It may seem a bit overdoing it – but, Clear Lake really drained us (in a good way!).  That plus a loooong travel day and a downpour resulted in a catch up day.  That means the gym, grocery store and an afternoon of cooking and baking;-)

Once the batteries were recharged, we decided that Badlands NP deserved another chance.  (Our first visit left us very unimpressed!)  So happy for second chances;-)

Badlands is described as ‘desolation at its purest’ – where you can look for miles and see no sign of civilization.  This is so true.  It is 244,000 acres of spectacular landscapes, the largest extent of native mixed grass prairie in the park system, a large variety of native wildlife (bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn and prairie dogs), world class deposits of protected fossils and wonderful skyscapes.  It is the serrated Badlands terrain that provides these awesome sights.  Amazingly – the erosion that provides this interest did not begin until about 500,000 years ago when water began to cut down through the rock layers, carving fantastic shapes into what had been a flat floodplain.  And now we have deep canyons, towering spires and flat-topped tables.  (As an aside – neither E nor G remember such green grass atop these mesas from the last visit.  It was quite brown and much less inviting.  So, note to visitors – come in the spring/early summer.)

Now – off on the Castle Trail to see what there is to see – native mixed grass prairie, wildlife and wonderful skyscapes – –

The Castle Trail – where erosion has created ‘castles’ in every direction.

Spectacular views.  Love all the grass topped ‘tables’;-)

Along the trail…

… we encountered a rattlesnake – –

– – and bighorn sheep, who didn’t seem to care that we we nearby.

This one scurried down this steep slope like it was level.

Thank goodness for second chances – and for our National Park System;-)  As we continue to say frequently – GET OUT THERE AND ENJOY WHAT OUR NATIONAL PARKS HAVE TO OFFER!!!  You will LOVE it;-)

Can’t get enough of natural beauty – E & G

Clear Lake, Iowa!?!  REALLY???  WHY???  Where is it??

As is always said – “the fun is enjoying the getting there not just the end result”.  So – you have to wait for all the answers;-)

The blog postings have reported several times that MiniMagic has dodged LOTS of predicted BAD weather – tornadoes, hail, high winds, etc., etc., etc.!!  This travel day was no exception.  Maybe – just maybe – we could slip between the two red and yellow blobs on the radar.  Spoiler alert – we DID.

Dodging another thunderstorm.  Many thanks to the weather God protecting us;-)

MiniMagic took us across the Mississippi, signaling we were on our way west.  One might remember our discussion back in Baton Rouge about the rising Mississippi River and that it was to be in flood stage there in early June.  Well – a little further north in Iowa the river was frightfully high – –

The Mississippi in Iowa is quite high! Getting close to the tracks here – and the road.

Somehow MiniMagic found this quaint little village of Sabula, Iowa right on the Mississippi (for lunch) as we ventured up this green dot road.  There is nothing like a small town in the US on a long weekend celebrating a day like Memorial Day.  The display of flags in the cemeteries and along the roads is tear evoking.  Sabula even included the small white crosses – each with a veterans name.  (Small note – the residents here did all of this while sandbagging and pumping out their basements full of water.)

Memorial Day weekend in small town Iowa.

Flags and white crosses – what a reminder.

Now – Clear Lake.  February, 1959 (60 years ago, so you don’t have to do the math) the Winter Dance Party (what was to be a 24 day barnstorming tour in the Midwest) played the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.  Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and “The Big Bopper” performed along with Waylon Jennings, Dion and the Belmonts and many others.  For the first three this would be their last performance on the fateful night of February 2, 1959.  To those of us who lived their songs – visiting here was an emotional experience.

The legendary Surf Ballroom.

Concerts are still performed here throughout the year.

Tiers of tables ring the dance floor.  (Yes – we “took a turn” on the floor.) 

Richie Valens, Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper remembered across from the stage.

The Green Room – where the performers prepared for their turn on stage – has been maintained much as it was in 1959.  This includes the ‘ancient’ sinks that served as ‘laundry machines’ for those here on February 2, 1959 as well as the very chairs they sat in.  (More recent groups have been allowed to ‘leave their marks’ on the walls.  Amazing who you can find here now!)

G may be sitting where Buddy Holly sat.  ‘Laundry sinks’ to his right;-)

Don McLean wrote the first verse of American Pie on the Green Room wall in 1994.

Buddy Holly was frustrated and fed up with their travel arrangements and the continuous breaking down of the buses.  So, he chartered a private plane – NOT named Miss American Pie as famously rumored – for himself and his backup players.  As they were leaving the Ballroom late after their performance, there was a lot of jockeying for places on the plane and two of his band members gave up seats to Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper.  Unfortunately, the weather was VERY bad that late night and the plane perhaps should have never taken off.  But – it did.  And crashed in a corn field just 6 miles from the airport killing all aboard – –

The site of the plane crash – in the middle of a corn field.

The marker for the trail to the crash site memorial.  What could be more appropriate?

Very tasteful, fitting memorial.

The “best” hotel in town. Many Surf Ballroom acts have stayed here over the year.  Hum –  who stayed in our room?  Maybe G’s girlfriend Faith Hill;-)

The journey to Clear Lake, Iowa was intentional.  Our love for this era of music runs deep and the sadness for the loss of these talented individuals is real.  Visiting these venues truly meant something to us and we are so happy to have made the trek.

As an aside – Clear Lake is a wonderful, very friendly little town – on a gorgeous lake with a quaint little downtown square on the Lake – that has done a superb job of maintaining this bit of music history.  Hats off to them;-)

E & G – moved, happy, emotional & reminiscent.

Where does one go from Gettysburg?  It is hard to leave THAT reality and come back to the present.  But, perhaps a few more National Parks will help us – especially the two that are next up on our agenda.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is quite different for those of us coming from the west and used to the wide open expanse of a National Park (NP) like Yellowstone or Yosemite.  Instead, this NP wanders in and out of cities and towns protecting the banks of the Cuyahoga River as it twists and turns through 90 miles of the Valley.

This river valley has attracted people for nearly 12,000 years!  An important transportation route for American Indians, this area was deemed neutral territory by historic tribes so all might travel safely from the Great Lakes waters ultimately to the Ohio River and the warm waters of the south.  European explorers and trappers arrived in the 1600’s.  The Ohio & Erie Canal opened in 1827 and ran parallel to and partly watered by the Cuyahoga River.  The canal replaced the river as the primary transportation artery.  Both the river and the canal created commercial development through 200 years, overtaking the beautiful green space that has been saved by the NP designation.

The NP preserves 33,000 acres along 22 miles of this crooked river that includes some beautiful sights.  One of which is the Brandywine Falls.  And we were lucky enough to stay at the adjacent historic Brandywine Inn so we could walk to the Falls – –

The Lovely Inn at Brandywine Falls – our room at the left.

The Picturesque Brandywine Falls – –

– – Slippery rocks.

As the canal became more important than the river for transportation, there were places where the barges on the canal had to be raised over the river via locks and aqueducts!

A canal lock that would raise the canal barge to the level of the green marker on the left.

This valley was sculpted long ago by water, glaciers and the persistent forces of weather creating diverse landscapes, including steep and gentle valley walls.  Perhaps one of the best ways to see this diversity is on the Ledges Trail Loop.  We loved this hike – –

Beautiful examples of the layered ages along the Ledges Trail.

Wildlife here was pretty special also.

A few other sights and sounds in the area seemed special for one reason or another.  There was an old water pump in the yard of the Inn that reminded E of the pump in the backyard of her grandparents in Ohio.  When visiting her grandparents, it was her task to go out and fetch the water for the house;-)

Fortunately there WAS running water in our room.

And then there was this bit of amusement – at least for us coming from Park City – –

A ski resort near Akron? What you see is the WHOLE thing!!

After all of our careful planning to this point, we were now in our ‘play it by the seat of our pants’ portion of the trip!  Mainly because MiniMagic needed an unscheduled stop at Airstream headquarters in Jackson Center, Ohio.  Seems that no matter the size of these types of vehicles – they have their problems and want to return to ‘the Mother Ship’;-)

Visiting the Airstream Service Center for a little work.  E is now referring to MiniMagic as “hunk o’ junk”.

The good news is the work was completed on a fairly timely basis, which allowed us to get another 4 hours west.  Valparaiso became our ‘home’ for a couple of days – and guess what we found??  Another National Park.  A brand new NP as of February, 2019, The Indiana Dunes NP is another interesting experience.  Protected lakefront, dunes, beaches and riverwalks mingle in and out of steel mills and other very industrial areas.  The Dunes Succession Trail at the West Beach takes one on a journey through grandparent dunes covered in mature oaks and hickory trees to younger vegetation on the youngest dunes to the beaches of Lake Michigan.

250 steps leading to those ‘old’ dunes.

Downtown Chicago (about 28 miles across the lake) from the dunes.

This water is COLD! 

And so, our interesting journey to two VERY different NP’s comes to a close.  Our country is really diverse – even in its NP’s!!  Each is beautiful in its own way once you take the time to explore it;-)

From one NP to another – E & G

It has been several years since this particular group has gotten together – and it is always lots of laughs and long hours of catching up and reminiscing.  For many years the gathering place was our home in Park City.  But, more recently it has been the Singley (Nancy & Mike) Farm or home – which it was on this occasion.  Joining us, to round out the usual group of suspects, were Gary and Chuck from Wisconsin.  Besides providing breakfasts and dinners, the Singley’s were also activity planners.  For three days one was never sure what might transpire?!?!  What charade actions might bust us all up while playing Heads Up.  Or, when Gary might show up in the kitchen with a bug zapper (or why??) – – –

G brings out the “BugGun”, which effectively zaps flies with a blast of salt.

Since clocks and watches are near and dear to their hearts (100’s in their home and a daughter who is an horologist), one planned activity was the nearby National Watch and Clock Museum.  Fun Fact learned there – As early as 4200 BC, the Egyptians had noted that Sirius the Dog Star rose in the morning once a year directly in line with the sun.  Guess how many sunrises between this annual event?  365 days!!  Our calendar dates back to 4200 BC.  There were many other fun facts to learn here about time and many interesting clocks to see.

This is one BIG timepiece.

Ok gang.  Time (no pun intended) to move on to Hershey and take care of E’s chocolate fix.  The trip there took us thru Amish country and it was about time for all the Sunday visits to take place.  So – lots of families on their way.

Encountered numerous buggies on the way to Sunday afternoon activities.

And then- -E was in heaven.  Hershey, PA – home of all that chocolate you eat every day;-)

Who is the BIG kid here?!?!?

Another day – another experience.  This one was much more sobering, as we moved on to Gettysburg, a National Military Park.  Before we took to the battlefield on our Segways, we wandered the town of Gettysburg.  It is not always remembered that after the three days of battle here, this little town was left in shambles with over 51,000 soldiers dead on the battlefield, wounded or missing.  It is also not always remembered that President Lincoln came here and delivered that famous Gettysburg Address to dedicate a proper burial ground for the Union dead FOUR months after the terrible three days of battle.   On those two days in November, Lincoln was a guest of David Wills in his house, where he completed his famous address.  It was a pleasure for E to meet up and take a look at that house – –

An encounter with Honest Abe just outside the Wills house.

The ‘crew’ in front of the historic house.

One more encounter with the President where he borrowed G’s Riff’s Music Cap.

It was almost time to get really serious and tour the battlefield.  But, before we could do that there was a lot of training on the Segway – our transportation for the tour.

Learning to master the Segway.

It was now time to tackle the outside world and begin the really serious part of our tour with Fran – a fantastic guide thru those three fateful days in July, 1863.

The grounds that WERE the battlefield have been restored and maintained much as they were in 1863 in order to provide an accurate picture of those three fateful days.  The fences, hills, rocks, cannon, and even the monuments provide an opportunity to reflect and make a feeble attempt to understand what happened here.  Even so, it is impossible to comprehend and to wrap ones arms around the fact that more men fell during this battle than in any other battle on American soil before or since.  What appear to be peaceful rolling fields pay silent tribute to this sacrifice.

Our guide, Fran, conveyed more information than we could possibly retain.

Cannons and memorials to State regiments are in actual battle places – the Pennsylvania Memorial is in the distance.

It is very hard to look at these wide open fields and imagine 1,000’s of men lined up just in front of us and then across the field.  Those across the field are marching toward us in  exposed lines and are being pelted with cannons and guns.  Just as the sun was setting on us at the end of our tour – the sun set on 50,000 men who would never know if they fought in vain.  We should never let their memory die, whether they fought for the North or the South.

A very moving discussion of Pickett’s Charge on the final day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

The time with our friends in York, PA was fun, silly, memorable, moving, tasty but most of all HAPPY;-)

E & G – grateful for friends and for our history – ALL of it!

WOW!  Our Capitol city really is magnificent.  AND – there is much too much to see in even a three or four day visit;-(  BUT – we did our best.

DC was G’s trip pick and, thankfully, he did a lot of prep for our visit.  A little tip to all who are thinking of visiting here:  DO contact your Congress people (Senators and Rep’s) to get access/tours of the White House and Capitol Building, including the two Chambers of Congress.  And – do this well in advance, as time is needed for background checks, etc.  G did his homework and we were in like Flint on all of these tours instead of standing on the other side of the fence wondering ‘how to get in there?’.

Hotels can be interesting, also.  Most within any kind of walking distance of ‘the sights’ run from $500 to $1000 a night!!  Clearly for all of those on expense accounts;-)  A Residence Inn in Greenbelt (northeast of DC) proved to be a great home base for 4 days.  MiniMagic found an electric plug to stay charged and we found the Metro (and Sr. Pass!). The routine became very simple – free hotel shuttle to the Metro station, hop on the Metro, which ran every 4-5 minutes, and ‘TaDa’ we were in the center of everything!

The Metro got us to and from DC each day.  (Think M2 enjoyed the time off.)

The White House – the oldest public building in the District of Columbia with the most famous address in the United States.  Every President except George Washington conducted the government of the nation here.  On October 13, 1792 the cornerstone of the White House was laid after a competition for design.  Although there have been rebuilds (after burning by the British in 1814), remodels and expansions, the basic structure is the same as one George would recognize today.  Somehow, despite our questionable pasts, a White House tour WAS on our agenda;-)

Congressman Schweikert’s office assisted with tickets to a tour to – THE WHITE HOUSE!

Our limo was lost – so we walked up to the Grand Dignitary Entrance – where we were received —

At the front door with Lafayette Park in the background.

The dance floor was not in place, but we ‘took a turn’ anyway in the very room where Princess Di and John Travolta had their famous dance.

Our impression of Lady Di and John Travolta;-)

After all the individual attention, it was time to meet up with our private tour group (ha ha!!) – –

– – anything but private!

The Blue Room is quite impressive – as it should be, since it is used to receive guests (such as us!!) and houses the White House Christmas tree.  The room is furnished to represent the period of James Monroe, who purchased pieces for the room after the fire of 1814.  The views from this room are stunning!

Original French chairs purchased by Monroe.

The Green Room (once served as Thomas Jefferson’s dining room and now used for receptions), the Red Room (used by John Adams as a breakfast room and now used for small receptions) the Library and China room were all on the tour.  Last but not least was the State Dining Room.  Quote on the fireplace “…May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under this Roof.”   Could we get some of those men again – please?!?!

The State Dining Room can seat 130 for dinner. Not sure how.

A lot of fun to be in the very rooms that one sees used in press conferences with other dignitaries or events at the White House.  The overall impression one leaves with is that this ‘building’ is quite impressive in its trappings but is much smaller in all of its rooms than one would expect or than they seem when seen on TV.

After this moving experience, a quick lunch was in order at the Old Ebbitt Grill, another historic landmark with very good food;-)  Then off the The Mall.

The Mall. The Capital in one direction – –

– – The Washington Monument in the other.

A very interesting, intriguing building appeared – maybe this should be checked out.  We had stumbled upon the newest museum in DC – the National Museum of African American History & Culture.  Luck was on our side as there was no waiting to enter this new museum that has required tickets due to its popularity.   Presented is a very impressive history of trade and slavery going back to the 1400’s and working forward to a Changing America from 1968 and beyond.  As is true of all the museums in DC, one could spend an entire day here.

The National Museum of African American Heritage and Culture – a most unique building.

Even though we were now on overload – one more stop.  The National Gallery of Art was created for the people of the US in 1937, accepting the unprecedented gift to the nation of financier and art collector Andrew Mellon!  Today it has grown into several buildings and gardens.  To give this museum its due, one could spend an entire day here.  Unfortunately, there was only an hour before closing – so hit the highlights including E’s favorite Renoir;-)

The National Museum of Art.

A Girl with a Watering Can by Renoir.  Isn’t she exquisite?!?!

Day one was the Executive branch of our government.  Day two included the Judicial and Legislative branches.  While picking up our Senate and House of Representatives gallery tickets, we learned that there were hourly tours of the Supreme Court.  We were off and running.

The Supreme Court Building opened in 1935.  Prior to this time the Court met in the Capitol building (to be seen later).  This “Temple of Justice” is both a work of art and a working office building – AND quite impressive.

On the steps of the majestic Supreme Court.

A Courtroom Lecture is given in the actual Courtroom where the members of The Supreme Court meet to hear arguments on the cases selected for hearing.  Quite awesome to sit in this impressive courtroom and think about all that has transpired here.  Unfortunately, NO pictures are to be taken in the room – so a quick snap as entering – –

A quick shot just before entering to get the gist.

Another inspiration is the Capitol set amidst 59 acres of winding paths, memorial trees and beautiful flowers that are changed seasonally.  The grounds today reflect a plan completed in 1892 by Olmsted.  The Capitol is home to our two legislative bodies, the House of Representatives and the Senate.  With careful planning, one can observe these two bodies at work (???) in their appropriate chamber, which we were able to do.  Unfortunately, there are NO pictures in these galleries and to be sure of that all phones, cameras, etc. are taken from you when entering the first of two security checks!

The visit to the Chambers was followed by a tour of the Capitol (again with careful planning!).  This included some of the behind the scenes areas one hears about – or perhaps sees in an interview of a Senator or Representative – such as the tunnels from the office buildings to the appropriate Chamber.

The Capitol – where we were taken on a tour by Molly from Rep. Schweikert’s office.

The tunnel from the Representative’s office to the Capitol.

Our first stop was the Rotunda with incredible art work, the Capitol Dome and The Apotheosis of George Washington – –

The Rotunda – jammed with people. 

The frieze in the dome – The Apotheosis of George Washington.

Two rooms of particular interest were the prior Senate Chamber and the prior Supreme Courtroom.  Both were quite impressive and close to ‘miniatures’ of the current versions.  The good news was that pictures could actually be taken here to get at least a flavor of the current.

The previous Chamber of the Senate.

Desks here are primarily repro’s as originals were taken by Sen. to new Chambers.

The previous Supreme Court.

Day three took us beyond the three branches of government to gardens and museums.  On the 59 acres of the Capitol grounds resides the US Botanic Gardens – one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America.  Established by Congress in 1820, and strengthened by collections from the US Exploring Expedition of Wyatt, the plantlife here is beautiful and educational.  And – there are three remaining plants still here from the original Wyatt exploration.  Another great tour by Bobbi gave wonderful information on the plants and their history.

Bobbi provided a great tour of the US Botanic Garden.

Just loved this orchid;-)

What would a trip to DC be without a visit to the National Air and Space Museum?  The 1903 Wright Flyer, The Spirit of St. Louis, Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Vega and so much more of our air history!!

The Wright Brother’s airplane that not only flew but could be controlled!

Totally worn out and heads about to explode with information, we were off to the Metro station for one last trip to the hotel.

The US Navy Memorial on the way to the Metro.

One needs at least a week to do justice to our nation’s capital.  Our whirlwind tour was informative, historical and fabulous – BUT way too short.

Overwhelmed – E & G

Campus visits completed – we were back to family visits.  There was a TON of fun to be had with the Byrne family.  The time was short but couldn’t have been any better.  After a quick look at their new and improved home (which we loved), we were off to one of their favorite ‘exploring’ spots.  And George, Olivia and Samuel ran circles around us – –

Playing with the Byrne Five at Hunting Island.

Higher – Farther – Bouncier;-)!!

Fortunately for us, Bethany hadn’t had enough of us – so we met for coffee the next morning.  She had a wonderful walk in store for us along the Cypress Wetlands with lots of wildlife, which we just managed to get in before the skies opened up.  (When the rains came, we sat in MiniMagic for a nice long chat.)

An anhinga (darter) with 4 young ones on display.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron checking us out.

Submerged gator looking for breakfast.

Cousins Betty and Vern were next up.  So, we headed up the I-95 to High Point, NC, where we checked out another Biaett abode, visited, caught up and wandered one more University campus – High Point University, where Dr. Biaett teaches;-)

High Point University with cousin Vern (that’s Dr. Biaett to his students).

The site of their graduation the previous day.

Vern’s place of business.

A brief visit with George Washington.

Our visit with Betty and Vern was brief, but much enjoyed;-)  On our way again – this time to cousins Jeanie and Dodge in Williamsburg, VA.  BUT (you probably know what is coming) first a nice lunch stop along the way.

A brief stop for lunch at a nice little park.

Another wonderful visit with lots of catching up.  We all had to celebrate again (just as we did with Julie & Mike), as Jeanie & Dodge also just celebrated their 50th anniversary.  So we got to celebrate our 25th again;-)  It was hard to get up the next morning after all the food we ate for dinner in Colonial Williamsburg – but we had to keep moving.  A little breakfast, a little more conversation and a little enjoyment of the views from their home and we were off again.

Early morning view from Dodge & Jeanie’s front yard.

Lovely stay in a lovely home with lovely cousins;-)

It is really wonderful to have such a terrific family – all of whom are so willing to share their time and entertain us as we wander about.  Our sincere gratitude to them all;-)!!

Grateful E & G on their way again.

Why central South Carolina?  A National Park not yet seen – Congaree.  Of course there was the obligatory lunch stop on the way.  MiniMagic found a nice little park under a very interesting bridge over the Brunswick River – –

Nice lunch spot.

Then, on to the main attraction.  Congaree NP is a land of towering trees in a floodplain forest, which like so many of our forests, was almost lost.  Thanks to efforts of Harry Hampton this 27,000 acres became the Congaree NP a recent as 1976.

It is possible that the Congaree River will overflow its banks several times a year.  When it does, its waters flow into this floodplain with moisture and nutrients that provide the ingredients for a unique ecosystem of plants and animals.  Especially the recipe for ‘champion trees’ (one that is judged to be the largest of its species and native or naturalized to the US).  A fabulous 2.4 mile boardwalk is provided to explore the park.

Wandering into the “swamp” full of Champion Trees.

The Bald Cypress that make Congaree home, have a broad base and complex root system to help hold them steady during the floods.  They also have little ‘shoots’ off their root system called ‘knees’.  The exact function of the knees is not known, but it is thought  they might be part of the stabilization system.

A plethora of cypress knees.

The level of the water when the Congaree River floods can be quite high and it can rise rapidly.  We would not want to be here at that time, as the moss on the trees marks that level and it is higher than G is tall!!

Yikes!!   Water levels higher than G’s 6’2″ frame.

Didn’t see a lot of wildlife (other than mosquitos!!) – but these guys were interesting – –

A young turtle alongside the larger parent.

The land within Congaree NP has a long and varied past going back to almost 10,000BCE. More recent inhabitants included slaves seeking shelter as they escaped during the Civil War, loggers in the late 1890’s (which almost decimated the forests), and bootleggers in the 1900’s.  Some of their stills remain – –

The remains of a prohibition era moonshine still.

Our adventure here wasn’t over.  This particular day just happened to be the first night of the Firefly Festival!  Well – this had to be checked out as they were claimed to ‘flicker’ in synchronization.  Believe it or not – they DID!!

Heading out in search of fireflies.

As you can see, our attempt to photograph the fireflies caught them when they were all off.

In the continuing effort to check out college/university campuses – the ‘other’ USC was in sight.  A beautiful campus right in the middle of Columbia, SC, with the Capital just adjacent to the campus.  The really FUN part about all our visits this weekend is that it was graduation.  So all the campuses were alive with the happy activities of students and their proud families;-)

The USC football stadium.

The central part of campus known as the Horseshoe.

All set up in the Horseshoe for the Law School commencement.

The South Carolina General Assembly created Columbia as the state’s capital city in 1786.  In 1790, the General Assembly first met in the new State House, designed by James Hoban, who later designed the White House.

The South Carolina State Capital with the statue of Strom Thurmond in the foreground.

The Trinity Episcopal Church was built in 1846.

OK – North Carolina needed equal time.  So, we were off to the University of NC in Chapel Hill.  Also a lovely campus with its central quad area and old unique buildings.

The South Bldg on the quad at UNC.

The beautiful old library undergoing renovation.

The Old Well on the campus is recognized as a National Landmark for Outstanding Landscape Architecture.  For many years, the old well was the sole water supply for the university.  In 1897, the original well was replaced with the present structure.  Campus tradition dictates that a drink from the Old Well on the first day of classes will bring good luck (or straight A’s!).  Perhaps all the graduates lined up for pictures took a sip on their first day of classes and DID get straight A’s;-)!!

Graduates, families and friends waiting to take a picture in front of The Old Well.

A great surprise waited for us in the Chapel Hill – Raleigh Durham area.  We got a 2-fer as Duke University is also located here.  Not to miss a campus, we were headed in that direction.  Although the rain was now really playing havoc with these graduation ceremonies.  AND – our arrival at Duke coincided with the arrival of all the graduation traffic.  Therefore, unfortunately, there was no walking tour of Duke – just a poor shot thru the rain soaked windshield.

The only shot of Duke;-(

It is really unfortunate that the weather did not hold for this campus visit, as it looked like a fantastic place to wander.  But – onward.

Travels through the Carolina’s would not be complete without a stop in Pinehurst.  Although this trip did not allow for a round of golf, a good lunch and a ‘shop-off’ in the Pro shop were in order.

The statue of Payne Stewart at Pinehurst.

A fun couple of days watching graduates and their families celebrate their accomplishments AND checking out one more NP;-)

Now – back to some of those Biaett cousins.

E & G off to see more Family

The next four fabulous days were spent with cousins Julie & Mike at the environs of “The Happiest Place on Earth”.  The accommodations at Saratoga Springs were perfect and well situated within walking distance of Downtown Disney where Julie & Mike met up with their favorite princess;-)

A Prince and his Princesses.

Venturing outside that “Happy” place for a day, we checked out the Kennedy Space Center, which is abuzz with activity again;-)  Here one can view artifacts of NASA’s Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs.  Today’s visitor center and tours are a far cry from the drive-thru tour in 1963 of what was known as Cape Kennedy.  By popular demand, tours expanded to the adjacent Kennedy Space Center in 1965 creating the need for an actual visitor center.  In 1966 a temporary facility provided basic exhibits, restrooms and a hub for public bus tours.  Today’s facility is a far cry from its humble beginnings.  The tours have also expanded allowing us today to take a look behind the scenes, including the Vehicle Assembly Building, Launch Complex 39 and the Launch Control Center.  And we were off – –

The Vehicle Assembly Building is more than 50 stories tall…

…and is still in use today.  A launch tower in place waiting for the addition of a rocket.

Launch Pad 39A was used for the launch of most of the Apollo space craft as well as more than 80 Space Shuttle flights. It is now being used by Elon Musk’s SpaceX operations.

A trip in this area would not be complete without spending time with cousins Brett, Cindy and their boys – Barrett & Harrison – at their lovely home in Tampa.  We even got to attend Barrett’s baseball game where he had 3 RBI!

Barrett was an RBI machine at his Little League playoff game.

As always, our stay went by way too fast – but it was lots of fun.  Time to load up MiniMagic one more time and headed north.

Thanks to Julie and Mike for a fun few days. 

A BIG THANK YOU to all the Clarke’s for their hospitality – especially Julie & Mike;-)  The above doesn’t capture ALL the activities we had during these four days!  There were also delicious dinners at the Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord Palms Resort and at Hemmingway’s at the Grand Hyatt – and a yummy rib dinner at Chez Brett after the baseball game!  There was also shopping and sightseeing.  And – the best part – we did not set foot in any one of the theme parks to mingle with the hoards of people;-)  Just enjoyed hours of visiting and catching up.

Speaking of catching up – on the way to Orlando there was a quick visit to Vero Beach to catch-up with good friends Betsey & Garrett.  Again, we were treated to two fabulous meals, a tour of their new home and several hours of just plain visiting;-)

This is the best part of this trip – the really special visits with family and friends.  And this portion of our trip has just begun.

E & G

From the RTJ Golf Trail to the World Golf Hall of Fame just outside St. Augustine – including The King & The Bear and The Slammer & The Squire.  Our golf left a lot to be desired, but the courses were great fun (we did play both)!

The King and the Bear (course) – not sure which G is???

A visit to The World Golf Hall of Fame is fun and informative.  One can experience golf from its very beginning in the 1500’s to the current day Major Champions.  Especially fun are the interactive exhibits that one can get involved with – –

G putting at St. Andrews…

…and E atop the Leader Board at The Masters!!!

No trip to The World Golf Hall of Fame would be complete without a lunch or dinner at the Murray Brothers ‘Caddy Shack’.  Unfortunately, we just missed (by three days) the Murray Bros. BIG annual fundraiser.  It seems that much of the staff was still feeling the effects of the weekend of partying!!

We celebrated the Masters win at the Caddy Shack;-)!!

The Golf Hall of Fame community is just a few miles from the historic city of St. Augustine – the oldest permanent European Settlement in North America.  Florida was in and out of Spanish control several times during its ‘life’.  They built the Castillo in the late 1690’s and fortified it over the years after various British attacks.  The entire Florida peninsula was returned to Spain as part of the negotiations ending the American Revolution in 1783, and they ruled for another 37 years.  Fast forward to 1845, when Florida became the 27th state of the Union.

Remnants of the Castillo.

A nice view from our dinner spot.

One could not be this close and not travel 30 minutes north on the 95 to see TPC Sawgrass.  The first stadium course – built in 1983 – it is pretty stunning in person.  AND, you can take a great tour of the ‘clubhouse’ and the 16th, 17th and 18th holes.  It is pretty scary to stand on the tee box at 17 and think about hitting over all the water to ‘that little tiny green over there’;-)  And then to be on the 18th tee box looking over ALL that water back at the Clubhouse.  Awesome!!

The beautiful TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach.

The 17th green from the Tee Box – Yikes!!

Didn’t have to fight a single fan to get this shot;-)

Cheering Tiger after his “Better Than Most” putt in the 2001 Player’s Tournament.

The daunting 18th hole…what water?

Excellent view of the 18th and a great lunch.

Would love to get back to TPC Sawgrass some year for the Players.  But, once again, it is time to move on.  Unfortunately, we had to leave the beautiful Ponte Vedra and Hall of Fame area as we headed to Orlando.  It seems that the ‘love bugs’ are mating and are out in droves – – –

Second stop within 50 miles to clean the “love bugs” off of MiniMagic. Yuck!!

Some beautiful, beautiful courses in the last several days.  And some ugly, ugly bugs;-(  Here’s to hoping their three – four day life span after mating is just about up.

M-I-C–K-E-Y MOUSE here we come – E & G

Next up – Alabama and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.  First, though, a little bit more of history.  With just a little jaunt out of the way, MiniMagic was in Selma, AL – the sight of an event we both remember watching on TV with a lot of sadness in our hearts.

On March 7, 1965 John Lewis and Hosea Williams led a group of 600 African Americans from Brown Chapel AME Church six blocks and across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.  As the group reached the apex of the bridge they saw a sea of blue at the bottom of the bridge on the other side.  State Public Safety Director Al Lingo ordered armed troopers to attack the marchers – hospitalizing 50 – in an event that became known as “Bloody Sunday”.  Two weeks later, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led a court-approved march with federal protection over this same bridge to Montgomery.  These marches resulted in the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  Truly hard to believe this Right for all Americans was legalized as recently as my lifetime.

Quite moving to walk across this bridge.

Browns AME Church – the starting point for the 54 mile voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, AL in March 1965.

A current view across the Pettus Bridge back into downtown Selma.

With a little knot in our stomachs – the trek to Prattville/Montgomery was continued.  There the Capitol Hill RTJ golf courses were waiting for us.  Two of the three courses – the Legislator and the Judge – were on the agenda.  The courses were beautiful, in excellent shape AND BRUTAL!!

The Legislator course – not quite so much water – but still BRUTAL!

G contemplating taking up fishing as the golf isn’t going so well.

Beautiful view from the 1st tee on the Judge course – don’t be fooled – still BRUTAL!

Uh oh. Water, water everywhere.

Water on 14 of the 18 holes on the Judge. G’s golf game was found to be in contempt.

At least there was interesting wildlife.

These few days were beautiful!  Despite the poor golf, we enjoyed every bit of our stay.  The grounds, the accommodations and the courses made us feel very homey and comfortable.  Even MiniMagic enjoyed – –

Cocktail time in MiniMagic.

Good-bye to Prattville, AL and the RTJ Trail.  See you again another time.

G & E off again on the golfing part of our adventure. 😉