen miles on the Erie Canal. She’s a good ole worker and a good ole pal, fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.” We took a boat trip though locks 35 and 34 on the Erie Canal. Wonderful day. Gary also fished the canal but didn’t have any luck.

locks up ahead. the upside down bridge. The railroads did not like the canal so they put up this bridge so the higher part was closer to the water.

locks took us up 50’, 25’ at a time.

america’s widest bridge, 100 yards wide

Aquarium of Niagara

2011-07-27T17:19:00.001-07:00

Very small aquarium, but we did see some species of fish we had not seen before. We also got to sea a sea lion show, which was good, and a magic show all included in the price of the museum ticket. Had a great time.

sitting on an egg.

dragon fish

spider crab

Aero Tram in Canada

2011-07-27T17:10:00.001-07:00

We stopped off at the Aero tram and decided we would ride it across the whirlpool. Only after we were in the middle of the trip, did we learn that it had been running since 1916. Sure hope they had changed those cables. Great time. We started on one side of the car and when we got to the other side of the gorge, we rotated sides. Neat idea.

the whirlpool

whirlpool jet boat. We did this also. Great trip. Got soaking wet. We went through class 5 rapids. Good thing we took a change of clothes with us.

class 6 rapids.

Niagara Falls

2011-07-24T13:31:00.001-07:00

Wow! What a great day. We drove into Niagara Falls planning on going on the Maid of the Mist. We parked in the first parking lot and went inside the store where we bought tour tickets for $59 each. (they were $69 across the street) The tickets included our fairs to Maid of the Mist and the Wind Cave. We were able to get on the first bus. Our tour guide was terrific. He explained all about the falls and took us to the Whirlpool, Dare Devil Museum, Three sisters, Goat Island, and made sure we got onto our attractions quickly. We got on the top deck for the Maid of the Mist Tour. The smile on Gary’s face was priceless.

Maid of the Mist tour

Cave of the Winds tour

Really enjoyed the rainbows

Fort Ticonderoga, King’s Garden

2011-07-21T16:50:00.001-07:00

The first garden was planted by the French in 1756 in order to feed the troops. William Pell then planted a garden in 1820. Loved the garden.

Made in France.

Fort Ticonderoga, NY

2011-07-21T16:38:00.001-07:00

Fort Ticonderoga was first built by the French, captured by the British, captured by the Americans, and then taken by the British again. It was the place where Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain boys captured the British cannon and hauled them all the way to Boston to help Washington during the Revolutionary war. Every time a different army captured the fort, the conquered army destroyed the fort. The fort was rebuilt from some of the rubble in the early 1900s as people in the 1800s began to visit it as a major tour attraction. It was later purchased and the restoration began. We really liked the museum. Lots of powder horns on exhibit. The colonial soldiers decorated their powder horns.

view of Fort from Mount Defiance

one of the cannon taken by Ethan Allen

Lexington and Concord

2011-07-21T15:33:00.001-07:00

The shot heard around the world. I can still remember a question that was on my 8th grade history test, How many were killed at Lexington? Can you answer that one? Not too much to see, but we enjoyed seeing where history took place.

British were standing by flag pole, patriots were standing just across from them

One of the patriots was wounded and managed to crawl to the doorstep of his house before he died. His house is about 30 yards from where he was shot.

Paul Revere was captured on his ride to Concord.

Patriots fought the British at the North Bridge.

Puffins and Whales, Maine

2011-07-14T16:51:00.001-07:00

Have always wanted to go on a whale watch tour and when I found out I would also have a chance to see a Puffin, my decision was made. Gary booked a deep sea fishing tour and I went to see the whales and birds. I have to admit, this will be my last water tour. Sure am glad I didn’t have any breakfast before getting on the boat.

my boat, we went out 25 miles. Lots of people on board this boat.

Gary’s boat. The red one.

there she blows

Acadia National Park

2011-07-14T16:28:00.001-07:00

Beautiful scenery. We purchased the audio cd and had a great time touring the park. We spent 2 days. The first day, it was misty, chance of rain. The second day, sun was shining. I could have stayed by the seashore all day. I really enjoyed all the flowers in the park.

Boston, MA

2011-07-06T17:48:00.001-07:00

To me, Boston means Paul Revere, Old North Church, Bunker Hill, Fenway Park, and Old Ironsides or the USS Constitution. Gary’s choice of things to see was Old Ironsides. Since we do not like to drive into busy cities, we decided to take the Boston Tour bus. We only needed to drive 17 miles to the pick-up point in Marlborough, Ma. There were only 9 people on the bus and 2 of them were from Merced, Ca, only 30 or so miles from our hometown of Los Banos. Small world isn’t it. Really had a great tour guide. Felt really good not to have to figure out how to drive around in Boston or have to figure out where to park.

Gary onboard the USS Constitution, Old Ironsides

Old North Church, 1 if by land, 2 if by sea

love the reflections in this building

flower in the Longfellow garden

Bunker hill, Breed’s hill

Fishing in Plymouth, Mass

2011-07-03T15:10:00.001-07:00

We went back into Plymouth so Gary could fish in the bay. He caught something we could not identify and he also caught a 26 1/2” striper. I had gone to get some ice cream and when I came back I could not see Gary because of a crowd of people standing where I had left Gary. Right away, I knew Gary had caught something. Once more he was famous for 15 minutes. His picture was taken by many of those in the crowd. Great day.

someone said it looked like Darth Vader

someone else said it was a horseshoe crab

Mass fishing

2011-07-02T15:53:00.001-07:00

Great campground we are in. There is a large lake just loaded with fish, so Gary just had to catch a couple.

Plimoth Plantation

2011-07-02T15:49:00.001-07:00

Plimoth Plantation is a museum that includes a1627 English village and a Wampaoag Homesite. This is a wonderful place to visit. The staff are either natives or English settlers. We listened to many stories about their every day lives and the reasons they came across the ocean. We really enjoyed the gentleman who explained the religious reasons for leaving their old homes in search of the freedom of religion.

this gentleman explained the religious views of the village to us. Could have listened to him all day

Mayflower II

2011-07-02T15:34:00.001-07:00

Moored at Plymouth Harbor is the Mayflower II which is a reproduction of the Mayflower that brought the Pilgrims to the east coast. For a small fee, you can go aboard the Mayflower. Once aboard you will meet some of the Pilgrims who are waiting their turn to go ashore. They will tell you their story of why the wanted to come to the new land and about the trials they faced traveling across the ocean.

Rhode Island Fishing

2011-06-28T12:39:00.001-07:00

Really do love technology. I was able to purchase a Rhode Island fishing license online. Had a short trip to our new campground Whispering Pines in Hope Valley. Enjoyed lunch and then it was off to search for worms. Lady at grocery store told us where to go to fish the river. Success again.

fish on

nice trout

a bigger one

Mystic Aquarium

2011-06-27T15:05:00.001-07:00

Mystic Aquarium is not a large aquarium. We enjoyed visiting the aquarium, but it does not come close to the Monterey Aquarium. However, we did get to see some whales and a sea lion show.

whales had a beautiful area.

moon jellies. Not a lot of jellies to see.

poison dart frogs

sea lion show

Submarine Museum

2011-06-26T15:54:00.001-07:00

Submarine Museum is only about 9 miles from Old Mystic. The museum is not very large so we were able to see the exhibits and go onboard the USS Nautilius after church this morning.

2 man Japanese sub

turtle

USS Nautilius

Mystic Seaport, Connecticut

2011-06-26T06:00:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful day to go to a seaport museum. We were there during their wooden boat show which meant that there were lots of extra boats to see. The museum has set up an early 1800s seaport complete with ships and buildings. Some of the buildings had staff inside to explain how fishing affected the seaport. Really interesting to hear their stories. There was also a building that talked about the tattoos that the sailors got. A lot of them would have a pig tattooed on one foot and a rooster on the other because when ships wrecked, it was usually the pigs and chickens who survived. Lots of information on whaling. I did not realize that, in the early days, a whaling trip took 3-4 years. Long time to be gone from home. There were also lots of small sailing vessels to see that families used in the bay. All in all, a wonderful day

FDR would spend a day on the bay in this vessel.

One building had a history of tugboats. Lots of models to see

some of the vessels allowed you to go down below

A large whaling vessel. Had to climb a few flights of stairs to get to board this one. We were allowed to go below and see how the sailors lived while onboard.

Remember the Amistead

beautiful climate for flowers

Fishing in Connecticut

2011-06-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

Didn’t take long for Gary to get out the worms and pole to start fishing once we got set up in Old Mystic, Ct. Beautiful campground and only 3 miles from places we want to see. Our bay door wouldn’t open, so now we will have to work on it, but, a Lowe’s and Walmart are only 10 miles away.

a very beautiful pond on the campground grounds.

Hard at work trying to catch a fish

success

and another one.

Ground Zero, 9/11 Memorial, Museum

2011-06-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

One more day of taking PATH, this time to the World Trade Center. Still cannot believe how many people are in such a small area. After getting directions from the info center, we made our way around the construction to the World Trade Center Visitor Center. We decided to tour the small museum and go on the walking tour. Both of our tour guides were connected to 9/11. One guide lost her son, the second lived in an apartment close to the South tower. She is one of 3 bird sitters in the area. Yep, I wrote bird sitters. She makes a living by bird sitting when people go on vacation. On 9/11 she had about 3 birds in cages that she saved. She and her friends wrapped cloth around the cages, put the cages on a broom, and walked south to escape the dust from the collapsing tours. She is once again able to live in her apartment. Those who were evacuated from their apartments or places of business were given 15 minutes months later to remove their personal things. It was amazing to see what items were found after 9/11. The museum had some of those on display. First time I have been in a museum and could hear a pin drop.

North end, unfinished museum in back

This is the window of an airplane. It was found on Church street by the towers.

This church was used by the volunteers at Ground Zero to rest from there hard labor.

what the area will look like in the future. Work has begun on a couple of the buildings, work on rest will begin when the economy picks up.

New York, Time Square, Empire State Building

2011-06-23T16:40:00.001-07:00

Great day in New York. We caught the PATH train that took us into New York. Got off at Time Square and got in line at the TKST to get tickets to see the Jersey Boys show. 30% off tickets. We got our tickets for $34.50 each. Thought that was pretty good for a Broadway show. We had some extra time, so we walked to the Empire State Building. We really had a great time at the show. Gary could even remember what he was doing the first time he heard the song Sherri. I cannot believe all the people. Thought there were a lot of people in DC, but there are tons of people here.

view to time square

Empire State Building

view from top of Empire State Building

Statue of Liberty

2011-06-21T18:05:00.001-07:00

A gift from the French in 1886. The Statue of Liberty was assembled in Paris 1881-81, then dismantled and shipped to New York. But before the statue could be reassembled, the people of American had to raise money to build a base for the statue. The statue is made out of copper about the thickness of 2 pennies. We took the audio tour which I highly recommend. We were able to go into the museum and take the pedestal tour. If you want to see the museum and go out on the pedestal, make sure to arrive early, or better, get your ticked online. We had to pay $7 to park the car.

original flame, inside the pedestal

what the face looks like

this shows what the inside of the statue looks like

looking up inside the statue. The round staircase is over 300 stairs to the crown. This trip books up for months. It is free, but a limit of 240 people a day can go.

Ellis Island

2011-06-21T17:47:00.001-07:00

Can you name a relative of yours who came to America through Ellis Island? Beginning in 1892, some 12 million immigrants came through Ellis Island. Who knows, one of them might have been related to you. We took the audio tour which took around 40 minutes. I would recommend taking the audio tour if you make it to Ellis Island. We caught the ferry from the Jersey side and Ellis Island was the first stop. There were more people on the ferries from New York.

Gary fishing in Delaware and New Jersey

2011-06-16T16:52:00.001-07:00

Gary is getting closer to catching a fish in every state. So far, I have been successful in finding campgrounds close to ponds, lakes, or rivers.

Killens Pond, Felton, Delaware

lots of little Blue gill. Gary became a celebrity when a teacher hiking with her class, watched Gary catch a fish and had her students pose with the fisherman for a class photo.

Chestnut lake, NACO park near Port Republic, New Jersey

Blue Gill

Bass

Philadelphia

2011-06-16T16:43:00.001-07:00

Took a ride into Philadelphia today to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Christ Church, and the home of Betsy Ross. We are staying at a NACO park near Port Republic, NJ. The trip into Philadelphia took about and hour. Parking was $18 and paid about $8 in toll fees. Traffic was not bad going in, but a little busy coming home.

Gary really wanted to see the Liberty Bell. Had to stand in line for bag check.

This is George Washington’s copy of the constitution. He made a change in a date on the paper.

Independence Hall. Need to get tickets, free, from the national park desk. We were there by 10:00 and all were gone, so we did not get to tour the inside.

no tickets required to tour the senate floor.

need to pay to tour inside of house.

Jamestown Settlement Fort

2011-06-12T12:57:00.001-07:00

Every wonder what Jamestowne really looked like? I have and am glad to say that I have had many of my questions about Jamestown Fort answered. There were more buildings than I thought there would be. Jamestown settlement has built a fort to resemble what the original fort would have been like. The buildings are open and we were able to see what life would be like inside the fort. Crops are planted outside the fort just as they would have been in 1607-1619 complete with chickens bothering the ladies who were working in the gardens.

Gary would have been a fisherman in Jamestown and these would have been his tools.

Jamestown Settlement Ships

2011-06-12T12:42:00.001-07:00

The first colonists came to Jamestown on three ships. Those 3 ships have been reproduced and placed at the pier at Jamestown Settlement. You are allowed to go onboard all 3, but can only go beneath deck on the largest ship. The staff are dressed in appropriate period clothing and will answer any questions about life onboard the ship during the 4 month crossing to the Americas. We know that we would not have wanted to cross the ocean on even the largest of the ships.

the largest ship over 100 made the crossing on this one

two smallest ships

Jamestown Settlement Indian Village

2011-06-12T12:08:00.001-07:00

The Indian village is set up as a Powhatan Village would have been during early Jamestown days. There are many dwellings set up that you can enter. Inside the dwellings you can see what the Indians used during their daily life. Very interesting and worthwhile to see.

Historical Jamestowne

2011-06-09T13:05:00.001-07:00

Historical Jamestowne is operated by the National Park service. You can see where Jamestowne was established. They are doing digs there and finding more information about the establishment. There is a short movie to watch. It was very hot so we did not stay very long, but did manage to walk the trails.

Memorial Church was location of 3 churches.

Guess who this statue represents?

John Smith

reproduction of barracks

Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia

2011-06-08T10:45:00.001-07:00

Wow. What a great museum. In 1890, some of the Virginia ladies decided to save the White House of the Confederacy and as many items from the civil war that they could. Because of their work, this wonderful museum exist. Items from all major battles are in the museum. We spent many hours in the museum. We also toured the White House of the Confederacy.

White House of the Confederacy

Lee’s sword of surrender

Colonial Williamsburg Mental Hospital Museum

2011-06-08T10:23:00.001-07:00

The first mental hospital was in Williamsburg. The hospital is also the entrance to the museums at Colonial Williamsburg.

used for unruly patients.

Colonial Williamsburg Museum Music

2011-06-08T10:17:00.001-07:00

There are not very many musical instruments here, but there are some different ones.

This is a Hippocerous. You can see that it is a record player that needs to be wound up to play. Once it plays, the hippo’s tongue moves back and forth.

Shitholt

Colonial Williamsburg Museum Coins

2011-06-08T10:13:00.001-07:00

If you’ve ever wondered what kind of coins were used for money in Colonial Williamsburg, then you will enjoy the part of the museum that displays the different coins.

prettiest coin

doubloon

ugliest coin

Colonial Williamsburg

2011-06-08T09:47:00.001-07:00

Colonial Williamsburg has lots to see and do. We bought a pass that allowed us to visit 3 days, really need that many days to see it all. We watched both movies, took the tours, visited the museums, and watched the reenactments that took place in the afternoons.

as part of the reenactments,Patrick Henry speaks to the people. He came and visited us as we were waiting for the show and answered questions about what was happening in Williamsburg during the 1770s

House of Burgesses where many important decisions were made concerning the independence of America.

Capitol building

Armory where lots of guns are stored. There is a staff member who explains all the guns and things stored in the armory.

reenactor

Colonial Williamsburg Governor’s Palace

2011-06-08T09:30:00.001-07:00

After purchasing our tickets we saw a movie then took the bus to the Governor’s Palace. We had to wait a short time for the tour as they only take a few people through at a time. Our guide came out to greet us and told us that when we entered the palace, we would be seeing the palace getting ready to celebrate the birthday of Queen Charlotte in the 1770s. Really a great tour.

Yorktown Battlefield

2011-06-03T17:26:00.001-07:00

The battle that took place at Yorktown turned out to be the last battle of the Revolutionary War. With help from the French, Washington was able to defeat Cornwallis in only 9 days. We arrived at the battlefield in time to catch the film shown by the National Park, which tells about the battle. We came out of the movie to find a volunteer ready to lead us on a short tour of the British side of the battlefield and tell us about what happened. Our volunteer was French and so gave us great information about the role the French played during the Revolution. He really was entertaining. After that tour, we went inside the small museum, went to lunch, and then spent the rest of the afternoon driving the battlefield. Great day.

The York river behind the British earthworks.

British redoubt 10 captured by the Americans. Alexander Hamilton was on this raid.

These weapons, made by the French, were already 100 years old when they were used in the Revolutionary war.

British walked down this road when they surrendered.

Sailing on a schooner

2011-06-02T18:30:00.001-07:00

While eating lunch, Gary and I saw a schooner heading in to dock. We talked to our waitress and she said that we could board the schooner and go for a sail. We walked down to the dock and were able to sail at 2:00. Trip lasted for 2 hours.

While we were sailing, we saw the USS Cole.

Really enjoyed the ride.

the Alliance 105’ The captain takes it to Panama for the winter.

USS Cole

Yorktown Victory Center

2011-06-02T18:21:00.001-07:00

Yorktown was where the final battle of the Revolution took place. Today we went to Yorktown Victory Center where we got to see lots of artifacts from the revolution, but no pictures were allowed inside the museum. Outside the gallery is an encampment that shows how the soldiers lived during the war. After going through the encampment area, there is a farm set up to show how people in Virginia lived during Revolution times. We enjoyed the center very much.

6 soldiers were assigned to a tent.

The doctor explaining how he would bleed his patients and catch 10 oz of blood in the little cup he is holding.

After explaining how the cannon worked, they fired it off. Earplugs anyone?

Thoughts on DC

2011-05-28T12:48:00.001-07:00

We are really pleased with our DC trip. We got to see lots of interesting things. We enjoyed the Holocaust museum; sure wish I could have taken pictures. If you come to DC, be sure to put this museum on your list, the videos are graphic and makes me wonder how one human can do those thing to other humans, especially children. Most of the museums do not open until 10:00.

We also go to go the the archives and see the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights. Lots of hands on things to do there, again no pictures.

We became pros at ridding the metro system. Easy to do once you understand the different lines and have a great map to follow. We found that most people were welling to help us out if we did not know where to go to catch the next train. Be sure to hold on to your phone and do not, repeat, do not, lean against the escalator while talking or looking at your phone; we witnessed a man lose his phone this way. A couple of kids reached down and took it out of his hand and took off running. Most of the people getting on the trains are listening to their ipods or phones. Earphones everywhere, heads bobbing up and down.

Food is expensive at the café’s inside the museums. The Air and Space Museum has a McDonalds and it is usually very busy around lunch time. There are small kiosks on the mall which offer hotdogs, salads, and sandwiches at a more reasonable price.

People use the area on the mall to play softball, frisbee, and run. Lots of people like to run on the grassy mall.

It got hot and muggy in the week we were here. Bottled water is $2.50.

The IMAX shows were wonderful. Especially liked Born to Be Wild, the Hubble, and the dinosaurs.

We were here during the school trips, lots of 5th through 12th graders running around. Some are well-behaved, others, well----

Some of the museums let people in according to times so you have to have tickets for Ford’s theater, White House tours, Capitol tours, and elevator to the top of the Washington Monument.

The first night we arrived, we took the night tour of DC and really enjoyed that. It gave us an idea of how the mall is laid out. I personally think the night view of the Lincoln Monument is better than the day.

We are now really good at walking. The museums are not very close together, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Lots of stairs but there are ramps, escalators and elevators, that is, when they are in working order.

It rained a couple of the days we were here, but we just bought cheap parkas and kept on going.

We were on the go most days from 8:30 till 6:00 and are now taking the next 3 days to reenergize.

Cherry Hill is a great campground. Really very helpful in giving directions.

National Aquarium Washington DC

2011-05-28T12:27:00.001-07:00

Final day of sight-seeing in DC. We went to the National Aquarium. We had to pay to see the exhibits. Did see things we had not seen in other aquariums. Very small aquarium.

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Day 2

2011-05-27T18:46:00.001-07:00

That’s correct, it took Gary and I two days to see all of this museum. We also saw all of the IMAX shows, so maybe that is why it took so long. But who could resist seeing the Hubble photos in 3D?

Amelia Earheart’s plane

first nonstop transcontinental flight

John Glenn’s space suit

worn on the moon on Apollo 15

Russian moon suit

Crime and Punishment Museum, Washington DC

2011-05-26T14:38:00.001-07:00

This museum is not part of the national park system, so you have to fork over some dough to get in. However, Gary really enjoyed this museum. First thing you see is the volks wagon used by Ted Bundy. Museum has lots of artifacts and some replicas of items used to commit murder and items used for punishment.

flag carried by Jesse James

Bonnie and Clyde

Ford’s Theater, Washington DC

2011-05-26T14:31:00.001-07:00

Ford’s Theater is part of the National Park system, so there is no cost to visit the Theater and Museum. However, you will need to stand in line to get a ticket because there are so many people. The basement is a museum that depicts the Lincoln’s presidency. A few short videos are available for viewing. After the museum, you can go up to the theater to see the box where Lincoln was sitting when Booth shot him. Across the street is the place where Lincoln died.

gun used to shoot Lincoln

Arlington, changing of the guard

2011-05-25T18:53:00.001-07:00

Finally got to see Arlington. We went to Kennedy’s grave and got to see the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier. There is also a tour of the home that Robert E. Lee lived in before the civil war. There are no food facilities at Arlington, so if you go, make sure you eat lunch.

tomb of unknown soldier

Manassas Battlefield

2011-05-25T18:47:00.001-07:00

First battle of the Civil War. In fact, two battles took place here. Citizens of Manassas woke up one morning a found federal and confederates on there farms getting ready to do battle. Can you imagine cannons going off in your front yard or at your back door? It’s always amazing to see how much ground the battles occupy.

Andrew Jackson got the nickname of Stonewall at this battle.

This stone house was used as a hospital.

no doubt who won this battle.

Mount Vernon

2011-05-25T18:40:00.001-07:00

Took a drive to Mount Vernon. Must say that we do not like Washington DC traffic. Lots of things to do at Mount Vernon. Lots of movies to see also. We toured Washington’s home. There are people in each room to tell you what happened in each room. Worked good when the other people in your group were quiet. Have to pay to tour Mt. Vernon, $15 each. If you go, be sure to watch all the movies.

Washington grew all kinds of flowers and plants on his farm.

Necessity house

Smithsonian Natural History relics

2011-05-25T18:31:00.001-07:00

This section contained a few relics from the early settlers that came to American. Very small section.

Egyptian artifacts at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum

2011-05-25T18:27:00.001-07:00

I was hoping there would be lots of Egyptian artifacts, but there were only 2 small displays, still enjoyed them though.

Insects at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum

2011-05-25T18:21:00.001-07:00

Walking toward the exhibit of the insects, we could hear a young boy say, “Did you see those big spiders?” Sure perked up our interest. We looked, and sure enough, there were some big spiders. Not that many insects to be seen, but those we did see were some we had never seen before, and sure wouldn’t want to see them out of their little glass boxes.

Can you see the katydid?

Dinosaurs at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum

2011-05-25T18:14:00.001-07:00

Some of those dinosaurs were really big. We really enjoyed seeing all the bones of dinosaurs and other rare animals. Must say we spent a lot of time looking at bones.

Gems at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum

2011-05-25T18:05:00.001-07:00

Can you say beautiful, gorgeous, priceless, shinny? If you can, you just said quite a few adjectives to describe the gem collection at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. Pictures do not do justice to how pretty these gems are.

Hope diamond

Mammals at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum

2011-05-25T18:00:00.001-07:00

So many mammals I had never heard of. The displays in this section of the museum are wonderful. Displays show the mammals doing something they would do in the wild.

Butterflies at Smithsonian Natural History Museum

2011-05-25T17:54:00.001-07:00

For a fee, $5 for members, $5.50 for others, you can go into the butterfly exhibit at the Natural History Museum. Gary went down to the café while I got to explore the exhibit. Wonderful time. Butterflies were flying all over the place. Some of them only live for 2 weeks, some just days. I could have stayed all day. If you go, be sure to take in this exhibit.

do the tips of this moth’s wing look like the head of a snake?

Views from top of Washington Monument

2011-05-25T17:47:00.001-07:00

To catch the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument, you need to go to the ticket center and get ticket. They are free and really go fast. Gary and I were there before 9 and only had a choice of !2, 12:30 or 2. We chose the 2:00 time so we could go to the Natural History Museum. Once you get the top, you can spend as much time as you want. We made sure to check out all four windows.

Air Show at Andrews Air Force Base 2011

2011-05-21T18:41:00.001-07:00

Gary and I took the metro to the air show. There were two young boys, 6 or 7 years old, sitting in front of us on the metro. We pass a cemetery and one boy says to the other, “That’s were people’s bodies go when they die, but the bad ones go to hell and the good ones go to heaven.”
We really enjoyed the show, the first air show for us. After going to the museums and seeing the warthog, corsair, mustang, and F-15, we enjoyed seeing these planes in the air doing all kinds of loops.
Thunderbirds and Golden Knights were there also.

warthog

F-15, Corsair, and warthog

just hanging in the air

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at Udvar-Hazy Center

2011-05-20T19:56:00.001-07:00

Had to drive a-ways to see the Museum at Udvar-Hazy Center, but it was well worth the trip. Museum was larger than we thought it would be. Cost $15 to park the car, but the museum was free. We did see a movie at the IMAX which made us feel like we were flying. Had lunch at the McDonalds located there.

Concorde

19 year old built this helicopter

used to lead geese back to their homes

Tour of our Capitol

2011-05-19T17:34:00.001-07:00

Call our senator’s office on Tuesday and booked a tour of the capitol for 2 today. I really enjoyed it, but it was not up Gary’s alley. He’s more of a plane, guns, military type museum person. We just missed the senate vote for the judge for the 9th circuit court.

It was said the every word spoken in the house chamber could be heard from this position.

National Museum of the American Indian

2011-05-19T17:29:00.001-07:00

Huge building. Most of the artifacts are on the 4th floor. We watched a movie which was really good. Did not eat in the cafeteria, prices too high for our pocketbook.

I really like seeing all the different Spanish swords.

Smithsonian American History Museum east

2011-05-19T17:23:00.001-07:00

Wow. What a great time we had. Gary was wearing his route 66 hat and all kinds of people told us to make sure we saw the route 66 portion of this side of the museum. This side covers the history of all the was the US has taken part in. It also covers the areas of transportation in the US.

Smithsonian American History Museum West

2011-05-19T17:14:00.001-07:00

We went to the Holocaust museum and then went to the American History Museum. With only half the day left, we were only able to view the west side of the museum. We ate lunch in the cafeteria there. Pretty pricey.

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

2011-05-14T19:38:00.001-07:00

Hopped on board the metro-bus that comes to our campground and off we went for our first stab at catching the metro. We had purchased our smart-cards at the campground and then were able to load some money on to them at the metro. It was very easy to figure out how to go, especially after we asked for help from people around us. Glad to say, they were eager to help us. Gary chose the Air and Space Museum for our first visit. We were not disappointed. We watched the 3 films on the IMAX and enjoyed them all.

Washington DC at night

2011-05-14T19:30:00.001-07:00

We arrived at Cherry Hill campground, Gary caught a 2 lb bass, we went to the orientation meeting, and then on the night tour of Washington DC. Great tour, only problem was that we did not get to spend as much time as we would have liked at the 5 stops we made.

back of Jefferson Memorial

our first view of the capitol

Gettysburg Battlefield Museum

2011-05-14T18:58:00.001-07:00

We toured the museum before we went onto the battlefield. Lots of exhibits to see.

Gettysburg National Park

2011-05-14T18:51:00.001-07:00

We bought tickets that included the cyclorama, movie, museum, and bus tour of the Battlefield. Taking the tour really brought the battle alive. After the tour, we drove the car to spend more time at some of the stops. There are lots of memorials to the different divisions of both Union and Federal troops. Gary wanted to climb to the top of Big Round Top so we did. Hard to imaging the rebels running up the hill trying to attack the Union army, especially when you consider it was in July and very hot. We did not visit any of the other museums in the area.

largest monument

we climbed to the top of the outlook. 6 flights up, 6 flights down

Lee’s statue

Longstreet

Eisenhower National Historical Site

2011-05-14T18:34:00.001-07:00

When Eisenhower was in the army, he spent some time training in Gettysburg. When he finally got out of the army, he purchased a farm in Gettysburg thinking that he would retire there. But, he became president and did not get to really stay there until after his term. However, he did use the farm when dignitaries from the other countries came to the US. He would make sure they got a two-hour tour of the whole thing before he even took them into the house. We purchased the tickets for this tour at the Gettysburg visitor’s center. You must go on a bus to see the farm and the house.

The puff.

greenhouse

Flight 93 Memorial

2011-05-10T17:50:00.001-07:00

Most of us can remember where we were and what we were doing on Sept. 11, 2001. Flight 93 was the last plane to crash, killing all 40 aboard. Via phone conversations with family and friends, passengers aboard the flight learned about the other attacks and decided that take over the plane after the 4 terrorists had taken control.

While the memorial is not finished, completion date is Sept 11, we were very moved by the things that we saw. The building that houses the temporary visitor’s center was in the flight path of flight 93.

One of the things I learned was that a Bible was found 15 feet away from the crash. It was later returned to the family.

We were able to talk to a volunteer that lived in the woods just to the left of the crash site. She had left 11 minutes before the crash to spend the day with her girlfriend after hearing of the attacks on the twin towers. She has since been volunteering her time at the memorial.

chart of flight 93 with timeline of other attacks. Flight 93 had been delayed for 25 minutes.

Flag is location of where flight 93 went down. The authorities had the large hole filled in after they dug down 40 feet and determined there was nothing new to be found.

Flight 93 flew over this building before crashing. This building served as the headquarters for the investigation and now serves as the temporary visitor’s center.

Saint Louis, Mo, Gateway Arch

2011-05-04T17:14:00.001-07:00

Enjoyed our visit to the Arch today in Saint Louis. We took a ride to the top of the arch and viewed both films that were available. Did not get to take the boat tours because the Mississippi River was too high.

We also spent time inside the museum located under the arch.

This is what 5 people sit in to make a trip to the top of the arch. 4 minutes to the top, 630 feet, 3 minutes down.

beaver trap

Aransas Pass, Texas Great time, Great Birding

2011-02-26T17:47:00.001-08:00

What a great time Gary and I experienced in Aransas Pass, Texas, also known as AP. Gary and I attended 4 music jams with the largest having over 28 players/singers and the smallest 10. Met a lot of new people and even sold some of our cds.
Gary fished with the guys and I ran around with the girls-what a lot of fun they are. Went to the beach 3 times and, thanks to Marlene, got to fly a kite on the beach.
Lots of places to bird watch in Rockport, Fulton, Lamar, and Port Aransas, so Jan, Marlene, and I managed to get some good birding in. Jan and I took a photography class-lots to learn.
I am posting some of my bird photos – for more click here.

National Museum of the Pacific War

2011-02-16T07:06:00.001-08:00

Our second visit here was just as great as our first. The museum has been enlarged and does a great job explaining Japan’s reasoning for starting WWII with us. One of the thins that impressed me was the way the exhibits were set up. The uniforms of many soldiers were displayed with the names of the soldiers who wore those uniforms-to me-that makes it more personnel. If you have never been there, you should really try to go. The museum is located in Fredericksburg, Texas. Website: http://www.pacificwarmuseum.org

Worn during battle of Pearl Harbor

Pistol Pete’s cap

Japanese Val

2 man Japanese sub

Pima Air Museum, hangar planes, 2011

2011-02-11T17:01:00.001-08:00

Pima Air Museum, located in Tucson, Arizona, is one of our favorite places to visit. We arrived around 9:45 am, should have gotten there earlier, and took the 10:30 am guided tour of hangar 1 and then stayed with our tour guide for tours of hangar 2 and 3. Our tour started at the replica of the Wright brother’s plane with our tour guide providing lots of information about the brothers and the first flight. The tour was free and only lasted 50 minutes per tour. Tour was well worth the time-so much information for our minds to process. Sure wish I could remember it all, oh well, there’s always next year.

Phantom-used by Thunderbirds in aerial shows. Our tour guide flew phantoms.

Viet Nam era

Tom Cat- Tom Cruise was in the movie “Top Gun” which featured the Tom Cat.

Black Bird Huge plane